Tribal Scrum

Dave Logan introduces “Tribal Scrum” in his CBS Money Watch blog and CultureSync Tribal Leadership blog. For a brief introduction to Scrum, see Introduction to Lean, Agile, Scrum, & XP. For a brief introduction to Tribal Leadership, see Tribal Leadership Distilled: Paradigm, Process, and Model.

The purpose of Dave’s CultureSync Tribal Leadership blog is to “highlight why Scrum and Tribal Leadership are perfect for each other” and “jump start a conversation about implementing ‘Tribal Scrum’.” The blog starts by exploring a “modified version [of Scrum] for executive tribes” and briefly emphasizes “Scrum But” (“incomplete Scrum” where “Scrum implementations fall short of the real deal”) and “Tribal Leadership But” (where “people implement some, but not all, of the system”).

While I’m optimistic about the Tribal Scrum movement, I’m also somewhat disheartened that the conversation has started around Scrum But and Tribal Leadership But!

There is much debate around “But-ness” — against Scrum Buts and for Scrum Buts, and there is even a Scrum But test! Rather than become mired in such debates (where the means (Scrum) commonly becomes the ends!), focus on values & principles and foster the emergence of the most healthy approach (to value discovery and delivery within a specific context); that is, foster being in alignment with the “spirit of the law” versus the “letter of the law” where the result “speak for themselves” based on the nature of those involved!

Why

Dave stresses that “if Scrum follows the BPR road, and emphasizes practices over principles it will fail” and highlights that “the experts in Scrum have the opportunity to become leaders of a business revolution.”

Dave also acknowledges “what’s missing in Tribal Leadership has been a specific game [framework] that great tribes can play against other great tribes” and suggests that “scrum is that game.”

Dave thus suggests “let’s put the best of Tribal leadership, along with the best of Scrum, in a blender, add in executive management concerns, hit puree, and see what comes out.”

Dave additionally warns: “For those who think they already have the answer, please remember: this is about tribes learning together, not about gurus having the answers in which they present to others who are amazed by their brilliance.”

How

Dave explicitly suggests: “If Scrum and Tribal leadership are combined, and focused on the concerns of executive leaders, a transformation in organizations will result.” A great example is Cars.com’s transformation journey! However, regarding transformation, let’s likewise be very clear that transformation cannot be merely reduced to two bodies of knowledge and experience (Scrum and Tribal Leadership) but generally leverages the wisdom of many; for example, Judith E. Glaser (WE-Centric Leadership), Leandro Herrero (Viral Change), Peter Fuda (Transformation and Leadership Framework/Model/Cycle), William Isaacs (Dialogue), and many others (AIR, Human Leadership, etc.) — it’s imperative that the emerging Tribal Scrum community is open versus closed to the wisdom of others outside the immediate community.

Dave then suggests that “just as Peter Drucker’s work brought management into the 20th century, the results of ‘Tribal Scrum’” would bring management into the 21st century” and elaborates how this can be accomplished.

Dave emphasizes: “First, let’s be clear that Tribal Scrum will not result from a single person piecing it together and declaring that they have the answer.” Essentially, Dave is suggesting that Tribal Scrum will emerge by “combining”, “trying”, “refining”, and “letting the community determine what worked and what didn’t.”

Dave then emphasizes: “Second, everyone needs to get immersed in both Tribal Leadership and Scrum.” Essentially, Dave is suggesting that the Scrum and Tribal Leadership communities act on their curiosity about one another.

Dave next emphasizes: “Third, Tribal Scrum will result from lots and lots of experiments — some successful and some not, by combining the two approaches.” Essentially, Dave is suggesting an “open-source approach to knowledge sharing.”

Dave next emphasizes: “Fourth, the community needs to determine the winning approaches here, based on adherence to values and contribution measured by merit.” Dave openly shares that “many people in the Agile world” have expressed that “the Agile community has become fractious and contentious … even dysfunctional”; to which he has responded that “this evolution is completely natural, and has happened in most knowledge-based, accomplish-oriented fields.”

Many member of both the Scrum community (and Agile community, including Scrum, Lean, Kanban, XP, etc.) and the Tribal Leadership community have expressed concern and disappointment in how dysfunctional their respective community has become. As Dave suggests, “this evolution is completely natural”! Furthermore, communities naturally ebb and flow with function/dysfunction — including “extended speech-making, almost no listening, and strong-willed personalities trying to dominate the group with manipulation, back-room deal-making, and force” — but ultimately “the community needs to decide that such behaviors will not be tolerated.” Fundamentally, the health (or lack thereof) of a community is a reflection of its functions/dysfunctions based on the nature of its members!

And lastly, Dave emphasizes: “Fifth, we should eat our own dog food.” Essentially, Dave’s call to action is that “we need a venue, identification of community values, selection of a noble cause, commitment to Scrum and Tribal Leadership.”

Conclusively, Tribal Scrum will emerge through immersion and sharing within a combined Scrum and Tribal Leadership community!

This is a tremendous opportunity for the Scrum and Tribal Leadership communities — looking forward to the journey ahead: Venue, Values, Cause, and Commitment!

Thoughts on The BMC Agile Transformation: A Seven-Year Perspective

Israel Gat (@agile_exec) (Cutter Consortium Fellow and Director of the Agile Product & Project Management practice), who is recognized as the architect of the agile transformation at BMC Software, socialized “The BMC Agile Transformation: A Seven-Year Perspective” article. Please see Rally Software’s Case Study and the Agile Journal’s Case Study for more information.

Without doubt, Israel Gat among others must be commended for their tremendous impact on BMC Software!

BMC Software’s Journey

The article emphasizes “deeper reasons behind the success of the BMC rollout”:

This Executive Update represents my current understanding of the deeper reasons behind the success of the BMC rollout [2004-2008]. It reviews past decisions in light of knowledge, experience, and insights that evolved a long time after the decisions, for better or worse, had been executed. In general, it’s about my making sense of things and sharing my insights with Cutter clients.

