Johanna Rothman

MARCH 6, 2024

In Effective Agility Requires Cultural Changes: Part 1 , I said that real agile approaches require cultural change to focus on flow efficiency , where we watch the flow of the work , not the people doing tasks. What about those cultural changes? This is not an agile approach. 1,2 and so on.

Agile 81

Agile Culture Efficiency Metrics 81

Johanna Rothman

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

More of my clients say they want business agility. Yet, we don't share a common definition of business agility. Instead, let's consider how to see management's adaptable and resilient actions. Actions matter when it comes to business agility. Mindset is how we think about our work. That's a good thing.)

Agile 89

Agile Management How To System 89

Johanna Rothman

APRIL 8, 2021

See Behaviors Create an Agile Culture with Johanna Rothman. How to offer credit broadly (appreciations for other people's work). One-on-ones and how to use them to good effect. One-on-ones and how to use them to good effect. We had a delightful discussion on Behaviors Create an Agile Culture with Johanna Rothman.

Agile 73

Agile Culture Management Consulting 73

Johanna Rothman

APRIL 14, 2021

One of my clients wants to use shared services “teams” as they start their agile transformation. They don't realize how much more effective flow efficiency is.). Agile approaches break the idea of a “shared service” model of people. ” Don't use an agile approach. In any culture or lifecycle.

Agile 119

Agile Efficiency Productivity Development 119

Johanna Rothman

DECEMBER 1, 2017

Ron Jeffries, Matt Barcomb, and several other people wrote an interesting thread about prescriptive and non-prescriptive approaches to team-based agile. Learning how to write short and coherently is a different post.). That’s why we have the agile values and principles. Culture expresses what managers value.

Agile 69

Agile Culture Management Efficiency 69

Johanna Rothman

MARCH 23, 2021

I had a terrific time with Chris Williams on his Badass Agile podcast. How managers need to collaborate to achieve agility. How managers micromanage at all levels. How managers micromanage at all levels. How to make time to think. We discussed the Modern Management Made Easy books. Congruence. Rule of three.

Agile 106

Agile Management Consulting Company 106

Johanna Rothman

OCTOBER 8, 2020

Back in Part 1 , I wrote about how stage-gate approaches were as agile as we could use at the time. We had one delivery, so our agility was about canceling the project if we couldn't finish it. I had to explain to my managers how the project would work. My managers were smart but didn't understand how to spiral time.

Agile 117

Agile Development Productivity Management 117

Johanna Rothman

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

Instead, I see assumptions that reveal a divide-and-conquer, and possibly a command-and-control culture, not an agile culture. Divide and Conquer is Anti-Agility I see the product owner and dev team as a divide-and-conquer approach to work. Agility requires a collaborative cross-functional team. Not one person.

Interviews 96

Interviews Culture Agile Efficiency 96

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 12, 2019

I spoke at Agile 2019 last week. Here are my thoughts and where I think the “agile” industry is headed. Problems I See with “Agile” Here's a summary of problems I saw last week: Too many people think “agile” will solve all their problems. Culture requires management involvement.

Agile 87

Agile Culture Conference Management 87

Johanna Rothman

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Those outcomes can help teams decide which agile approach(es) to start with and adapt. Let's start with who wants the teams to use an agile approach. Who Wants the Teams to Use an Agile Approach? I explained how various lifecycles worked and when it made sense to consider which approach. That's not what I see now.

Agile 108

Agile Management Comparison Productivity 108

Johanna Rothman

MARCH 21, 2024

I started this series by discussing why managers didn't perceive the value of agile coaches and Scrum Masters in Part 1, resulting in layoffs.) That's why I then asked people to review their product-oriented domain expertise and agile-focused domain expertise in Part 3. Especially, Agile is Not a Silver Bullet.

Agile 96

Agile Management Metrics Culture 96

Johanna Rothman

OCTOBER 6, 2020

Are you trying to make an agile framework or approach work? Maybe you've received a mandate to “go agile.” Or, maybe you're trying to fit an agile framework into your current processes—and you've got a mess. I've seen plenty of problems when people try to adopt “agile” wholesale.

