Enterprise Agile Transformation: The Two Year Wall
Add to calendarAs Agile is adopted by large enterprises, the number of transformation success stories has grown. But, transformation is an ongoing process, and maintaining organizational change is difficult. So, what happens after the success stories? What can IT leaders expect once the honeymoon is over? In this talk, Chuck Maples, SVP of R&D at Borland, will address these questions head-on, sharing his experiences in Borland’s Agile transformation. He’ll discuss the challenges that can emerge after the initial phases of transformation give way a new stage in the journey.
In this presentation, Chuck will walk through the presentation part of the session in 35 minutes, leaving 10 for audience Q&A.
Just over two years ago, Borland’s development organization embarked on its own Agile transformation as part of an effort to reduce development costs, boost efficiency and quality, and introduce more operational oversight. Today, nearly 70 percent of Borland’s teams are Agile, and the benefits the company has realized are great. But, transformation is an ongoing process – a journey – and organizational change is not an easy proposition. In fact, some experts believe that it is impossible to maintain. Chuck will address what happens after the initial success stories have been told. He’ll talk about the realities of organizational change once the excitement has worn off, and life in an organization full of personalities, conflicts and high-pressure situations sets in.
In Chuck’s session, he will really draw from what he experienced as his 300 person organization went through this critical point in the transformation journey. In sharing his stories, he’ll discuss the very real challenges that enterprises undergoing Agile transformation may face once the initial transformation is complete and the journey to lasting change reaches its second phase, including the challenges in maintaining cultural and behavioral change, the friction that can arise when an Agile development organization bumps up against traditional business functions, and some of the pitfalls to watch out for in the third year of an enterprise transformation.
There are precious few case studies that document the “Two Year Wall” – the time when the honeymoon is over, and life in an organization full of personalities, conflicts, and pressure-situations sets in.
When Chuck and his colleagues have shared Borland’s transformation stories with other audiences (including at Agile 20008), we have found that the audience is highly engaged, and often has several questions.
The presentation will really be “Chuck’s story,” and he is very open and candid about sharing the experiences he has had through Borland’s transformation. He is most definitely qualified to talk about this subject. He has been one of the three executive sponsors and leaders of Borland’s enterprise Agile transformation. He’s been here since the very beginning. He was here during the decision process (is this what we want to do?), he was involved in the plan for rolling out organizational change in stages, and he has been working with his teams — both in Borland’s Austin development lab, and in our Singapore location to get the development organization where it is today: nearly 70% Agile.
He has spoken on the topic of Borland’s Transformation at various events, Webcasts and with several of Borland’s customers and prospects. He will be “debuting” this presesntation — “The Two Year Wall” at the DSDM’s Agile Management Conference in London this March, where he is among a very select number of speakers.
** I would like to submit this presentation for consideration on the main stage. Last year, a Borland executive presented what might be called “part one” of this story — the executive perspective on enterprise transformation. The session was fairly-well attended, the audience was interactive (had many questions) and the feedback we received was very positive.
- A better understanding of the complexity of outsourcing in the Agile enterprise: pitfalls to watch for, failures that can occur and ways to prevent them
- How to avoid “Boiled Frog” syndrome: Often, as the heat in the “pot” turns up, people often revert back to behaviors that have worked for them in the past. Chuck will share ways to spot these situations and help keep teams on track.
- Ways to evaluate the best methods for “moving to production” or releasing product in a world where [expectations relative to features, functions and capabilities of applications must be communicated well in advance.
- How to keep team culture alive and growing. As your pioneers inevitably leave, and new talent joins the ranks, how do you keep the “purity” from being diluted? And, how do you encourage tight-knitted teams to embrace and bring new employees into the fold?
- Tactics for preventing “principle wars.” When the pressure is on, many times the “principles” of Agile become excuses to abdicate responsibility. Chuck will share experiences Borland has had in these areas, and how he worked with his teams to overcome problem avoidance through “I’m Agile, You’re Not.”
- How to maintain transparency and visibility across the business without allowing “democracy mentality creep.” Because the ultimate goal of software delivery is to serve a purpose for the business, management sometimes has to make calls. Chuck will talk about how to ensure that the business is being served and management is capable of making decisions, while maintaining team morale, engagement and ownership.
- What kind of real benefits a transformation such as this can bring. Answers to the question of whether Agile really makes a tangible difference to the bottom line.
