My lightning talk at Agile Israel 2016, 22-June. In many agile implementations (be it scrum or something else) middle managers are feeling lost: before the implementation they were the center of events, they were the ones telling other people what to do and now suddenly there is this "self organized teams" and they are requested to take a step back. The purpose of this presentation is to show the things a manager should do in her new role. This is regardless of other roles she might be playing.

1. The tragedy and renaissance of
middle managers in agile
implementation
Agile Israel 2016 Lightning Talk
Yaki Koren
yaki@agilesparks.com

2. wikipedia
Meet Itsik, a middle manager in a big
organization. He is somewhere in the
middle between dev teams and high
VPs. He is OK with his job, he’s used
to it. He doesn’t have time to do
other things, he is under constant
stress, but he is used to it

3. wikipedia
Itsik is in a central position. He tells his teams what to do. They ask him for
directions. Morning, noon, evening and night they ask him. Also his
managers ask him about the status of things. When will this be ready, Itsik?
What about this, Itsik? All through the week and sometimes during the week
end. What about this, Itsik? He is used to it

4. flickr
Itsik hears the word Agile in the
corridors of the organization. He
heard it once. He even read
something about it which he
didn’t fully understand

5. wikipedia
He joins a management workshop.
There he learns about agile. He
starts to feel uncomfortable. He
looks around him at the other
people

6. wikipedia
Developers are emancipated.
They are happy. They are
told they will manage
themselves.
But what about Itsik?

7. wikipedia
Team leaders and experts are
happy. Some of them become
scrum masters. Some become
Product Owners. They get new titles
and training.
But what about Itsik?

8. thomryng.com
His boss is happy. He gets higher
quality and higher throughput.
But what about Itsik?

9. wikipedia
What about Itsik?
What will he do?

10. www.rainbowskill.com
He can wear the mask of agile but
continue to do things as he is used
to. But how long will it last? No, this
is not good

11. userscontent2.emaze.com
Itsik decides to be bold. Itsik decides to
take the new road. He understands he
needs to forget many things that brought
him where he is and to bring back things
he had long forgotten

12. pinterest.com
He will lead the change! He is right there in
the right place. He will be there to support
them at this change

13. www.pinterest.com
He will be the gardener. He will nurture the
people, coach them, mentor them

14. www.pinterest.com
He will help them
build the right
processes. He will
remove obstacles
using his knowledge
and position in the
organization. He will
be the one asking the
teams if they didn’t
take too much at the
planning session

15. thisisagenericurl.wordpress.com
Itsik will help build trust.
Trust is driven by agile
and supports agile.
Working in an
environment of trust is a
whole different game

16. fineartamerica.com
He will remind the
people about the
joy of building
things right.
Instead of telling
them that
something should
be ready today he
will ask if it is
good enough or
do they need
more time

17. A few months go by…

18. publicdomainreview.org
Look what
happened!
Working with
happier people
makes you happy.
Itsik even has
time to play the
guitar

19. How time flies…

20. historymedren.about.com
After a year or so
the organization
respects Itsik’s
role in the change
and he is
promoted!

21. flavorwire.com
To do this Itsik
had to be born
anew, in a sense.
To learn how to
see things like a
child, to accept
new truths

22. Lead the Change
Nurture and Cultivate
Remove Obstacles
Build processes and systems
BE HAPPY

23. Thank You
Yaki Koren
yaki@agilesparks.com