How can you collaborate with non-agile teams during scaling and transformation?

Understanding the needs and expectations of non-agile teams during scaling and transformation embodies the essence of empathy-driven leadership. In my experience, active listening through surveys and interviews served as invaluable tools, unraveling their pain points, concerns, and aspirations. Collaborative workshops on platforms like Miro fostered an inclusive environment, where diverse ideas and perspectives converged, laying the foundation for mutual understanding. By championing empathy and actively involving non-agile teams in the transformation journey, we transcended silos, fostered a shared vision, and propelled the entire organization toward a harmonious, agile future.

Es vital conocer sus expectativas y el grado de interés en apoyar proyectos de transformación para una empresa, hacerlo parte del futuro de la organización y retarlos continuamente. Es importante además que participen en proyectos de menor envergadura para ir midiendo el nivel de éxitos en los mismos .

First we need to make them understand what is Agile and how it will benefit to them and to organisation. Keeping organization goal is important before adopting any change, which need change of mindset from people as well and we need to teach agile artifacts and importance of each.

Il me semble bon de garder en tête la nécessité de la transformation. Oui, il est important de prendre en considération les besoins et attentes des équipes, mais il est à mon sens surtout très important de donner du sens autour du changement impulsé et de mettre en avant les bénéfices. Dans la majorité des cas cela permettra de rallier une partie de l'audience à la cause. Il restera toujours une partie de détracteurs. Pour ces derniers, deux leviers : l'effet de grappe (les personnes précédemment convaincues aideront les détracteurs à faire le chemin) et ensuite la démonstration par la preuve (il faudra capitaliser sur des Quick Win pour installer le bon mood) pour les collaborateurs éternels négatifs, la solution est sans doute ailleurs.

Listen to them. Too often, agile teams look down on non-agile teams and that leads to folks retreating into silos, with defenses up, and no work getting done. Qualify their concerns, address those that are the most triggering, and build bridges. Magic normally ensues.

In my experience, introducing flexible frameworks like Scrumban facilitated a seamless integration of agile methodologies within non-agile teams. Tailoring training programs to resonate with their existing workflows was pivotal, fostering a sense of familiarity and easing the transition. We embraced an iterative approach, incrementally implementing agile practices, allowing teams to evolve at their own pace while embracing change gradually. Leveraging agile project management tools like Jira empowered teams to visualize tasks, encouraging collaboration and transparency. This adaptable approach not only catalyzed the transformation but also instilled a sense of ownership and enthusiasm within teams.

Iteration may only be relevant if there is Agile software development. In a Transformation and therefore the project context, projects done in an agile way may have ANY appropriate life-cycle. Project management has never been defined by a life-cycle and project management agility is no different. The point about adaptation is valid but has always been so for projects. Project and therefore Transformation professionals never make the mistake of assuming one size fits all and always adapt.

1.Agile practices emphasize on iterative, flexible principles and lean approaches and artifacts are the components required for any agile delivery. 2. Agile practice involves scrums i.e iterative methodology which is time boxed. Sprint planning and continuos delivery and code changes help to meet the project deliverables. 3.Artifacts- Product backlog composes of all prioritised requirements by product owner which are picked by the scrum team for development in sprints. 4. Sprint backlogs and Prototyping as per the acceptance criteria to provide MVP 5. Sprint reviews help in tracking the progress of released stories 6. Retrospectives helps to back track on the suggestions and ideas 7.Burndown charts indicates task left over time.

Adapting agile practices to suit non-agile teams is key. Providing detailed documentation and adjusting iteration lengths and release frequencies can align with their expectations. Utilizing agile contracts, roadmaps, or MVPs helps balance flexibility with predictability, ensuring effective collaboration while respecting each team's operational needs and regulations. This approach maintains core agile values and fosters a productive working relationship.

Vous pouvez également instaurer des réunions de revue / validation pour chaque livrable afin d'assurer une amélioration continue.

