Are your teams driven by Theory X leaders/managers?

This is the lastest story one of my coaches' companions was sharing in a conversation. She was experiencing this situation in her context. And discussing what can be done?

Douglas McGregor, a management professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the 1950s and 1960s.

In his 1960 book, The Human Side of Enterprise, McGregor proposed two theories by which managers recognize and address employee motivation. He attributed to these opposing motivational methods as Theory X and Theory Y management. 

Each considers that the manager’s role is to coordinate resources, consisting of individuals, to best benefit the enterprise. However, beyond this commonality, the attitudes and assumptions they embrace are altogether distinctive.

According to McGregor, Theory X management considers the following:

Work is naturally distasteful to most individuals, and they will seek to avert responsibility whenever feasible.

Most individuals are not enthusiastic, have little ambition for responsibility, and choose to be directed.

Most individuals have a limited aptitude for creativity in dealing with organizational problems.

Motivation occurs entirely at the physiological and security levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Most individuals are self-centered. As a result, they must be strictly controlled and often coerced to achieve organizational objectives.

Most individuals resist change.

Most individuals are gullible and unintelligent.

Most individuals gravitate toward prejudice and racism because of their attachment to ancient and conventional assumptions about individuals in general.

Most Individuals can still be heard saying things like “there will always be chiefs and Indians,” even though that kind of dialogue is becoming less familiar.

Essentially, Theory X assumes that the fundamental origin of employee motivation is financial, with security as a powerful second.

Under Theory X Manager, one can take a hard or soft approach to obtain results.

Theory X managers tend to be autocratic and controlling and feel it is up to them to ride people and drive them to perform their work (boss as a “Commander”). Once you acquire a powerful position it is much easy to exercise the power! 

You might have noticed such X management style, powerful organizations may discover that following it is inevitable owing to the volume of individuals that they operate and the rigid deadlines that they have to meet.

Have you come across such occasions? as a Coach what you have been investigating?

Theory X Leaders’ approach culminates in aggression, deliberately low productivity, and intense employee attrition. 

X Leaders believe Team members are rare to find reward or gratification in their work, so a “carrot and stick “ technique will contribute to be more fruitful in persuading them.

McGregor’s name for this kind of management is “management by control.”

Theory X management hinders the fulfillment of higher-level needs of Maslow’s Hierarchy chart because it doesn’t acknowledge that those needs are significant in the workplace. 

As a result, the particular way that employees can seek to find higher-level needs at work is to seek further compensation, so, predictably, they focus on financial benefits. 

While money may not be the most efficient way to self-fulfillment, it may be the only way feasible. 

The Theory X-oriented principal reduces the channels for innovations in work strategies and weakens the amount of group experience established.

Theory X Manager will design rigid organizational arrangements and controls based on established authority. He will employ careful control, give specific instructions, demand complete conformity, and will use threats of firings or economic sabotage to provoke the work done.

In a study reported in the Social Behavior And Psychology journal, researchers found employees’ motivation starts with encouragement from managers. If employees are led by Theory X managers in the work then team members will not be capable to engage properly!

What are some of the coaching aspects we can explore?

a) Let us talk with the leader X about the Situation Leadership style, as everything is situationally specific, those traits can be explained and practice. 

b) Let us explain the Complex system and traits of complexity and why Leaders have to behave differently in a complex system.

c) Let us talk about the Agile Cultural context and model. How people's aspects have been considered. 

d) Let us explain Extrinsic motivation factors and how leaders can explain those?

Let us talk about the outcome and Impact not only meeting the deadline.

All these have to be practiced and see what new outcome appears in Team.

Strengthening Self-Organizing Cross-Functional Scrum Team

A cross-functional team is a group of individuals with diverse functional expertise working toward a shared objective.

According to the Scrum Guide, a cross-functional team is a team that is organized around a product, a defined portion of a product, a service, or a customer value stream, and must include all competencies needed to accomplish their work without depending on others that are not part of the team.

