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Michael Edson: Ten Patterns for Organizational Change
The document summarizes Michael Edson's presentation on ten patterns for organizational change. The presentation draws from Edson's experience over 15 years working to facilitate organizational change. Some of the key patterns discussed include the idea that the internet changes everything, the importance of having a sense of urgency around change initiatives, dealing with disruptive innovations, the role of strategy in prioritizing opportunities, issues that can arise between management and practitioners, and the concept of process maturity for evolving an organization's capabilities over time. The presentation provides frameworks and examples to help organizations navigate organizational change in the current digital environment.
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Michael Edson: Ten Patterns for Organizational Change
- 1. Ten Patterns for OrganizationalChange National Museum Publishing Seminar Washington, D.C. June 19, 2010 Michael Edson Director of Web and New Media Strategy Smithsonian Institution
- 2. “From law firmsto libraries, from universities to Fortune 500 companies, the organization’s website almost invariably falls under the domain of the IT Department or the Marketing Department, leading to turf wars and other predictable consequences. While many good (and highly capable) people work in IT and marketing, neither area is ideally suited to craft usable websites or to encourage the blossoming of vital web communities.” Jeffrey Zeldman Let There be Web Divisions http://www.zeldman.com/2007/07/02/let-there-be-web-divisions/
- 3. Preamble Twitter: @mpedson http://slideshare.net/edsonm “I am not an official spokesperson for the Smithsonian Institution”
- 4. Preamble Twitter: @mpedson http://slideshare.net/edsonm “I am not an official spokesperson for the Smithsonian Institution”
- 5. This presentation draws Preamble from these slides/papers (and others!) Twitter: @mpedson http://slideshare.net/edsonm “I am not an official spokesperson for the Smithsonian Institution” http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/ http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/go http://www.slideshare.net/edson michael-edson-brown-university- od-projects-gone-bad-an- m/good-projects-gone-bad-an- digital-strategy-thermocline introduction-to-process-maturity- introduction-to-process-maturity 1384375
- 6. This one too! Preamble Twitter: @mpedson http://slideshare.net/edsonm Technology, New Media, and Museums: Who’s in Charge? “I am not an official spokesperson (from AAM 2008 annual conference) for the Smithsonian Institution” Text notes: http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/aam2009-session-intro-and-notes-who-is-in-charge-v2 PowerPoint: http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/new-media-technology-and-museums
- 7. Premise of thispresentation Premise: a) You work in--or have a stake in--museum publishing b) Your model of … has been disrupted by digital media c) You’re interested in--or are struggling with-- how you, your department, or your museum should change because of (b).
- 8.
- 9. “Patterns” can help The seminal patterns in architecture/urban design book.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12. “Patterns” can help Onceyou see a pattern and have a name for it you can start to communicate about it… ...and hack it.
- 13. “Patterns” can help Thispresentation describes ten patterns I’ve found over the last 15 years of trying to figure out how to deal with organizational change.
- 14. “Patterns” can help Thispresentation describes ten patterns I’ve found over the last 15 years of trying to figure out how to deal with organizational change. I hope they help!!!
- 16. Pattern 1: ICEis real
- 17. Pattern 1: ICEis real “ICE” = Internet Changes Everything
- 18. Pattern 1: ICEis real “ICE” = Internet Changes Everything • ~2 billion Internet users • ~4 billion mobile phone subscribers
- 19. “Everything we hearfrom people we interview is that today’s consumers draw no distinctions between an organization’s Web site and their traditional bricks-and-mortar presence: both must be excellent for either to be excellent.” Lee Rainie Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project
- 20. “Twenty years fromnow we’ll look back and say this was the embryonic period. The Web is only going to get more revolutionary” --Tim Berners-Lee, 2006
- 22.
- 23. Pattern 2: Urgency JohnP. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency
- 24. Pattern 2: Urgency JohnP. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency Harvard Business School
- 25. Pattern 2: Urgency JohnP. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency Harvard Business School 40+ years of studying change
- 26. Pattern 2: Urgency JohnP. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency Over 70% of all change initiatives fail.
