Patterns for Agile Change: Blog 6, People Tools

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Opening Story: 
The company has been adopting agile practices for a while in a few different areas. We’ve had a few people in to help us with the change, but we seem to regress when key people or sponsors leave, or when we cannot fund an Agile coach or change agent. Any behaviour advances we make seem transient and are not sustained over the longer term. The behaviour of individuals and general culture of the company seems to revert to 'norm' rather than to continue on our agile vision. 

Summary:
Behaviour follows structure, (i.e. our behaviour is strongly influenced by the working environment, structures, policies & governance of the company) and so the structures within the company (e.g. governance, policies, practices) need to change in order to provide an environment where new behaviour can thrive.  

Context:
You are part of a team of people passionate about Agile, wanting to ensure it becomes a long-term part of how the company works, but are struggling to embed the changes into the company.

Problem:
Unable to embed the desired Agile mindset, behaviour and culture into the business for the sustainable long-term. It is a challenge to sustainably improve and grow the right behaviour across the business. 

Forces:
Executive & leadership behaviour
Existing cultural norms
HR Law
Existing recognition & reward systems
Existing organisation structures
Existing roles & responsibilities

Essence of the Solution:
Identify, adjust and exploit the existing people tools within the business to drive the change and embed the change into the fabric of the company.

More about the Solution:
The HR policies and structures of a company are integral to the DNA of the company. Reward mechanisms (pay, bonuses, appraisals), recognition systems (employee awards, promotion structures), communication channels, organisational structure, role definitions, competency frameworks, education, personal development and training all contribute to define how people work and interact within the company.
If you want to embed Agile roles, practices and behaviours within the company, you have to use the ‘People Tools’. 
Identify all the ‘tools’ the company uses to organise its workforce, encourage and motivate people, and recruit, develop and retain people, and then, based on the content from the 'Murmuration' pattern, adjust and embed Agile artifacts into these ‘People Tools’.

Related patterns: Murmuration, Call a CoP, 2 Structures

Resulting Context:
Then the reward & recognition systems and learning & development frameworks have been adjusted to reward Agile behaviour, Agile roles are the default roles within the company, and the organisational structure has been changed to align to Scrum teams and Product ownership, over time (12-18 months) the entire behaviour and ultimately culture shifts to the new dynamic.
It is essential that the executive and leadership teams, model to new behaviours and ensure they encourage the new behaviours by providing a working environment that recognises, rewards and nurtures those behaviours.

Known Uses:
SME Software Department c30 FTE
Financial Services Software Company c220 FTE
Online Digital Company c200 FTE

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