In this seminar we describe agile methods and practices that apply at the executive leadership level-why they are important, what they mean, and how they can be adopted. We will also explore the critical role management plays in supporting, leading, and guiding agile teams. We will also illustrate how the role of leadership and management changes in an agile organization, applying concepts from many sources including Lean, the Kanban Method, Flight Levels, and Management 3.0. We will also talk about what it means to lead a digital transformation and best practices for leading and managing large-scale agile initiatives, and some proven techniques for achieving consensus and changing hearts minds and behaviors. We will review the historical genesis of this work, starting with military doctrine from Clausewitz and Von Moltke, David Marquet, General McChrystal, and Stephen Bungay. Finally, we will talk about agile governance and oversight for agile at scale.
20230829 DAFITC 2023 Agile For Leaders And Executives
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subtitle style
AGILE FOR LEADERS AND EXECUTIVES:
HOW DOES AGILE ENABLE COMMANDER’S
INTENT?
Craeg Strong
CTO of Ariel Partners
www.arielpartners.com
29 August 2023 15:00 CDT
Montgomery Room 5
2. 2
Aspects of Great Leaders
• Ability to Inspire Others with a Vision
• Aligning and Catalyzing Efforts
• Driving strategy
• Organizing Efforts; making efficient use of resources and processes
• Resolving Conflict
• Providing for career advice and advancement for direct reports
Management
• Ability to make decisions given imperfect knowledge
• Willingness to commit scarce resources that have alternative uses
• Ability to Inspire Others with a Vision
• Aligning and Catalyzing Efforts
• Driving strategy
Command
Leadership
3. 3
Craeg Strong
u Software Development since 1988
u Large Commercial & Government Projects
u Leadership Coaching & Training
u Organizational Agility Coach
u DevSecOps Architect
u Certified Ethical Hacker
CTO, Ariel Partners
FLC/FLG AKC/AKT/KCP
,
CSM/CSP/CSPO,
ITILv3, PMI-ACP, PMP, CLP, SPC, CEH
ICP-ACC, ICP-ATF, PSM-II, PSK
cstrong@arielpartners.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cstrong
@ckstrong1
3
4. 4
Agility for Operational Teams
People
Process
Technology
• Team Topologies
• Generalizing Specialists
• Cross-Functional Teams
• Kanban / Scrum
• Value Stream Management / Coordination
• Lean Product Management
• Kanban Boards
• DevSecOps Tools
5. 5
What is Agile Leadership?
• Ability to Inspire Others with a Vision
• Aligning and Catalyzing Efforts
• Driving strategy
• Ability to Inspire Others with a Vision
• Aligning and Catalyzing Efforts
• Driving strategy
Leadership
6. 6
What is Agile Leadership?
• Ability to Inspire Others with a Vision
• Aligning and Catalyzing Efforts
• Driving strategy
• Ability to Inspire Others with an Agile Vision
• Aligning and Catalyzing Agile Efforts
• Driving strategy with Agility
Leadership
u What does this mean?
u Why is it difficult? What are the barriers?
u What processes and tools can we apply?
u What mindsets and behaviors should we adopt?
7. 7
DAF Strategic Objectives
Modernize In Theater Communications Infrastructure
Deploy OCONUS Cloud Computing Under Enterprise
Construct
Protect Data in the Cloud While Enabling
Information Sharing
Become a Data-Centric Organization that uses data
at speed and scale for operational advantage and
increased efficiency.