The article addresses “why agile”:

Agile offered an effective antidote to the “loss of heart” problem; if we did it well, we could demonstrate results quickly.

The article provides contextual background:

The scale of the rollout was determined by organizational considerations; the business unit I was heading had more than 400 employees in seven countries.

Not much was known in 2004 about deploying agile at such a scale. In many ways, we had to roll on our own. We were aided by a few outstanding consultants and coaches, including Dean Leffingwell (@deanleffingwell), Ryan Martens (@RallyOn), (now) Cutter Senior Consultant Hubert Smits (@HubertSmits), and Jean Tabaka (@jeantabaka).

The article introduces “the ‘secret sauce’” and ever-so-briefly identifies its ingredients: Leadership, Know-how, Flexibility, and Patience. The article emphasizes:

At a certain point in time in 2009, I came to the realization … that numerous executives are reluctant to adopt the secret sauce without a clear handle on how they will govern the software process.

It’s quite surprising that “governance” (or oversight) was a later “realization” versus being a foundational aspect of the transformation journey!

The article then emphasizes the value to BMC Software:

After a couple of years of “agiling” day in and day out, I thought we were doing pretty well. However, I did not know that we were indeed doing pretty well.

The Ultimate Benchmark: Transformation

The article then introduces the “ultimate benchmark for a transformative rollout”:

Successful as the agile transformation at BMC was, it completely failed in what I today consider the ultimate benchmark for a transformative rollout: it did not alter the company’s philosophy and modus operandi beyond the level of “How do we make the sausage? We use agile methods.”

To “alter the company’s philosophy and modus operandi” is what we commonly refer to as a Transformation — a value/principle-based change that focuses on the DNA of an enterprise (collectives, individuals, etc.) — versus a Transition — a practice-based change that primarily focuses on surface level behavior (“How do we…” and “We use…methods”). Furthermore, such a journey at-scale must be more holistic and go “beyond the [mere] level [of] agile methods”.

The article then introduces three levels of “agile implementation”.

First-level Agile: Development & Test

First-level agile implementation involves “Development” and “Test”:

From my perspective today, this means that I was primarily concerned with two strands: development and testing. I was able to “merge” these two elements so that testing could start before development was complete — and testing informed development through tight feedback loops.

Fundamentally, balance among three core perspectives (define-detail, build, and test) is crucial.

Second-level Agile: Strategy & Delivery

Second-level agile implementation involves “Strategy” and “Delivery”:

In my humble opinion, the very same agile principles hold at the strategic level. The only difference is that the interplay is not between development and testing but rather between strategy and delivery. One merges the two so that delivery can start before strategy is complete — and delivery informs strategy through tight feedback loops.

Fundamentally, focus on both value discovery and delivery (essentially, “strategy”) is crucial.

Third-level Agile: Problem & Solution

Third-level agile implementation involves “Problem” and “Solution”:

At this [third] level, one merges the problem and the solution so that the solution can start before the problem has been fully understood — and the solution, incomplete that it might be, informs the problem through tight feedback loops.

Fundamentally, as discovery organizes around the problem and delivery organizes around the solution, they co-orient on one another’s targets via their integration.

The BMC Experience: Transition

The article then considers the BMC experience relative to the “Ultimate Benchmark”:

The BMC transformation was quite successful at the first level but did not really make it to the second level, let alone the third.

The inability to reach second-level agile implementation perplexes me to this very day. My hunch is that this probably reflects a lack of readiness at BMC at the time to accept unpredictability at the strategic level.

What I probably did not quite understand at the time was that BMC conceived strategy as largely fixed for prolonged periods of time. Rightly or wrongly, continuously grooming strategy (in a manner conceptually similar to the way one grooms the agile backlog) was perceived as too radical.

BMC’s journey really focused on “development” and “test”; it seemed to insufficiently encompass the define-detail perspective, however, ”Requirements Architect” is briefly discussed in the Case Studies.

BMC’s journey really focused on “delivery”; it seemed to insufficiently encompass discovery (or “strategy”).

BMC’s journey really focused on a technology-based transition; it seemed to insufficiently encompass a more holistic (business and technology) transformation.

Artful Transformation

Our approach, which we call Artful Transformation, is intentionally holistic and transformative!

Enterprise scale is not merely about “size” but about the whole enterprise (its wholeness, including all its aspects and dynamics)!

Agility is much more than “Agile Methods”! Boydian Agility readily trumps mere Agile Methods (or Agile Software Development)!

Transformation involves value/principle-based change that focuses on the DNA of an enterprise while Transition involves practice-based change that primarily focuses on surface level behavior.

Again, without doubt, Israel Gat among others must be commended for their tremendous impact on BMC Software (and the BMC Agile Transition), however, that success could have been so much more with a more holistic perspective and transformative approach!

Artful Transformation and John Kotter’s 8-Step Process for Leading Change

In Leading Change, John Kotter of Kotter International emphasizes:

30 years of research by leadership guru Dr. John Kotter have proven that 70% of all major change efforts in organizations fail. Why do they fail? Because organizations often do not take the holistic approach required to see the change through.

However, by following the 8 Step Process outlined by Professor Kotter, organizations can avoid failure and become adept at change. By improving their ability to change, organizations can increase their chances of success, both today and in the future. Without this ability to adapt continuously, organizations cannot thrive.

How does The 8-Step Process for Leading Change relate to Artful Transformation?

Step 1: Create/Establishing a Sense of Urgency

This step focuses on “helping others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately”:

Examine market and competitive realities

Identify and discuss crises, potential crises or major opportunities

This step relates to Phase I of Artful Transformation, and specifically fostering awareness of the rationale justifying the transformation.

