a list of common goals for lean/agile that can be used to decide on a direction for change, revitalize an agile journey (Recharge->Improve in the AgileSparks Agile Journey Blueprint), etc. Typically used in AgileSparks management workshops and boost sessions

1. Starting with Why -
Goals/Drivers

2. What are YOU looking to improve?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Delivering effective
throughput for our size
Provide Visibility - minimum
surprises to our stakeholders
Engaging/Motivating our
people
Improving how we do things
on an ongoing basis
Be confident in our process
Be flexible - be able to deal
with changing
priorities/requirements
effectively
Be trusted by our
stakeholders/partners
Be versatile - so we can work
according to Business
priorities not R&D skills
Deliver good quality -
minimum complaints and
rework due to defects
Work in a sustainable pace -
reasonable balanced load
over time without churning
our people or our product

3. You have 5 improvement points, use them to choose areas for improvement
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the
capacity
Visibility - minimum surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Customer collaboration
Flexibility - ability to deal with
changing priorities effectively
Confidence/trust in the group's
ability to deliver by people
working with the group
Stakeholders/interfaces/clients
are satisfied with the leanness
of the group
Alignment - ability to focus on
the things that matter
Good quality - minimum
complaints and rework due to
defects
Sustainability - balance capacity
and demand, reasonable load
over time

4. Establish the WHY for each
improvement focus
Focus Area Why Improve This

5. Focus Area Why Improve This Definition of Improvement
How will you know you improved?
For each focus area decide on a “Definition of Done” - metric or a set of “stories” that will indicate improvement
or reduced pain

6. How will you know?
Typical metrics/indications to consider
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the capacity
Visibility - minimum surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Flexibility - ability to deal with changing priorities effectively
Confidence/trust in the group's ability to deliver by people
working with the group
Alignment - ability to focus on the things that matter
Good quality - minimum complaints and rework due to
defects
Sustainability - balance capacity and demand, reasonable
load over time
Running Tested/Deployed
Features Velocity
Confidence in running current process
practices with coaching support
Confidence in running current process practices
independently
Confidence in understanding principles and mindset to experiment with practices
Confident enough to be a showcase for lean agile thinking and execution
Cycle time/WIP for
MMFs
Years
Months
Weeks
“Net Promoter Score”
Sustainable Flow levels
over time
Escaping Defects
Business Value Outcomes
Cycle Time Variability
Release Due Date Performance
Committed Scope Plan vs Actual
Improvement Activity Flow

7. X weeks passed. Score yourself again. Are you on the right direction? What are
you going to do now?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the
capacity
Visibility - minimum surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Customer collaboration
Flexibility - ability to deal with
changing priorities effectively
Confidence/trust in the group's
ability to deliver by people
working with the group
Stakeholders/interfaces/clients
are satisfied with the leanness
of the group
Alignment - ability to focus on
the things that matter
Good quality - minimum
complaints and rework due to
defects
Sustainability - balance capacity
and demand, reasonable load
over time

8. Scenarios that might happen when
revisiting
• Goals achieved – Raise the bar on those areas
or choose new focus
• Goals not achieved – retrospect why and
decide what to do
• Don’t know – discuss what was wrong with
the metrics/DoD

9. Why Improvement Focus
• The user stories of your improvement initiative
“As <who> I want <what> so that <why>”
• “Start with the Why” – knowing why we are
doing something is essential to engagement as
well as alignment
• We rely on the why to guide us when there are
multiple options of the how
• Establishes the Sense of Urgency towards change
• The process AND the artifact rallies the troops

10. How to establish the Improvement
Focus
• Together with the management team of the
group
• Fair Process / Procedural Justice –
– decide on improvement focus with as much
insight as possible
– gain as much support/understanding/
commitment to the improvement focus as
possible

11. What to do with the Improvement
Focus Map
• Communicate to everyone, in multiple forums
and forms (f2f, emails, group level, 1:1, etc.)
• Hang on the wall in the managers room or the
corridor outside it (or both)
• Mention aspects of this as much as possible in
day to day communication
• Use as decision filter – is this decision aligned
with our X improvement focus? Will it help us
achieve it? Slow us down?

