Bringing the invitations/pull-based change management language into SAFe implementation approach

1. Bringing the Invitation/Pull-based Change
Management language into SAFe implementation
approach

2. My experience at HP,
Amdocs, Siemens
Improve/
Boost
Backlog
F
E
I
DecideProspects Stable/
Rechargi
ng
G
D
B
Leading
SAFe
Mgmt
Workshop
Kickoff/
Quick
Start
Stabilize
–
I&A
L
N
Q
R
“Pull from management & executives”
Market/Sell the change to LOBs
Market/Sell more depth

4. Pull-based Training
• Run Leading-SAFe /
Foundations every X
weeks
• Market internally using
“Launch” techniques
(Scarcity, Deadline,
etc.)
• Let people opt-in
• Will identify champions
and potentially
interested value
streams/ARTs

5. Open the Space
• Run a wide open space
“SAFe @ our company/org
– What does it mean?
Why? How?”
• Use Proceedings to
continue preparing for pull
by leaders
• Use attendance and
behavior during OS to
gauge acceptance, identify
potential champions.
• Can combine mini open
space with large group
“SAFe Foundations”
keynote.
https://twambeke.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/openspace.gif

6. Leading SAFe Inspired
Management Workshop for the
VS/ART• Start with Why
Lean/Agile/SAFe here
• Something between
Foundations/Leading
SAFe and the
AgileSparks Management
Focusing Workshop*
• Lots of context-specific
discussion mapping
SAFe to the VS/ART
• They PULL the kind of
SAFe they can commit to
as a VS/ART leadership
team
On the
specific
ART/VS
http://www.agilesparks.com/ManagementFocusWorkshop

7. All aboard, all engaged
• For me – one of the key things about
SAFe – the spirit (Ba?) and energies of
bringing the whole train together for
training, planning, inspecting & adapting

8. Spice QuickStart with Open-Space
Thinking
• Leave some of the
HOW decisions open
for discussion
• Mini-open-space
addressing “Vote of
confidence” concerns
regarding “What are
the implications of
running SAFe on our
train” and/or “the PI
Objectives”

9. Or even - Invite the Train to
experiment with SAFe
• Provide knowledge about
SAFe (through the
QuickStart experience)
• Provide the goal and
rationale through the
“theme” of the open space
• Run an open space around
how to adopt SAFe in the
Train
• Position the first PI as an
experiment for whether
SAFe is a good fit and how
we need to work with it.

10. Use guerilla marketing to grow –
leveraging the beach head
Improve/
Boost
Backlog
I
DecideProspects Stable/
Recharging
D
Leading
SAFe
Mgmt
Workshop
Kickoff/
Quick
Start
Stabilize
–
I&A
L
N
Q
R
Share success, publicly visualize,
invite prospects to PI Demo
Invite prospects to
QuickStart/
PI Planning
Any other ideas?

11. In summary - Try this on your next
SAFe implementation:
1. Treat the enterprise/portfolio as an open market, use marketing techniques, let
trains/value streams pull.
2. Invite people to pull/opt into training (Foundations, Leading SAFe, ScrumXP, PO, etc.)
and use that to identify leads/prospects.
3. Use open space to invite interested people to discuss the potential and implications of
Scaling Agile w/ SAFe in the organization.
4. Use Leading SAFe combined with Management Workshop for Trains/VSs that pull
and want to start – make them own their SAFe approach.
5. Spice QuickStart with mini-open-space vignettes e.g. around “Vote of confidence” in
first PI Planning.
6. Use guerilla marketing to grow – share successes, invite prospects to exciting
ceremonies such as PI Planning, PI Demo, invite excited leaders to share their
story in periodical training or directly send prospects to hear a testimonial from
them.
7. Executive Sponsor or Train/VS-level sponsor inviting people to figure out “how SAFe
can fit here” in an open space event, followed up with a PI-length experiment
addressing the key questions/conclusions, followed up by an Inspect&Adapt
workshop (that can also be an Open Space)?

12. References
• http://yuvalyeret.com/pull-based-change-management/
• http://yuvalyeret.com/2015/11/02/safe-invitations-part-13-pull-based-change/,
• http://yuvalyeret.com/2015/11/03/safe-invitations-part-23-management-
workshop-and-vote-of-confidence-driven-open-space-in-quickstart/
• http://yuvalyeret.com/2015/11/04/safe-invitations-part-23-combining-open-
space-agility-and-safe/
• http://www.agilesparks.com/ManagementFocusWorkshop
• http://openspaceagility.com/