Transforming a culture using Kotter’s change model: a case study

agile42 | The Agile Coaching Company www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2013

From Doing Scrum to Being Agile:Lessons Learned Transforming a Culture

Before we start:

Introduce yourself to

your neighbor.

Share one reason

why it’s

difficult to chang

e an

organization’s cu

lture.

http://www.agile42.com



• FEEDBACK:

• overall was VERY positive. Average 4.5 out of 5

• different title? Didn’t match some people’s expectations. thought it would be about team transformation rather than enterprise

• 1 person said “not a real world example” ?

• Dave Sharrock’s feedback:• kick off was awesome. You had the crowd in the palm of your hand

- talking through Ericsson transition was informative and kept attention. You might try : keywords for each stage to make context clear and following easier ; print outs on wall with key words would help finding where I am easier- get up and walk to wall was good - until you didn't ask them to do anything. A kinda pair-share with people next to then on what they are going to learn from one another- listing 8 steps is redundant. They have the handout. Start presenting step 1 instead- slides have lots of text/bullets...- balance between starting by talking over crowd vs getting crowd attention first- engagement very high - 70ish people watching, listening, staying involved- it's not clear to me how valuable it is to tell people you are injecting interactivity ?- folding arms exercise needs a little more instruction/debrief- table debriefs of examples of good/bad communication went well- allow groups (at 8 steps on wall) to discuss first before asking for input/ideas- often can't hear what people are saying. Repeat before answering?



agile42 | The Agile Coaching Company www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2012.

About Brad Swanson

The Agile Coaching Company

Senior Agile Coach at [email protected]@bradswanson



mailto:[email protected]


http://www.flickr.com/photos/tza/3214197147 Agilitrix

Dissatisfaction about performance (2008/Q4)

’08/Q4

Dissatisfaction

’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas

First ideas of how to improve... (2009/Q1)

‘09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas

Focus on simplifying process... (2009/Q2)

First ideas

‘09/Q2

’09/Q2‘09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas

First ideas

Start Transition

Decision to start a Transition... (2009/Q3)

’09/Q3

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’09/Q4

First ideas

First ideas

Start Transition

Changes to organization, the dawn of Agile... (2009/Q4)

Dawn of Agile

’09/Q4

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas

First ideas

Start Transition

Dawn of Agile

’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

New Leadership Team... (2010/Q1)

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas

First ideasDawn of Agile

’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Coach the coach/Train the Trainer... (2010/Q2)

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

Internal training started... (2010/Q3)

’10/Q3

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Total focus on Agile, 80% of teams transformed (2010/Q4)

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

Challenges with first agile release... (2011/Q1)

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

First Agile Release

’11/Q2

First Agile Release: on time, on scope... (2011/Q2)

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

First Agile Release

’11/Q2

Sorting Issues

’11/Q3

Sorting out issues... a lot of them... (2011/Q3)

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

First Agile Release

’11/Q2

Sorting Issues

’11/Q3

Second Agile Release

Second Agile Release: larger, on time, on scope (2011/Q4)

15’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

First Agile Release

’11/Q2

Sorting Issues

’11/Q3


More improvements: from Scope to Value... (2012/Q1)

Improvement

1615’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

First Agile Release

’11/Q2

Sorting Issues

’11/Q3


Improvement

Third Agile Release, large & on time and value (Q2 2012)

1615’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas


’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach

’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3

Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

First Agile Release

’11/Q2

Sorting Issues

’11/Q3


Improvement

The journey continues...

Production deployments each

sprint (3 weeks); down from 12

month cycle time

Multiple teams swarm on a feat

ure

New business model: “Network as a

Service”

’09/Q3’09/Q2’09/Q1

Dissatisfaction

’08/Q4

First ideas

First ideas

Dawn of Agile’09/Q4

Leadership Team

’10/Q1

Start Transition

Coach the Coach’10/Q2

Internal Training

’10/Q3Teams transformed

’10/Q3

Release trouble

’11/Q1

First Agile Release

’11/Q2

Sorting Issues

’11/Q3


Improvement

The whole journey...