It is about creating a well-defined structure within a collaborative environment. It’s crucial because clarity in roles ensures that every team member knows what is expected of them, which tasks they are responsible for, and how their work contributes to the larger goals of the project. This approach reduces overlaps and gaps in the team’s work, leading to increased efficiency and productivity. It also fosters accountability, as each member has a clear set of duties they are answerable for, thus promoting a sense of ownership and pride in their work. Establishing clear roles and responsibilities is a foundational step in building a cohesive team that can work effectively towards a common objective and PRODUCING TANGIBLE IMPACT 😉

It is about creating a well-defined structure within a collaborative environment. It’s crucial because clarity in roles ensures that every team member knows what is expected of them, which tasks they are responsible for, and how their work contributes to the larger goals of the project. This approach reduces overlaps and gaps in the team’s work, leading to increased efficiency and productivity. It also fosters accountability, as each member has a clear set of duties they are answerable for, thus promoting a sense of ownership and pride in their work. Establishing clear roles and responsibilities is a foundational step in building a cohesive team that can work effectively towards a common objective and PRODUCING TANGIBLE IMPACT 😉

Start by defining a working agreement. How do we want to work together to collaborate effectively? Here are some additional points which you might want to include in the agreement: Common Goals: Outline shared objectives to ensure both teams are aligned towards a unified purpose. Communication Channels: Specify preferred methods (e.g., emails, meetings, instant messaging) and frequency of communication to maintain transparency and consistency. Meeting Schedules: Agree on regular meeting times that accommodate both teams' working styles, including sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives for the agile team. Feedback Mechanisms: Set up regular intervals for feedback from both sides to continually improve the collaboration process.

Defining roles through collaborative workshops ensured alignment between agile and non-agile teams. Leveraging RACI matrices provided a visual roadmap, delineating responsibilities and fostering a shared understanding of who is involved and in what capacity. Visual representations via flowcharts aided in clarity, ensuring everyone comprehended their role in the larger scheme of things. Documenting these roles and responsibilities fortified clarity, acting as a guiding compass for teams amid change. This emphasis on role definition cultivated a culture of accountability and collaboration, transcending team boundaries and propelling collective success in our transformative journey.

A lo largo de mi carrera en gestión de proyectos, he descubierto que la asignación clara de roles y responsabilidades es un pilar esencial para alcanzar el éxito. En esta discusión, quiero explorar la importancia de definir roles y responsabilidades desde mi perspectiva, así como aprender de las experiencias de los demás en esta área crucial para el logro de objetivos.

La communication est le facteur clé de tous les projets, personnels comme professionnels. Avec des équipes dites "non agiles", ce qui reste à prouver, la communication ne peut pas être uniquement digitale. Elle doit être incarnée, elle doit être physique, régulière, proche des gens. Il est indispensable de réunir, si possible sur un même site toutes les personnes concernées par le projet, leur offrir un espace de discussion avec le top management, mais également avec leurs pairs, qui rencontrent les même difficultés. Agiles, ou non agiles, ne jamais oublier que les équipes sont avant tout des individus, des humains qui ont besoin de contact autant que d'information.

Transparent communication was vital during our transformation journey. We established a cross-team communication plan, incorporating regular updates, joint planning sessions, and shared documentation. An integrated communication platform allowed us to address concerns promptly and ensured that information flowed seamlessly between agile and non-agile teams. This transparency built trust and eased the overall collaboration process.

Communication is a crucial key for team success. Listen actively, provide guidance, understand the challenges, concerns, progress and ears listening for their thoughts and feedback increase their trust and dependability on their own self's. Insist for having various ways of communications is a must.

People need to understand the change clearly, creatively, and continually. When communicating change ensure that every message possesses the following: Clarity: brings understanding to the change (answers what the people must know and what you want them to do) Connectedness: brings the past, present, and future together Purpose: bring direction to the change Goals: bring targets to the change Honesty: brings integrity to the change and credibility to the Change Leader Stories: bring relationships to the change Challenge: brings stretching to the change Passion: brings fuel to the change Modelling: brings accountability to the change Strategy: brings process to the change

Transparent Communication includes setting up that clear administrative structure that helps the team identify and expect where instructions should flow from. If the administrative ranks are not properly placed, there will be multiple sources of instructions to the team, that will eventually cause a conflict of interest.