Kotter’s emphasis that “leaders who know what they are doing will ‘aim for the heart’” and “connect to the deepest values of their people and inspire them to greatness” is crucial.

Step 2: Creating the Guiding Coalition

This step focuses on “putting together a group with enough power to lead the change”:

Assemble a group with enough power to lead the change effort

Encourage the group to work as a team

This step relates to Phase I of Artful Transformation, and specifically establishing a transformation team.

Kotter’s emphasis that “the team should reflect: Position Power; Expertise; Credibility; and Leadership” is crucial.

Step 3: Developing a Change Vision

This step focuses on “clarifying how the future will be different from the past”:

Create a vision to help direct the change effort

Develop strategies for achieving that vision

This step relates to Phase I of Artful Transformation, and specifically deriving a framework. Kotter’s vision is similar to Artful Transformation’s framework and Kotter’s strategies is similar Artful Transformation’s roadmap.

Kotter’s emphasis that a “clear vision [framework] serves three important purposes: simplifies more detailed decisions; motivates people to take action; and helps to coordinate the actions” is crucial.

Kotter’s emphasis “effective visions [frameworks] have six key characteristics: Imaginable; Desirable; Feasible; Focused; Flexible; and Communicable” is crucial.

Step 4: Communicating the Vision for Buy-in

This step focuses on “ensuring that as many people as possible understand and accept the vision”:

Use every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies

Teach new behaviors by the example of the Guiding Coalition

This step relates to Phase I of Artful Transformation, and specifically socializing and refining the framework and roadmap.

Kotter’s emphasis on “communicating the vision” and “the vision should be: Simple; Vivid; Repeatable; Invitational” is crucial.

Step 5: Empowering Broad-based Action / Empowering People and Removing Barriers

This step focuses on “removing as many barriers as possible and unleashing people to do their best work”:

Remove obstacles to change

Change systems or structures that seriously undermine the vision

Encourage the risk-taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions

This step relates to Phase II and III of Artful Transformation, and specifically enacting & elaborating (Phase II) and further enacting & evolving (Phase III) the framework as well as renewing value-creating capabilities (Phase II) and reviewing oversights capabilities (Phase III).

Step 6: Generating Short-term Wins

This step focuses on “creating some visible, unambiguous success as soon as possible”:

Plan for visible performance improvements

Create those improvements

Recognize and reward employees involved in the improvements

This step relates to Phase II and III of Artful Transformation, and specifically the successes and improvements at the early parts of the phases.

Step 7: Never Letting Up / Don’t Let Up!

This step focuses on “consolidating gains and producing more change”:

Use increased credibility to change systems, structures and policies that don’t fit the vision

Hire, promote, and develop employees who can implement the vision

Reinvigorate the process with new projects, themes, and change agents

This step relates to Phase II and III of Artful Transformation, and specifically the gains at the latter parts of the phases.

Step 8: Incorporating Changes into the Culture / Make it Stick

This step focuses on “anchoring new approaches in the culture”:

Articulate the connections between the new behaviors and organizational success

Develop the means to ensure leadership development and succession

This step relates to Phase II and III of Artful Transformation, and specifically the emergence of communities (Phase II) and fostering those communities (Phase III).

Artful Transformation and The 8 Steps

The 8-Step Process for Leading Change provides rich guidance that can be used with Artful Transformation to lead change.

Agility Health

Agile is an umbrella term for Scrum, Extreme Programming, Lean Development, Kanban, etc. with roots are in Agility or the “ability to be agile”. Many consider Agile a technology approach; however, the “ability to be agile” (or Agility) applies to the whole enterprise or organization, business & technology including executives, management, and teams.

Quintessentially, Agility is a value system that emphasizes people, results, collaboration, and responsiveness. See Agility Distilled: The Essence of Agility, Manifesto for Agility, and Principles behind the Manifesto for Agility for more information.

As Agility has proliferated across various industries and as more individuals, teams or collectives, and organizations or enterprises approach Agility — that is, adopting, scaling, and sustaining more agile approaches such as Scrum or AIR — there is growing interest in assessing or apprising a team’s or organization’s Agility, or even more so, its Agility/Agile Health or it’s Agility Health Quotient (AHQ) / Agility Health Index (AHI).

How Agile are We?

While assessment approaches such as the Nokia Test, Comparative Agility, or Scrum Checklist focus on practices/techniques, a more foundational approach involves focusing on behaviors/values (after all, Agility is a value system!).

Agility Health

Herein is an empirical (experiential focused) approach that considers Business (Product Owner or Action Owner) and Technology (Engineering Team or Action Owner) with a neutral party (commonly known as “Switzerland”, the Scrum Master or Flow Owner) relative to Agility, which again is a value system that emphasizes people, results, collaboration, and responsiveness (as aspects).

Additionally, this description includes Business, Technology, Governance, Operations, Program/Project Management, and Enterprise Architecture dimensions. Business areas generally include Marketing, Sales, Support, and Products/Services (Product Management or Services Management with Product Managers). Technology areas generally include Engineering, Architecture (Architects), and Infrastructure. Program/Project Management (Project Managers) focuses on the human means to deliver business value. Enterprise Architecture focuses on the technology means to deliver business value. Governance focuses on oversight in the delivery of business value. Operations focuses on supporting the delivery of business value.

People: Commitment-based Accountability

Consider people’s commitments to intentions (outcomes, goals, objectives, etc.) & actions (tasks) and consider people’s accountability against their commitments, that is, overall ownership:

• If people authentically commit and authentically hold each other accountable, this aspect may be considered High.
• If people authentically commit, this aspect may be considered Medium.
• If people don’t authentically commit or don’t authentically hold each other accountable, this aspect may be considered Low.

Consider the difference between interest & commitment: “When you’re interested in something, you only do it if circumstances permit.”