’11/Q4

’12/Q1

’12/Q2


1. Establish a sense of urgency2. Create the guiding coalition3. Develop a vision and strategy4. Communicate the change vision5. Empower employees for broad-based action6. Generate short-term wins7. Consolidate gains and produce more change8. Anchor new approaches in the culture

John Kotter’s 8 Steps for Leading Change

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevensnodgrass/






#1. Establish a Sense of Urgency

• Crisis or game-changing opportunity

• Slash executive perks

• Set high targets

• Accountability for business results

• Make problems visible

• No more happy talk

• Continual reminders

• Buy-in from all execs, 75% of managers, most of troops

John Kotter: Leading Change




What would

you observe

and and hear

that would

indicate a

sense of

urgency?

What would you observe and and hear that would indicate a LACK of urgency?

1. 3.2. 1. 2. 3.




2. Create the guiding coalition at Ericsson

•Committed executive team•Transition “Tiger” Team •Team of external coaches

for 5 months•Co-located for 2 months of

team building and launching 2 pilot teams

•Train the trainer, coach the coach

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clam113/2666711074/






1 Increase urgency2 Guiding coalition3 Vision & Strategy4 Communicate the vision5 Empower action6 Create short-term success7 Consolidate gains8 Anchor changes in the culture

28

Organization impediments

removedAuthoritative

portfolio management

Training & coaching

GOAL: delight the customer, now and in

the future

Consistently communicate

vision & strategy

Committed transformation

team

Top Mgmt Support &

Action

Internal coaches

Ongoing shared learning

Pilot project

Lean & systems thinking Empowered teams;

delegate authority

Short-term successes

Sustainable culture changes

Clear & visible portfolio priorities

Alignment & support across

org

Communities of Practice

Agile development practices (XP)

Short dev cycle/ faster time to market

Strong Product Owner role

Fixed date, variable scope

Strategic cross- functional teams

1 4 5

2

2 3 4 6 7

5 7

1 4 7

1 3 4 5 7

5 6 7

7 8

4 7 8

7 8

7 8

7 8

6

1 2 5 6

4 5 6

7

2 5 6 7

1 3 6

5 6 7

Sample Agile Strategy Map©

6

6 7

google: agile strategy map http://www.agile42.com/en/blog/2011/10/14/agile-strategy-mapping-accus/

3. Develop a vision and strategy



http://www.agile42.com/en/blog/2011/10/14/agile-strategy-mapping-accus/

http://www.agile42.com/en/blog/2011/10/14/agile-strategy-mapping-accus/


4.Communicate the change vision

National Archives

08/28/1963 ARC Identifier 542014

• Global + local transition teams

• Repeated presentations from leadership

• Local leaders participate in building the local transition strategy

• Agile Strategy Map© visible at each office

• Gemba walk: managers frequently visit teams to observe, answer, reinforce

• Goal: Buy-in to the vision


Kotter on communicating the vision

•Keep it simple•Metaphor, analogy, example•Many forums•Repeat, repeat, repeat•Lead by example•Give and take



5. Empower employees for broad-based action

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soundlessfall/5267640669/




Empowerment at Ericsson

• Information radiators

• Visible management effort to remove obstacles

• Training and coaching for all teams

• Weekly “Hot Topics” sessions

• Managers role-model new behaviors

• Communities of Practice (Guilds)




6. Generate short-term wins

• Intensive training & coaching for pilot teams over 5 months

• Cut 12 months effort from one feature thru team empowerment to challenge a top-down design

• Smaller scope for first full agile release

• Visibly recognize success & reward contributors




7. Consolidate gains and produce more change

• 80% agile teams after 9 months• External to internal coaches• Clear metrics showing gains in

quality, cycle time, morale• Managers removing more

roadblocks, maintaining urgency• Communities of Practice (Guilds)• Continuous Integration• Release #2: bigger scope (4G

LTE)




8. Anchor new approaches in the culture

• Hiring, promotions & career paths to sustain changes

• Change PM role to Coach

• Less “Control” culture

• Agile portfolio planning

• Measure value, not scope

• “Network as a Service” business model




Take a stand

Which of the 8 steps needs more attention and focus in your experience?




Table Talk

Share a story of success or

failure in any of the 8

steps.

Each table choose 1 idea to

strengthen an agile

transformation. Share it

with the room.



Many thanks @nusco

for the graph

ics!

[email protected]@bradswanson

http://www.agile42.com/en/blog/2012/08/16/ericsson-agile-transformation/





Transforming a culture using Kotter’s change model: a case study

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