- 27. Pattern 2: Urgency JohnP. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency The 30% that succeed share a single characteristic…
- 28. Pattern 2: Urgency JohnP. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency A sense of Urgency
- 29. Pattern 2: Urgency JohnP. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency Harvard Business Review “Ideacast” with John Kotter http://blogs.bnet.com/intercom/?p=1869 A Sense of Urgency (via Google Books) http://books.google.com/books?id=xCAD8ashi_UC&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+kotter+sense+of+urgency&source=bl&ots =WXQnhRPxhb&sig=dkqctdFuUhfG5OUD7Gzl4oihmUU&hl=en&ei=j1EfTPLJLMH- 8Ab0uajCDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false A Sense of Urgency (via Amazon) http://www.amazon.com/Sense-Urgency-John-P- Kotter/dp/1422179710
- 31. Pattern 3: DisruptiveInnovation
- 32. Pattern 3: DisruptiveInnovation • Clayton M. Christensen: The Innovator’s Dilemma
- 33. Pattern 3: DisruptiveInnovation • Clayton M. Christensen: The Innovator’s Dilemma (Via Amazon) http://www.amazon.com/Inno vators-Dilemma- Revolutionary-Business- Essentials/dp/0060521996
- 34. Pattern 3: DisruptiveInnovation • Clayton M. Christensen: The Innovator’s Dilemma Sears was at the top if the world in the 1960’s
- 35. Pattern 3: DisruptiveInnovation • Clayton M. Christensen: The Innovator’s Dilemma Sears was at the top if the world in the 1960’s They missed discount retailing.
- 36. Pattern 3: DisruptiveInnovation “You’ve got about three years until you’re locked into being just a museum of stuff on the mall” Executive from a national media/educational brand, about the Smithsonian’s digital strategy
- 38. Pattern 4: StrategyMakes a Difference
- 39. In today’s environment,where you could be doing almost anything, You need strategy to help you prioritize tactical opportunities (or sense an opportunity that is beyond their grasp.)
- 40. Strategy is atool that “does work” (or sense an opportunity that is beyond their grasp.)
- 41. “Most organizations don’tget serious about strategy until they are afraid or in pain” (or sense an opportunity that is beyond their grasp.) CEO Leo Mullen, Navigation Arts
- 42.
- 43. The strategy talksabout an updated digital experience, a new learning model that helps people with their "lifelong learning journeys," and the creation of a Smithsonian Commons— a new part of our digital presence dedicated to stimulating learning, creation, and innovation through open access to Smithsonian research, collections and communities. http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/
- 44. The strategy talksabout an updated digital experience, a new learning model that helps people with their "lifelong learning journeys," and the creation of a Smithsonian Commons— a new part of our digital presence dedicated to stimulating learning, creation, and innovation through open access to Smithsonian research, collections and communities. http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/
- 45. The strategy talksabout an updated digital experience, a new learning model that helps people with their "lifelong learning journeys," and the creation of a Smithsonian Commons— a new part of our digital presence dedicated to stimulating learning, creation, and innovation through open access to Smithsonian research, collections and communities. http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/
- 46. The strategy talksabout an updated digital experience, a new learning model that helps people with their "lifelong learning journeys," and the creation of a Smithsonian Commons— a new part of our digital presence dedicated to stimulating learning, creation, and innovation through open access to Smithsonian research, collections and communities. Old Learning Model New Learning Model http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/
- 47. Balancing autonomy andcontrol within the Smithsonian.rt of our digital presence dedicated to stimulating learning, creation, and innovation through open access to Smithsonian research, collections and communities. http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/
- 48. …and the creationof a Smithsonian Commons—a new part of our digital presence dedicated to stimulating learning, creation, and innovation through open access to Smithsonian research, collections and communities. http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/