Fundamentally, if people are challenged with commitment or accountability, they may be part of an unnatural group.

Results: Value-based Results

Consider people’s creation of business results and business value (client, customer, etc.):

• If people authentically produce value (or business results that are valued in a business context), this aspect may be considered High.
• If people authentically produce business results (in a business context, but not necessarily business valued results), this aspect may be considered Medium.
  Note: Producing technology infrastructure does not produce business value but only the potential of future business value!
• If people don’t authentically produce business results (or business value), this aspect may be considered Low.

Fundamentally, if people are challenged with business results or business value, they may be part of an unnatural group.

Collaboration: Mutual Authentic & Appreciative Engagement

Consider people’s engagement:

• If engagement involves flow-and-pull and is genuine (authentic), valued (appreciated), reciprocated (mutual), this aspect may be considered High.
• If engagement involves flow-and-pull, this aspect may be considered Medium.
• If engagement does not involve flow-and-pull (but batch-and-push), this aspect may be considered Low.

Fundamentally, if people are challenged with engagement, they may be part of an unnatural group.

Responsiveness: Time-based Results

Consider people’s responsiveness:

• If people are responsive (not merely reactive or expeditious) to any chaos that surrounds them, this aspect may be considered High.
• If people are responsive (not merely reactive or expeditious) to change, this aspect may be considered Medium.
• If people are not responsive (but may be merely reactive or expeditious), this aspect may be considered Low.

Fundamentally, if people are challenged with responsiveness, they may be part of an unnatural group.

Agility Health Quotient (AHQ) / Agility Health Index (AHI)

Generally,

• If the aspects are predominantly Low, overall Agility Health may be regarded as Low, less healthy (or ultimately unhealthy).
• If the aspects are predominantly Medium, overall Agility Health may be regarded as Medium, stable.
• If the aspects are predominantly High, overall Agility Health may be regarded as High, more healthy (or ultimately healthy).

Specifically, quantifying these qualitative aspects, if Low is 1 point, Medium is 2 points, and High is 3 points, Agility Health is the sum of the points related to each aspects (which are equally weighted). Thus, four Low aspects is 1 + 1 + 1 +1 for a total of 4, and four High aspects is 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 for a total of 12. Thus, a sum/score of:

• 4 is regarded as predominantly unhealthy.
• 5 or 6 is regarded as less healthy.
• 7, 8, or 9 is regarded as stable.
• 10 or 11 is regarded as more healthy.
• 12 is regarded as predominantly healthy.

Variations of this approach have included a 5 point scale (very high, high, medium, low, very low) and weighing the aspects.

Anecdotal evidence using this approach to consistently gauge Agility Health and measure the Agility Health Quotient (AHQ) / Agility Health Index (AHI) of a team or organization over time has proven valuable to derive actionable steps in improving health.

Additionally, the notion of an unnatural group is crucial in fostering a thriving organization.

Artful Transformation and the PRIMES

In The PRIMES: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem, Chris McGoff (@ThePRIMESbook) of The Clearing with Dana Theus (@DanaTheus) of Magus Consulting describes a set of “simple, enduring, and universally applicable truths” that “unlock the power of a group” in “solving complex problems and driving transformational outcomes” (“direct change, facilitate transformation, and solve complex problems”).

How do the PRIMES relate to Artful Transformation?

The PRIMES

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The book introduces Universe Denters:

Michael Doyle [Chris McGoff’s colleague] and his team had a deep and practical understanding of the true nature of group work. They knew how to unlock the power of a group and catalyze the social construction of knowledge. I watched them accomplish “something big” over and over again. I called them “Universe Denters.”

The book then introduces the PRIMES:

In the process of scaling one organizational challenge or another, over a period of many years, realizations came to my partners and me one at a time — and often just in time. The PRIMES are these “eureka” insights. Usually, they occurred when we got stuck as a team. When something was wrong and we were in trouble, we talked it through. A realization would often surface that fit the exact circumstance and allowed us to move forward. As we refined and reused an insight successfully in other circumstances, we knew we had uncovered a PRIME. To qualify, the insight had to be universally applicable, effective in a wide variety of situations, and it had to be timeless and simple. One after another, we “met” the PRIMES.

This book then emphasizes distinguishing the PRIMES:

One of the most profound revelations in my life is that naming things is the act of creating the human experience and shaping the future. Naming is the core of what we do and what we cause. Naming is an essential first step toward achieving mastery over any aspect of life.

The book is organized into three parts with seven chapters:

Part 1 (The Calling): We pay attention to our “calling” and our desire to make a significant, lasting contribution to organizations, communities, and society. The PRIMES in Part One will help us prepare to meet challenges and enroll others in our vision.

Part 2 (Outward Bound): As we set out on our adventure, specific PRIMES help sustain us as a group. We’ll discover PRIMES for beginning our journey and for dealing with inevitable dangers on the path. Other PRIMES will help us “see around the corner,” to predict specific threats to our goal, and help us manage risks.

Part 3: (Summiting): Our goal is near, but at this stage we encounter the greatest fatigue. Our best and worst behaviors begin to manifest themselves. We’ll uncover PRIMES to help us protect the integrity of the expedition.

Artful Transformation and the PRIMES

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While the PRIMES may generally apply across Phase I, II, and III of Artful Transformation, they also have a natural place across Phase I, II, and III where they may have the greatest impact and value.

The Wanderlust chapter of Part 1 (The Calling) establishes underpinning or foundational PRIMES, which are commonly leveraged across Phase I, II, and III of Artful Transformation.

The Enrollment chapter of Part 1 (The Calling) offers PRIMES commonly leveraged in Phase I (Context) of Artful Transformation.

The Outfitting, Stepping Off, and Here be Dragons chapters of Part 2 (Outward Bound) introduce PRIMES commonly leveraged in Phase II (Foundation) of Artful Transformation.

