fostering self organization – ten ninja techniques for managers

Fostering Self-Organization – Ten Ninja Techniques for Managers and

Executives

Mahadevan P (Mahi) and Ashok Balakrishnan Technology, Sabre Holdings

If you are a Manager/ Executive, what would you do?

Let us look at a few real world scenarios

The Agile Principles – Individuals, Environment, Self-Organization

Self-Organization in Nature

Left to itself, any group of living things (humans included) will self

organize to survive and thrive

Even a mob is a form of

self- organization !

However, Self-Organization in Agile is focused towards creating VALUE !

Let’s take a closer look

Value = f (Context, Purpose, Fitness)

A great team has…

1. Clarity of Purpose 2. Context awareness for effective

Adaptation and Innovation 3. Fitness to create sustainable value

The Scrum Team – 3 roles

1. Product Owner

2. Development team

3. ScrumMaster

Scrum Master Product Owner The Development

Team

• Teaches PO and Team about their roles •Facilitates and protects the process and its practice • Shields team from external interferences • Enables co-operation and collaboration across all roles and removes barriers

• Represents the business interests •Defines requirements in a Product Backlog and owns it • Manages Product Backlog to optimize ROI • Clarifies Product Backlog • Sets priorities • Inspects increments and makes adaptations for next sprint • Communicates product progress status

• Cross functional 7+/-2 (dev, test, arch, DBA, BA, SME, etc) • Manages itself and its work – self organizes • Commits to and produces shippable increments of high quality • Collaborates with PO for optimal value

SCRUM Roles

10

Simple. Isn’t it ?

But…

The Real World …

“When we understand that slide, we will have won the war” - US General Stanley A. McChrystal (Leader of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan)

The 3 P’s of any Business

People

Practices

Products

In any business, People create Products by executing relevant Practices Managers and leaders are vested with authority by owners of the business Managers also authorize others to get work done

Environment

Some Context – Flow of Authority in any Business

Delegation (or deputation) is the assignment of authority and responsibility to another person to carry out specific activities - Wikipedia

A B

D

E

C F

How does Management build strong, self organizing Scrum teams?

By distributing authority.

Let us look closer …

Distributing authority/ responsibility

= Distributing control

= Distributing decision making

Hey! The Real World has many shades of grey

Team

Mat

uri

ty L

evel

Organizational Impact of decision

1. (High, High) 2. (High, Low) 3. (Low, High) 4. (Low, Low)

A Team is a Complex System

Complex Systems are non-linear Complex Systems interact and behave in unpredictable ways

How does Management support Scrum teams towards true self-organization?

There are no binary answers !

However, useful models exist.

Situational Leadership for Maturity level

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_leadership_theory

Management 3.0

• You make decision and announce Tell

• You make decision and get commitment by selling idea Sell

• You make decision after Inviting and weighing inputs Consult

• You Invite, discuss and decide by consensus Agree

• You influence by your opinion, allow team to decide Advise

• You let team decide and convince you post decision Inquire

• You let the team decide and step aside Delegate

Source : http://www.noop.nl/2011/03/delegation-poker-game-description.html

1. Directing

2. Selling 3. Inviting and consulting

4. Facilitating

5. Advising

6. Artful Questioning/ Inquiring

7. Empowering

8. Connecting

9. Catalyzing

10. Inspiring

Upgrade your Toolbox The Ten Ninja Techniques

Building real self-organized teams is like driving!

You want to drive as fast as possible You want to be slow enough to respond to road conditions It’s a balancing art !

• Inspect Situation (your vehicle, road conditions)

• Adapt your style

• Learn

Inspect

Adapt

Learn

Wanna practice?

Let’s Play!