8. 8
Three Critical Gaps
Outcomes
Actions Plans
The difference between
what we want people to
do and what they actually
do
Alignment Gap
The difference between what
we expect our actions to achieve
and what they actually achieve
Effects Gap
The difference between what
we would like to know
and what we actually know
Knowledge Gap
9. 9
Primary Barrier: The Whirlwind
WHIRLWIND
Required to Maintain
The Operation
BREAKTHROUGH
Requiring a Change
In Behavior
NARROW
FOCUS HERE
10. 10
Frameworks Versus Thinking Models
Comprehensive
frameworks
Thinking models
Step by Step Recipes Heuristics, Guidelines
Practices and roles
Rich, actionable
visualization
11. 11
Observe
O
r
i
e
n
t
Decide
A
c
t
OODA
LOOP
A
c
t
Observe
Identify the Crux
Define Outcomes
Visualize Strategy
Orient
Indicators at Three
Horizons
Lead Measures
Context and Constraints
Act
Align Decisions with values
High trust Culture
Innovation thru
Experimentation
Decide
Agile Interactions
Across Silos
Visual Scoreboard
Solution Elements: OODA Loop
12. 12
Observe
O
r
i
e
n
t
Decide
A
c
t
OODA
LOOP
A
c
t
Observe
Identify the Crux
Define Outcomes
Visualize Strategy
Orient
Indicators at Three
Horizons
Lead Measures
Context and Constraints
Act
Align Decisions with values
High trust Culture
Innovation thru
Experimentation
Decide
Agile Interactions
Across Silos
Visual Scoreboard
Solution Elements: OODA Loop
13. 13
Clarifying Strategy: Identify the Crux
u We cannot achieve every goal
simultaneously
u Some goals conflict
u Understand the key challenges /
barriers
u Identify the “crux” or key leverage
point
u Solves a big problem
u Achievable given time, resources
CRUX
14. 14
Measuring Success: Outputs Versus Outcomes
u Specific, non-binary
u Measurable
u Achievable
u Relevant
u Time-Bound
Complete all RMF
documentation for
Snowflake
Import all currently
available data sources into
Denodo
Achieve passing test report
for new cloud-centric data
mesh solution
House All F-xx airframe supply
chain information in single
online EBOM by Q2 2024
Secure five alternative
suppliers for at least 90% of
airframe fuel tanks by 2027
Shared battlespace across
OCONUS has weather, ground
cover, and supply info no more
than 5 seconds old by Q2 2026
Outputs Outcomes
15. 15
Visualizing Strategy With OKRA
Strategy Board
Action
“What do we
need to do to
get there?”
Objective
“Where do we
Need to go?”
Key Result
“How do we know
we are getting
there?”
16. 16
Strategy Board
Strategy Board
Visualizing Strategy With OKRA
Action
“What do we
need to do to
get there?”
Objective
“Where do we
Need to go?”
Key Result
“How do we know
we are getting
there?”
Action
“What do we
need to do to
get there?”
Wildly Important
Goal
“Where do we
Need to go?”
Shorter-Term
Key Result
“How do we know
we are getting
there?”
Longer-Term
Key Result
“How do we know
we are getting
there?”
Medium-Term
Key Result
“How do we know
we are getting
there?”
Q7
17. 17
Summary: Visualizing Strategy
Wildly
Important
Goal
Become the leading
drone supplier in USA
for delivery of
essential goods to
remote areas
uBreak down the WIG into measurable outcomes at three horizons
uIdentify specific action(s) that will achieve the short-term outcome
uEach outcome acts as an indicator that we are making progress on
the WIG
uReview and adjust at least weekly
A drone cluster can carry
a payload that is bigger than
what a single drone can carry
18. 18
Observe
O
r
i
e
n
t
Decide
A
c
t
OODA
LOOP
A
c
t
Observe
Identify the Crux
Define Outcomes
Visualize Strategy
Act
Align Decisions with values
High trust Culture
Innovation thru
Experimentation
Decide
Agile Interactions
Across Silos
Visual Scoreboard
Solution Elements: OODA Loop
Orient
Indicators at Three
Horizons
Lead Measures
Context and Constraints
19. 19
Lead Measures
Lead Metric Hypothesis:
qIt will remove barriers
that prevent
achievement of
outcome
qIt is Influenceable
qPivot may be
necessary
Time
Approval
Delays
House All F-xx airframe
supply chain information in
single online EBOM by Q2
2024
Target Outcome
Develop New Cloud-Based
Integrated EBOM Software
Platform
Initiative
Lead Measure?
What historical barriers
exist that we can influence
in the short term?
Number of times approvals
are delayed for supplier
parts registrations
20. 20
Strategy Board
Context and Constraints
Become a Data-Centric
Organization that uses
data at speed and scale
for operational advantage
and increased efficiency
Integrate all medical
bioeffects data sources
into the 711 HPW data
mesh by Q1 2024
Human Performance
Enhancement is able to
optimize response time to
high stress situation by
15% by Q2 2025
CONTEXT: Based on studies
performed in 2019, we
believe that focusing on high
stress situations is best place
to start
CONSTRAINTS:
(1) Not feasible if > $$$
(2) Algorithms cannot train on
PII or PHI
...