The Strategic Pause chapter of Part 3 (Summiting) introduces PRIMES commonly leveraged in Phase III (Evolution) of Artful Transformation.

The Declared Leadership chapter of Part 3 (Summiting) establishes overarching or leadership PRIMES, which are commonly leveraged across Phase I, II, and III of Artful Transformation.

Wanderlust

The Wanderlust chapter explores PRIMES that “help you clarify your purpose and prepare you to let the world know your vision.”

CHANGE VS. TRANSFORMATION: Change fixes the past. Transformation creates the future.

INTEGRITY: Change fixes the past. Transformation creates the future.

TRUST THE UNIVERSE: The Universe helps people who live boldly.

ENNOBLEMENT: A great vision elevates the people that hold it.

DYNAMIC INCOMPLETENESS: Co-creation causes co-ownership.

These PRIMES relate to fostering a Wholeness mindset (The Art of War – Wholeness) across Phase I, II, and III of Artful Transformation.

Enrollment

The Enrollment chapter explores PRIMES that “give us the ability to build our team and excite, focus, and commit everyone to do what it takes to achieve our clear vision for the future.”

CORE PRIME: Powerful groups forge five essential agreements.

PARITY: Balancing the As Is and the To Be.

FACTS, STORIES, AND BELIEFS: Beliefs shape the facts we listen to and the stories we tell about them.

STAKE: People have different motivations; inspire them all.

DECLARATION: Great leaders DECLARE what will be, by when.

These PRIMES relate to Phase I of Artful Transformation, and specifically establishing a transformation team and socializing & refining the framework. The CORE PRIME is quintessential in this phase.

Outfitting

The Outfitting chapter explores PRIMES that “prepare you to recognize and manage inevitable obstacles on whatever path you take.”

CULTURE: Every group divides the behaviors it will tolerate from those it will not.

GOSSIP: GOSSIP is pure, destructive energy. Tolerate it at your peril.

CONSENSUS: Everyone “agreeing with everything” is overrated.

VICTIM-LEADER: Empowering discussions focus on that which you can control.

BREACH: Acknowledging BREACH is an important step into INTEGRITY.

These PRIMES relate to Phase II of Artful Transformation, and specifically enacting the framework and renewing value-creation capabilities. The CULTURE PRIME is quintessential in this phase.

Stepping Off

The Stepping Off chapter explores PRIMES “to help fuel the group, and to focus and maintain its energy, as it attempts the extraordinary.”

MUDA: Stop non-value-added activity to make room for value.

REDPOINT: Focus on the fewest, most important, things to do now.

ISSUES FORWARD: Direct your focus to what you can affect.

COHESION: Knowing what you want increases your chances of getting it.

These PRIMES relate to Phase II of Artful Transformation, and specifically enacting the framework and renewing value-creation capabilities. The REDPOINT PRIME is quintessential in this phase.

Here be Dragons

The Here be Dragons chapter explores PRIMES that “clarify the importance of focusing and expanding energy efficiently.”

BIG HAT-LITTLE HAT: Everyone wears two hats. Know which one you wear at all times.

RIGHT VS. RIGHT: The most important arguments occur when rights collide.

RESOLUTION PRINCIPLES: Ethical dilemmas can’t be avoided, but they can be managed.

BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT: Rationality is a function of the information at hand.

LEVELS OF PERSPECTIVE: Where you stand determines the problems and solutions you see.

These PRIMES relate to Phase II of Artful Transformation, and specifically enacting the framework and renewing value-creation capabilities.

Strategic Pause

The Strategic Pause chapter explores PRIMES that “help you locate the source of a group’s problem and help members resolve it quickly.”

FRAGMENTATION: Understanding the natural splintering of intentionality helps address it.

LAGGARDS: Ignore those who will never come along.

OPEN-CLOSE-DECIDE: Only one person, at one moment, makes a decision.

IN-ON: You are either working IN your business, or ON it.

These PRIMES relate to Phase III of Artful Transformation, and specifically renewing oversight capabilities.

Declared Leadership

The Declared Leadership chapter explores PRIMES that “are survival gear for truly great leaders.” “Outfitted with these principles, you will bypass obstacles, navigate the unexpected, and lead your teams through the rough patches every time they appear.”

LEADERSHIP SPECTRUM: Great leaders master multiple leadership styles.

SHAPE SHIFTING: Lead collaboratively or authoritatively, explicitly and intentionally.

CHASE-LOSE: Pursuit of meaningful outcomes inspires teamwork and leadership.

COMMITMENT VS. ATTACHMENT: Success is a state of being.

These PRIMES relate to fostering a Leadership mindset (The Art of War – Leadership) across Phase I, II, and III of Artful Transformation.

Artful Transformation and the PRIMES

The PRIMES provide a rich set of principles that can be used with Artful Transformation “to create the future, produce extraordinary results, and make a dent in the Universe.”

Artful Transformation

Artful Transformation is an experientially derived and proven approach to transformation resulting from over three decades of major transformation work.

Artful Transformation is not a traditional change management approach or a new change management approach. Artful Transformation is not a theoretical or speculative approach to transformation.

Artful Transformation has been described & distilled and supported with a “public” case study (who, why, how, and the results).

Transformation involves fundamental change that fosters organizational health (performance and well-being).

Enterprise transformation involves the fundamental change of an enterprise, not merely causing the enterprise to change its structure or processes, but causing the enterprise to change its culture (expressed through language, relationships, and behaviors), which may in turn cause the enterprise to change its structure and processes. Organizational health involves a high performing enterprise that thrives within its context.

Transition is a practice-based change that primarily focuses on surface level behavior while a transformation is a value/principle-based change that focuses on the DNA of an enterprise.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Artful Transformation offers a 3 to 5 times improvement in organizational health (performance and well-being)! See the recommendations for more information!

