We Can Lead

 The coronavirus pandemic has established an unprecedented condition in front of all of us. This is the moment where we require to demonstrate enormous leadership abilities to surmount these crises situation.

My third book, “We can lead” is a leadership book for all individuals who choose to grow into better whatever they are working out. It is a guidebook that can stimulate to self-analysis and striving to enhance our inner self and serve others to accomplish the same. This book has made me stronger, and I am absolute it will do the same for others. This book will aid everyone to stay strong at this crisis hour.

Please glance inside the book to identify further about the composition.

Look Inside here: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=aCb4DwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22Chandan+Lal+Patary%22&hl=en&source=newbks_fb&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Available here: https://notionpress.com/read/we-can-lead

#leadershipskills #leadershipcoaching #selfcoaching #agilecoach #scrummaster #scrummasters #productowners #changeagents #projectmanagers #projectmanager #coaches

What Leaders does during Agile Transformation

Leadership is crucial in any Organizational Agile Transformation.

Adapted from: Wikipedia: Complex Adaptive System

Leadership in Agile Organization is like a Complex Adaptive system leadership. Things are emergence, Patterns are evolving based on the input receiving from the agents.

Agile Transformation starts with Agile Leadership.

Organizations need to pursue business benefits happening owing to Agile ways of functioning.

In the Agile organization, leaders are servants. Leaders are coaches. Leaders are strategists. The operational responsibilities have been delegated to the scrum teams. Leaders facilitate the conversation to assure the bottlenecks are eliminating continuously.

Leaders understand why we are doing Agile Transformation. What value we will receive when we complete Agile Transformation for the whole organization. Leaders are in the driver seat to build an Agile Culture and Mindset changes. Leaders will never pretend that they know everything and think they do not need to learn anything fresh. Leaders will be vulnerable and accept the limitation of their knowledge.

Leaders need to create Cross-Functional, Self Organized, Long live, Agile Teams.The team own end to end product & solution delivery. Leaders coach the team to achieve such a maturity state. Leaders will not interfere in the daily working discussion by micromanaging team member’s activities.

Leaders ensure all the organizational impediments encountered by team members are eliminates at the appropriate moment by deliberately driving these activities. Leaders look for those issues/challenges, gather those, and systematically address those. Some of those challenges are profoundly substantial in nature. Leaders engage in a value stream workshop to understand the product development flow-related roadblocks. They call for a discovery workshop to analyze and get rid of those challenges.

In the Agile Organization where team members start showing self organize, self-driven, cross-functional teams where team members are committed and own end-to-end delivery responsibility, Leaders coach the team to sustain those high-performance team traits. Leaders mentor the team members wherever they identify gaps and room for improvement opportunities are there.

Leaders engage in numerous problem-solving workshops to facilitate teams to resolves different types of issues the team is dealing with. Leaders will not be looking at the status updating and will not act like an action delegating master. Leaders will involve and cocreate the agile organization.

Leaders transform the organization’s culture. Agile culture is more about collaboration and cultivation among people. More concentrated on People’s aspects. Leaders ensure teams and team members are connected in the diverse platforms to demonstrate each other deliverable. Minimize dependencies among each other and Maximize exchange knowledge.

Leaders ensure organizations embrace a more experimental mindset. Encourage team members to gain by experimenting, failing, and sharing and caring approach. Leaders also exhibit the same mindset by walk the talk.

Leaders ensure the Kaizen process is in place. Leaders facilitate many such events to ensure, the great minds are functioning at the team level are prepared to contribute to the bigger purpose in the organization. Leaders will not ask for the ideas and calculate the ideas generated by the team members. Leaders will generate more ideas than their team members.

Leaders lead the organization change management journey. Leaders establish the change is accepted by the whole organization and changes are appearing due to Agile transformation. Leaders are leading from the front and acting as the lighthouses.

Leaders of change must be eager to move first. They exhibit the behaviors and attitudes that are expected of everyone else. Employees watch leaders for consistency between words and actions to look at if they should believe the change is absolutely going to happen. Leaders are self-aware and deliberate.

