Does anyone do agile transformations here?
I don't know if you all work at just the scrum master level no offense intended.
I do both boots on the ground scruming with multiple teams. I also get from time to time do "agile scrum" transformations.
Has anyone every had a organization that has asked to be agile scrum but you just can't transform? I have done this framework for 13 years and feel I am pretty good at it.
Every selling technique I have learned and every pivot you can do and they just don't get it.
But I have run up against one of my toughest assignments to date. I have even reached out to my mentors Larry Apke, Mike Kohn, and a few others. Larry said in his Larry way I suggest you run.
What do you reckon are their challenges with agile scrum?
Oh I know what it is insecure leadership. They refuse to let go of authority. It's their own fear and insecurity. I have gone over this over and over with them. They just can't grant autonomy to the teams.
What about the sense of urgency to indeed change? What if they don't?
Every selling technique I have learned and every pivot you can do and they just don't get it.
If you focused on making the agile deficit clear, along with its consequences, would they believe it? Do they get empirical evidence and transparency?
Sander and Ian.
This idea of change is not new to them. I am their 6th Agile coach and scrum master in 3 years. No one lasts very long there , they just throw their hands up and leave. I am pretty hard head and trying not to leave as well.
I broke out the scrum guide and said last week "you have to do this". They said we don't do it that way. But call themselves scrum.
I had a few really experienced people say and agree maybe it's not worth the head ache.
Just a thought, but maybe you can try to approach the situation according to what is causing them pain?
They may be resistant to change if they are comfortable in their current way of working (inefficiencies and all). However, if you can identify what their major issues are, perhaps you can begin suggesting options and experiments that may help improve such pain points so that they don't hurt as much?
See if you can score a couple minor wins this way. That may give you some "street cred" where you may be able to try and influence larger parts of their dysfunction.
Good luck!
This idea of change is not new to them. I am their 6th Agile coach and scrum master in 3 years. No one lasts very long there , they just throw their hands up and leave. I am pretty hard head and trying not to leave as well.
I broke out the scrum guide and said last week "you have to do this". They said we don't do it that way. But call themselves scrum.
Presumably this deficit in agile practice results in consequences of some kind, such as outcomes not being achieved. Would management recognize empirical evidence of these consequences, if it were to be presented?
Good responses and not to say I have tried all that but I have tried all that. The one thing I noticed is they are so reactive that everything is a fire. They don't have honest conversations with their customers. Also their revenue is all state contracts. I have even run them through Kanban. They said nope we are a Scrum.
I think the end result is they are just dead set on doing it the way they do it and fool themselves into believe they are doing scrum.
I have a new contract in January so I think I have made my decision.