An often overlooked aspect of large agile transformations is how we lead that transformation. The elephant in the room, if you like, is that many coaches and transition consultants focus on helping teams become more agile, while not walking the walk themselves. It is extremely difficult to rely on many frameworks like Scrum or Kanban for managing the work of the transition team or leadership team in a large organization. We talk the talk with our teams, but don’t walk the walk.

1. Leading Agile Change
Walking the Walk
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2. Dave Sharrock regulatory international B2B
MBA English IPO agile
husband start-up technology
newly-minted Canadian
executive leanstartup
outsourcingfather
large-scale transitions
B2C data analysis kanban
seismology scrum
organizational excellence
email: dave.sharrock@agile42.com
twitter: @davesharrock
skype: dave.sharrock
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

3. a tale of an agile transition with
Much Ado About Agile three characters: the teams, the
scrum masters and the coaches
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

4. Setting the scene
• Co-located phase to build
internal capabilities
• Local phase to scale across
the organization
Scrum of
Tea Tea Tea
Scrum of Scrum of
Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea
Scrum of Scrum of
Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea
Scrum of Scrum of Scrum of Scrum of
Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea Tea
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

5. Agile Teams
Followed a common pattern
Formed cross-functional, co-
located teams
Focussed on shippable product
increments
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6. Scrum Masters and
Internal Coaches
Some inconsistencies
Lower impact stand-ups
Break out into smaller units
But co-located, shared calendar,
shared outcomes
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7. Coaching Transition
Team
External coaches
Quickly emptied backlog
Shared product ownership slow to
emerge
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8. •Happy ever after, except:
•What opportunities did
we leave on the table?
•What message did we
communicate?
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

9. What makes leadership teams
Leadership Teams different to other working teams
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10. leadership teams
emerge at scale
leadership as a
group activity
working teams vs.
leadership teams
tools constrain way
of thinking
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

11. Discontinuity between
leadership and activity
requires more coordination
Phases of small business growth
The Greiner Curve as a function of organization size
(Greiner, 1972, 1998)
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

12. leadership teams
emerge at scale
leadership as a
group activity
working teams vs.
leadership teams
tools constrain way
of thinking
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

13. Growth in team-based leadership
Employee Participation Groups
0% 17.500% 35.000%
• Recognized as emerging trend
52.500% 70.000%
1993
• Companies continue to change how they
68.00% work
1987
28.00% • Learn about team dynamics, but don’t
differentiate leadership team dynamics
Self-managing Work Teams
0% 25.00% 50.00% 75.00% 100.00%
1993
91.00%
1987
70.00%
What Makes Teams Work, Susan G. Cohen & Diane E. Bailey, Journal of Management 1997, 23 (3)
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

14. leadership teams
emerge at scale
leadership as a
group activity
working teams vs.
leadership teams
tools constrain way
of thinking
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

15. Team Definitions
stable, full-time, well-defined; self-managing
Work Teams
teams involve employees in decisions
parallel to formal organization, lacks authority,
Parallel Teams
often only makes recommendations
time-limited, focussed on one output, multi-
Project Teams
tasks rather than sequential work
Leadership apply collective expertise, integrate disparate
Teams efforts, share responsibility for success
What Makes Teams Work: Group Effectiveness Research from the Shop Floor to the Executive Suite,
Susan G. Cohen & Diane E. Bailey, Journal of Management 1997, 23 (3)
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

16. Leadership Teams
• Internal & shared product
ownership
• Rarely dedicated
• Cross-functional (represent all
skills required to deliver)
• Delegates the work
Working Teams
• External product ownership
• Dedicated
• Cross-functional...and does
the work
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

17. leadership teams
emerge at scale
leadership as a
group activity
working teams vs.
leadership teams
tools constrain way
of thinking
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