Agile 111

Agile Software Construction Analysis 111

Harvard Business

JUNE 20, 2017

Culture is like the wind. For organizations seeking to become more adaptive and innovative, culture change is often the most challenging part of the transformation. But culture change can’t be achieved through top-down mandate. It is invisible, yet its effect can be seen and felt.

Culture 134

Culture Company Enterprise Leadership 134

Johanna Rothman

APRIL 9, 2024

I was on the Agile Uprising podcast this past Sunday, discussing my most recent book. Some of what we discussed: That managers want agility but do not care about any agile methods or frameworks. While we might think “agile” is another project organization method—or lifecycle—it's not. See (and hear!):

Agile 74

Agile Culture Productivity Consulting 74

Johanna Rothman

MAY 18, 2021

I had the pleasure of being on the Agile Uprising Podcast: Modern Management Made Easy with Johanna Rothman. How servant leaders support people taking responsibility. How trust, empathy, and creating a safe environment are what allows us to use agile approaches. ” The costs and fallacy of yearly planning.

Agile 93

Agile Exercises Management Consulting 93

Johanna Rothman

APRIL 14, 2020

Anytime I've seen a successful innovation culture, I've seen these principles. Let me address a little about business agility and innovation. Business agility allows us to create a culture where we plan to change. Too many people think business agility is about the ability to do more of the same, faster.

Agile 83

Agile Efficiency Culture Resources 83

Harvard Business

JUNE 27, 2016

Leaders also provided the sites with detailed instructions on how to implement these new practices. Many of us know this intuitively: best practices are optimized for a particular place and time and don’t necessarily transfer well between cultures. Managing Across Cultures. What Leadership Looks Like in Different Cultures.

Culture 131

Culture Research Case Interview Development 131

Johanna Rothman

JANUARY 6, 2023

” These people claim there is no need for either role in an effective team, especially an agile team because the team can manage its own deliverables. While some agile teams can manage their own deliverables, that's not the only role for a project or program manager. No one sees the big picture. I had to learn to collaborate.

Management 109

Management Agile How To Productivity 109

Johanna Rothman

DECEMBER 18, 2018

I've met a number of agile coaches recently. However, many of these coaches work in organizations just starting a cultural transformation. Even though the client asked for agile coaching, that might not be what the client needs. Even though the client asked for agile coaching, that might not be what the client needs.

Agile 75

Agile Metrics Management Data 75

Tom Spencer

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Effective governance can serve as the bedrock of organizational culture, which shapes perceptions, attitudes, and interactions throughout the organisational hierarchy, between departments, and within project teams. This article aims to shed light on the power of governance and how to create a transformative governance structure.

Government 88

Government Culture Ethics Agile 88

Johanna Rothman

APRIL 1, 2024

(That link just goes to the first post) My most recent book: Project Lifecycles: How to Reduce Risks, Release Successful Products, and Increase Agility. In addition, here's the unedited transcript: Agile _ Adapt – Expert Talk – Johanna Rothman – April 2024 in docx format. I hope you enjoy this one.

Agile 89

Agile Video Interviews Productivity 89

Harvard Business

JULY 19, 2017

Many companies are attempting a radical — and often rapid — shift from hierarchical structures to more agile environments, in order to operate at the speed required by today’s competitive marketplace. At Bain & Company, we do not believe that companies should try to use agile methods everywhere. This takes time.

Agile 71

Agile How To Enterprise Leadership 71

Organizational Talent Consulting

JUNE 5, 2023

Census data confirms cultural diversity is growing faster than predicted, especially among Gen Z. A competitive talent landscape, technological advances, and global population shifts are rapidly increasing cultural diversity in the workplace. Cross-cultural differences require leaders with cultural agility.

Culture 69

Culture Leadership Agile How To 69

Johanna Rothman

JULY 20, 2021

We talk a lot about empowered or self-organizing teams in the agile community. Everyone does the best job they know how to do. Instead of talking about empowerment, let's discuss how we trust teams and people to do their best job. And managers don't realize inspect-and-adapt is a necessary part of an agile culture.).