- 49. Smithsonian Web &New Media Strategy Structure • Three Themes – Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience – Update the Smithsonian Learning Model – Balance Autonomy and Control within SI • Eight Goals External Internal Mission Interpretation Brand Technology Learning Business Model Audience Governance Each Goal has specific program, policy, and tactical recommendations http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com/
- 50. Web & NewMedia Strategy Structure • Three Themes – Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience – Update the Smithsonian Learning Model we This gives us a language – Balance Autonomy and Control within SI our can use to understand work, what’s important, and • Eight Goals External change will look like. what Internal Mission Interpretation Brand Technology Learning Business Model Audience Governance Each Goal has specific program, policy, and tactical recommendations
- 52. Pattern 5: thermoclineissues
- 53. Thermocline (a metaphor) Stratified water temperature acts as a barrier
- 54. Thermocline (a metaphor) Knowledge, communication, action models are different Warm light water Cold dense water
- 55. Thermocline (a metaphor) Knowledge, communication, action models are different Management Practitioners
- 56. Thermocline (a metaphor) Messages get distorted, lost
- 57. Thermocline (a metaphor) Messages get distorted, lost
- 58. Thermocline Issues Focus on Catalyze innovation/ innovation/ discovery discovery outside the institution inside the Institution Joy’s Law: no matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else
- 59. Thermocline Issues Provide services Every user is a to passive audiences hero In their own epic journey
- 60. Thermocline Issues Provide services Every user is a to passive audiences hero In their own epic journey
- 61. Thermocline Issues The Web is a fundamentally new way of getting things done The Web is a bigger megaphone
- 62. Thermocline Issues “we areliving in the middle of a remarkable increase in our ability to share, to cooperate with one another, and to take collective action, all outside the framework of traditional institutions and organization …Getting the free and ready participation of a large, distributed group with a variety of skills has gone from impossible to simple.” Clay Shirky
- 63. Thermocline Issues The most interesting You can manage ecosystems are technology and content in “border habitats” separately between the two
- 64. Thermocline Issues More in… And… http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/ michael-edson-brown-university- digital-strategy-thermocline http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/ michael-edson-prototyping-the- smithsonian-commons
- 66. Pattern 6: You’renot alone
- 67. Pattern 6: You’renot alone I’ve talked to dozens of museums, businesses, and government agencies in the last year, and they’re all feeling tension around these issues.
- 68. Pattern 6: You’renot alone I’ve talked to dozens of museums, businesses, and government agencies in the last year, and they’re all feeling tension around these issues. Just in the last few months I’ve sensed a greater sense of urgency around these issues— “we’re playing for keeps now.”
- 70. Pattern 7: Youget what you practice
- 71. Pattern 7: Youget what you practice • If you tell me you’re training for the Boston Marathon, and I come over to your house, I expect to see sweat socks and running shoes in your hallway and pasta in the fridge. • Is your executive team working hard enough? Do you see the tangible evidence (meetings, hires, spending, focus) that this is important to your organization? • By the time you need to be good at this, it’s too late to start training. • Gladwell’s “10,000 hours”
- 73. Pattern 8: ProcessMaturity
- 74. Pattern 8: ProcessMaturity • Evolutionary roadmaps for getting from point A to point B • Originally developed to help organizations figure out what kinds of things they would be capable of doing in the future • Five plateaus…
- 75. Capability Maturity Model 1.Initial – Processes, if they are defined at all, are ad hoc. Successes depend on individual heroics and are generally not repeatable. 2. Managed – Basic project management practices are established and the discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes with similar projects. 3. Defined – Processes are documented and standardized and all projects use approved, tailored versions of the standard processes. 4. Quantitatively Managed – The performance of processes and the quality of end-products are managed with quantitative measurement and analysis. 5. Optimizing – Continuous process improvement is enabled by quantitative feedback from the process and from piloting innovative ideas.