What are the challenges of establishing such a self-organized cross-functional scrum team?

a) Silos mentality( BA, dev, test, Support )

b) Communication issue( BA, dev, test, Support )

c) Competency issue( BA, dev, test, Support )

d) Alignment issues( BA, dev, test, Support )

e) Conflicts are very high ( BA, dev, test, Support )

f) Ownership and commitment challenges( BA, dev, test, Support )

g) Mindset issue ( BA, dev, test, Support )

h) Collaboration issues ( BA, dev, test, Support )

i) Blame each other

j) Trust deficit, etc

How do we minimize these? Any structural approach we have to consider?

Look at any team and we will see a mixture of behaviors and personalities. Sometimes the individuals in a team can be complete opposites of each other and there will be conflicts; Other times there will be synergy in the team.

The ‘process’ part of the team will be very dependent on the behavior preferences that team members display.

The management psychologist Dr. Meredith Belbin was one of the first people formally to identify the different roles that people play in teams.

He recognized that in teams there are individuals who take action-oriented roles.

Some team members are more people-focused and others more cerebral.

Effective teams are made up of different types of people and they consist of different types of roles.


The mix of role types that play in a team determines their effectiveness.

These roles are

Shaper, Coordinator, Plant, Resource Investigator, Monitor Evaluator, Specialist, teamworker, Implementer, Completer Finisher

Although there are nine team roles, this doesn’t mean that a team needs nine individuals in it to be effective. Individuals will tend to have more than one preferred team role, so will generally occupy more than one role in the team.

When we look for a cross-functional self-organized high-performance scrum team, which evolves after a long cycle of the experiential exploration, we require to look at these 3 factors how effectively it has been matured.

When we recruit team members, if we can balance with these 3 factors, it would be advantageous for them to grow into a high-performance team, as the team will be apt to resolve any challenges they come across.

When I encounter the best scrum teams, I could certainly locate the traces of all these roles in a team.

I could able to trace who is Plant? who is matching the role of coordinator? etc. I start improving if these roles are missing.

When we start coaching, we also nurture these roles, based on what are the gaps, and what can be done to minimize those gaps.

This is a very good structure provided to structurally do team coaching and look for an opportunity.

All the challenges listed initially will slowly resolve when we have all these 9 roles developed and depicted with the scrum team.

We mostly look for a Scrum Master who is having a mixture of all these roles

[ A ‘teamworker’ is generally co-operative, easy to get along with, perceptive, and diplomatic. They are good listeners and are able to smooth over areas of friction within the team. They help keep the team together, particularly during times of stress or pressure.

A ‘shaper’ likes to challenge and drive things forward, enjoying the pressure and the reward of overcoming obstacles. They are able to identify patterns in discussions and in work undertaken and use this to push for change.

A ‘resource investigator’ is likely to be enthusiastic and charismatic, communicating well with others. They are able to explore opportunities, develop contacts, and instigate relationships.

The ‘implementer’ is reliable and well-disciplined, often conservative, and efficient at getting the job done. The implementer is able to reliably turn ideas into practical actions, and strategies into defined and manageable tasks.

People who fulfill the co-ordinator role are generally confident and responsible. They functionwell as a chairperson, helping to clarify goals and establish priorities. They encourage others to make decisions by delegating appropriately. ]

Free Kindle Book : We Can Lead , Festival Offer

 

To all my readers,

Joyful message to distribute with you, Publisher has given festival offer on my recent book, We can Lead - A Guidebook of Personal Leadership and Self Coaching, Free Kindle Book for a limited period. Please avail of this opportunity till the festival ends in India. Available on Amazon.

Please visit here: 

https://www.amazon.in/CAN-LEAD-Guidebook-Leadership-Self-Coaching-ebook/dp/B08G5BK2B6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1602913924&sr=1-1

#scrummaster #selfcoaching #agilecoach # #scrummasters #agiletransformation #productowners #scrumteam #agileprojectmanagement #agileteams #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipcoaching #changeagents #changemanagement #projectmanagers #teamcoaching #coachingskills #teamdevelopment #highperformanceteams #scrumteams #programmanager

Measuring the High-Performance team?

