Lately, a client reached out to me to kickstart a rapid transformation in their company. They’ve made three previous attempts, all ending in disappointment. The stance is clear — they want to act immediately.
Urgency does not scare me, but I never begin a change process until the client understands that the transformation is not just about restructuring their organization and revolutionizing processes; it’s a cultural and mindset shift. In practice, most aren’t ready to let go of what they’re used to.
In forward-thinking companies, changing your outlook is where all transformations begin. First and foremost, you need to switch up the culture, and only then can you fine-tune the processes and tools. Culture should be the driving force behind your internal processes.
However, there’s a crucial point to note: Cultural shifts only happen when the team is open to seeing the same old things in a new light. If people resist and oppose change, the transformation you’re hoping for just won’t take root.
Let’s discuss the main cultural shifts you’re bound to go through during the agile transformation.
Letting go of control
When working with leaders as a consultant, I often encourage them to let go of control, and then the team can self-organize and deliver results. However, many individuals whose roles are closely tied to operational tasks find it challenging to let go of control. They may only consider this change when they’ve reached a point of burnout.
When they finally decide to let go, they often expect someone to copy their every move and thought process and think of every possible scenario, just like they would. But in reality, people act based on their experiences and understanding of the big picture.
The moment you release control, you become more of a mentor than a manager. It’s like how mothers raise their kids—doing for them at first, then doing with them and guiding them rather than micromanaging afterwards. When you take on this mentor role, your team tends to follow your lead. This management approach works well if your goal is to step back from the day-to-day work and give the team more responsibility.
Changing the way you see a failure
When it comes to culture, we often think that if someone doesn’t succeed, we can’t trust them. But when we delegate tasks, it’s not just about the end result; it’s also about the knowledge gained. Knowledge isn’t just about what works; it includes what we’ve learned and the hypotheses we’ve tested, even if things didn’t turn out as expected.
If something doesn’t go as planned, it’s an opportunity for self-improvement and shared learning. Failure should not be seen as falling short of meeting metrics but rather as not gaining knowledge.
Building trust by being vulnerable
Trust is a crucial element that must be established through open communication. Everyone and everything involved should be open for communication. Feedback should be welcomed and acted upon. The CEO should be willing to listen to the cleaner and vice versa. Only through this mutual respect and open communication can the whole system run smoothly.
In the Scrum methodology, there is a practice known as a retrospective, which encourages vulnerability. During a retrospective, the team openly discusses both their strengths and weaknesses, analyzing them. When managers are self-aware and actively work to create a psychologically safe environment, they seek solutions not only from the team but also within themselves. They explore what actions they can take to enhance the team’s performance. It’s through this collaborative effort that trust can truly flourish.
Transforming from the manager to the coach
When a manager expects the team to self-organize, they must nurture this skill. The aim is to empower the team to set its goals, achieve them independently, and continually seek improvement. If a manager can foster such independence, they transition from a top manager to more of a coach.
Let’s use a football analogy. Coaches don’t step onto the field themselves. The most critical work happens behind the scenes: in the locker rooms and during practice sessions. When the team takes the field, the coach has already shared all their knowledge. They might watch the game, feel some nerves, or make minor adjustments to the strategy. But most of the action unfolds without the direct involvement of the head coach. It’s these coaches who get statues erected in their honor and streets named after them.
The shift to this new way of working, where the team can operate on the field without a coach, happens step by step. Start by suggesting that the team handles all communication with other departments on their own. In the beginning, a freshly formed team might face challenges, and you might encounter resistance. However, this pushback can actually offer valuable insights into the system, pointing out areas that need improvement.
Encouraging responsibility
Responsibility isn’t given; it’s taken. I heard this story from a friend. Back in the day, he worked for a Dutch company that, at some point, decided to hire a manager from London. This manager had the idea that the team shouldn’t work fixed 8-hour days; they should work as long as the manager did. However, apart from the manager, no one found this idea exciting. So, the team continued to work their regular hours. This clearly didn’t align with the manager’s expectations, leading him to fire the entire department.
In response, the laid-off employees took the company to court, citing violations of workplace regulations. They won the lawsuit, and as a result, the London manager got the boot.
The lesson here is that there needs to be a fair balance. We should aim for efficiency within our designated responsibilities and reward overtime rather than threatening employees for not working extra hours.
To keep things from feeling like a dictatorship, people should willingly take on responsibility. They should be genuinely interested, inspired by the idea, passionate about the business, and grasp the context. That’s when they should ask for more responsibility. This kind of initiative should be recognized and rewarded.
Takeaways
Psychologists say there are five stages of accepting the inevitable: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Some companies have to go through all these stages during transformation. They start in denial, thinking nothing needs to change, eventually reaching acceptance.
I like to think that there is also something that happens in between — gratitude. At each and every stage, the team should understand that all the changes are made for a reason. Yes, it is painful because almost everyone has to step out of their comfort zones, which isn’t very pleasant. But all the changes will lead to relief, custom processes that no longer give headaches, and exciting tasks that might seem new and challenging at first but are more interesting than the usual routine.