- 76. Capability Maturity Model 5. Optimizing 4. Quantitatively Managed 3. Defined 2. Managed 1. Initial
- 77. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Processes Measurement Technology
- 78. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Success depends on Processes individual heroics Measurement Technology
- 79. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People “Fire fighting” Processes is a way of life Measurement Technology
- 80. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Relationships between Processes disciplines are Measurement uncoordinated, Technology perhaps even adversarial
- 81. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Success depends on individuals Processes Commitments are understood Measurement and managed Technology People are trained
- 82. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Project groups work together, Processes perhaps as an integrated team Measurement Training is planned and provided Technology according to roles
- 83. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Strong sense of teamwork Processes exists within each project Measurement Technology
- 84. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Strong sense of teamwork Processes exists across the organization Measurement Everyone is involved in Technology process improvement
- 85. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Processes Measurement Technology
- 86. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Few stable processes exist or are used Processes “Just do it!” Measurement Technology
- 87. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People At the individual project level, documented and stable Processes estimating, planning and commitment processes are used Measurement Problems are recognized and Technology corrected as they occur
- 88. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Integrated management and engineering processes Processes (how things get built) are used across the Measurement organization Technology Problems are anticipated and prevented, or their impacts are minimized
- 89. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Processes are quantitatively understood and stabilized Processes Sources of individual problems are Measurement understood and eliminated Technology
- 90. Understanding the levels 1 2 3 4 5 People Processes are continuously and systematically improved Processes Common sources of problems are Measurement understood and eliminated Technology
- 91. I’ve seen mostorganizations follow this basic path as they mature/evolve their Web and New Media management processes and structure.
- 92. 1. Ad Hoc(chaotic) • web program owned by arbitrary stakeholders • Underground, success (but not repeatable) • Nothing measured • Dependent on heroics
- 93. 2. Managed (Emerging) •Web program owned by separate workgroup, still small, position & importance in organization uncertain (special interest hobby shop, everyone knows it is important but not sure to what degree or how it works). • Some measurement, explicit responsibility to somebody, usually lower in the org chart
- 94. 3. Defined: authorityvested in some semi-logical entity. • Director level awareness of web importance, uncertainty over purpose of web & org. placement leads to internal power struggle, debate over "who owns", multiple reorgs. • Mostly based on competence and/or willingness, without regard to org chart rationale. • Lots of matrix and dotted-lines • Corsely visible in budgets, PD’s, planning, measurement
- 95. 4. Quantitatively Managed •Professionalization of web, greater awareness of role and key stakeholders, integral part of organization. • Formal organization, oversight. Usually in the Director’s office to someone without specific background • Increasing cross-disciplinary expertise/experience: the team is familiar and broadly competent with each others areas of expertise.
- 96. 5. Optimizing • There’sFormal ownership in the executive suite • Directors engaged (look at their appointment book) • Professional, full-time management • Win/win scenarios with controlled innovation and experimentation
- 97.
- 98. Capability Maturity Model Figureout 5. Optimizing where you are? 4. Quantitatively Managed 3. Defined 2. Managed 1. Initial
- 99. Capability Maturity Model 5. Optimizing Ratchet up gradually 4. Quantitatively Managed over time 3. Defined 2. Managed 1. Initial
- 100. Capability Maturity Model Don’tskip steps 5. Optimizing 4. Quantitatively Managed 3. Defined 2. Managed 1. Initial
- 101. Capability Maturity Model 5. Optimizing Don’t slip back! 4. Quantitatively Managed 3. Defined 2. Managed 1. Initial
- 102. Capability Maturity Model Pickprojects Appropriate 5. Optimizing For your level 4. Quantitatively Managed 3. Defined 2. Managed 1. Initial
- 103. Capability Maturity Model More in… http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/go http://www.slideshare.net/edson od-projects-gone-bad-an- m/good-projects-gone-bad-an- introduction-to-process-maturity- introduction-to-process-maturity 1384375
- 105. Pattern 9: blowingit off
- 106. Pattern 9: blowingit off • It seems quite acceptable to blow off making decisions and moving forward…
- 107. This was fouryears ago!