18. Tools Define Process,
and Contemporary
Management Tools
Doubly So
• Group-based leadership share
responsibility for success
• Requires coordination required
across the whole enterprise...
• But management tools reinforce
localized silo behaviour
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19. Negatively reinforcing loops
local optimization
of effort/results
silo weak
behaviours accountability
uncontested vague
commitments
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20. Positively reinforcing loops
focus on customer value,
not local wins
shared
strong
ownership of
accountability
outcomes
(small) definite
commitments
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21. Next Steps
• First, recognize when this might
be an issue
• At scale
• For leadership team type
• Second, break negatively
reinforcing loops
• Transparency
• Focus on whole
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22. How to create and work with the
Agile Strategy Mapping Agile Strategy Map
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23. Agile Strategy Mapping guides effective action
• Broadens scope for multiple
strategic relationships
• Generates teamwork and shared
outcome ownership
• Allows for outcome-driven control of
effort (just enough effort)
• Holistic perspective allows for
responsive action
• Shape defines strategic relationships
• Leads to independent actions
vs. • Weak control mechanisms
• Lacks holistic perspective
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

24. Theory of Constraints:
Intermediate Objectives (IO) Map
Goal
Critical Success Critical Success “In order to achieve the goal, I
Factor #1 Factor #2 must have CSF #1 and CSF #2”
Necessary Necessary “I must have NC 1a and NC1b in
Condition 1a Condition 1b order to achieve CSF #1”
The Logical Thinking Process: A Systems Approach to
Complex Problem Solving, H. William Dettmer
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25. Starting with a shared, well-understood objective
Strategic Objective(s)
Description of a desired outcome with
At least one product line key differentiators
is able to deliver potentially
shippable product at the
end of every Sprint
Possible Success Factors
Brainstorm as many possible factors
that will contribute to successfully
delivering the objective.
Factors may include:
‣ Skills or Capabilities
‣ Relationships or Interactions
‣ Constraints or Targets
Necessary Conditions
Minimum actions or deliverables
needed to deliver just enough of a PSF.
May contain nested NCs until an
actionable backlog items are identified.
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

26. Dedicated X- Common understanding
functional teams, spanning of Potentially Shippable
the entire product stack Product
Tools that enable Strategic Objective(s)
Separation of Sprint
emerging processes, not activities from Release
shape them Description of a desired outcome with
activities
At least one product line key differentiators
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
knowledge building and
is able to deliver potentially Quality System for the
shippable product at the
experience sharing
end of every Sprint
Possible Success Factors
whole Scrum Team
Teams focusing on
Brainstorm as many possible factors
Teams understand
delivery customer value that will contribute to successfully
and practice continuous
together improvement
delivering the objective.
Well groomed Product Empirical Process Factors may include:
Backlog with sufficient
look-ahead
Control, Iterative &
Incremental ‣ Skills or Capabilities
‣ Relationships or Interactions
‣ Constraints or Targets
Necessary Conditions
Minimum actions or deliverables
needed to deliver just enough of a PSF.
May contain nested NCs until an
actionable backlog items are identified.
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

27. Possible Success
Factors
• Working from the Objective,
work in your groups to define
Possible Success Factors
• Objective:
AgileX Community offers those
interested in agile experiences
and practices a place to learn
about agile and meet other like-
minded practitioners and
enthusiast
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

28. Shared Story Definition
Dedicated Scrum Master of Done through Product
Realistic Commitment without conflicting Stack Stable Velocity for each
responsibilities team at a sustainable pace
Shared Release Definition of
Dedicated Product Owner Done
Reach a sustainable pace
giving clear direction
Team focused on Sprint goal
Shared & Emerging Release
Plan
Valuable and inclusive Dedicated X- Common understanding
functional teams, spanning of Potentially Shippable Defined and Shared
way to work with distributed
the entire product stack Product Release Cycle
Awareness on possible teams
model to distribute and scale
Tools that enable Strategic Objective(s)
Separation of Sprint Defined and
emerging processes, not activities from Release automatically tested
Established onsite agile
shape them Description of a desired outcome with
activities interfaces with depts
corners/cafes
At least one product line key differentiators
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
knowledge building and
is able to deliver potentially Quality System for the
Feature value comes with
shippable product at the clean code
Established CoP for Scrum
Roles
experience sharing
end of every Sprint
Possible Success Factors
whole Scrum Team
Teams focusing on
Brainstorm as many possible factors
Teams understand
Teams dependencies
delivery customer value that will contribute to successfully
and practice continuous
Automated Acceptance
Criteria Testing
together improvement
aligned with customer value delivering the objective.
Clear defined priorities
Well groomed Product Empirical Process Factors may include:
for different external
Release Burndown Chart
shared across the Product
Backlog with sufficient
look-ahead
Control, Iterative &
Incremental ‣ Skills or Capabilities
Teams control their practices Recognise good agile/
customer req Scrum behaviours
Stack
‣ Relationships or Interactions
& changes to them
‣ Constraints or Targets
Enable transparency across Definition of Ready
Scrum Master can remove
boundaries Shared across the whole
impediments quickly
Necessary Conditions
Product Stack
Product Management can
plan value incrementally
Minimum actions or deliverables their
Encourage decision Teams are managing
Product Backlog is DEEP
making at team needed to deliver just enough of a PSF.
level vs. Active Learning Cycle
Product Owners know tools escalation
for effective PBIs May contain nested NCs until an
Ability to prioritise PBIs Awareness on actionable backloga items are identified.
building motivating
across all dependent RVs dysfunctions by measuring working environment
metrics
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

