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How do you spot a dead-end?

Last post 04:10 pm April 25, 2017 by Alex Crosby
2 replies
10:55 am April 25, 2017

I'm a relatively new Scrum Master in an organisation very reluctant to change.  As we know, Agile transformation requires deep change sponsored and supported by the organisation.  How have you dealt with organisations that struggle with change?  How do you recognize a dead end?  How do you know it's not you not doing enough to coach the organisation in the benefits of change?  

I don't know if I need to work harder, or, become a better Scrum Master/Coach, or whether I might be beating a dead horse.  Are there any tell tale signs that you've experienced in the past to help make that decision?


03:26 pm April 25, 2017

Use innovation and empiricism as terms of reference. Take a look at the short blog post I did last month:

https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/why-agile-enterprise-must-be-innovation-network

Suppose you proposed having an agile transformation backlog. As a Scrum Master or agile coach you could advise on what might go on that backlog, and help train/mentor/teach the programme of agile change. However you couldn't *own* the transformation backlog since it is not your organisational change programme, nor is it likely that you could be its executive sponsor.

In my experience if you can't find executives to take responsibility for agile change in their own organisation, and to sponsor it, then you may reasonably conclude that the demand for agile practice will not be sufficient to overcome organisational gravity, and your efforts may be better directed elsewhere.


04:10 pm April 25, 2017

Thanks a lot, Ian! 

I have actually set up a transformation backlog recently.  At the moment, it is 'owned' by the Scrum Masters at the company and I have not thought about it as something that should be owned by the sponsors for change.

 


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