How do we start measuring the team performance “as-is” state before commencing the team coaching journey?

We require to start from somewhere which points out to us, what are numerous considerations which should start concentrating on during coaching to strengthening.

We may look into the below aspects highlighted here to strengthen. Do you recognize those?

Team members are passionate and unguarded in their discussion of issues? On a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members call out one another’s deficiencies or unproductive behaviors? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members know what their peers are working on and how they contribute to the collective good of the team.? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members quickly and genuinely apologize to one another when they say or do something inappropriate or possibly damaging to the team.? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members willingly make sacrifices (in their departments or areas of expertise for the good of the team? On a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Do team members openly admit their weaknesses and mistakes? On a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team meetings are compelling, not boring? On a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members leave meetings confident that their peers are completely committed to the decisions that were agreed on, even if they were in initial disagreement? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

During team meetings, the most important—and difficult—issues are put on the table to be resolved? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members are deeply concerned about the prospect of letting down their peers? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members know about one another’s personal lives and are comfortable discussing them? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Do team members end discussions with clear and specific resolutions and action plans? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Do team members challenge one another about their plans and approaches? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members are slow to seek credit for their own contributions, but quick to point out those of others? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members are taking a stand whenever it is required? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members are able to speak up when it is essential? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members are able to say NO when it is essential? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members do not hide any information and express what is relevant? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members express if they do not like anything ? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members respect each other opinions? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

team members are always contributed to their shared goal? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members are measuring team performance and course correct? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves.

Team members are able to finish their own assignments? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members are able to fix the issues if any surprise unplanned issues come up? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members have established a set of ground rules and guidelines for team performance and behaviors? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members express disagreements constructively? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

Team members follow through on decisions and action items? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

The team leader has a process for sharing information with all team members? on a 1-5 scale, 5 being the highest, How do we want to rate ourselves

25% Discount

 

The Spectrum of Coaching

How do we ensure as a coach, we encourage the team members from Skills development to Individual Transformation?

As an Agile coach when we commence with Agile Training, the journey just commenced. We as a coach desire to support the coachee for a complete transformation. Agile coaching is less focused on the acquisition of skills (inputs) and better focused on promoting the coachee’s grade of Deliverables(outputs and outcomes) in their prevailing role. The focus is more on long-term achievement improvement. As a coach, we desire to ensure coachees promote full-stack personality advancement to obtain long-term benefits.

Like a strategist, a coach needs to consider what can do with each individual so that from skill development, they have transformed themselves into a new performance state. Part of this could be growing awareness for change, inspire, and motivate them to reform, experiment with diverse opportunities, and take action to reform, sustain those changes, secure ongoing discovery exploration progresses.


What do you think?

Building a High-performance team?

The logical levels model, also recognized as Dilts logical levels, was established by Robert Dilts and Todd Epstein, who were, in turn, influenced by the creation of Gregory Bateson and Bertrand Russell.

The logical levels model is built up of the following six stages: Environment, Behavior, Capability, Beliefs and values, Identity, Spirituality, or connectedness.

We can employ for self-transformation, we can employ the same for the team Transformation.

A leader of the team or a coach can study through these logical layers and influence the team for transformation Journey.

Some of the questions team can propose to commence the journey...
How do we distinguish ourselves?
How do we consider ourselves mainly in terms of what we accomplish? Or the experiences we have?
Or What’s vital to us and what we believe? How do we want to be known as?
Or Who we are as a team? What do people tell about us?
Or how do we describe ourselves in terms of our purpose, or being part of something that’s bigger and further prominent than we are as a team?

The essential concept behind the Logical Levels is that each level has a direct relation to the lower level in the hierarchy.
A transformation on a lower level doesn’t naturally change the levels above. A change on a high level, however, invariably changes the lower levels.