29. Necessary
Conditions
• Working from the Objective,
work in your groups to define
Possible Success Factors
• Brainstorm Necessary
Conditions for each PSF; Make
sure they are really necessary
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

30. Shared Story Definition
Dedicated Scrum Master of Done through Product
Prioritize Possible Success Factors each
Realistic Commitment without conflicting Stack Stable Velocity for
responsibilities team at a sustainable pace
Which Success Factors need the most effort? Which ones
Shared Release Definition of
Team Spend most of Reach a sustainable pace
are most pressing?
Dedicated Product Owner Done
giving clear direction
their time on PBL
development
Defining minimumShared & Emerging Release
actions to deliver prioritized
Plan
Valuable and inclusive
way to work with distributed
Dedicated X-
functional teams, spanning
Success Factors
Common understanding
of Potentially Shippable Defined and Shared
Awareness on possible teams the entire product stack Which Necessary Conditions or deliverables are needed to
Product Release Cycle
model to distribute and scale
deliver on the prioritized Success Factor? Look for the
Tools that enable Separation of Sprint Defined and
emerging processes, not minimum setactivities from Release
of deliverables/actions, rather than automatically tested
delivering
all known actions.
shape them activities interfaces with depts
Established onsite agile
corners/cafes
At least one product line
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
is able to deliver potentially Feature value comes with
Established CoP for Scrum
knowledge building and
experience sharing
Creating the Leadership Backlog
shippable product at the
Quality System for the
whole Scrum Team
clean code
Roles Pull the minimum required actions into a Leadership
end of every Sprint
Teams focusing on Backlog, and Teams understand guide strategic work Automated Acceptance
use this to shared
delivery customer value and practice continuous
Teams dependencies
aligned with customer value
together across the leadership team.
improvement
Criteria Testing
Well groomed Product Empirical Process
Clear defined priorities
Release Burndown Chart Backlog with sufficient Control, Iterative &
for different external Teams control their practices Recognise good agile/
shared across the Product look-ahead Incremental
customer req & changes to them Scrum behaviours
Stack
Enable transparency across Definition of Ready
Scrum Master can remove
boundaries Shared across the whole
impediments quickly
Product Stack
Product Management can
plan value incrementally Encourage decision Teams are managing their
Product Backlog is DEEP
making at team level vs. Active Learning Cycle
Product Owners know tools escalation
for effective PBIs
Ability to prioritise PBIs Awareness on building a motivating
across all dependent RVs dysfunctions by measuring working environment
metrics
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