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Phase I: Context

Phase I is described & distilled and supported with a “public” case study.

Phase I involves establishing a transformation team, deriving a “minimal” framework, and socializing and refining the framework for adoption, which ensures awareness of the aspects of the enterprise.

Phase II: Foundation

Phase II is described & distilled and supported with a “public” case study.

Phase II involves enacting and elaborating the framework, and renewing value-creation capabilities for adoption and scale, which ensures the dynamics within the enterprise.

Phase III: Evolution

Phase III is described & distilled and supported with a “public” case study.

Phase III involves enacting and evolving the framework, renewing oversight capabilities, and fostering communities for scale and sustainability, which ensures the wholeness of the enterprise.

Cars.com’s Agility Transformation Journey

On July 13th, 2011, Clay Johnson (@edeviant), Jacque Harper (@ChicagoBassEns), Jim Sanders, John Manganaro, Jonathan Yenkin, Len Lagestee (@lagestee), Mahi Inampudi, and Nick Hummer shared Cars.com‘s Agility Transformation Journey (as a Ryma Technology Solutions hosted webinar).

Cars.com, a division of Classified Ventures LLC, which launched in June 1998 is the leading destination for online car shoppers, visited by more than 10 million car shoppers each month. To further fuel its success in putting car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions, Cars.com ventured into an enterprise transformation focused on greater organizational health (performance and well-being) and Agility.

The enterprise transformation (approximately 9 calendar months involving approximately 6 effort months) involved Product Management, Project Management, Product Engineering, User Experience, Enterprise Architecture, Operations/Infrastructure, Governance/Oversight, etc. The webinar showcased the transformation experience from all of these perspectives directly from the core participants while the coaches — Mark Ferraro (@mark4ro), Larry Schoeneman, and Si Alhir (@SAlhir) with Redpoint Technologies and Judith E. Glaser (@CreatingWE and @JudithEGlaser) with Benchmark Communications — contributed to the conversation.

— The whole webinar hosted by Ryma Technology Solutions is available here or you can view snippets below. —

Who is Cars.com?

The core participants introduce Cars.com…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 1 min)

Why Agility?

The core participants describe Cars.com’s motivations…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 2 min)

The Journey

The coaches describe the transformation approach…

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(audio – 2.5 min)

The coaches emphasize that the approach is well described in Transformation Distilled: A Journey and a Way of Being and Transformation further Distilled. Furthermore, the coaches emphasize the three underlying pillars of the approach:

• The approach emphasizes a Natural perspective in that it is rooted in Sociality & Human Nature and relies on Human Leadership, including:
• Tribal Leadership and its appreciation of natural groups.
• WE-Centric Leadership and its appreciation of vital instincts.
• The Art of War (“the coaching manual” as Taking Whole and The Sage Commander) and its appreciation of the nature of conflict.
• And other bodies of knowledge based on the context of the enterprise.
• The approach emphasizes an Essential perspective in that it starts with something (framework) “minimal” & “holistic” and evolves it in the context of the enterprise.
• The approach emphasizes a Real perspective in that it considers people and results in the context of the enterprise, that is, it balances the “soft stuff” (people) and the “hard stuff” (business results).

The approach is Natural, Essential, and Real!

The Journey: Energize

The coaches describe the first phase of the approach…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 1 min)

The coaches emphasize the importance of appreciating the enterprise, energizing the enterprise, starting with a “blank sheet”, formulating a “minimal vision”, and socializing the “framework”.

See here and here for more information on phase I.

The core participants share their experiences and recommendations concerning the first phase…

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(audio – 5.5 min)

Encourage you to listen to the audio and leave your comments regarding what “emerges” for you.

The Journey: Experience

The coaches describe the second phase of the approach…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 1 min)

The coaches emphasize the importance of experiencing the dynamics of the framework (not merely socializing the framework) and growing the framework, discovering the “shift”, and renewing “how we create value”. Generally, it is about heightening awareness, fostering behavior, and producing results.

See here and here for more information on phase II.

The core participants share their experiences and recommendations concerning the second phase…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 11 min)

Encourage you to listen to the audio and leave your comments regarding what “emerges” for you.

The Journey: Embody

The coaches describe the third phase of the approach…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 1 min)

The coaches emphasize the importance of embodying the “shift” in the enterprise, renewing “oversight”, and ensuring the “goodness” is embodied within the communities of people who constitute the enterprise. Generally, it is about heightening awareness, fostering behavior, and producing results.

See here and here for more information on phase III.

The core participants share their experiences and recommendations concerning the third phase…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 5 min)

Encourage you to listen to the audio and leave your comments regarding what “emerges” for you.

The Journey in Summary

The core participants share their overall experiences and recommendations…

(click figure to enlarge)

(audio – 6.5 min)

Encourage you to listen to the audio and leave your comments regarding what “emerges” for you.

Overall Impressions

Judith E. Glaser emphasizes the organic nature of the transformation experiences (audio – 1.5 min) while the core participants (and coaches) share their “code word” (audio – 1 min) for that sensation (being connected, energetic, and committed) and the host shares his impressions (audio – 1.5 min).

Encourage you to listen to the audio and leave your comments regarding your impressions.

Key Questions

The core participants (and coaches) explore

• the liberating power of starting with an agnostic perspective (audio – 1 min),
• the importance of a cross-functional core participant team (audio – 2 min),
• the liberating power of starting with an essential framework and the wisdom of listening and conversing (audio – 2 min),
• the overall potency of the core participant team and being “alive” (audio – 2 min), and
• sponsorship and the courage & leadership of the management team (audio – 1.5 min).

Encourage you to listen to the audio and leave your questions.

Conclusion

Judith E. Glaser emphasizes the do-ability of transformation (audio – 0.5 min) and the nature of being human and thriving together (audio – 0.5 min).

