Why Agile Transformation Fails?

Dec 17, 2013 | 0 comments |
Originally published at Xebia Blog

Organizations move into Agile because it sounds cool, team’s wants to transform and deliver more, have collaborative culture and make work fun. Very few actually look into the changes that will be required to bring in to make the transformation successful.

The first resistance initiates with the need to change. Change means new learnings and probably more of un-learmings.  

Most successful projects need a shift in cultural mindset; everyone wants the change but no one wants to work for it. Even in the best of conditions and work environment, very few organizations can bring in the culture of constant learning and improvement and keep everyone motivated.

To know why transformation is not the most popular thing at ground level:

  • Disrupts the comfort factor- change is never comforting because it requires everyone to work for it. Most senior members and managers are more resistant to change than new members. Why try out new thing when he old one works fine.
  • No zeal and capacity- its proven that just being intelligent isn’t enough for achieving higher things  . The zeal and capacity that are required from every team member to make teams successful is very difficult to inculcate unless they are inherently in the person. 
  • The Dunning Kruger Effect- where individuals think they are better than the rest and hence no need to change. In situations like these where the resistant to change increases, transformation is more and more difficult to bring about. 
  • Not praised for the effort during the process of transformation- 50 milliseconds after a mistake (which aren’t uncommon during new learnings), the first reaction called Error related negativity which is an involuntary reaction shows up. It’s been proven that just by praising the effort of an individual, chances of them choosing tougher task hence more learning is achieved. How the mistake is used by an individual whether for learning or withdrawal makes a  difference.
  • The big bang approach- though some cater to this approach of changing things for once and for all, sometimes it might be difficult for an organization to go through this because of the fear of retention of employees. The sudden change can bring in the fear of transformation as to what lies ahead and why none of them are being considered allies and instead being push to do things. It’s opposite to the much formal ad gradual method that Shu-ha-ri or the Dreyfus model talks about.   



So, the transformation is a complicated phenomenon to achieve and a success deserves every bit of the celebration. 

Fish Philosophy

Dec 2, 2013 | | 1 comments |
Last week  I spoke in Agile Tour Hyderabad, traveled for work and came back home with fever and cold.
2 days later I was happily back at office though still sick. Loving what you do is the best way to keep yourself inspired.

If you are into project management, read 6 things you should know about being one 

I think so much has been said about the fish philosophy already, there’s not really much to say about it. The core belief is perhaps the same: enjoy the work you do and be involved in it because it shows.

It’s much easier to spot people who don’t like what they do than it’s to spot people who don’t enjoy their work. And no matter what you are, unless you enjoy your work, you will find it increasingly difficult to inspire others.

Given below is a short video of the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, spot their energy, love of work and their unique ways to keep onlookers happy and involved.

I am back!

Nov 17, 2013 | 0 comments |
A lot has happened since my last post and I apologize for leaving without much notice and keeping the blog almost empty for months now.

I have reached one of my major goals and it has taken a chunk of the time. Plus work keeps me really busy along with travelling.

I have also started delivering training's and attending and presenting in seminars which takes separate time to prepare and deliver. To be honest its scary because the feedback is so immediate.

Nothing has changed much, other than trying to manage my time better and trying to fit in a lot more things. So, hopefully I will be back writing here from now on.

I hope things have been wonderful with you.

(Pic Courtesy: pinterest)


What does project management mean to me?

A Brief History of Project ManagementProject management for me as with everyone else is all about managing projects.

Obviously how projects are managed and how you want to reach your goal depends on how you look at it.

Project management has always been a journey for me, where I have learned every single day from my work, from my team and from my mentors. It’s been more about people for me than managing work through tools.
    

    
When I started working in project management for the first time, I was part of a small service based IT organization in Chicago (US). I soon learned that people management skills were the most useful because it helped me create the connection with my clients and more trust I had from them, I could understand the expectation and always deliver more. I also knew that it also helped me work better with my offshore team, one I knew the local language and second I ensured everyone felt I was one of them. This allowed me to get to know of the real problems and not sugar coated facts when required. In return I could manage my requirement, delivery and clients better.

The way you treat your team always is the way team will treat you. When we worked under tight deadlines, team members took the initiative to stay back and get the work done. Not because they had to because they felt they were part of a bigger picture. Plus working in a small organization also means there is lesser capacity and always more work to be done. Handling situations specially tough ones, teach you a lot more because you are forced to think out of the box.

Agile project management which has gained much popularity talks so much about the transparency, efficiency, collaboration, cultivating team environments and adapting to the need- this is how I have always run my team and projects. And definitely this is the way I have learned from my mentors.