12. When to revisit the Improvement
Focus map?
• Periodically –
– reminder at the start of each retrospective
– From time to time hold focused retrospectives which
specifically look at one improvement focus area
• Tripwire – set a re-assessment in advance when
starting an improvement phase (e.g. 2 months)
• Significant Changes in the ecosystem
– New Manager/Leader for the group
– New Manager/Leader the group reports to
– Changes in the goals/operational situation (e.g. move
from Growth to Sustain/Cut)

13. Example Usage

14. Score your organization
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the capacity
Visibility - minimum surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Flexibility - ability to deal with changing priorities effectively
Confidence/trust in the group's ability to deliver by people
working with the group
Alignment - ability to focus on the things that matter
Good quality - minimum complaints and rework due to
defects
Sustainability - balance capacity and demand, reasonable
load over time

15. You have 5 improvement points, use them
to choose areas for improvement
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the capacity
Visibility - minimum surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Flexibility - ability to deal with changing priorities effectively
Confidence/trust in the group's ability to deliver by people
working with the group
Alignment - ability to focus on the things that matter
Good quality - minimum complaints and rework due to
defects
Sustainability - balance capacity and demand, reasonable
load over time

16. How will you know you improved?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the capacity
Visibility - minimum surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Flexibility - ability to deal with changing priorities effectively
Confidence/trust in the group's ability to deliver by people
working with the group
Alignment - ability to focus on the things that matter
Good quality - minimum complaints and rework due to
defects
Sustainability - balance capacity and demand, reasonable
load over time
For each focus area decide on a “Definition of Done” - metric or a set of “stories” that will indicate improvement
or reduced pain
1. Cycle Time for MMFs goes down from
Months to Weeks
2. MMF WIP goes down from Months to
Weeks
3. Survey Stakeholders
1. NPS style survey – baseline now and
check again later
2. Collect stories expressing lack of trust,
try to collect stories expressing trust
1. Delivery is more often based on
business priority. Count “Priority Skips”
2. Leading indicator – Talent Matrix
across the group
1. More Features delivered per month
2. More Outcomes delivered per month
(higher maturity)

17. Improvement Focus
Focus Area Why Improve this area Definition of Improvement
Flexibility Business cycles growing shorter
and shorter – competition is
killing us with new features,
cannot experiment and open
new markets like this
1.Cycle Time for MMFs goes down from
Months to Weeks
2.MMF WIP goes down from Months to
Weeks
3.Survey Stakeholders
Effective
Throughput
1.More Features delivered per month
2.More Outcomes delivered per month
(higher maturity)
Confidence/Trust Without trust we are slowed
down by bearucracy and cannot
really go to fast delivery end to
end
1.NPS style survey – baseline now and
check again later
2.Collect stories expressing lack of trust,
try to collect stories expressing trust
Alignment Our new business is shifting and
we must be able to focus our
delivery capabilities there in
order to quickly establish
market share
1.Delivery is more often based on
business priority. Count “Priority Skips”
2.Leading indicator – Talent Matrix
across the group

18. X weeks passed. Score yourself again. Are you on
the right direction? What are you going to do now?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the capacity
Visibility - minimum surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Flexibility - ability to deal with changing priorities effectively
Confidence/trust in the group's ability to deliver by people
working with the group
Alignment - ability to focus on the things that matter
Good quality - minimum complaints and rework due to
defects
Sustainability - balance capacity and demand, reasonable
load over time

19. Background: Countermeasures / Experiments:
What we will do
Current Condition / Capabilities:
Target Condition / Capabilities:
Follow up plan:
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Effective throughput for the
capacity
Visibility - minimum
surprises
Engaged people
Operational maturity
Confidence in the process
Flexibility - ability to deal
with changing priorities
effectively
Confidence/trust in the
group's ability to deliver by
people working with the…
Alignment - ability to focus
on the things that matter
Good quality - minimum
complaints and rework due
to defects
Sustainability - balance
capacity and demand,
reasonable load over time

20. ‫בעברית‬ ‫יעדים‬