WIG Long-term outcome Med-term outcome
21. 21
Observe
O
r
i
e
n
t
Decide
A
c
t
OODA
LOOP
A
c
t
Observe
Identify the Crux
Define Outcomes
Visualize Strategy
Orient
Indicators at Three
Horizons
Lead Measures
Context and Constraints
Act
Align Decisions with values
High trust Culture
Innovation thru
Experimentation
Solution Elements: OODA Loop
Decide
Agile Interactions
Across Silos
Visual Scoreboard
23. 23
Pharma Example
Revenue
from
Anti-Cancer
Doctor
Presentations
Week
Become leading
supplier of anti-
cancer drugs in
USA
Long-Term Goals
2023 - 2025
Wildly
Important
Goal
1 Year Outcomes
By 31 Dec 2023
< 3 Months
By 30 June 2023 Next
In
Progress
Measure
Success
New lymphoma
drug
to market
3 lymphoma
drugs in human
trials
5 lymphoma
drugs in animal
testing
Doctors have
40% better
awareness
Doctors prescribe
our drugs over
Competitor 20%
Doctor awareness
equals competition
QRS
Formula β Mutation
Testing
Social
Media
Campaign
New
absorption
coating
Equipment
in
repair
Week
Quarter
24. 24
Linking Strategy to Value Streams
Wildly
Important
Goal
Ready Hypothesize Refine Explore Validate
Ready 4
Engineering
In
Progress
Internal
Test
Send
Out
Initiative
Nano
Particle
Selection
Business As
Usual
Initiative
β Mutation
Testing
β Mutation
Testing
25. 25
Observe
O
r
i
e
n
t
Decide
A
c
t
OODA
LOOP
A
c
t
Observe
Identify the Crux
Define Outcomes
Visualize Strategy
Orient
Indicators at Three
Horizons
Lead Measures
Context and Constraints
Decide
Agile Interactions
Across Silos
Visual Scoreboard
Solution Elements: OODA Loop
Act
Align Decisions with values
High trust Culture
Innovation thru
Experimentation
26. 26
Making Decisions Consistent with Values
We want a highly collaborative
and cooperative environment
Make progress with imperfect
information rather than delay
waiting for perfect information
We finish things with quality
and timeliness
Don’t accept lengthy
requirements gathering periods or
extended studies
Don’t spread your direct reports
across many efforts
simultaneously
Celebrate examples of cross-
functional or cross-vendor
collaboration
27. 27
Agile Leaders Encourage Blameless Postmortems
uIncident is analyzed impartially
uNo punishment or retribution for participating staff
uReview assumptions and understanding
uFix the process
Cultivating a High Trust Culture: Blameless Postmortems
1. Root Cause Analysis
2. Identification of short, medium and long-term solutions
3. Goal: Make this kind of accident impossible in the future
Antifragile
Organization
28. 28
Timeboxed experiments to prove or disprove hypotheses
u understand whether a new product or service idea is fit for purpose
u Test out a new user experience branding with users
u Check if new technology will meet performance or integration expectations
u See if an existing component can be easily adapted for a new purpose
Pivot before wasting efforts
u Measure number of experiments for all kinds of teams
u Ensure teams conduct experiments every cycle
u Encourage lunch and learns about past experiments
u Celebrate both positive and negative outcomes
in both cases we learn!
Encouraging Innovation through Experimentation
Wright brothers used gliders to experiment
with techniques for improving control
29. 29
Observe
O
r
i
e
n
t
Decide
A
c
t
OODA
LOOP
A
c
t
Solution Elements: OODA Loop
Act
Align Decisions with values
High trust Culture
Innovation thru
Experimentation
Decide
Agile Interactions
Across Silos
Visual Scoreboard
Orient
Indicators at Three
Horizons
Lead Measures
Context and Constraints
Observe
Identify the Crux
Define Outcomes
Visualize Strategy
31. 31
Summary (1/2)
u Leadership Agility Solves Problems Agile teams CANNOT solve alone
§ Knowledge Gap, Alignment Gap, and Effects Gap
§ Whirlwind
u Leadership Agility Involves a Changes Across all aspects of
leadership, management, and command
§ Applying Lean Discipline to identify the Crux of the strategy
§ Act on a Common Strategic Picture
§ Actively participate in Strategy as the evolution of a central idea through continually
changing circumstances
§ Cultivating a high trust culture
32. 32
Summary (2/2)
u Flight Levels Thinking Model Powers Organizational Agility
§ Effective visualizations across three levels: Strategy, Coordination, Operations
§ Strategic Boards tie objectives to outcomes, and outcomes to tangible, concrete actions
§ Set of heuristics, guidelines, and visualizations, not prescriptive recipes
§ Evolutionary approach to continuous improvement
u Most Important Elements for Leading with Agility
§ Codify values, and ensure decisions and actions align
§ Maintain strategy as a living breathing thing; every member of the organization participates