Johanna Rothman

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Several of my clients want to use some sort of maturity assessment for their agile transformations. For agile transformation, an assessment can help people see how they change—how they innovate the products and the culture. Part of what might not work is the culture. (Is Is agility even possible?)

Agile 128

Agile Culture Data Productivity 128

Clarity Consultants

MARCH 29, 2025

Leadership development has experienced significant changes due to rapid technological advancements, evolving workforce dynamics, and global uncertainties. The Changing Landscape of Leadership Leadership development has evolved to address the challenges presented by significant changes in the business environment.

Development 130

Development Leadership Emotional Intelligence Training 130

Effective Managers

JUNE 19, 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes to the business world, challenging traditional leadership models and pushing leaders to adapt in ways previously unimaginable. As we navigate this post-pandemic landscape, it’s clear that the future of leadership hinges on embracing change and evolving to meet new demands.

Leadership 130

Leadership Agile Operations Data 130

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 18, 2021

They think that the agile tools they use, such as boards, offer a strategic advantage. However, they adopt or “install” an agile framework or process without customization. Instead, agile organizations need flexibility, not rigidity. Commodity businesses don't need agility for product development.

Agile 116

Agile Tools Productivity Development 116

Clarity Consultants

OCTOBER 19, 2023

L&D leaders have been instrumental in helping employers and employees pivot to pandemic protocols and navigate both remote and hybrid operations and corporate culture. When viewed in the context of an unstable or uncertain job market, continuous learning is essential to creating and maintaining an agile workforce and operations.

Agile 147

Agile Trends Training Training 147

Harvard Business

MAY 22, 2018

I know it is critical for the leadership to embrace agile, but the sad reality is that I’m not sure our leadership team will start before it’s too late. Rather than debating the advantages of agile teams, why not start demonstrating them? Learn and experience how agile works. What can I do?”

Agile 133

Agile Energy Retail Case Interview 133

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 19, 2021

So when does it make sense to customize your agile approach to gain a strategic advantage? They want an agile approach, so they started with Scrum. We don't think we need to be “religious” about our agile approach as long as we get the benefit. Then, they Built their agile approach based on their needs.

Agile 105

Agile Tools Productivity Development 105

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 24, 2021

In Part 1 and 2 of this series, I wrote about how an agile approach might offer strategic benefits. And because an agile approach changes your culture, I said the agile approach was part of your strategy. So let's ask this question: Can any tool—agile or otherwise—offer you a strategic advantage? (I

Agile 105

Agile Tools Productivity Analysis 105

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 26, 2021

They think agile approaches are tactics and agile tools are part of their strategy. That's why they want to Buy an agile approach. Not realizing a standard agile approach is an oxymoron. Teams need to experiment and change their agile approach. Address the cultural changes necessary for agility.

Agile 96

Agile Tools Culture Strategy 96

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. His leadership team began with a search for purpose.

Culture 134

Culture Company Enterprise Leadership 134

Johanna Rothman

NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Or even the “standard” agile approach everyone should use. See Leadership Tip #9: See & Stop Micromanagement—Learn to Trust Instead.). (See See Leadership Tip #9: See & Stop Micromanagement—Learn to Trust Instead.). Your culture determines how much power-over and power-with your managers use for decisions.

Leadership 110

Leadership Agile Exercises Culture 110

Johanna Rothman

MARCH 11, 2021

Worse, most career ladders assume we can assess what a person can do, not on their contributions to an agile team. That means most career ladders don't fit agile teams or an agile culture. Instead of individual achievements, we can reward the types of agile leadership we want to see in agile teams.

Agile 95

Agile Engineering Productivity Culture 95

Johanna Rothman

MAY 24, 2021

When I think about changing outcomes, I think about culture change. Of the four factors, how can we create a culture that encourages happiness? We might create that culture this way: Create the “good” kind of stress. I like agile approaches because I can separate lots of deliverables into small, coherent pieces.

Leadership 134

Leadership Culture Agile Management 134

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.

Interviews 96

Interviews Culture Agile Efficiency 96

Brimstone Consulting

MARCH 29, 2022

Agile strategy leads to 220% increase in revenue. Further, the organization had not invested in leadership development nor was there a common leadership language. Following the assessment, Brimstone began by working with the leadership team to develop a comprehensive strategy. CASE STUDY.

Agile 96

Agile Strategy& Strategy Strategy 96

Clarity Consultants

FEBRUARY 25, 2025

When instructional design consulting professionals align stories with organizational goals, they foster a learning culture that promotes innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Characters should reflect the diversity of your organizations workforce and illustrate the importance of problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership.