Leaders create a sense of urgency and importance about the change and demonstrate commitment and passion about getting things done. They offer recognition to those who are performing and operating well.

Leaders energize the team members, motivate them. Leaders identify the right talent, bridge the knowledge gaps if any by providing the perfect environment and training. Leaders establish the trust is in the air. Leaders provide the right supply of resource and assistance to maintain the right momentum and pressure in the ambient.

Situational Leadership® According to Blanchard and Hersey.

Leaders act based on the situation, based on the maturity of the team members, leaders delegates everything.

Psychological Saftey in Spotify Model is built-in.....

People are very much sensitive to power and hierarchy within an organization or within a team.

The act of fear in the hierarchy is ages old story.

Most individuals are completely conscious of where they land in the power hierarchies at work. After joining any organization or team, everyone looks into the power map and relative position where they are. This creates a map of how far and how much they should maneuver. With whom they should ally and with whom they can debate!

their position shapes their attitudes of how safe it is to take interpersonal risks within their team or group

research shows that those with a lower position in a group or department generally enjoy less psychologically safe than those with higher status

This drives them less likely to check with others when they are dubious about something, more frightened that mistakes will be held against them, less adequate to bring up tough problems, and less certain that others value their skills

Though the leaders often preach empowerment, they may be uninformed of the fear generated by disparities in rank or status and, accordingly, may not do sufficient to safeguard that a message of empowerment is expressed in a psychologically safe environment.

Fear has long been adopted as a mechanism for retaining control

If people lower in the rank are afraid of those who have power, it continues to infer that they will act what they are expected to do.

Hierarchically embedded fear is not so natural to shrug off or change with psychological safety just because it is a wonderful thought.

Fear in those with subordinate roles leads to an inclination to conceal one’s tentative thoughts.

When individuals in authority speak authoritatively and speak first, it usually appears in greater self-censorship by others, even if this was not the initial purpose. Likewise, without meaning to, managers often reduce willingness to participate in meaningful dissent by seeking approval, rather than a genuine search, of their views.

Why tolerate such a situation especially in the knowledge industry where rapid ideation and implementation are need of the hour.

The beauty of structural change which proposes by Spotify enables Psychological Saftey built-in into the system.

In the normal Hierarchical model, we have seen top-down command and control leadership is built in.

Due to the character of the structure itself but in the Spotify model, the shift of power to capability building and People to value generation line is different.

Decouples people-leadership tasks, generally implemented by one manager into two sets of tasks implemented by two different managers, each of which is equally significant ( Chapter Manager & Tribe Manager).

One boss(Chapter Manager) provides and makes decisions about one set of objectives (such as employing and terminating, promotions, training, and competence building);

The other boss(Tribe Manager/Leader) makes decisions about another set of things (such as prioritization of goals and work, regular administration of task execution, and quality assurance).

Because the two roles are so distinct, there should be less need for the power struggles, tensions, and conflicts often encountered in more conventional structures.

Importantly, even though, the two managers—one of which we’ll call the “capability leader,” the other the “value-creation leader”—have to admit on a volume of situations: who and what to deploy to projects, initiatives, and business units, for example, and how considerable these individual and other resources are going to cost. (Value-creation leaders must compensate for them out of their budget.) - Mckinsey

What do you say? Have you seen such instances?

Organization Change Operation for a Fresh Drive?

My friend recently joins an organization as a Change Lead! New Position different office and unique change manager!

We were informally reviewing what are the factors we should study out and how can we set ourselves for success.

He takes up an assignment to know further about his new organization, to understand further about them so that he can position himself better.

He was a part of the team which is performing satisfactory, it seems. My friend wants to know the stuff “as it is”, so that he can perform the desirable change management proposal. To function better in the organization he has to recognize the as-is state of the team culture & Organization culture.

What he was using is called “The Cultural Web”, which identifies six connected elements that help to make up what Johnson and Scholes call the “paradigm”–the pattern or model–of the work environment.