Project management for me is being successful and helping others become successful at what they are doing. It’s about understanding what makes everyone click and create amazing team dynamics where everyone grows and trusts each other.

It’s about taking the stress, so your team feels secure. It’s about creating an environment where there is lesser politics and more appreciation. It’s about supporting your team members no matter what. And it is about accepting the challenge and knowing that it won’t be easy and get up every morning and be happy to take up the role. It is about the stress, the tight schedule, the pressure to deliver, to handle problems, to be responsible, to be accountable for all failures, to work on weekends, to have sleepless nights, to smile and assure even when you are paranoid, to be there when all you want is to go home and still keep the role.

P.S. This post is published as part of a first ever project management related global blogging initiative to publish a post on a common theme at exactly the same time. Seventy four (74!) bloggers from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, UK and the USA have committed to make a blogging contribution and the fruit of their labour is now (literally NOW) available all over the web. The complete list of all participating blogs is found here ...so please go and check them out!

(Pic Courtesy)

PM Flashblog : Sept 25

Sep 22, 2013 | 0 comments |

The time is set to  25/09/2013 @ 01:00GMT and posts will be tagged on social media with #pmFlashBlog. To know more read Shim Marom's post here.

On September 25, 96 PM Bloggers from all over the world will participate in a flashblog.
You can see the teaser here

So, while you enjoy your weekend, I am traveling again tonight and the stress to pack over and over again has considerably reduced.

To learn about how to get into project management read my book Stepping into Project Management (Welcome to the #PMOT World). To connect with experienced Project Manager's from all over the world, get mentored or shadow for a day see the SIPM Community.

7 Tips: When travelling for work

Sep 16, 2013 | | 1 comments |


Travelling can be fun unless you are doing it way too much.

I still love it and the challenges it brings with it, over the past few months I have learnt the art of  packing mostly over terrible mistakes.

  • Always pack in your own shampoo- The hotel shampoo might leave your hair so limp that you wished you had your own.
  • Always have an extra pair of clothes in your handbag/backpack- I keep one in my laptop backpack just in case my luggage doesn't arrive. 
  • Travel Light- I carried more than I should initially, now I just pack right most of the time.
  • Keep a list- It helps every time.
  • Be comfortable- I carry one thing with me that will make me comfortable and keep me relaxed: a magazine, iPod, a good book.
  • Try local cuisine- This is my favorite part of travelling, I might not get the time to try out sight seeing always but at least I get to try the food.
  • Learn everyday- There's so much to learn by just observing people or while travelling. We get used to the same set of people so much that a change while travelling gives us a better opportunity to learn when we travel.
So, while I'm leaving for the airport in the next 30 minutes- I hope you get the chance to travel and say yes to it!

How should teams be build?

When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, “It’s in the script.” If he says, “But what’s my motivation?” I say, “Your salary.”
                                                 —Alfred Hitchcock, filmmaker (1899–1980)

Jim Collins talks about getting the right people in the bus in his book “Good to Great”. And we all agree- but how do you decide who are the right people?

Hiring happens based on the core competency, but when you put them as part of the team, how do you know they will work out?

Does team dynamics matter to you or your organization? Do you think it changes the quality of delivery?

The common failings for any team at organization level usually comes down to:
·       Develop empowered people working together to serve the best interests of the organization, and
·       Create an environment in which every employee contributes all of their talents and skills to the success of organizational goals.

To ensure we get individual players be and feel part of the team- is there a way to create teams at the first place differently? Like do you think, if teams are created based on their compatibility or interest, they will perform better OR do you feel any team if mentored and trained in team/organization culture will perform at their highest level?

To think about creating the right team, I think we should first think why teams fail at the first place? Why do teams not perform the way they should be? Is it a bad apple? Is it lack of proper management and setting the expectations? Is it freedom without no boundaries and when things go wrong, blame the team? Here are 20 mistakes that employers make.

Are we aligning people with their interest and what they want to do or do we just not hear what they have to say and push them into any role and any teams?

The hedgehog concept talks about looking into 3 aspects before putting the right people in the right role
By considering:
  • What are you passionate about?
  • What can you best in the world at?
  • What drives your economic engine?
This definitely brings out the best in individuals but how do we ensure the best is brought out at team levels also?  What if you got the right person in the right role and then had a bunch of laggards as team mates. Do you think we have set the right environment for him/her to grow and contribute to the best of ability?

How does your organization formulate teams? What do you fee is the right way to do it? 

(Pic Courtesy: Google Images)