- 109. "There's no onein the record company that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?” "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me." From a Wired Magazine interview with Doug Morris, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/ magazine/15-12/mf_morris
- 110. "There's no onein the record company that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?” "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me." From a Wired Magazine interview with Doug Morris, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/ magazine/15-12/mf_morris
- 111. "There's no onein the record company that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?” "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me." From a Wired Magazine interview with Doug Morris, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/ magazine/15-12/mf_morris
- 112. "There's no onein the record company that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?” "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me." From a Wired Magazine interview with Doug Morris, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/ magazine/15-12/mf_morris
- 113. "There's no onein the record company that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all about might explain a few things is the where thethat business This time, music the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just today… didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?” "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me." From a Wired Magazine interview with Doug Morris, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group http://www.wired.com/entertainment/music/ magazine/15-12/mf_morris
- 114. Smithsonian Relevance? Unexpected Rivalsin Reach (July – Sept, 2009) Enchantedlearning.com si.edu discoveryeducation.com ocean.com
- 115. Smithsonian Relevance? Brand Identity Brandtags.net Weare the 560th of 928 brands
- 116. Smithsonian Relevance? More in… “Imagining the Smithsonian Commons” http://www.slideshare.net/edsonm/cil- 2009-michael-edson-text-version
- 118. Pattern 10: Anymodel can work
- 119. The Road toSuccess Efficient-Development Town YOU ARE HERE Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 120. The Road toSuccess Efficient-Development Town YOU ARE HERE Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 121. The Road toSuccess Efficient-Development Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 122. The Road toSuccess Efficient-Development Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 123. The Road toSuccess Efficient-Development Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 124. The Road toSuccess Efficient-Development Town High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 125. The Road toSuccess Efficient-Development Town Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 126. The Road toSuccess Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 127. The Road toSuccess Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 128. The Road toSuccess Specialization… Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 129. The Road toSuccess Most organizations are here… Specialization… Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 130. The Road toSuccess To get here, use any effective practice Specialization… whatsoever… BUT USE IT! Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town Efficient-Development Town Sometimes-Predictable-Cost-and-Schedule Town High-Cost/Long-Schedule Town Classic-Mistakes Town Reference: McConnell, Steve Rapid Development, Taming Wild Software Schedules. Microsoft Press, 1996
- 131. Success could looklike this (?) The Smithsonian Commons Prototype http://www.si.edu/commons/prototype
- 132. Thank You! Michael Edson Director of Web and New Media Strategy Smithsonian Institution
Editor's Notes
- #54 I’m from the Smithsonian so I get to use kooky scientific metaphors.
- #76 Process Maturity and Capability Maturity Model Integration Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), was developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University ( http://www.sei.cmu.edu ) in 1991 to help the Federal Government understand the capabilities of its software vendors and deal proactively with the problem of out-of-control software projects. It became and remains a best-practice software-development framework and its core ideas can help organizations of all kinds escape from, as Steve McConnell puts it in his software development bible Rapid Development (Microsoft Press, 1996), the Gilligan’s Island cycle of under-performing projects. CMM posits that organizations, or groups or processes within organizations, function at one of five levels of process maturity, with level 1 being the lowest or least mature level, and level 5 as the highest or most mature level. 1. Initial – Processes, if they are defined at all, are ad hoc. Successes depend on individual heroics and are generally not repeatable. 2. Managed – Basic project management practices are established and the discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes with similar projects. 3. Defined – Processes are documented and standardized and all projects use approved, tailored versions of the standard processes. 4. Quantitatively Managed – The performance of processes and the quality of end-products are managed with quantitative measurement and analysis. 5. Optimizing – Continuous process improvement is enabled by quantitative feedback from the process and from piloting innovative ideas.