I was not cognizant about this model, but when he was explaining, I felt wow, that is how it can help individuals to set themselves initially in a structural way which is a marvelous approach.

What precisely are all these factors to look upon?

1. Stories and Myths: Lookout all the previous and current stories going on within the organization about the organization? Note down all these points without analyzing anything. Just collect as initial days. More is better. Through these incidents try to capture organization values, beliefs, etc, and why with how part.

Collect & Write about 20 pages on these stories & Myths. It will provide remarkably valuable insight.

2. Rituals and Routines: Observe and Collect daily actions and behaviors of individuals within the organization. Participate in numerous informal and formal meetings and note down different levels of discussion, roles in how people behave, exchange, and exhibits.

3. Symbols: The visual representation of the company; how they show up to both employees and individuals on the outside. It includes logos, office spaces, dress codes, and sometimes advertisements. How the organization and team feel about the symbols, logos, and colors.

4. Control Systems: Collect all the points through which the organization is getting controlled? The quality system, customer base, products, cash flow, etc how all these elements control the whole organization or different teams. These give valuable insights into the organization flow. How about the teams, team members getting punished, or recognized by whom for what? etc

5. Organisation Structures: Read out the prevailing organization structure. Unwritten power and influence that some members may exert, which likewise indicates whose contributions to the organization are most appreciated by those above them. Where the power centers, why, and how those influence the numerous decision making.

6. Power Structures: Note who are the individuals, are those who hold the strongest influence over decisions and commonly have the ultimate say on significant actions or changes.

Now he has gathered all the intelligence, So what?

As he is a Change agent into the new ambient, by integrating this system of analysis, he can identify himself and will be adequate to break free of ritual and belief systems within a company to achieve real change and innovation.

Whenever there is a fresh initiative that can start we need to address most of these below areas. The below areas are vital as this is how organizations operate. This is what culture is about.

For example, there is an initiative from Projectized organization, we have to move to the Productized organization. This is a new change organization that is willing to bring in to overcome some of the anti agile practices and raise the business agility in the delivery team.

1. Stories and Myths: What are the numerous challenges “projects based” approach experiences, What new stories we can bring into? How can rewrite some of the old stories with a new productized concept? Internally and externally what are the new development due to productized approaches can bring into.

2. Rituals and Routines: The projects based funding, execution, etc, what are numerous routine is going to transform when we move into the productized approach? What the platform we have which can communicate these changes in ritual and routine, explains betters. Who are the individuals who are responsible to bring those changes in rituals and routines?

3. Symbols: What are the new colors, logo for in product-based approach will look like. How do we advertise and brand within the team environment? The change from Project to product approach should have an original look feel and transmit some clear message.

4. Control Systems: What is the formal and informal approach to the new change. The pilot of the productized approach in a certain team, how the progress will be presented by whom etc information needs to be presented. How the decision will be taken and by whom need to highlight.

5. Organisation Structures: What will be the structure of the productization initiatives. Who are the core team members and who will make the pivotal decisions? A formal and information structure of the team members serving to fulfill some of the activities.

6. Power Structures: Who are the investors in this productization drive. How success will look like. Who drives through this approach?

This provides a structural thought process on how to roll out the change management plan for an initiative where success will be high as we are aligning with the organizational cultures.

All these aspects need to look into when we introduce fresh changes to the organization.

In this procedure, we are also taking care of the present organizational culture

As the cultural paradigm influences and is influenced by the six inter-relating factors of the model, each aspect should be considered in terms of mapping out and designing the necessary changes (Johnson et al, 2011).

Understanding the dominant culture permits consideration of whether or not change can be accommodated within the culture of any given labor ward. Alternatively, if this is not possible, a shift in culture is definitely required (Johnson et al, 2011).

It also allows identification of what is problematic about the existing culture, indicating the type of change required and highlights aspects of culture that act as facilitators or block change (Johnson et al, 2011).

