Satisfaction in a change process

Have you ever been angry or at least annoyed about something at home today? In the morning? In traffic? At work or school? How many times have you heard or read about war news this week? Is the end near and everything was better before?

Really?

It's simply time to say thank you.

Thank you that I have great people.

Thank you for a wonderful family.

Thank you that I can live in a beautiful region.

Thank you that I have something to eat and drink every day and a home.

Photographers know it - sometimes it's necessary to take a step back to get a better overview. It's similar in life. Gaining an overview requires breaking out of the hammock and sometimes asking for opposing opinions, listening and asking yourself whether you are actually right, whether the information you are consuming is correct or whether you are trapped in a bubble.

After a long period of stability and security, you start to be cosy in your comfort zone. Every change appears to be an intervention or even an attack.

The same behaviour can be observed in an agile transformation in a company. Processes that have been lived for years or decades require much more energy, even if the process is of little value in a modern environment. Change is associated with fear and this is an essential aspect to consider as an agile coach. The bigger a change is and therefore the more people are affected, the more likely it is that there will be dissatisfied people. - That's ok. Building consensus with 100 people, for example, leads to sluggish change behaviour. Here, the departmental or company management is required to demand responsibility from the employees, but to bear the accountability themselves. If you hand over both to those involved in the change process even though you have made the decision yourself, there is a high chance that the change will fail.

Another important aspect is to clearly define and communicate the goal. Is it okay that old schemes no longer work in the new process. The question is, how do you deal with this? Does it require employees to adapt? Uncertainties such as these must be addressed. In this way, momentum can be used to increase motivation. Use this momentum which you can get by changes to level up the company over staying at the same motivation and satisfaction level.

Keep a positive mood in a Agile Transformation

 

When an organisation starts an agile transformation, it ideally pursues a certain goal because it has been recognised that existing ways of working bring too many disadvantages with them. The more people are affected by the transformation -  by the change in the way of working, the more difficult the transformation becomes. 

Change and new ways cause uncertainty. That is why resistance to transformation is pre-programmed. This is not a bad thing per se, it is human behaviour and the task of managers and coaches is to pick up employees accordingly. The best way to achieve this is by explaining the why, as this is the most likely way to get supporters and followers in the company. The more followers that join, the greater a pull effect that draws other, more cautious employees along.

As a leader and coach, this is sometimes a very energy-intensive job, because it is not one issue after another that comes up, but usually a large number of necessary changes lie ahead. It is essential to ideally initiate changes immediately. Step by step, even if they are small steps, lead to the goal. 

Goals that are measurable require more effort to define, but it helps immensely to achieve the goal. A goal of "fewer bugs" is far too soft and has a pale taste. A goal of "x bugs less" is stronger and you can clearly see when you have reached the goal. To have a comparison in running, "run further" would be less meaningful than "run 10 km".

When you reach a goal, you should celebrate it. Small rewards and celebrations can also be an important contribution to the motivation to pursue further goals.

Finally, I think it is important to reflect regularly. What have you achieved? Especially in difficult situations, looking back helps you to gather enough energy to move on.