It is about the chosing the right Agile Transformation Lead.

1. Is Agile Transformation in right
hand: White Paper
Sachidananda Panda (SPC4.0, SP, CSM, Six Sigma Green Belt)
12/29/2016

2. PAGE 1
WHEN AGILE TRANSFORMATION NOT IN RIGHT HAND
When the problems like poor quality, losing trust of the customer, delay to the market
arise then management thinks to move ahead from the existing traditional SDLC process
to different process. Most of the time Agile will solve these issues. So the organization
need to go with Agile transformation process. But the transformation process is not a
smooth road. The right leader need to be chosen for the transformation who believe in
Servant Leadership instead of Bossy in nature. If the transformation goes to an incapable
or different mindset boss (not a leader) then the transformation to Agile will fail or it may
be a never ending process.
− Management will have an impression that Agile is not the right approach to solve
the above issue.
− Team will think, they were happy in traditional model but suddenly Agile screwed
up everything and now they are in fragile world.
− Customer satisfaction will go in a toss.
− Nobody will think about the boss because as per him he transformed in his
previous organizations successfully even though he does not have understanding
about Agile mindset. Nobody will go and check his previous organization
transformation success story. Moreover, if it had succeeded also what role the boss
has played in the transformation process nobody will verify.
Conclusion will be Agile failed not the boss.
QUALITY OF THE AGILE TRANFORMATION LEAD:
The successful person for this role should be a dynamic leader who has worked on a
process improvement team at a top tier consulting firm or in a large corporation. He/she
will have a demonstrated ability to influence peers and business leaders. This person must
be comfortable with ambiguity, and able to work collaboratively with key leaders to shape
the priorities and manage engagements to completion.
− Leads Positively: Leads by example to cultivate a climate of motivation, positive
energy and meaning in work. Empowers and guides associates to take personal
responsibility, encouraging them to productively learn, flourish, and strengthen
team capacity. Assesses, selects, recognizes, and develops diverse talent to
capitalize on competencies, ideas and passions.
− Acts Strategically: Sees how decisions can impact the whole of the organization
and makes decisions using a broad knowledge of the long-term vision, values, risk
acceptance and strategy of the organization. Uses an enterprise-wide perspective

3. PAGE 2
to translate strategies into actions, creating a clear view of the future state. Inspires
others to embrace and advance the strategy as it evolves and is realized.
− Customer Focus: Connects meaningfully with internal and external customers to
build emotional engagement and customer advocacy. Develops and applies deep
customer knowledge and intimacy to develop and deliver work that provides value
beyond expectations. Simplifies complexity and integrates internal efforts to
deliver an optimal customer experience
− Accountability: Meets established expectations and takes responsibility for
achieving results; encourages others to do the same. Employs focus, attention to
detail, reliability, and appropriate prioritization to drive outcomes. Sees
opportunities to contribute and takes the initiative to create solutions
− Facilitator and servant leader who empowers the team to self-organize
− Creates culture where creativity and innovation can flourish
− Removes impediments in the way of the team making progress
− Protects the team from outside sources of disruption
− Coaches the team on effective ceremony execution (standups, estimation, backlog
grooming, demonstrations, retrospectives – inspect and adapt workshops)
− Radiates information that ensures team’s progress/success is highly visible to
stakeholders and the team (backlogs, burndown charts, etc.)
− Supports the product owner with the communication of updates and impediments
as well as with backlog maintenance
− Improves team’s engineering quality practices by encouraging Test Driven
Development (TDD), pair programming, test automation, continuous integration,
collective ownership
− Ensures team adheres to the Agile process and program level working agreement
regarding cadence, tool usage and a variety of procedures that must be
synchronized to be effective as a program

4. PAGE 3
KEY POINTS FOR THE AGILE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
− Get the support from the top leadership
− Involve the leadership and make responsible for the Agile transformation process
instead of only providing them on the status. It will help in avoiding the
organizational politics.
− Make it clear the approach for the Agile transformation is TOP-DOWN approach
not the BOTTOM-UP approach.
− Create a strategic and tactic plan for the transformation. The plans are active
because based on the inspect and adapt the task will be added/modified.
− Perform a gap analysis or pain point analysis in the current process of the
organization and include them in the agile transformation plan.
− Create a team for the agile transformation with right skill set and previous
experience on the same. If within the organization expertise (not theoretical) not
available, then go for external consultants.
− Prepare to perform the re-org if required and take help of HR to define the
functional roles as well as the HR roles for each level of the organization.
− Instead of big bang transformation select an ART and start the training for them
and then coach them.
− Show the short wins and success story.
− Execute the Transformation plan for the rest of the organization.
− Take help of the 1st
phase transformed teams for advocating the benefits and
sharing the challenges and educating others about the procedures to overcome
from the challenges.
− Prepare for Inspect and adapt.
− Create an environment where employees think the transformation is not only a
process change it is a mindset change.