This is exactly like a Pyramid of Layers. The base layer is Environment – this is where we are, and what’s around us – including other people. The vital questions here are “Where are We as a team? What is around us as a team? How does my environment affect my objective? What are my external opportunities or constraints? What kind of individuals do we like to have around us? Where do we get assistance from? Where are my sources? How does our working environment make us feel?

The next level up is Behavior. This is what we literally accomplish? What are our habits? How do we as a team act or react in a given condition? – all these happen in the context of the Environment

The next level is the Capability. This is what we recognize how to do, what we are competent to perform, the skills that we have. What are the skills and abilities that we presently possess that will support us to get the transformations we choose? Which skills we desire, but we have not yet mastered in order to perform the required reforms? So our Behavior is adopted from within our territory of skills – just because we have the expertise to perform something, doesn’t mean we will accomplish it.

The next level up is Values and Beliefs – Values being what’s fundamental to us as a team, and Beliefs being what we believe about ourselves, about other communities, and about how the world works, Why do we believe and value that? What beliefs might help us to get stronger results? Our values are what motivate us – if a goal is essential to us, we will set time and effort into carrying out it happen – and they are again the yardsticks that we adopt to vote if something is right or wrong.

Above that, we have the level of Identity. This is the level of who we are as a team, our sense of self as a team. What we stand for as a team? What is our vision of the team? How is what we are experiencing an interpretation of who we are? How would others represent us?

Finally – we have the level of Purpose or Spirit. This is what we are part of that is more powerful to us than to ourselves; what we feel hooked up to, and what someday we would give up your life for. This is an about team mission. For what reason, we are here? How would we like to be remembered when we are no more team? What greater good do we believe in?

So, if we are wishing to establish change take effect, make assured that the change is taking place at an adequately high level to establish it stick.

Reference: http://www.nlpu.com/Articles/LevelsSummary.htm#:~:text=Dilts,another%20system%2C%20and%20so%20on.

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.

Why does Organizations choose to invest in YOU?

It is not requisite that you have excellent skills and knowledge; if you not are saleable!!

Others should also discover you, and they should get an interest in you.

And you should be useful to them! You develop an interest to those fishermen so that they move behind you to catch You!!

“Hiring people is an art, not a science, and resumes can’t tell you whether someone will fit into a company’s culture.” – Howard Schulz

Some of the outstanding factors which you can be ready with so that organization grabs you!

The organization chooses to invest in you based on the track record you have with the execution of a substantial scale critical program. Do you have any?

A track record is a key motivator for businesses or organizations to acquire you!

You have potential skills and knowledge which are profoundly significant in the forthcoming market and relevant to the prevailing technology trend.

You also have some indicator that you have exercised those skills and knowledge. The more hot the skills are, the higher demand you can create.

The organization is thinking long term by utilizing these skills they will build products and solutions and generate a lot of wealth.

They seek the opportunity and anticipate the potential use of those products and solutions which you will be capable to generate and will establish an impact on the same for the organizational bottom line.

“Dating and hiring have a lot in common.” – Scott Wintrip

What particular problem you will be solving for the organization. How significant is the problem for the organization, How efficient you are to solve those problems? How complex those problems which only you can solve?

Have you dealt with such problems earlier and how is wisdom? what is feedback from the people who have benefited from your service?

What is the unique strength you are bringing about this problem where the organization is searching for the solution?

You also require to ready with the proposal if the organization ask, what are the distinct way your skills and competencies can serve? What alternative approach you can apply to figure out these problems, etc?

If you have any failure in your current track record, that again benefits you to sell yourself to the organization, every experience affects.

You need to aware about your competitor and come up with a better proposal than your offering, which is unique and nobody has such a solution, you can bargain with the organization better

You should be capable to present your offering for 1 mins pitch, 20 mins pitch, and 1 hrs pitch about your key attributes and services flawlessly.

You should have business acumen about making wealth, how to exercise your skills and knowledge to build up the business.

