Gary O’Brien works with large enterprises taking a Lean Enterprise approach to drive change to the culture, planning, governance, and structure of the enterprise to better align with customers’ needs. This new framework for scaling agility in the enterprise is drawing the attention of the world's business and technology innovators, but it is not a journey without speed bumps. At ThoughtWorks Live Australia 2016, Gary discussed the hurdles that must be overcome in order to become a responsive organisation.

1. 5 KEY THREATS TO
BECOMING A RESPONSIVE
ORGANISATION

2. The root principle of a lean and agile enterprise
is to align everything to the measurable
creation of value for customers.
STAYING FOCUSED ON THE OBJECTIVE

3. PATTERN ONE
Heading into it:
• a simplified business model that optimises
delivering value to customers
• an organisation aligned to maximise the flow of value
• a delivery approach that can respond to change
• the servant leadership that enables
great culture to thrive

4. PATTERN TWO
THREATS 1 TO 5

5. 1
LOSING SIGHT OF
THE CUSTOMER

6. 1
LOSING SIGHT OF
THE CUSTOMER
HOMES VS MORTGAGES
Understand the impact
of value through the
customers eyes
ACT ON KNOWLEDGE
Its not enough to know
customers, you must use this
knowledge or at minimum
find out for sure.
MEASURE WHAT
MATTERS
Test all assumptions and
focus on the outcome.

7. THE FIXATION
ON ROLES
2

8. 2
THE FIXATION
ON ROLES
DEALING WITH THE
UNKNOWN
Support the confusion of
ambiguity and job security
FOCUS ON THE
COLLECTIVE
Avoid a culture of self, my role,
my function. Look at skills,
competencies, contribution.

9. OVERBALANCING
ON EXEMPTIONS
3

10. 3
OVERBALANCING
ON EXEMPTIONS
SET A HIGH BAR ON
HORIZONTALS
Don’t create a safe haven to
resist change. Your customer
doesn’t care about a platform.
AVOID CONWAYS LAW
Individuals or technologies are
not good reasons for change.
FUNCTIONAL INCLUSION
Recognise the need for
everyone to explore and
to learn. What was will not
suffice for what will be.

11. 4
FEEDING THE ENGINE

12. 4
FEEDING THE ENGINE
STANDARDISATION
KILLS INNOVATION
We can get stuck in a world born
out of efficiencies, economies of
scale and excessive planning
VALUE IS NOT INTERNAL
Don’t confuse or interchange the
words Value and Benefits.
HIDDEN CHANGE
We try to talk in terms of comfort
to stop reactions, structure,
hierarchy, misaligned bonuses
and over commitment of time,
money and people.

13. GETTING STUCK IN
TRANSITION
5

14. 5
GETTING STUCK IN
TRANSITION
MEASURE CRITICALITY
NOT VOLUME
Compromise based on
minority noise just moves
the problem to later on.
RETURN PROLEMS
UNSOLVED
Change happens from a
movement not through plans,
strategy and being told.
LEAVE THE DRIVEWAY
UNSEALED
Never loose sight of the end
game and make compromised
decisions that stop you
getting there.

15. • Reduce work sizes
• Orders with minimum constraints
• Make it safe to explore
• Measure improvement not achievement
TAKE THE STEP

16. THANK YOU