Training 130

Training Training Case Study Case Studies 130

Harvard Business

AUGUST 8, 2017

At this juncture, what you think, what you say, and how you show up — in effect, your leadership presence — can have a direct impact on those you are now leading and managing for the first time. Set a leadership values-based goal. Leadership presence is therefore an “and/both” versus an “either/or.”

Leadership 146

Leadership Management Emotional Intelligence Agile 146

Johanna Rothman

AUGUST 12, 2021

Now, these same managers want business agility. The more we remove, the more agility or improvement we might see. As the teams used agile approaches, they requested more and more frequent deployments. A lot of the friction we see is anti-agility. What culture do you want? What Might You Consider Removing?

Policies 131

Policies Leadership Guidelines Agile 131

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

Harvard Business

JUNE 27, 2016

Many of us know this intuitively: best practices are optimized for a particular place and time and don’t necessarily transfer well between cultures. That’s how it is with practices that don’t quite fit another cultural context. Managing Across Cultures. What Leadership Looks Like in Different Cultures.

Culture 131

Culture Research Case Interview Development 131

Johanna Rothman

APRIL 13, 2021

I had great fun with Cherie Silas and Alex Kudinov on their podcast, “Keeping Agile Non-Denominational.” You've seen or heard about this problem: Senior leadership says, “Yes we need agility!” ” The teams say, “Yes, we got the agile goodness here!” ” And the middle managers?

Agile 108

Agile Management Culture Leadership 108

Johanna Rothman

MAY 18, 2021

I had the pleasure of being on the Agile Uprising Podcast: Modern Management Made Easy with Johanna Rothman. How trust, empathy, and creating a safe environment are what allows us to use agile approaches. The post Fun Discussion with the Agile Uprising appeared first on Johanna Rothman, Management Consultant.

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

LSA Global

JANUARY 22, 2025

Leverage and Develop Complementary Skills and Personalities Once your strategy and culture are aligned enough to set the foundation for high performance, your next step is to purposefully blend the unique talents, experiences, and perspectives of your team members to perform at their peak.

Management 68

Management How To Construction Training 68

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

Johanna Rothman

FEBRUARY 4, 2021

I had a great time on the Agile Coffee podcast, 75. We spoke about a variety of issues that managers, teams, and people encounter, such as: Culture and how that plays out at all levels. Why I don't always subscribe to the idea of intent-based leadership. Why I don't always subscribe to the idea of intent-based leadership.

Agile 66

Agile Management Culture System 66

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. Team-based “agile” is not enough.

Agile 69

Agile Management Efficiency Culture 69

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

Johanna Rothman

FEBRUARY 23, 2018

If you read my scaling agile series , you can see that becoming an agile organization requires seeing your organization as a system with a culture. If you don’t also address the cultural problems of rewards, you won’t continue with your agile transformation. How can you see your system and your culture?

Agile 51

Agile System Culture Efficiency 51

Harvard Business

MARCH 7, 2017

Susan Fowler, a former site reliability engineer at Uber, recently wrote about her “very, very strange year at Uber,” characterized by a pervasive culture of alleged sexual harassment. But must employees, investors, and other constituents accept harmful employment cultures in fast-growth organizations until a crisis occurs?

Recruiting 141

Recruiting Recruitment Finance Agile 141

Brimstone Consulting

JANUARY 3, 2022

The following 9 inspirational videos on leadership and change have been helpful for us and the leaders with whom we work. Grit, curiosity, agility, courage and so much more. In this spirited talk, he highlights three important changes we should understand for better productivity and calls for a stronger culture of “smart failure.”

Video 82

Video Leadership Pharmaceuticals Education 82

Johanna Rothman

JULY 29, 2021

The teams want to use an agile approach so they can incorporate learning. The managers might even think this is roadmap reflects an agile approach. There's nothing about this roadmap that's agile. You can decide if you need an agile approach. See What Lifecycle or Agile Approach Fits Your Context? What can you do?

Agile 143

Agile Productivity Management Data 143

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

Leadership Vision Consulting

SEPTEMBER 22, 2024

In this episode of the Leadership Vision podcast, we sit down with Dennis Stevens, an enterprise Agile coach and founder of OrgWright with 30 years of experience. We discuss the evolving relevance of Agile principles and practices, particularly in the context of the post-pandemic business world.

Agile 43

Agile Culture Enterprise Leadership 43

LSA Global

AUGUST 21, 2024

Net Promoter Score 95% Skill Adoption 92% Impact This global biotech company with a commercial footprint in 78 countries was looking to accelerate leadership and management development though a Corporate Leadership Academy for Biotech. Job Relevance 98% Satisfaction 148% Knowledge Gain 95.4%

Leadership 67

Leadership Company Talent Training 67

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. Cultural change rarely occurs fast.

Agile 59

Agile Culture System Fashion 59

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