Please share your thoughts.

Transformation further Distilled

Thriving and high performing organizations are founded on strong cultures, which involve shared values, strategy alignment, and interconnection. Such organizations achieve 4 times higher revenue, 7 times more expanded work force, 12 times higher stock prices, and 756% higher net income. However, approximately 70% of all change initiatives focused on improving performance fail!

With an acute focus on business results, this unique transformation approach offers an efficient and effective alternative to more “traditional” approaches to change. This approach includes three sequential phases: Context, Foundation, and Evolution.

Context: Transformation Team and Framework

The first phase involves establishing a transformation team; sufficiently understanding the organization’s structure, processes, and culture; and considering how to improve people’s well-being and the organization’s performance. Appreciation of the whole and parts is essential!

Transformation Team

Establish a transformation team.

The transformation team is composed of people from across the organization. The team must be representative of all the groups (of people) involved in the transformation. The team is responsible for coaching, consulting, and training interventions and generally supporting people and the organization.

Framework

The transformation team derives a “minimal” framework.

A framework is a social construct, a social object that fosters a group’s social construction of reality. For example, a framework may be an expression or description of

• Values or what gives a group “meaning”,
• Cause or what gives a group “purpose”,
• Guiding Principles,
• Roles & Tasks & Work Products,
• Behaviors & Relationships & Language, or
• Anything that foster’s the group’s shared understanding of its reality.

The framework essentially expresses a “way of being” that considers people’s well-being and the organization’s performance. It should be “minimal” and integrate people’s human needs and the organization’s business needs. The transformation team is vital in understanding the organization’s structure, processes, and culture while external coaches are vital in contributing various bodies of knowledge (content) and practice (experience) to the framework and throughout the transformation.

The transformation team socializes and refines the framework.

The transformation team shares the framework with all the people who are represented by the team, and the transformation team refines the framework based on any feedback. Naturally, there will be disagreements among people and groups! However, the framework is merely a starting point for the transformation, it is not the destination. As the transformation progresses, the framework will be “tested” against reality and “improved” to ensure people’s well-being and the organization’s performance.

Foundation: Value Creation, Enactment & Elaboration, and Renewal

The second phase involves improving people’s well-being and the organization’s performance by improving the organization’s structure, processes, and culture.

Throughout this phase, the transformation team ensures people experience healthy dynamics in how they work together as reflected in people’s behaviors, relationships, and language.

Enact & Elaborate

The transformation team works with people in enacting the framework (on real work).

The transformation team must live the framework and work with people to also start living the framework. For examples, the transformation team coaches people to live the Values in alignment with the Cause expressed in the framework or coaches people to live the Roles, perform the Tasks, and produce & consume Work Products expressed in the framework. As other people outside the transformation team start living the framework, those people with whom the framework resonates will in turn progressively (and ultimately virally) work with other people to start living the framework. This fosters progressive adoption of the framework.

The transformation team works with people in elaborating the framework.

As people begin to live the framework, the transformation team works with them to change what is not working well (that is, not improving people’s well-being or not improving the organization’s performance) and elaborate (beyond what was “minimal”) what is working well (that is, improving people’s well-being or not improving the organization’s performance). This fosters progressive adaptation of the framework based on the natural group of people who constitute the organization and the demands of the marketplace on the business organization.

Renew Value Creation

The transformation team works with the organization to renew its value-creation capabilities.

As the transformation team, people, and organization begin to recognize what is working well and what is not working well, the enterprise can further organize around how to best foster people’s well-being and the organization’s performance. For example, people may be reorganized as teams, departments may be reorganized across the organization, etc. around how to best create value to meet business objectives.

Evolution: Oversight, Communities, Enactment & Evolution, and Renewal

The third phase involves ensuring the improvements are enduring by ensuring the durability of the organization’s structure, processes, and culture.

Throughout this phase, the transformation team ensures people experience healthy dynamics in how they work together as reflected in people’s behaviors, relationships, and language.

Enact & Evolve

The transformation team works with people in further enacting the framework (on real work).

The transformation team must continue to live the framework and work with people to also continue to living the framework. For examples, the transformation team coaches people to continue to live the Values in alignment with the Cause expressed in the framework or coaches people to continue to live the Roles, perform the Tasks, and produce & consume Work Products expressed in the framework. As other people outside the transformation team continue to live the framework, those people with whom the framework resonates will in turn progressively (and ultimately virally) work with other people to continue to live the framework. This fosters progressive adoption of the framework.

The transformation team works with people in evolving the framework.

As people continue to live the framework, the transformation team works with them to change what is not working well (that is, not improving people’s well-being or not improving the organization’s performance) and evolve (beyond what was “minimal”) what is working well (that is, improving people’s well-being or not improving the organization’s performance). This fosters progressive adaptation of the framework based on the natural group of people who constitute the organization and the demands of the marketplace on the business organization.

Renew Oversight

The transformation team works with the organization to renew its oversight capabilities.

As the transformation team, people, and organization begin to recognize what is working well and what is not working well, the enterprise can further organize around how to best sustain people’s well-being and the organization’s performance. For example, how are cross-team conflicts and cross-department conflicts resolved, etc. in how to best oversight value creation.

Communities

The transformation team fosters communities who take ownership of the framework.

Throughout the journey, ownership of the framework progressively (and ultimately virally) permeates every person beyond the transformation team. The enterprise, as an overall community, owns the framework while the transformation team fosters various sub-communities to take ownership for evolving different aspects of the framework. As the enterprise’s journey is never-ending, the evolution of the framework in continuously improving people’s well-being and the organization’s performance is never-ending.

How is this Different? Why does it Work?

This transformation approach is different from more “traditional” approaches to change in that it very organically and simultaneously focuses on people’s well-being and the organization’s performance.

