It’s no surprise that many organizations are seeking a complete Agile Transformation these days; clearly the results that Agile brings are worth the challenges inherent in the transformation process. These include:
- Accelerated time to market
- Effective management of changing priorities
- Increased productivity
- Reduced risk, improve quality
- Alignment of business and development objectives
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Improved team morale
But too often, we see this transformation taking place in silos across the organization. While one team might be very much on board and working towards real change, other groups might languish, unsure of how to move things forward.
Often times, we see acknowledgment of this situation and the leaders decide to embark on a training program. Some decide to provide training only to those struggling teams; this might be in the form of scrum master training, where they send one person out for two days to get certified as a scrum master. While this is a great step in the right direction, it typically does not represent the best solution. After all, Agile Transformations are not just about what one person can deliver, but instead what the whole team can deliver.
So how can you get everyone involved?
Consider investing time in Whole Team Training! Whole Team Training is a curriculum that encourages involvement from everyone on a team across the board. This means that everyone can become aligned and better understand their roles and responsibilities, breaking down the silos that are often seen and felt within the enterprise. This hands-on style of learning sets teams, programs, and the organization up for success by enabling them to “self-manage,” work things out and tackle the mountain of work on their collective plate – together.
During Agile Whole Team Training, we get to evaluate real challenges and identify opportunities to overcome these obstacles. There are almost always cultural issues that arise and whole team training offers insight into how to break down these kinds of barriers in a team driven environment. The goal of the training is that the group learns and appreciates the benefits of becoming an agile culture.
These highly collaborative sessions are done live so that everyone involved can engage through exercises and activities that challenge individuals and teams to dive in feet first. Among many learning objectives, teams better understand product vision and developing their epic roadmaps so that they have the essential tools they need to advance their agile maturity.
The primary goal of Whole Team Training is to take strong individuals and create an even stronger agile team!
So what happens after the training?
We know how it goes. You and your team attend training and you’re all fired up to make improvements and implement what you’ve learned! Then the minute you get back to your desk you realize there is already a challenge and in order for things to really advance, you may need additional help.
Keep in mind that Agile Whole Team Training is foundational in nature and that we are working across a broad spectrum of roles and cross-functional departments. Once this session is over, it may be necessary to do additional work with individual teams. In some cases, having a coach on the ground with these teams makes the transitions more seamless and less intimidating.
The reality is that each organization and team is unique. While some companies might augment the training results with additional scrum master/ product owner training and/or team or technical coaching, others might find that it makes more sense to bring on a coach, experienced scrum master, agile developer or an agile tester. These individuals are on boarded to ensure the teams can become self-sustaining over time, but in order to complete the transformation, teams must build muscle memory and commit to change.
It is critical to measure your level of agile maturity so that you understand where you are on your journey and what benefits you have gained or are in the process of gaining. Our coaches are asked to measure their maturity on a monthly basis using the Agile Maturity Matrix Tool.
Although it is a journey, Whole Team Training helps teams envision a clear roadmap to success. Individuals and teams are empowered by the benefits Agile will bring the organization and are excited about the results they know they will see!
Do you have questions about Agile Whole Team Training or any of our other training services? We would love to help you figure out a path to Agile Transformation. Contact us at agileinfo@eliassen.com.