- #77 The five levels should be understood as a kind of staircase, lowest maturity on the bottom and highest on the top, with each level serving as the foundation for the level above
- #98 Using the CMMI can be a relatively informal process that involves understanding and applying process-improvement best practices to your organization. Or, it can be a formal process that involves extensive training, creation of a process improvement infrastructure, appraisals, and more. To avoid confusing people who are familiar with heavy-duty process-improvement efforts I must draw a distinction between the formal CMMI process defined by the Software Engineering Institute and what I’m talking about here. In this paper I argue that many organizations can benefit from what CMMI has to offer, but I am not advocating a full-fledged CMMI program which typically involves formal assessment teams, rigid interpretations of CMMI, a great deal of work: these kinds of efforts don’t deliver good return-on-investment for organizations at emerging maturity levels. What I advocate is a kind of CMMI- Lite in which organizations borrow the most useful aspects of CMMI without becoming overly bound to the formal doctrine. As Gartner, Inc. says, “Organizations should use CMM as a guidebook, not a ‘cookbook.’ Results-based improvement should be the key.”
- #99 Unless you’re working with a formal CMM assessment team the first step to understanding and improving your capability maturity is to look at Table 1 and identify the statements that best describe how your team does work. You don’t have to think across every kind of project your organization does: pick one or two projects or activities that you think would benefit from some improvement. Note that it’s not uncommon for organizations to have some processes that are very mature and some that are very immature. CMMI orthodoxy recognizes this and encourages a methodology of continuous improvement at varying levels of maturity. You may find it useful to modify table 1 or the overarching CMMI levels of maturity listed above and to cast them in terms that better describe your organization, or your project. For example, in 2006 I modified the out-of-the-box CMM level definitions to be more meaningful to a data-strategy project at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The definitions shown below helped me understand the roadmap and projects that were needed to get us from where we were (level 2) to where we wanted to be (levels 3 and 4). Level 1 – Limited data federation; often with redundant and inconsistent data. Data strategy is not even on the organizational radar. Level 2 – Limited data consolidation; documenting redundancies and inconsistencies. Some isolated departments are trying to raise awareness and initiate projects. Level 3 – Data integration initiated; new ‘disintegration’ is discouraged. Multi-departmental teams begin working on policies and procedures to advance a data strategy. Level 4 – Data integration widely adapted; ‘disintegration’ is penalized. All projects in the organization adhere to data integration policies and managers are held accountable for variances. If you conclude that you’re at a low level of maturity, you’re not alone. Gartner research finds that most organizational software development teams function at Level 1 or Level 2, “which means that, at best, they have some reasonably good project management practices,” and less than 25% of teams function at level 3 or higher (Hotle, 'Just Enough Process' for Applications). Taken at face value, this means that most software development efforts can be expected to produce inconsistent results with little control of budget and timelines. Though this is appalling, the good news is that basic process improvement initiatives could have a dramatic effect on the productivity and predictability of a great many software projects.
- #100 Ratchet up one level at a time If you’re at level 1, what small steps can you take to get to level 2? The Software Engineering Institute says that you can get from level 1 to level 2 just by establishing sound project management practices ( CMMI for Acquisition , 2007). Such practices might include activities such as tracking and communicating project status, measuring effort and outcomes, or ensuring roles-and-responsibilities are adequately defined. These process-improvement efforts don’t need to take a lot of time and effort. Matt Hotle of Gartner says that he very seldom sees an basic process improvement effort that takes more than a couple of weeks” (interview with the author, 4/24/08). The Software Engineering Institute notes that improvements that move a group from level 1 to level 2 may depend on “heroics” of individual staff members until the concepts of process improvements are more widely understood and supported (CMMI for Acquisition, 2007).