31. Shared Story Definition
Dedicated Scrum Master of Done through Product
Prioritize Possible Success Factors each
Realistic Commitment without conflicting Stack Stable Velocity for
responsibilities team at a sustainable pace
Which Success Factors need the most effort? Which ones
Shared Release Definition of
Team Spend most of Reach a sustainable pace
are most pressing?
Dedicated Product Owner Done
giving clear direction
their time on PBL
development
Defining minimumShared & Emerging Release
actions to deliver prioritized
Plan
Valuable and inclusive
way to work with distributed
Dedicated X-
functional teams, spanning
Success Factors
Common understanding
of Potentially Shippable Defined and Shared
Awareness on possible teams the entire product stack Which Necessary Conditions or deliverables are needed to
Product Release Cycle
model to distribute and scale
deliver on the prioritized Success Factor? Look for the
Tools that enable Separation of Sprint Defined and
emerging processes, not minimum setactivities from Release
of deliverables/actions, rather than automatically tested
delivering
all known actions.
shape them activities interfaces with depts
Established onsite agile
corners/cafes
At least one product line
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
is able to deliver potentially Feature value comes with
Established CoP for Scrum
knowledge building and
experience sharing
Creating the Leadership Backlog
shippable product at the
Quality System for the
whole Scrum Team
clean code
Roles Pull the minimum required actions into a Leadership
end of every Sprint
Teams focusing on Backlog, and Teams understand guide strategic work Automated Acceptance
use this to shared
delivery customer value and practice continuous
Teams dependencies
aligned with customer value
together across the leadership team.
improvement
Criteria Testing
Well groomed Product Empirical Process
Clear defined priorities
Release Burndown Chart Backlog with sufficient Control, Iterative &
for different external Teams control their practices Recognise good agile/
shared across the Product look-ahead Incremental
customer req & changes to them Scrum behaviours
Stack
Enable transparency across Definition of Ready
Scrum Master can remove
boundaries Shared across the whole
impediments quickly
Product Stack
Product Management can
plan value incrementally Encourage decision Teams are managing their
Product Backlog is DEEP
making at team level vs. Active Learning Cycle
Product Owners know tools escalation
for effective PBIs
Ability to prioritise PBIs Awareness on building a motivating
across all dependent RVs dysfunctions by measuring working environment
metrics
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

32. Adding colour to your
Agile Strategy Map
• Working from the Objective,
work in your groups to define
Possible Success Factors
• Brainstorm Necessary
Conditions for each PSF; Make
sure they are really necessary
• Pick an appropriate key (priority,
effort, value...) and colour-code
the Agile Strategy Map
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

33. Build a backlog from Prioritize Possible Success Factors
Which Success Factors need the most effort? Which ones
the minimum actions are most pressing?
Defining minimum actions to deliver prioritized
Success Factors
Which Necessary Conditions or deliverables are needed to
deliver on the prioritized Success Factor? Look for the
minimum set of deliverables/actions, rather than delivering
all known actions.
Leadership
Backlog Creating the Leadership Backlog
Pull the minimum required actions into a Leadership
Realistic Commitment Backlog, and use this to guide strategic work shared
across the leadership team.
Team Spend most of
their time on PBL
development
Awareness on possible
model to distribute and scale
Teams dependencies
aligned with customer value
Recognise good agile/
Scrum behaviours
Scrum Master can remove
impediments quickly
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

34. Continually
review and refine
Leadership
Backlog
Realistic Commitment
The leadership team can continually review and refine
the strategic plan by regularly: Team Spend most of their
time on PBL development
• re-prioritizing success factors Awareness on possible
model to distribute and scale
• re-defining critical actions
• updating the leadership backlog
Teams dependencies
aligned with customer value
This allows the strategic plan to be quickly updated to Recognise good agile/
Scrum behaviours
respond to new opportunities or threats as information Scrum Master can remove
is made available. impediments quickly
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

35. In conclusion...
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

36. working teams vs.
leadership teams
leadership teams
emerge at scale
leadership as a
group activity
tools constrain way
of thinking
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

37. Strategic Objective(s)
Description of a desired outcome with key
differentiators
Possible Success Factors
Brainstorm as many possible factors that will
contribute to successfully delivering the objective.
Factors may include:
‣ Skills or Capabilities
‣ Relationships or Interactions
‣ Constraints or Targets
Necessary Conditions
Minimum actions or deliverables needed to deliver
just enough of a PSF. May contain nested NCs until
an actionable backlog items are identified.
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

38. “Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.”
Henry Ford
thank you
dave.sharrock@agile42.com
skype: dave.sharrock
twitter: @davesharrock
slides: slideshare.net/davesharrock
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.