What does it take to create an Agile transformation that sustains?

Image By Nithinan Tatah

I work in “the transformation business”. The Agile transformation business to be more precise. The value I aim to deliver is: Improve the internal organisation of companies so that they get better at making their dreams come true. My core activity is coaching focused on Agility, i.e. influencing people to move towards (a (higher) state of) Agile. I want to share my opinion on what makes an Agile transformation successful.

I need three things: a goal, mandate, and specific knowledge.

Goal

The goal is brought to me by the organisation’s leaders: They have a problem that needs to be fixed (and the solution contains Agility), or they have a dream, and Agile is the means to make it happen. Just like a Product Owner translates the company’s financial targets into a valuable product, I need to translate the desire for flexibility and speed into a new organisational design. That is obvious to me because I believe there is a strong correlation between organisational design and an organisation’s Agile abilities.

Mandate

The highest ranks in the company need to give the mandate to make changes to their organisation. Organisations are set up to maintain the status quo. Changing things around will inevitably bring resistance…