I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Apart from demand that comes from users of the product,\nthere could be demand coming from sources like product standards compliance,\nregulatory expectations, new technology adoption, architectural investments,\ncompetitive products, technical debt, etc. There are useful prioritization\ntechniques that will help in prioritizing disparate items. However,\ncollaboration among various stakeholders is more important for force-ranking\nthe items in the pipeline for each of the teams in the overall value stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
It is important that product management collaborate with\nengineering to get an idea of the quantum of effort and complexity of a backlog\nitem. For example, there may be items for which value to effort ratio, RoI,\ncould be higher. It would make sense then to prioritize these features ahead of\nthe others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apart from demand that comes from users of the product,\nthere could be demand coming from sources like product standards compliance,\nregulatory expectations, new technology adoption, architectural investments,\ncompetitive products, technical debt, etc. There are useful prioritization\ntechniques that will help in prioritizing disparate items. However,\ncollaboration among various stakeholders is more important for force-ranking\nthe items in the pipeline for each of the teams in the overall value stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Alignment of the demand to strategic objectives of the\norganization maximizes the returns on the value being delivered. This alignment\nneeds to be captured and made visible as we refine the big items in the backlog\nto smaller items for teams to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that product management collaborate with\nengineering to get an idea of the quantum of effort and complexity of a backlog\nitem. For example, there may be items for which value to effort ratio, RoI,\ncould be higher. It would make sense then to prioritize these features ahead of\nthe others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apart from demand that comes from users of the product,\nthere could be demand coming from sources like product standards compliance,\nregulatory expectations, new technology adoption, architectural investments,\ncompetitive products, technical debt, etc. There are useful prioritization\ntechniques that will help in prioritizing disparate items. However,\ncollaboration among various stakeholders is more important for force-ranking\nthe items in the pipeline for each of the teams in the overall value stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Often quantification of expected value is tricky. In my\nview, it is adequate to have the ability to assess relative value. It will help\nus to order the items of higher value first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alignment of the demand to strategic objectives of the\norganization maximizes the returns on the value being delivered. This alignment\nneeds to be captured and made visible as we refine the big items in the backlog\nto smaller items for teams to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that product management collaborate with\nengineering to get an idea of the quantum of effort and complexity of a backlog\nitem. For example, there may be items for which value to effort ratio, RoI,\ncould be higher. It would make sense then to prioritize these features ahead of\nthe others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apart from demand that comes from users of the product,\nthere could be demand coming from sources like product standards compliance,\nregulatory expectations, new technology adoption, architectural investments,\ncompetitive products, technical debt, etc. There are useful prioritization\ntechniques that will help in prioritizing disparate items. However,\ncollaboration among various stakeholders is more important for force-ranking\nthe items in the pipeline for each of the teams in the overall value stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
Enabler 2: Prioritizing for maximizing delivered value<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Often quantification of expected value is tricky. In my\nview, it is adequate to have the ability to assess relative value. It will help\nus to order the items of higher value first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alignment of the demand to strategic objectives of the\norganization maximizes the returns on the value being delivered. This alignment\nneeds to be captured and made visible as we refine the big items in the backlog\nto smaller items for teams to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that product management collaborate with\nengineering to get an idea of the quantum of effort and complexity of a backlog\nitem. For example, there may be items for which value to effort ratio, RoI,\ncould be higher. It would make sense then to prioritize these features ahead of\nthe others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apart from demand that comes from users of the product,\nthere could be demand coming from sources like product standards compliance,\nregulatory expectations, new technology adoption, architectural investments,\ncompetitive products, technical debt, etc. There are useful prioritization\ntechniques that will help in prioritizing disparate items. However,\ncollaboration among various stakeholders is more important for force-ranking\nthe items in the pipeline for each of the teams in the overall value stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
In larger set-ups, \u2018value\u2019 aspect of work being done is\noften lost. Engineers do not often know why they are working on certain backlog\nitems. They are mechanically producing code that gets integrated across teams\nand gets delivered by a central team. Team members need to have visibility to\nhow a feature is solving a business problem for a user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 2: Prioritizing for maximizing delivered value<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Often quantification of expected value is tricky. In my\nview, it is adequate to have the ability to assess relative value. It will help\nus to order the items of higher value first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alignment of the demand to strategic objectives of the\norganization maximizes the returns on the value being delivered. This alignment\nneeds to be captured and made visible as we refine the big items in the backlog\nto smaller items for teams to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that product management collaborate with\nengineering to get an idea of the quantum of effort and complexity of a backlog\nitem. For example, there may be items for which value to effort ratio, RoI,\ncould be higher. It would make sense then to prioritize these features ahead of\nthe others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apart from demand that comes from users of the product,\nthere could be demand coming from sources like product standards compliance,\nregulatory expectations, new technology adoption, architectural investments,\ncompetitive products, technical debt, etc. There are useful prioritization\ntechniques that will help in prioritizing disparate items. However,\ncollaboration among various stakeholders is more important for force-ranking\nthe items in the pipeline for each of the teams in the overall value stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion<\/strong>, orchestrating continuous flow of value requires leadership focus and energy \u2013 particularly from the leaders in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n anand<\/a><\/p>\n","post_title":"Five Enablers of Value Flow","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"five-enablers-of-value-flow","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:05","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=18292","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":15964,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2020-09-21 08:31:16","post_date_gmt":"2020-09-21 03:01:16","post_content":"\n In this large enterprise IT function, a cross-functional program level team was formed. Purpose of the team was to orchestrate flow of value end-to-end in collaboration with their Scrum teams, portfolio team and other key business stakeholders. Many middle managers were pulled into the team with roles like Program