We all can try this? see how this approach enables us to become better whatever we are working on.....

3 Model in these 3 Guidebooks

 

Why feel uncomfortable is the best way forward?

Am I in my comfort zone?

My colleagues suggest I should not be.

As an when I growing older my mind seeks a comfort zone.

Comfortable team members are enemies for the high-performance team! They would like to be a comfort zone due to many reasons!

I am higher satisfied with Maslow’s bottom 3 layers from hierarchies of needs.

I have been to Top of the Hierarchy for some moment, Now I am Ok with the bottom 3 layers of the Maslow hierarchy of needs. A comfortable team member will say!


This is the query that invariably shows up to my mind. Am I in my comfort zone?
The comfort zone is a psychological state in which one feels familiar, safe, at ease, and secure. You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone. - Roy T. Bennett

I request my colleagues what are they doing to come out from this comfort zone

Am I turning into stronger physically, mentally, spiritually, psychologically, family, etc? For the last couple of years?
“We have to be honest about what we want and take risks rather than lie to ourselves and make excuses to stay in our comfort zone.”–Ray Bennett

My companions, say

If I am in my comfort zone, I might have not been seeking something unique. Without working out the fresh initiative, life is going on and everybody around me is happy, including myself!

I checked with my colleagues; they are refusing this fact that they are doing anything not new. Everything is new to them on a routine basis!

When I investigated, if they are learning anything new, are those good enough to stay relevant, looks like they are 100% convinced that yes they are participating in a new initiative and they are progressively learning something original by sitting at comfort place!
“When was the last time you did something for the first time.” Anonymous

If I am in my comfort zone, I might have not creating new friends in my office or outside of my office. I reviewed with many of my team members; they denied these facts that; they do not have a new friend. They acknowledge that yes; they have many friends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and regular these volumes are growing. They confess that they are part of many WhatsApp groups.

Are we able to get the benefits of our wisdom owing to different friends/networks/groups we are part of? are we exploring some different wisdom from our different friends? The answer was positive!

If I am in my comfort zone, I might have not active to undertake something new. Most of the time I will find excuses not to do anything new. Once I checked with a few of my colleagues, they decline to say that is not like that. They always accept new opportunities! People who are in a comfort zone, they are scared to accept a new assignment, as it will challenge them. They are not ready to shake up their existing setup. They are happy as happiness is one of the fundamental driving forces for them. Life should be in balance & that is their belief. Why run behind the rat race?


If I am in my comfort zone, I will be in the Relax zone in the Flow model. I have the ability but I love to take the low challenging assignment, else I will get worried or anxious which I do not want. I love to be in my control zone!

If I am in my comfort zone, my worth has not substantially advanced in the last couple of years. As I am benefiting the comfort benefits my other benefits are not thriving. My mental peace has improved. My skills and competence have not substantially enhanced. My life has become more or less predictable. I know what we will happen next and how to control them. Though I am in a routine trap. I will be taking precisely the same route, same bus, same building, same people, same technology, same routine.

If I am in my comfort zone, you will read the same book, same newspaper, same food, same restaurant, same friend. My taste will less like to alter. I am more or less happy with whatever I have. if someone suggests me to try different, I will become philosophical and defend this the best approach in this world

If I am in my comfort zone I become scared, I get fear; I appear weak; I am a bit pessimistic, my mental strength is not very powerful. I have some story that has produced me weak or make me ok with the present state.
“The only thing that is stopping you from where you are to where you want to go is your comfort zone.” – Dhaval Gaudier

If I am in my comfort zone, I am not developing my passion, I do not have a substantial purpose in my life. Some of my colleagues in the routine rut they are illustrating how passionately they are living & doing the routine again and again. They are appropriate at arguing to justify there is nothing much to be done. They are already living at the highest peak in the world.