Leadership 141

Leadership Agile Policies Tools 141

Clarity Consultants

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

In this article, well explore why works, how to use it effectively, and tools to bring it to life in your eLearning initiatives. When instructional design consulting professionals align stories with organizational goals, they foster a learning culture that promotes innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Training 130

Training Training Case Studies Case Study 130

Johanna Rothman

JULY 29, 2021

Several of my clients have internal struggles about how to internally see the future of the product. The teams want to use an agile approach so they can incorporate learning. ” (Notice how all the features end on a quarter boundary?). The managers might even think this is roadmap reflects an agile approach.

Agile 143

Agile Productivity Management Data 143

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 14, 2019

In Part 1 , I wrote about how “Agile” is not a silver bullet and is not right for every team and every product. This post is about how management fits into agile approaches. Too often, managers think “agile” is for others, specifically teams of people. The team decides how to solve problems.

Agile 69

Agile Management Efficiency Culture 69

Johanna Rothman

OCTOBER 15, 2020

Isn't every iterative and incremental approach an agile approach? We often hear agile approaches are a mindset. An agile approach requires a change in culture at the team level, at the portfolio level, and in management. Agile approaches change what we discuss, how we work together, and what we reward.

Agile 70

Agile Training Training Culture 70

Johanna Rothman

MARCH 4, 2019

I just finished a series for my Pragmatic Manager newsletter about Agile Transformation Secrets: Part 1: Manage for Change. I wrote this series because I find that many people get a little confused about an agile transformation. They think an agile approach will work because they can predict and commit better. Please join us.

Agile 71

Agile Management Consulting How To 71

Johanna Rothman

OCTOBER 20, 2020

The original signatories of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development wanted to solve these specific problems: How can we: Bring more adaptability to software development? Christopher Meyer published Fast Cycle Time: How to Align Purpose, Strategy, and Structure for Speed in 1993. I wrote about Agility in Name Only.

Agile 66

Agile Software Productivity Culture 66

Johanna Rothman

JANUARY 31, 2024

In Effective Agility Requires Cultural Changes: Part 1 , I said that real agile approaches require cultural change to focus on flow efficiency, where we focus on watching the work, not the people. But teams can change how they work—in any approach. But here's how they can work to create more agility.

Agile 71

Agile Metrics Efficiency Culture 71

Johanna Rothman

JUNE 3, 2019

At the Influential Agile Leader workshop earlier this year, I led a session about scaling and how you might think about it. I asked if any of the teams succeeded at using an agile approach at the team level. I didn't know how to map our cycle time. I explained how in Agile and Lean Program Management.).

Agile 70

Agile Telecommunications Wireless System 70

Johanna Rothman

OCTOBER 20, 2020

I discussed the origins of the agile approaches in Part 5. In this post, I'll discuss how you can create an agile approach that fits your context. Why should you create your own agile approach? Because your context is unique to you, your team, project, product, and culture. What do you need? Start with the Team.

Agile 60

Agile Culture Productivity Development 60

Johanna Rothman

MARCH 15, 2018

Part of what makes an agile transformation difficult is the cultural change required. That’s what makes an agile transformation a journey. A client said to me, “I want the agile. The agile is good stuff: faster delivery of smaller stuff that we can get revenue for. How fast can I get it?”

Agile 59

Agile Culture System Fashion 59

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 21, 2019

I started asking if you actually need an agile approach in Part 1 and noted the 4 big problems I see. Part 2 was why we need managers in an agile transformation. Part 3 was about how people want a recipe. This post is about what you can do to create an agile culture, regardless of where you are in the organization.

Agile 65

Agile Culture Efficiency Guidelines 65

Simon Associates

OCTOBER 12, 2022

I'm very pleased to announce that I will be speaking at the Enterprise Agility World Conference 2022: Where Science Meets Organizational Change. As a culture change expert , my topic is just what I love to talk about — how to build an organizational culture for fast-changing times.

Culture 73

Culture Conference Agile Enterprise 73

Harvard Business

JUNE 19, 2017

If software has eaten the world, then agile has eaten the software world. And there is no shortage of information and advice on how agile should be implemented in your tech organization. For example, a Google search for “agile software development” returns over 14 million results. Related Video.

Agile 71

Agile Software Case Interview Interviews 71