The document discusses the concept of 'thawing the frozen middle' in agile environments, focusing on the feelings, thoughts, and impacts experienced by middle managers during agile implementations. It emphasizes understanding these managers through an empathy map, identifying their challenges and potential gains from agile practices. The presentation outlines strategies for engaging and supporting middle management to enhance agile adoption.

1. Em Campbell-Pretty
Partner, Context Matters
@PrettyAgile
www.prettyagile.com
au.linkedin.com/in/ejcampbellpretty/
em@contextmatters.com.au
Thawing the
“Frozen Middle”
AGILE 2015
WASHINGTON D.C.

3. https://flic.kr/p/8z6cna

4. https://flic.kr/p/cEJMpW

7. https://flic.kr/p/7CvwdN

8. http://www.solutionsiq.com/what-is-an-empathy-map/

9. Silent Brainstorming
Thinking about a middle manager you work with (or have worked with in
the past) on an agile implementation.
• What are they thinking & feeling about their role in the agile
implementation?
• What are they hearing about agile from their executives, their peers
and their teams?
• What are the saying about the implementation? What are they
doing? (Consider both in public or in private)
• What pain is the agile implementation causing them?
• What do they stand to gain from the agile implementation?
Each person should add at least one sticky to every section.
EMPATHY MAP INSTRUCTIONS

10. Photos of the Empathy Maps produced by attendees
at this session can be downloaded from:
http://bit.ly/Agile2015EmpathyMaps
(case sensitive link)

11. What patterns did you observe?

12. What surprised you?

13. https://flic.kr/p/iyKfj1

14. https://flic.kr/p/8qCCLW
I want you to do Agile
I want to be Agile

15. https://flic.kr/p/67nNta

17. https://flic.kr/p/do7GmV
Beware wolves in coach’s clothing

20. ” Those who can
read and don’t, are
only marginally
better off than those
who can’t.”
-Verne Harnish

21. https://flic.kr/p/a6rwJ7

22. LEAVE THE IVORY TOWER & GO TO THE GEMBA
"Farming looks mighty easy
when your plow is a pencil and
you're 1,000 miles from the
corn field."
— Dwight Eisenhower

26. https://flic.kr/p/dW9Tuf

27. The role of management is to support the
people who do the work.
https://flic.kr/p/dW9Tuf

28. https://flic.kr/p/987JDV
Provide the vision

29. Create Unity

31. https://flic.kr/p/fJ5esB
Train everyone

32. https://flic.kr/p/5YWuWk
Fund technical
enablers

33. Improve the system

34. Develop the next generation of leaders

35. https://flic.kr/p/rG2yT

36. https://flic.kr/p/8f7FoE

38. “The vulnerability paradox: It's
the first thing I look for in you and
the last thing I want you to see in
me.”
- Brene Brown

44. https://flic.kr/p/4D2ccY

45. https://flic.kr/p/7vXACv

46. • Find managers who are willing*
• Tap into your empathy
• Address their feelings
• Give them a role to play i.e. supporting the
people that do the work
• Help them display vulnerability
* Or inspire the unwilling
THAWING THE “FROZEN MIDDLE”

47. “…they are people too, they are just
stuck in the system”
– Jim Benson on Middle Management

48. Em Campbell-Pretty
Partner, Context Matters
@PrettyAgile
www.prettyagile.com
au.linkedin.com/in/ejcampbellpretty/
em@contextmatters.com.au
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Check out my blog:
• Advice for coaches on “dealing with” management: http://bit.ly/FrozenMiddle
• Book Clubs at work - Are you serious? http://bit.ly/AgileBookClub
• Creating Unity: http://bit.ly/UnityHour
• Train everyone: http://bit.ly/TrainEveryone
• An Agile Team of Agile Leaders: http://bit.ly/AgileTeamOfLeaders
• Leading Through Vulnerability: http://bit.ly/LeadingVulnerability
• An Agile Christmas Story: http://bit.ly/AgileChristmas
Note: all links are case sensitive