If I am in my comfort zone, I have full control of my life. I do not let go of my control. Everything takes place with super prediction. Because for so many reasons my mind does not oblige me to explore. I am holding everything tight to my heart.
The desire to live within our comfort zone and to be in control all the time is a denier of a fulfilling life that excites. Let go. - Assegid Habtewold



Let us make ourselves Uncomfortable! Disturb ourselves a bit, Shake ourselves a bit, Challenge ourselves a bit, Make us uneasy a bit......

What Leaders does during Agile Transformation

Leadership is crucial in any Organizational Agile Transformation.


Adapted from: Wikipedia: Complex Adaptive System

Leadership in Agile Organization is like a Complex Adaptive system leadership. Things are emergence, Patterns are evolving based on the input receiving from the agents.

Agile Transformation starts with Agile Leadership.

Organizations need to pursue business benefits happening owing to Agile ways of functioning.

In the Agile organization, leaders are servants. Leaders are coaches. Leaders are strategists. The operational responsibilities have been delegated to the scrum teams. Leaders facilitate the conversation to assure the bottlenecks are eliminating continuously.

Leaders understand why we are doing Agile Transformation. What value we will receive when we complete Agile Transformation for the whole organization. Leaders are in the driver seat to build an Agile Culture and Mindset changes. Leaders will never pretend that they know everything and think they do not need to learn anything fresh. Leaders will be vulnerable and accept the limitation of their knowledge.

Leaders need to create Cross-Functional, Self Organized, Long live, Agile Teams. The team own end to end product & solution delivery. Leaders coach the team to achieve such a maturity state. Leaders will not interfere in the daily working discussion by micromanaging team member’s activities.

Leaders ensure all the organizational impediments encountered by team members are eliminates at the appropriate moment by deliberately driving these activities. Leaders look for those issues/challenges, gather those, and systematically address those. Some of those challenges are profoundly substantial in nature. Leaders engage in a value stream workshop to understand the product development flow-related roadblocks. They call for a discovery workshop to analyze and get rid of those challenges.

In the Agile Organization where team members start showing self organize, self-driven, cross-functional teams where team members are committed and own end-to-end delivery responsibility, Leaders coach the team to sustain those high-performance team traits. Leaders mentor the team members wherever they identify gaps and room for improvement opportunities are there.

Leaders engage in numerous problem-solving workshops to facilitate teams to resolves different types of issues the team is dealing with. Leaders will not be looking at the status updating and will not act like an action delegating master. Leaders will involve and cocreate the agile organization.

Leaders transform the organization’s culture. Agile culture is more about collaboration and cultivation among people. More concentrated on People’s aspects. Leaders ensure teams and team members are connected in the diverse platforms to demonstrate each other deliverable. Minimize dependencies among each other and Maximize exchange knowledge.

Leaders ensure organizations embrace a more experimental mindset. Encourage team members to gain by experimenting, failing, and sharing and caring approach. Leaders also exhibit the same mindset by walk the talk.

Leaders ensure the Kaizen process is in place. Leaders facilitate many such events to ensure, the great minds are functioning at the team level are prepared to contribute to the bigger purpose in the organization. Leaders will not ask for the ideas and calculate the ideas generated by the team members. Leaders will generate more ideas than their team members.

Leaders lead the organization change management journey. Leaders establish the change is accepted by the whole organization and changes are appearing due to Agile transformation. Leaders are leading from the front and acting as the lighthouses.

Leaders of change must be eager to move first. They exhibit the behaviors and attitudes that are expected of everyone else. Employees watch leaders for consistency between words and actions to look at if they should believe the change is absolutely going to happen. Leaders are self-aware and deliberate.

Leaders create a sense of urgency and importance about the change and demonstrate commitment and passion about getting things done. They offer recognition to those who are performing and operating well.

Leaders energize the team members, motivate them. Leaders identify the right talent, bridge the knowledge gaps if any by providing the perfect environment and training. Leaders establish the trust is in the air. Leaders provide the right supply of resource and assistance to maintain the right momentum and pressure in the ambient.


Situational Leadership® According to Blanchard and Hersey.

Leaders act based on the situation, based on the maturity of the team members, leaders delegates everything.