What are numerous cultures, countries, and challenges you have struggled with, stronger is the story, they more attractive the story is, they will generate into more curiosity about your offering, so what is your selling story?

what is your current demand of yours in the market, can you show someway statistics to persuade? 

Organizations may pick up you and amalgamate with some other remarkable team members who have complimenting skills and establish a greater solution and service which you alone can not produce

“You need to have a collaborative hiring process.” – Steve Jobs

Organizations may take you, train you, and strengthen you for a grander mission, they have seen something which with limited investment can expand.

Are you warm up? are you watching at the horizon and strengthening yourself for those powerful people who can grab you?

Transformation is more or like a sales process!

Have you also realized the same? Transformation and Change is lot like selling product and service?

Whatever we do in Organization business transformation is something like a sales process. Some of the techniques that salespeople use which as a transformation change agents we also apply.

What do you think?

Let us understand what do salespeople do in the sales process?

You will discover many parallels in the sales process and transformation and change management process.

Individuals do not buy because salespeople have a solution and customers need the solution. Sales do not work that way. It is much deeper, bigger, and confusing! A lot of emotional than logical drives.

As a salesperson, you don’t modify individuals’ buying habits or factors. What you can do is precisely discover the customer and then pursue to establish a sense of urgency. A lot of buying is performed owing to momentum. It is vital to discover those “real” reasons or factors as to why a prospect would buy now, subsequently, not at all or never.

Selling is not onetime events, it is like establishing a relationship first. People choose to buy from a trusted, experienced individual. Sales are figuring out a problem that is continuing on in customer life. The customer some time recognizes and sometimes not conscious of the problem. Also, the impact of the problem, If they are familiar also, they are not capable to identify whom to seek advice. The customer is not able to trust someone.

End users ready to grant any prices, if it is matching their needs. The customer always does not invariably think about the low price, they seek value, if they are convinced, they will spend any price or prepared to stretch most of the time. The product or solution should make their life better.

Great sales happen when salesmen exactly discover what customer pain points are. They never explain product features or benefits. First, they understand the customer pain points and slowly explain what could be the offering. The customer chooses. Customer needs to be comfortable to buy service from you and you have the end-to-end solution ready which a customer is looking for.

“All things being equal, people do business with and refer business to those people they know, like, and trust.” --Bob Burg

People always choose to purchase from the best, they prefer to feel proud that they have bought from the finest. They look for the credible product and solution which they can proudly share with others. They want to feel best in front of their friend and family members.

Great salespeople understand the pain points of the end-users, they walk with the customer, to consider the customer pain, empathize with them. They observe the customer better before they recommend any solution. The great salesperson asks better powerful questions to grasp the deepest desires of the customer. Together they sail the journey for a common customized solution. This becomes a memorable moment for the customer which they share gladly with other companions.

The cardinal rule of sales is to consistently make it about your consumer. Let them talk, let them share, let them get the attention, let them feel proud, and grant them to receive attention, then only relationship will expand, they will feel like to be with you and share their deep concerns with you.

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates

Greta salesperson, talk less and listen more. They are mindful of the moment and circumstances. Maybe as a salesman, you know a lot, but end-users do not have expertise like you. So salesmen come down to the customer level and serve.

Great salesperson builds a contract with the customer, Initial with a psychological contract and over a period of time a business contract which results in a successful sale. Initial great salesmen build a shared goal, in which both customers and salespeople work together. Most successful sales happen when all these state steps follow.

“Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.” – Mary Kay Ash

A great salesperson is optimistic, confident, positive, smiling, and in good emotional control. People love to work with such a personality. They have a good sense of humor. Those salespeople quickly connect with the customer and the success rate for them is remarkably high. They do not criticize or bad mouth about competition or others.

“I like to think of sales as the ability to gracefully persuade, not manipulate, a person or persons into a win-win situation.” – Bo Bennett

Buyers also don’t want to hear about your product or service. Good salespeople know this and incorporate the product or service they’re selling into a broader story that has an arc and finishes with the customer receiving what they choose.