- #101 It’s very tempting to try to skip from low levels of maturity to high ones without going through the intermediate steps. For example, if your organization really wants to use new technologies on the cutting edge, but your current state is that the “introduction of new technology is risky” (Level 1 from Table 1) then you would be well served to work first on ratcheting your technology adoption capabilities up to level 2, “technology supports established, stable activities” and see how that goes. Trying to leapfrog from level 1 to level 4 or five doesn’t give your organization time to establish the core competencies needed to succeed at high levels of expected performance. The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) says “Because each maturity level forms a necessary foundation for the next level, trying to skip maturity levels is usually counterproductive.” (CMMI Project Team, 2007.) The SEI further notes that “processes without the proper foundation may fail at the point they are needed most—under stress.” John P. Kotter, in the Harvard Business Review notes that “Skipping steps creates only an illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result.” (Kotter, 1995)
- #102 Don’t Slip Back A recent book on evolution stated that Charles Darwin’s greatest contribution was not that he thought up modification with descent (natural selection), but that his research and writing tied the idea down so firmly so that it could never drift away. There’s an important lesson here for process improvement: try to ensure that whatever improvements you do make to software development processes become codified and formalized so that as staff and managers come and go and teams adapt and change your hard won progress doesn’t atrophy. Remember that every level is a foundation for the one that comes next. I read this somewhere recently but have not been able to track down the citation!
- #103 This is related to “don’t skip steps” pattern, but is more focused on tailoring what you need to get done with what you’re capable of doing. Usually, at lower levels of maturity this means breaking ambitious visions into smaller, less costly, and less risky sub-projects that together, achieve the vision. This approach is harmonious with a lot of recent thinking, particularly in Web application development, there are significant beneficial consequences for organizations at all levels of maturity. (More on this later.)
- #104 This is related to “don’t skip steps” pattern, but is more focused on tailoring what you need to get done with what you’re capable of doing. Usually, at lower levels of maturity this means breaking ambitious visions into smaller, less costly, and less risky sub-projects that together, achieve the vision. This approach is harmonious with a lot of recent thinking, particularly in Web application development, there are significant beneficial consequences for organizations at all levels of maturity. (More on this later.)
- #109 And museums can’t choose not to focus on technology. Witness the story of Doug Morris, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group, which I offer as a cautionary tale. Mr. Morris, by all appearances, is a successful tycoon, running a $7 billion-a-year pop culture empire and hobnobbing with the rich-and-famous—he would be recognizable and comfortable as a donor and member on museum boards. (He was Director of the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame.) Mr. Morris is also a creative person: he wrote "Sweet Talkin' Guy for The Chiffons in 1966 and produced "Smokin' In the Boys Room" for Brownsville Station in 1973. But at the helm of his $7 billion-a-year business Mr. Morris chose to opt-out of the technology business in the 1990’s, just when digital music and the Internet went supernova. The awkward stumbling of the music business in the last 15 years, the acrimony caused by the relentless pursuit of its customers, and a cascade of technology failures, missed boats, and squandered opportunities was the result. From a Wired Magazine interview: "There's no one in the record company that's a technologist," Morris explains. "That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?" "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person — anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me." As New York Entertainment’s blog Vulture observed this about Mr. Morris’s confession: Even though we shouldn't be, we're actually a little shocked. We'd always assumed the labels had met with a team of technology experts in the late nineties and ignored their advice, but it turns out they never even got that far — they didn't even try! New York Entertainment continues: Understanding the Internet certainly isn't easy — especially for an industry run by a bunch of technology-averse sexagenarians — but it's definitely not impossible. The original Napster hit its peak in 1999 — kids born since then have hacked into CIA computers. Surely it wouldn't have taken someone at Universal more than a month or two to learn enough about the Internet to know who to call to answer a few questions. They didn't even have any geeky interns? So what’s the headline here? It’s that large and small businesses have a lot to gain from focusing on how to get good and stay good at technology, nobody is immune from failure, and nobody gets to opt-out. The irony is that many museums are drawn to complex technology initiatives and the risks of getting in over their heads just as they reach the point where successful technology projects can have a positive impact.