Working in large enterprise comes with its fair share of challenges with alignment, priorities, shared understanding, goals, geographic location, and outcomes. One could always argue that, as Transformation Coaches, we need to look at the bigger picture, widen our horizons, and optimize at the systems level not locally. But how would you do that? It sounds easy, but is it? Our experience says it is very complicated. The good news is that we found a unique answer to this problem; to benefit from the 5 whys technique at the systems level, alongside your Value Stream Mapping activities. We called it Deep Systems Coaching. You must have used or heard about 5 whys being used at retrospectives. Or when you want to get creative at problem-solving and get to the root cause. However, have you ever used it at a "System" level and not with a group of people? What that could be? Join us in this talk, and we share with you our stories of using 5 whys looking, exploring and optimizing Systems. You will leave the room with a unique tool to practice it the next day at your organization level challenges. There is a tremendous amount of potential waste that can be identified, root caused and optimized using this technique. You will find an easy way to respond to the often stated “We’ve always done it this way”, “You can’t just skip that approval process” or “They are not under our VP”. In this talk, we will share how different teams that we served on were successfully able to deliver brand new products involving several enterprise-wide teams while simultaneously fulfilling Operational Readiness requirements for a large Global Financial Institution. We will discuss how Value Stream Mapping uncovered bottlenecks resulting in releasing every 3 months down to only 3 days.

1. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
Deep Systems Coaching
Ali Jafri & Shahin Sheidaei

2. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
Hello, It’s Nice to Meet You!
Shahin Sheidaei
Founder & Principal Coach
Elevate Change Inc.
Kanban Trainer, & Consultant
Lean On Agile Podcast
ACC, Leadership Coach
2
Ali Jafri
Founder & Lead Coach
Elevated Agility Inc.
Agile Simulations
Individual Coaching and
Mentoring
Agile Coaching, Facilitation,
Training

3. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 3
Process People
Systems
Thinking
Coaching
Deep

4. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
Seen Silo ?
4
Systems
Thinking

5. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
Value Stream Mapping
● Sequence of activities to deliver
customer request.
5
● Several value streams within
traditional organization structure.
● Visualizes entire process from
customer request to fulfillment.
Systems
Thinking

6. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
VSM Benefits
● Visualizes bottlenecks
● Promotes collaboration
● Provides shared context
● Displays Handoffs
● Highlights where flow is interrupted
● Empowers cross functional discussion
6
Where wait time is when work is sitting idle
Systems
Thinking

7. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 7
Process People
Systems
Thinking
Coaching
Deep

8. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
5 Whys
8
Problem: the vehicle will not start.
1. Why? – The battery is dead.
2. Why? – The alternator is not functioning.
3. Why? – The alternator belt has broken.
4. Why? – The alternator belt was well beyond its
useful service life and not replaced.
5. Why? – The vehicle was not maintained
according to the recommended service schedule.
Problem: the vehicle will not start.
1. Something is not working.
2. Something is not working.
3. Something is not working.
4. Someone did not do the right thing.
5. Someone did not do the right thing.
Coaching

9. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 9
Coaching
The Build is Broken.
The developer had not
enough test unit added.
The tester did not do his
due diligence.
The Ci/CD pipeline were
not able to indicate
potential issue.
Why the developer had
not enough test unit
added?
Why do you think there
were not enough test?
Why the tester did not do
his due diligence?
Why did not the test suit
catch the broken build?

10. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
One Rule to Rule them All
10
Disclaimer: The Wife is always right!
YI Rule: If you can add “You Idiot!” rule at the
end of question, that’s not a good question to
ask!
Coaching
You Idiot Rule!
The supper is not ready.
Husband is an Agile Coach working from home.
The wife is not working from home.
Why haven’t you made supper? Didn’t you know
we need something to eat when I come home? You Idiot!

11. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 11
Coaching
The Build is Broken.
The developer had not
enough test unit added.
The tester did not do due
diligence.
The Ci/CD pipeline were
not able to indicate
potential issue.
Why the developer had
not enough test unit
added?
Why do you think there
were not enough test?
Why the tester did not do
his due diligence?
Why did not the test suit
catch the broken build?
He Idiot!
She Idiot!
You Idiot Rule!
Person
System

12. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 12

13. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
Expert Report
13
3 years into Agile Transformation
Modernizing Tech Stack
Building iteratively leveraging cloud
Ease of use
Compliant with FINRA standards
Consistent, stable, secure app
Eager to receive new capabilities
But release still took 3 months

14. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
VSM Development Current State
14

15. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 15

16. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
VSM Development Future State
16

17. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 17

18. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 18
Unknown
Land
Refinement Taking Too
Long
PO is Taking Too Long to
Refine Stories.
#1 PO is not good at his
job.
Backlog Refine Analysis Develop Test Done
Work is Taking Too Long
#2 Lots of detailed
requirements
…
…

19. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 19
Unknown
Land
Refinement Taking Too
Long
PO is Taking Too Long to
Refine Stories.
#1 PO is not good at his
job.
Backlog Refine Analysis Develop Test Done
Work is Taking Too Long
#2 Lots of detailed
requirements
…
…
You Idiot Rule!
PO Getting Fired
Systematic
Changes in Testing

20. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei 20
Process People
Systems
Thinking
Coaching
Deep
Value
Stream
Mapping
5ive
Whys

21. Ali Jafri @ElevatedAgility /in/alisjafri | Shahin Sheidaei @sheidaei /in/sheidaei
Any Questions?
Thanks
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Deep Systems Coaching
VSM + 5 Whys