E132: Lessons from Enterprise Business Agility Transformations

Introduction and Overview of Business Agility Transformations

• Dr. Dave A. Cornelius introduces the podcast and the topic of lessons from enterprise business agility transformations.
• Mike McKiggan discusses the challenges of transformations, including changing behavior, ways of working and introducing new language.
• Dr. Dave emphasizes the importance of honoring past successes and acknowledging the need to change in a volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous (VUCA) business climate.
• Dr. Dave introduces Mike McKiggan, highlighting their partnership on a business agility transformation initiative and their recent connection at the Agile 2024 conference.

Mike McKiggan's Introduction and Reflection

• Mike McKiggan shares his background in IT, focusing on large-scale transformations and the human side of technology.
• He emphasizes the importance of culture over strategy and shares his experiential learning approach.
• Dr. Dave asks Mike to introduce himself, which Mike does, highlighting his 20 years in IT and his focus on the human side of technology.
• Mike discusses the importance of building trust and being vulnerable to achieve good working agreements.

Challenges in Enterprise-Level Business Agility Transformations

• Mike shares a specific example of a challenge while working with a Fortune 500 client in a federally regulated environment.
• The resistance from the development community and leaders was due to the perception of being too busy for the transformation.
• Mike and his team started with curiosity and listening to stakeholders, which led to adjusting their strategy and aligning incentives.
• They saw a significant shift in engagement and advocacy from resistors by providing space and rewards for learning new skills.

Organizational Change Management and Misconceptions

• Dr. Dave and Mike discuss the importance of understanding what's in it for each stakeholder in organizational change management.
• Mike introduces the SCARF model by David Rock, which focuses on the emotional impact of change on individuals.
• They discuss common misconceptions about business agility practices, such as the belief that transformational outcomes are self-evident.
• Mike shares an example of a client where the focus on managing risk conflicted with the goal of speed to market, emphasizing the need for a balanced scorecard.

Culture of Business Agility and Traditional Practices

• Dr. Dave and Mike discuss the challenge of changing culture in organizations with deeply rooted traditional practices.
• Mike emphasizes the importance of identifying a coalition of the willing and starting small with easy experiments.
• He highlights the need to honor past successes and reduce friction to change by acknowledging the reasons behind the current state.
• Dr. Dave and Mike agree that slowing down the pace of change is important to ease the organization's transition.

Leadership and Management in Business Agility

• Dr. Dave and Mike discuss the roles of executives and middle management in business agility transformations.
• Mike emphasizes the importance of executives creating a clear and compelling mission and middle management acting as enterprise impediment busters.
• They discuss the shift from traditional management roles to servant leadership and the importance of impact and influence over span of control.
• Dr. Dave shares his perspective on middle management as the flexible middle, adapting to new strategies and translating them for teams.

Innovative Strategies for Team Collaboration

• Dr. Dave and Mike discuss innovative strategies for enhancing team collaboration and driving continuous improvement.
• Mike emphasizes the importance of working agreements, visualizing work, and team continuity.
• He shares a story about the successful transition to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of grace and flexibility.
• Dr. Dave and Mike discuss the challenges of getting experienced team members to engage with working agreements and the importance of aligning on principles and processes.

Advice for Leaders Embarking on Agile Transformations

• Dr. Dave asks Mike for advice for leaders beginning their agile transformation journey.
• Mike emphasizes aligning corporate incentives with the desired future state and ensuring executive sponsorship.
• He shares an example of a client whose focus on managing risk delayed the transformation due to conflicting incentives.
• Dr. Dave and Mike discuss the importance of clear communication and setting expectations for the transformation journey.

Key Lessons Learned from Business Agility Transformations

• Dr. Dave asks Mike to share key lessons learned from leading business agility transformations.
• Mike emphasizes the importance of constant reinforcement and practice after training to ensure the transformation sticks.
• He shares an example of a leader who successfully transitioned a testing organization to automated testing by leading by example and providing space and tools for learning.
• Dr. Dave and Mike discuss the importance of recognizing each transformation's context and unique goals and seeking input from those most impacted.

Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

• Dr. Dave thanks Mike for his participation and the partnership they have had.
• Mike shares a quote by Maya Angelou, emphasizing the importance of making people feel valued.
• Dr. Dave closes the podcast, encouraging listeners to check out his latest book and other resources.
• The podcast is available on various platforms, and Dr. Dave emphasizes the ongoing journey to excellence and the importance of an abundance mindset.