Preface:
The content presented below is a snapshot view into the process of crafting a holistic description for how an Enterprise Agility puzzle can fit together conceptually in the context of a specific company; it is presented here as a potentially helpful reference or reminder.
The applicable pieces of the puzzle, and how those pieces are fit together in context, are based on what can be learned progressively through conversations with not only senior leadership but also directly with the teams. The input and impact of both the senior leadership team and the hands-on teams emerge through the “s-loop” and “e-loop” constructs, as referenced below in the Core Constructs section (originally presented in Structured Feedback makes a positive agile impact).
The sections below show how the puzzle pieces tie together in order to achieve Enterprise Agility. In this specific case, the principles of Modern Agile serve as a guide for how the puzzle is actually assembled. Modern Agile served as an effective guide because its fundamental objective is to uncover better ways of delivering value.
The content below is organized into four sections : Observations, Resolution Plan, Core Concepts in the plan, and Technical Details.
Observations:
It is a common dynamic with companies over a given size (where the size boundary is inherently somewhat nebulous), for a gap to emerge between “strategic priority expectations” and “team-level execution”. That gap, where it exists, is a problem that needs resolution; numerous conversations should be initiated to validate if the gap exists. After validating the gap does in fact exist, the gap can be bridged as described below in the Resolution Plan.
Resolution Plan:
The context of the plan ties into two key business levers to help bring better alignment:
- “focus on value / impact”
- “increase visibility / transparency”; note: when transparency is increased, it is vital to also intentionally reinforce an environment of psychological safety.
The plan complements and reinforces collaboration with several related initiatives that may be occurring or need to be initiated across the enterprise:
- Market-centric solution strategies and solution development;
- Enterprise Architecture, where “architecture” reflects people, process, and technology;
- Product Team Organization, where team organization may need to shift from “feature-centric” to “value-centric”;
- Technical engineering practices for technical excellence, where the practices are executed through a framework such as Modern Agile;
- Professional development goals, and possibly compensation rewards, designed to reinforce the collection of company, individual, and team incentives.
There is a set of models for Enterprise Agility that has been used previously to bridge “strategy to execution” gaps; these include the Solution Life Cycle and RAPD among others. Modern Agile is an exemplary framework to apply. The Core Concepts framing the holistic execution of Enterprise Agility are listed below; these core concepts are used as guides for execution; further details can be presented in future blogs.
Core Concepts:
There are “two loops” that need to be addressed in order to bridge the gap.
- We can call them the “s-loop” (strategy to execution) and the “e-loop” (iterative execution). Think of them as perpendicular intersecting loops.
- The two loops intersect through the two levers (“focus on value / impact” and “increased visibility / transparency”).
- Modern Agile, at this time, primarily deals with the “e-loop”; it accommodates the “s-loop” by extension.
There are three simple steps that frame the loops:
- Align
- Shape
- Validate
There are two key constructs that feed the simple steps:
- “progressive granularity” (impact increments)
- “continuous adaptation” (team organization principle)
Technical Details:
By adjusting a few constructs that are configurable in enterprise tools such as Agile Central, the requisite combinations of centralized and distributed dynamics can be driven for the operational levers (“focus on value / impact” and “increased visibility / transparency”). More will be discussed on the technical tool details in a future blog post.