Companies and organizations are complex, adaptive systems. In this talk you will learn what this actually means and how you can use this to practically deal with your way through your (agile) transition.You will learn why there are no best and no good practices, that you can just copy and everything is fine – and what the nature of an agile transition really is. You will learn about an example of a successful agile transition and what factors made it successful. And you will learn to use a tool I have developed, to find and analyze approaches to see whether they might be promising for you to try out. We use (and evolve) this tool at my company, Ericsson (24,000 people in R&D), since 1 ½ years and have found it very helpful.The talk will introduce and make use of Systems Thinking and Complex Adaptive Systems theory. Many people struggle with applying these concepts practically in their daily working life. You will learn how to bring these great and promising theories “down on earth” and make them practically usable.So, if you are on an agile transformation, no matter whether you are just getting started or whether you have progressed already: this talk will give you new insights and a very solid foundation - based on state-of-the-art leadership- and problem solving approaches – to make your journey more successful.

1. Hendrik Esser
@HendrikEsser
VP
Operations & Programs
Program Director
Supporting Agile Adoption
Is there a best Practice
for an agile transformation?
Agile 2015, Washington

2. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
A transformation story
Why does it sometimes work and
sometimes not?
A better approach
Examples
- Driving change
- The role of good practices
Q&A

3. A Transformation Story

4. and sometimes not?

5. Complexity

6. Complexity?

7. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Cynefin
Dave Snowden, HBR Article, Nov 2007
OBVIOUS
COMPLICATEDCOMPLEX
CHAOTIC
sense-categorize-respond
sense-analyze-respondprobe-sense-respond
act-sense-respond
DISORDER
best practice
good practiceemergent practice
novel practice

8. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28

9. Change the system

10. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Waiting for emergence…?

11. System Change
Experiments?

12. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
How can we influence
a human system?

13. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
› All societies have shared
rules/constraints.
› They are either set or
they emerge.
In a company we usually
set and manage
constraints
Constraints

14. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Constraints?
People
Processes
Structures
Behavior
Capabilities
Interdependencies
asystemofconstraints

15. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Human System Action Tool
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
desired
state
or
problem
statement

16. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Human System Action Tool
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
desired
state
or
problem
statement
Behavior
Mindset/attitude
Values
Needs
Competence
Skills
# people
Hidden talent
Processes
Practices
Tools
Habits
Organization
Governance
Compensation
Roles
(Informal) networks

17. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Learning cycle
Look at the system
Analyze:
- Is your vision still valid?
- What supports your vision
- What doesn’t
Take change actions
Define a
change experiment
See what emerges

18. Our agile transformation
Example

19. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Iteration
1

20. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Better
Customer
satisfaction
Q
TTM Scrum
Expected leadership behaviors
Empower teams
Agile manifesto
Collaboration Dev-ProdMgt
Uncertainty Mgt
Retrospectives
X-fct teams
System Design, Development,
Test in one org
ScM, PO roles
Decision model
Backlog coordination
Recruit leaders (right mindset)
Train and coach teams
Governance

21. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Iteration
2

22. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Better
Customer
satisfaction
Q
TTM Scrum
Leadership expected behaviors
Empower teams
Agile manifesto
Collaboration R&D-ProdMgt
Uncertainty Mgt
Retrospectives
X-fct teams
System Design, Development,
Test in one org
ScM, PO roles
Decision model
Backlog coordination
Recruit leaders (right mindset)
Train and coach teams
Governance
Teams ignore
Committees
 Architecture Q
endangered
Full
Leadership
Support for the
change.
Re-enforce architect
and committee roles
architects & committees
mentoring approach

23. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Iteration
3

24. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Better
Customer
satisfaction
Q
TTM Scrum
Leadership expected behaviors
Empower teams
Agile manifesto
Collaboration R&D-ProdMgt
Uncertainty Mgt
Retrospectives
X-fct teams
System Design, Development,
Test in one org
ScM, PO roles
Decision model
Backlog coordination
Recruit leaders (right mindset)
Train and coach teams
Governance
Working SW is
the only progress
indicator
Documentation not
handled appropriately.
Re-enforce architect
and committee roles
architects & committees
mentoring approach
Clarify PO role
Higher prio on non-code
Focus on everything
the customer expects,
not only code

25. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Iteration
4

26. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Better
Customer
satisfaction
Q
TTM Scrum
Leadership expected behaviors
Empower teams
Agile manifesto
Collaboration R&D-ProdMgt
Uncertainty Mgt
Retrospectives
X-fct teams
System Design, Development,
Test in one org
ScM, PO roles
Decision model
Backlog coordination
Recruit leaders (right mindset)
Train and coach teams
Governance
Teams diverging
 discussions what is
the better practice & who
has the best one.
Re-enforce architect
and committee roles
architects & committees
mentoring approach
Strengthen decision model:
more e2e in DoD
Clarify which processes & tools are
mandatory and which ones optional
Empowerment within
boundaries
e2e flow
not optimized
Collaboration
Dev-ProdMgt
working well

27. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Iteration
5

28. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Better
Customer
satisfaction
Q
TTM Scrum
Leadership expected behaviors
Empower teams
Agile manifesto
Collaboration R&D-ProdMgt
Uncertainty Mgt
Retrospectives
X-fct teams
System Design, Development,
Test in one org
ScM, PO roles
Decision model
Backlog coordination
Recruit leaders (right mindset)
Train and coach teams
Governance
We don’t need
commitment decisions
Re-enforce architect
and committee roles
architects & committees
mentoring approach
Strengthen decision model
Clarify which processes & tools are
mandatory and which ones optional
Empowerment within
boundaries
Remove commitment
decisions from the model

29. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Iteration
6

30. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Better
Customer
satisfaction
Q
TTM Scrum
Leadership expected behaviors
Empower teams
Agile manifesto
Collaboration R&D-ProdMgt
Uncertainty Mgt
Retrospectives
X-fct teams
System Design, Development,
Test in one org
ScM, PO roles
Decision model
Backlog coordination
Recruit leaders (right mindset)
Train and coach teams
Governance
Teams want
to be closer to the
customers
Re-enforce architect
and committee roles
architects & committees
mentoring approach
Strengthen decision model
Clarify which processes & tools are
mandatory and which ones optional
Empowerment within
boundaries
Remove commitment
decisions from the modelEarly customer interactionLink teams into the communication
between ProdMgt and Customer
Customer early demos

31. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Iteration
7

32. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Better
Customer
satisfaction
Q
TTM Scrum
Leadership expected behaviors
Empower teams
Agile manifesto
Collaboration R&D-ProdMgt
Uncertainty Mgt
Retrospectives
X-fct teams
System Design, Development,
Test in one org
ScM, PO roles
Decision model
Backlog coordination
Recruit leaders (right mindset)
Train and coach teams
Governance
Teams
overcommitted to
customers
 very high stress level
Re-enforce architect
and committee roles
architects & committees
mentoring approach
Strengthen decision model
Clarify which processes & tools are
mandatory and which ones optional
Empowerment within
boundaries
Remove commitment
decisions from the model
Learn how to make
realistic commitments
Expectation management

33. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
The
journey
continues
…

34. good practices

35. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Can someone else’s good practice potentially
work for you?
 Just test it with the Human System Action
Tool!

36. Example

37. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
desired
state
or
problem
statement
Scrum
What do you
want to achieve
with Scrum?

38. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Short TTM
Better Q
Scrum

39. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Short TTM
Better Q
Scrum
Specialized departments
for system design, development
and test
Not everybody can
design everything
Projects
Belief, that with good analysis
we can achieve a high level of
predictability
Sense of urgency /
willingness to change
Risk managementKPIs
Early phase process
Design process
Test process
Leaders are full in control/
approval processes

40. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
ProcessesStructures
Behavior Capabilities
Short TTM
Better Q
Scrum
Specialized departments
for system design, development
and test
Not everybody can
design everything
Projects
Belief, that with good analysis
we can achieve a high level of
predictability
Sense of urgency /
willingness to change
Risk managementKPIs
Early phase process
Design process
Test process
Leaders are full in control/
approval processes
Scrum is/requires more than a new process.
It can only work if you take action in the other areas as well!

41. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
› Be clear on what you would like to achieve
› Start with wanted behaviors
› Think about what
– behaviors/attitudes/mindset,
– other processes,
– capabilities and
– structures
support the Potentially Good Practice
› Think about needed system changes
 are they realistic?
 would they fit to your organization?
› What might be a small system experiment (pilot?) to try it?
Testing…

42. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
So, you have a great plan?
As long as it is only YOU
it is a pretty lonely journey!

43. people, Vision and
purpose?

44. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Way to Results
SpeedAutonomyAlignmentInteraction
Ability to make agreements
Consent (not consensus!)
Safe environment

45. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Recommendation:
Explain and discuss vision and
purpose in dedicated workshops

47. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
An agile transformation is an emergent change of a human
system!
Run system change-experiments + see what emerges 
adapt via the next experiment
Potentially Good Practices need to be supported from a
System perspective.
Test Potentially Good Practices with the HSA-Tool to see
their impact on your system.
Thorough alignment on vision and purpose accelerate
organizational learning.

48. Is there a best practice for an Agile Transition? | Hendrik Esser | © Ericsson AB 2015 | 2015-07-28
Q
A