This document discusses concerns about scaling agile frameworks like SAFe. It acknowledges fears that SAFe is too rigidly defined and risks undermining agile principles. However, it argues that if implemented carefully with a focus on lean principles, leadership commitment to change, and respect for people and culture, SAFe can provide a reasonable starting point for scaling agile in large complex organizations. The best ways to address fears are to see healthy SAFe implementations in action or take a class on implementing SAFe from an experienced lean/agile trainer.

1. Agile Maine Day 2017 – Yuval Yeret

2. About Me

3. Is SAFe really safe?

4. http://www.scaledagileframework.com/
What are your biggest fears
about SAFe?

5. “A Hard-coded Agile
Framework isn’t
Agile and hardly a
Framework”

6. SAFe is Linear and is
not fit for dealing
with the Complex
Domain
Dave Snowden

7. “SAFe is like
puCng LipsDck on
a Pig”

8. SAFe is “RUP reborn
in Agile clothes”

9. “not only a betrayal of the promise
offered by AGILE but is a massive
retrograde step giving the
managerial class an excuse to avoid
any significant change”
Dave Snowden

10. You get the picture…
Let’s move to my perspecGve…

14. My take on a SAFe value statement…
For Early/late majority software/IT/technology-heavy enterprises
who Develop and maintain LARGE COMPLEX products or services
the Scaled Agile Framework
is a Collection of lean/agile process and implementation best
practices
that Helps these enterprises improve their business agility despite
huge change management and technology/process obstacles in
their context
Unlike Other scaling frameworks that assume the ability and willingness
to drive revolutionary dramatic change in the organization and
mostly ignore current culture and roles in the organization
our solution Is able to provide a reasonable evolutionary starting point to the
business agility journey flexible enough to allow organizations to
evolve towards a truly lean/agile enterprise. It provides people
currently holding roles in the organization a clear mapping to
their new role in the agile enterprise and a path to making this
change.

15. Start with what you have
Respect People & Process
EvoluGonary Change
Challenge the comfort zone in a
pragmaGc small-batch way.
Crazy
talk???

18. The SAFe Theater
Starring the Managers-Only PI Planning,
The Command & Control RTE,
w/ special guest - Waterfall Thinking
18

19. 19
The Law of Raspberry
Jam: the wider any
culture is spread, the
thinner it gets.
Alvin Toffler

20. With great power comes great responsibility

21. Scaling Agile PracGces is hard and
dangerous without changing leadership
mindset

22. SAFe is geVng us face &me to discuss Lean/Agile
principles and pracGces with Leaders
LEADERSHIP
Respectfor
peopleandculture
Flow
Innovation
Relentless
improvement
VALUE

23. Worried about the RUP/Prince
awakening?
Make sure your SAFe consultants
hail from the Lean/Agile/Flow
community…

24. Worried about force-feeding a hard-coded
methodology?

25. SAFe InvitaGons ImplementaGon Approach Roadmap
Consider SAFe
Train Lean/Agile Change Agents
• ImplemenGng SAFe w/ SPC (Internal/
External)
Train ExecuGves, Managers,
Leaders
• Leading SAFe for enterprise leaders
Figure out how to implement SAFe
across the enterprise
• SAFe ImplementaGon workshop
Create overall implementaGon
elevator pitch and blueprint
Invite Leaders to go SAFe
• OpGonal - AddiGonal Leading SAFe +
ImplementaGon workshops
Figure out how to Go SAFe in an
ART/VS –
• Leading SAFe
• SAFe implementaGon workshop
Prepare for ART Launch
• SAFe PM/PO – Train + Make key decisions
• SAFe Scrum Masters – Train + Make key
decisions
Train Teams and Launch ART
• SAFe for Teams – Train + Make key decisions
at team level + ROAM implementaGon risks
• PI Planning Coach ART ExecuGon
Launch more ARTs/VSs
• as more leaders accept the invitaGon
Sustain and Improve

26. Use a “SAFe ImplementaGon Strategy Workshop”
http://bit.ly/ImplSAFe
8:00-
9:00
9:00-
10:30
1:00-
4:00
10:30-
11:30
4:00-
5:00
11:30-
1:00
R O
A M

27. • Some of the fears are
grounded and some are a
result of mispercepGons or
agile community clashes
• If you NEED to Scale agile in a
mainstream follower
organizaGon - Use Real/
Genuine Agile DNA + Lean/
Agile Principles + Leadership to
SAFely scale agile
• Best way to dispel the fear?
See healthy SAFe in acGon.
• Next best thing? Take a good
ImplemenGng SAFe 4.0 class
from a Lean/Agile/Flow-
oriented SPCT…
Yuval@AgileSparks.com
@YuvalYeret