1. Agile transformations require organizational change at a systemic level, not just changes to individual teams, as organizations are complex systems. 2. Systemic change approaches consider concepts like wholeness, non-summativity, circular causality, and non-linearity rather than viewing change as simple or linear. 3. Tools from systems thinking like network maps can help analyze and influence an organization as a system to successfully transform to Agile.

1. Agile as a Systemic Change
Pierluigi Pugliese
ConneX o
X

2. What if...
• Teams work well
• Scrum/Kanban/...
are implemented
• Engineering practices
are implemented
• Retrospectives work
• ...
BUT...

3. ...Agile does not work?

4. Organisations are
Systems!

5. Agile as a Systemic Change
Organisation
Not
just Teams!
Teams
Individuals

6. Do we think “System”?
Some statistics from
Agile Coaching books

10. Change to Agile is Systemic!
Organisational Development
Organisation
Team Scrum Kanban
Individuals
TDD Pair Prog.

11. How do we deal with systems?

12. Some Systemic Concepts...
• Gregory Bateson
• Steve de Shazer
• Peter Senge
• Ludwig von Bertalanffy
• Humberto Maturana
• Niklas Luhmann
• Francisco Varela
• Paul Watzlawick
• Eliyahu Goldratt
• ...

13. System Wholeness
“A change in a part of the system
necessarily influences the whole
system”
Command and - Steve de Shazer
Control often ignores
this!

14. Non-Summativity
“A System is different than the
sum of the parts”
- Steve de Shazer
1+1=?

15. Circular Causality
The distinction between causes and effects blurs
... ...
Quality Team
...
Problems Morale Low
... ...
Code does
not get
cleaned
- The Thinking Process ...
- System Diagrams

16. Non-Linearity
2 x Cause does not result in 2 x Effect!
• Thresholds (Barriers, Tipping Points)
• Non-linear reactions
• ...

17. There is no Observer!
An Observer influences
the system anyway,
just by
watching it!

18. Influencing Systems?

19. Some Systemic Tools

20. 1. Networks in an
Organisation

21. Representing your System

22. An Organisation...
A
A
A
B C D
B C D
E H I
E H I
F G L J K
F G L J K
M
M
B F
E
G
B
L
A
C
H
J
D
I
M
K
C D
A
B C D
A A A A
B BC D
CB DC D B C D E H I
E H E I I E H I
E H IH FG L J K
F G FL GJ L K J K F G L J M
F G L J K
M M M
M
E H F
E
G
B
L
A
C
H
J
D
I
M
K
I
A A
D A
B C B C D
A
B C D
E H I E H I
E H I
F G L J K
B C D F G L J K
M F G L J K M
M
E H I
F G L J F G L J K
K
M
M

23. Your turn...
- In pairs: client and
coach
- Client determines 2-3
parallel networks
- Client visualises 1-2 of
these networks
- Coach gives feedback
and asks clarifications

24. Sociograms
A
B C D
E H I
F G L J K
M

25. Sociograms - Write yours...
Man Closeness
Very Close, Too Close
Woman Conflict
Clear Border
Hidden Conflict
Diffuse Border,
Involvement,
Fusion
Avoided/avoiding Conflict
Blocked Border,
Disengagement,
Exclusion

26. 2. Order in Human
Systems

27. 1. Belonging
• “Us and Them
• “Friends and Foes”
• “Family and the Others”
Who belongs to the
system has priority!
(Consultant be aware!)
System Existence

28. 2. Order of Arrival
• The Last is less important than the First
• The Last can leave first (less stakes!)
Growth and
Expansion

29. 3. Common Interest
“Immunization”

30. 4. Contribution
• Performance
• Involvement
• Skills
• Effort

31. Order of Importance
1. Belonging
2. Order of Arrival
3. Common Interest
4. Contribution
Sparrer, von Kibed - Grundprinzipien für den Systemerhalt

32. Basically...

33. All of these Tools give you
more Choices

34. Where can you go from here?
There’s a wealth
of techniques out there:
you choose where
to explore next...

35. Pierluigi Pugliese
ConneX o
X
http://blog.connexxo.com