Recommending the leveraging digital tools and contemporary methodologies is essential to align with the global shift towards agility mindset in project management.

Relinquish the agile prejudice! It is unjust to assume agile is a doctrine that has to be adhered to verbatim. Conversely, outside of the tech world, many business sectors flourish on a completely different system without even the necessity for complying with the agile principles. Do not suffice to just tolerating non agile team cultures, but educate yourself about them to respect their culture, and give credit to their intelligence. Bear in mind, a lot of effort has been invested in establishing a non-agile but functioning organization, an easy to disgrard fact when organizational prejudice takes over ! To that end, abandon the presumption that the agile is the holy grail of team cultures and open up your vantage point.

En mi experencia hasta ahora he aprendido que la comprensión cultural fomenta la colaboración, la innovación y un ambiente de trabajo armonioso. Reconocer y respetar los matices culturales españoles no sólo mejora a la dinámica del equipo sino que también contribuye a una comunicación más efectiva, fomentando la confianza y la sinergia. Es un aspecto clave de una colaboración global exitosa, que permite a un equipo diverso aprovechar sus fortalezas colectivas para lograr objetivos comunes. El respeto de uno cultura es fundamental para crear una cultura laboral inclusiva y de alto rendimiento.

Non-agile teams often come from a culture of stewardship, which creates risk adversity and fiduciary caution. These are noble values but can appear as “slowness” and “resistance” to agile outsiders. You cannot fight this; your strategy should be to build individual human bonds, find points of alignment, and translate your ambitions into the language of care, consideration and safety.

It is important to recognize the differences in culture and values among non-agile teams. You need to embrace the fact that different teams have different processes and cultures and you don't have to force agile practices onto non-agile teams; instead, understand their context and work within their existing frameworks.

All teams need not start using Agile frameworks. Waterfall or any other traditional frameworks will also do. But, all they can do is start to adapt to the better ways of working & to collaborate with the teams for functioning better. All it requires is an open mindset & welcome change. Coaching, mentoring & maybe some amount of change management will be needed.

A recent personal experience gave me priceless takeaways on the importance of attuning yourself to a non-agile party. The discord arose when we consulted an outside financial advisor for legal advice on handling user financial data in our product. The legal concerns raised by the other party were of a jurisdictional nature, whereas we persisted on discussing the issue from an app development perspective. Soon enough, the other party felt disregarded in his expertise, and the conversation turned into a confrontation. This stemmed from our side neglecting the necessity of speaking their language, not imposing ours. Too often, groups, teams or tribes are immersed in their vocabulary and that is where the dialogue with outsiders fails.

When working with a non-Agile team, consider these 3 factors: 1. Hierarchy and Structure: Non-Agile teams might operate within a more rigid hierarchy. Understand the decision-making process and ensure alignment with team leads or managers. 2. Documentation: Since Agile relies on iterative development and face-to-face communication, in a non-Agile setting, robust documentation becomes crucial to track progress, requirements, and changes. 3. Change Management: Non-Agile teams might resist frequent changes. Plan and communicate changes effectively to gain buy-in and minimize disruptions.

Working on Transforming teams on a strategic shift? From my perspective, two additional critical considerations involve with this shift - training and starting with basics : 1) To prioritize the training and learning curve - Offer tailored Agile training to non-agile teams to bridge gaps and highlight organizational wins by aligning with the business objective. 2) Start with Small - Foster a gradual shift by implementing Agile practices incrementally, beginning with small pilot projects. Adapt the pace based on team readiness. This will enhance team preparedness for scaling and transformation as they build confidence through the successful completion of pilot projects

Teamwork is the foundation of great achievements! Respect, honor and trust are also the basis of teamwork! Nothing can be achieved without them.