• From a business perspective, the approach transforms how people and the organization discover and deliver value to clients and customers in the form of products, services, and experiences.
• From an organizational perspective, the approach transforms the organizational structure and processes to more efficiently and effectively achieve business results.
• From a cultural perspective, the approach transforms people’s behaviors, relationships, and language to ensure their well-being in achieving business results.
• Most notably, the approach is completely agnostic of business domain and may be combined with almost any Strategy, Leadership, Execution, Cultural, etc. model or approach (for example, [1], [2], [3], [4], etc.).

Integrating these different perspectives is the foundation for a complete and holistic transformation approach.

Transformation Distilled: A Journey and a Way of Being

This is not a traditional change management approach or a new change management approach.

This is not a theoretical or speculative approach to transformation.

This is an experientially derived and proven approach to transformation.

Enterprise

An enterprise is a meaningfully-purposeful collective of individuals who form an ecosystem.

They share an organizational structure, organizational processes, and culture.

They express themselves through their language, relationships, and behaviors.

Value Discovery and Delivery

The enterprise (organization) is focused on value (results) via ongoing value discovery and delivery efforts.

A value discovery project (effort) is focused on discovering valued products/services/experiences (results).

A value delivery project (effort) is focused on delivering valued products/services/experiences (results).

Transformation

Transformation involves fundamental change that fosters organizational health (performance and well-being).

Enterprise transformation involves the fundamental change of an enterprise, not merely causing the enterprise to change its structure or processes, but causing the enterprise to change its culture (expressed through language, relationships, and behaviors), which may in turn cause the enterprise to change its structure and processes.

Organizational health involves a high performing enterprise that thrives within its context.

A Journey and a Way of Being

Transformation coaches are catalysts who foster (via intervention) the enterprise’s journey towards a more healthy way of being.

Transformation Distilled

Transformation is enacted across three phases (Context, Foundation, and Evolution) and involves three core or essential elements (Nucleus, Dynamics, and Communities).

The phases are not merely sequential but general overlap (within a 3 to 6+ month timeframe for all three phases, which is further adapted to the needs/context of the enterprise).

Phase I: Context

(click figure to enlarge)

The first phase involves engaging and energizing the enterprise.

This phase focuses on sufficiently appreciating the enterprise to foster the creation of a “minimal” value discovery and delivery framework and transformation roadmap.

The framework expresses a value-centric way of being. The framework may leverage almost any Strategy, Leadership, Execution, Cultural, etc. model or approach (for example, [1], [2], [3], [4], etc.). The roadmap expresses a transformation journey.

• Sufficiently understand (gain awareness of) the enterprise.
• Establish a nucleus based on the constituencies of stakeholders.
  A nucleus is a group of people who are the initial agents of transformation.
• Engage the nucleus and leverage the understanding of the enterprise, various bodies of knowledge (content), and various bodies of practice (experiences) to derive a “minimal” value discovery and delivery framework (initial draft).
• Engage the nucleus to socialize (with the constituencies of stakeholders) and refine the “minimal” value discovery and delivery framework (metaphorically, a “skeleton”).
• Introspection, reflection, appreciation, and greater awareness are essential!
• Ensure the wholeness of the nucleus and enterprise. This is essential!

Phase II: Foundation

(click figure to enlarge)

The second phase involves fostering the enterprise experiencing and elaborating its new way of being.

This phase focuses on value discovery and delivery efforts progressively experiencing and elaborating the emerging framework.

• Engage the nucleus to enact value discovery and delivery efforts to experience and elaborate the framework. Ensure people experience vital natural & instinctual human dynamics.
• The nucleus must live the framework and practice & exhibit the language, relationships, and behaviors.
• The nucleus must coach other people and engage & invite other people to live the framework.
• Those engaged, invited, and impacted will in turn live the framework and coach other people, etc.
• Introspection, reflection, appreciation, and greater awareness are essential!
• From enactment, a more healthy framework (metaphorically, a “skeleton with muscles”) will emerge.
• Ensure the enterprise recognizes the journey and way of being. (Commonly referred to as “the shift“).
• Engage the nucleus to renew the enterprise’s value discovery and delivery capabilities (means, ends, and means-ends). Ensure people experience vital natural & instinctual human dynamics. Renewal is essential!

Phase III: Evolution

(click figure to enlarge)

The third phase involves fostering the enterprise evolving and embodying its new way of being.

This phase focuses on value discovery and delivery efforts progressively evolving and embodying the emerging framework.

• Engage the nucleus to further enact value discovery and delivery efforts to evolve and embody the framework. Ensure people experience vital natural & instinctual human dynamics.
• The nucleus must live the framework and practice & exhibit the language, relationships, and behaviors.
• The nucleus must coach other people and engage & invite other people to live the framework.
• Those engaged, invited, and impacted will in turn live the framework and coach other people, etc.
• Introspection, reflection, appreciation, and greater awareness are essential!
• From further enactment, a more healthy framework (metaphorically, a “skeleton with muscles”) will emerge.
• Engage the nucleus to renew the enterprise’s oversight capability. Ensure people experience vital natural & instinctual human dynamics. Renewal is essential!
• Engage the nucleus to foster communities of commitment around the value discovery and delivery framework (metaphorically, a “skeleton with muscles and skin”).
• Ensure the wholeness of the communities of commitment and enterprise. This is essential!

Does it Work? What are the Results?

This is an experientially derived and proven approach to transformation.

Does it work? It works! But, it (adopting, scaling, and sustaining the change) is constrained by the readiness of the enterprise to transform, the potency of the nucleus involved, and the potency of the coaches involved.

What are the results? Anecdotal evidence suggests a 3 to 5 times improvement in organizational health (performance and well-being)! See the recommendations for more information or contact me directly.

The AIR Model (Action, Intention, Result)

Please see Artful Agility.