Lead, Chief Scrum Master, Chief Product Owner, Release Manager, People Manager, Architect, QA Lead and UX Lead. While they seem to understand the purpose, they were struggling to figure out their new roles and what they are supposed to do as a team. As an agile coach, what would be your approach to help the managers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggested Solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us start with one thing I would not<\/strong> recommend - that is to come up with a RACI chart. In my view, that creates boundaries for each person and our goal is to remove boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I believe the key is for the team to understand what needs to be done to fulfill the purpose and take collective responsibility for it as a team. One approach would be to run a workshop and get the team members to list the necessary activities of the team. Initially the list would be long but team would be able to group those activities into key responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, there are specialist roles in the program team and people will volunteer to accept their primary responsibilities. Each team member can also figure out the areas where they can contribute and areas where they are willing to learn about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I would also suggest 1:1 sessions with the team members to help them clear their clouded minds more by a coaching approach rather than telling them what to do. Program Lead and the Scrum Master may need guidance on how to help the team to mature over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal is for the team to see how they are to work together to achieve the purpose while they understand their role's primary responsibilities. In my experience, it does take time for the team members to have clarity of their roles and how they fit into the team. As trust builds up, team's effectiveness would also improve. Be patient.<\/p>\n","post_title":"CHOW #214 - Role Clarity & Clouded Minds","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"chow-214-role-clarity","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_modified_gmt":"2024-01-24 11:07:29","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/pm-powerconsulting.com\/?p=15964","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":2},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_3o3","class":"epic_block_11"};
For a product that is new, value would initially come from\ncreating a minimum marketable product that would start generating revenue. Opportunities\nto leapfrog competition could be a great source of innovation. Features that\nwould help acquire and grow the customer base become a priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, \u2018value\u2019 aspect of work being done is\noften lost. Engineers do not often know why they are working on certain backlog\nitems. They are mechanically producing code that gets integrated across teams\nand gets delivered by a central team. Team members need to have visibility to\nhow a feature is solving a business problem for a user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 2: Prioritizing for maximizing delivered value<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Often quantification of expected value is tricky. In my\nview, it is adequate to have the ability to assess relative value. It will help\nus to order the items of higher value first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alignment of the demand to strategic objectives of the\norganization maximizes the returns on the value being delivered. This alignment\nneeds to be captured and made visible as we refine the big items in the backlog\nto smaller items for teams to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that product management collaborate with\nengineering to get an idea of the quantum of effort and complexity of a backlog\nitem. For example, there may be items for which value to effort ratio, RoI,\ncould be higher. It would make sense then to prioritize these features ahead of\nthe others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apart from demand that comes from users of the product,\nthere could be demand coming from sources like product standards compliance,\nregulatory expectations, new technology adoption, architectural investments,\ncompetitive products, technical debt, etc. There are useful prioritization\ntechniques that will help in prioritizing disparate items. However,\ncollaboration among various stakeholders is more important for force-ranking\nthe items in the pipeline for each of the teams in the overall value stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 3: Smaller the items the better the flow<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Complexity is intrinsic to software development. Bigger\nbacklog items hide complexity and tend to block flow. Traditional approaches\npromoted creation of detailed specification and well-documented design to solve\nthis problem. We know that approach did not yield the desired results. Breaking\nitems to smaller pieces progressively helps teams to learn from the development\nexperience and reduces the risks associated with complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often a question pops up: How small should I break a backlog\nitem to be? My answer is always simple: As small a slice of value as possible. When\nit is meaningful to the users, we can then get feedback from our users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 4: Focus on finishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When one scrum team is involved in developing solutions to\nthe users, it is relatively easy to manage work-in-progress. Team would look at\ntheir scrum board on daily basis and pull items only when they could together\ncomplete the items in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In larger set-ups, multiple teams are working together to\ncreate value. In such organizations, product management would prepare a roadmap\nfor high level backlog items. This helps them forecast and communicate to their\ncustomer base on when certain functionality would be available in the future.\nWhile it sounds a simple enough thing to do, product management is under\npressure to keep the multitude of stakeholders satisfied. They end up creating\na crowded roadmap with too many items planned for concurrent development. Let\nus assume a simple taxonomy \u2013 Requirement-Feature-User Stories. Teams end up\nworking on multiple requirements and multiple features at the same time. Even\nif the teams focus on finishing the User Stories in their sprints, they do not\nfinish features or requirements. Focus on finishing needs to be stressed at all\nlevels of planning \u2013 during road-mapping, release planning and sprint planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a related area that needs leadership attention.\nTeam members typically tend to specialize in certain functional areas of the\nproduct. I have seen six-member teams work on six different features because each\nfeature relates to an area that team member specializes in. While this approach\nkeeps the utilization high, each feature takes longer to complete and, in the\nend, we slow down the flow of value to our customers. Leadership needs to pay\nattention to the skills set of individual members of the team from technical as\nwell as functional\/domain perspective and optimize for faster completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enabler 5: Systemic waste removal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are structural impediments in a larger organizational\nset-up, legacy product architecture, proprietary technology limitations and\nunnecessary processes. Leadership has a critical role to play in removing such\nsystemic waste. These cannot be removed on the fly and need investment of time,\nresources, and commitment to effectively address their impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a scenario where multiple teams are working together to generate value, there is a dire need to look at the end-to-end value stream and remove wait and waste. Flow metrics associated with the value stream like cycle and lead time, product quality and adoption would help the team measure the impact of improvements and waste reduction efforts. Tools play an important role in gathering the necessary metrics. Systemic waste removal is best done by representatives of teams involved with the support of leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
