Train Lean-Agile Change Agent

“Severe Problems make us adopt new ways to move forward.”

Whenever, an enterprise faces a problem too severe to be solved using its existing way of working, the need to adopt new practices for business agility and solution development is often driven.

This sense of urgency has become the new norm as the pace of technology advancements, market changes, and digital disruption reshapes the modern business model. Today, the capability to substantially improve development practices to empower greater innovation, faster time-to-market, and higher quality is the key to success. While following the proven critical moves identified in the SAFe Implementation what needs to be described is the notion of ‘train Lean-Agile change agents’.

The Need for a Powerful Coalition

Once an enterprise reaches its tipping point and the rationale for an important change becomes obvious, the tough journey begins and a need for a powerful union is felt.

In the book ‘Leading Change’ by Kotter, eight stages for guiding organizational transformation are being discussed below;

1. Creating a sense of urgency

2. Develop strategy and vision

3. Present the changed vision to all stakeholders

4. Generating short-term wins

5. Consolidating gains and producing more change

6. Generate the guiding alliance

7. Anchoring new approaches in the culture

8. Developing employees for broad-based action

For the next step, an “adequately powerful directorial coalition” of stakeholders is needed. As Kotter stated:

“In a rapidly moving world, individuals and weak committees rarely have all the information needed to make good non-routine decisions. Nor do they seem to have the credibility or the time required to convince others to make the personal sacrifices called for in implementing changes. Only teams with the right composition and sufficient trust among members can be highly effective under these circumstances.”

To be effective coalition requires:

• Leaders can set the vision, show the way, and remove obstacles to change.

• Managers, specialists, and change agents who can apply specific process changes

• Adequate organizational reliability to be taken seriously

• The skills required to make accelerated, and intelligent decisions

To create a SAFe coalition that is sufficiently powerful to initiate change, experts state that the organization must take three critical steps:

1. Coach Lean-Agile change agents as SAFe Program Consultant (SPCs).

Then change agent provides the required knowledge and directions for the implementation of change.

2. Train managers, executives, and other leaders.

They sponsor the change and support the implementation.

3. Charter a Lean-Agile Centre of Excellence (LACE).

This working group becomes the focal point and recurring source of inspiration and energy for change management activities.

We’ll discuss the first step which is to train Lean-Agile change agents.

Individuals from a wide range of departments, disciplines, and experience levels are included in the change agent community. Generally, interior source individuals are coordinated with expert exterior change agents from a Scaled Agile partner. To avoid many of the most common implementation mistakes experienced coaches provide the internal transformation team with the insights gained from many SAFe transformations which further helps the organizations. Deep knowledge of SAFe is vital and the learning journey begins with training Lean-Agile change agents. A trained agent learns how to identify Value Streams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs), launch ARTs, and help in building and managing an Agile portfolio. For making any material changes or alterations and scaling the Lean-Agile into the organization, wants to train all the individuals that work sincerely.

What Lean-Agile change agents offer to the organization?

The agents have the knowledge needed to lead an enterprise-wide Agile transformation by leveraging SAFe and its underlying principles of Agile development, Lean product development flow, and systems thinking. They have an understanding of how the principles and practices of SAFe support Agile programs, Agile teams, Lean Portfolio Management (LPM), and Agile Architecture. Also, the agents have the briefings, artifacts, and templates needed to identify value streams, prepare the organization, launch ARTs, plan and execute major events, and implement effective processes and measures to sustain and improve.

Making the Next Moves

Trained SPCs have the expertise, knowledge, and resources needed to instruct and train teams. Managers and the other stakeholders are necessary to effectively drive the change. They become a critical part of the coalition for the changes needed to further the next critical moves, which include:

• Coach managers, executives, and leaders

• Participating in the Lean-Agile center of expertise

• Recognizing value streams and ARTs

• Designing the Implementation Plan

About Advance Agility

We, at Advance Agility, are the new-age Agile Coaching, Consulting and IT services company. We enable end-to-end Digital Transformation. Agile execution is integral to our being. We are doing SAFe implementation with small, medium and large organization across the globe. Our vision is to be the leading Agile execution player globally. To keep adding value at every process stage. We are on a mission to empower our clients, move from concept to cash in the shortest sustainable lead time by adopting human centric approach to business agility. Embracing the change is in our DNA. Things that keep us apart are Quicker and Seamless execution with End-to-end gamut of services. Our Global presence and Stellar Track Record give us an edge over our competitor.

Connect with us at advanceagility.com to learn about SAFe and SAFe Implementation. Write to us at contact@advanceagilty.com for any agile training or consulting needs. We are always looking for competent agile trainers as well. So if you are a good trainer or want to become one, do get in touch with us to that we can learn, grow and achieve together.