A successful agile transformation requires significant changes in the way an organization operates. Those changes necessitate a shift in how people perform their jobs daily. It is (theoretically) simple to persuade people to change their working habits. You must explain the change you want to see, gain their support, provide them with the tools they need to execute, and assist them in making the change.

Excellent leadership and change management discipline are required to complete those steps successfully. In this blog post, we will discuss what we believe to be the five most important steps for management to take to lead a successful agile transformation.

Evaluate and determine the urgency of transformation

The first step in change is determining why the change is required. People will be uninterested in changing unless a rallying cry drives the change. The first step in agile transformation is to light the torch. Give people a compelling reason to change, explain how it will benefit them, and, most importantly, solicit feedback! Make sure that your spark for change is appealing to people and profitable for your company.

Leadership identification and training

With agile transformation, you cannot go it alone. You will require the assistance of people who are as enthusiastic about the change as you are. The qualifications for joining your transformation leadership team, as well as the number of leaders required, will vary depending on the scope of your transformation (team-level, department-level, or organization-level).

Many organizations have an excess of managers and a scarcity of leaders, making it challenging to identify the right leaders. These leaders must also serve-lead: to see their role as first and foremost one of developing others and ensuring that others have what they need to succeed.

Dream up a future vision

Almost every organization makes the most common mistake when starting its agile transformation. It fails to describe how their organization will be different after the transformation. This is critical for successful change.

Step 1 should have identified the 'urgency' of the change: what will happen if the transformation does not occur or is unsuccessful? That may be enough to get people to follow you, but it is insufficient to keep people aligned throughout the change. You must have a clear vision of how your organization will change due to the change. How will things improve for you, the leaders you identified in step #2, and everyone else affected?

Make a roadmap

At this point, you must translate your vision into a strategy that aligns everyone affected by the transformation and serves as a springboard for the transformation. A good transformation roadmap will show you where you're going in the next month, quarter, few quarters, year, and so on. Like any good roadmap in a complex change environment, the roadmap is a forecast that must be updated as you learn more about how your organization responds to the transformation.

A successful transformation roadmap must be prioritized based on perceived value and effectiveness. Rather than tackling everything at once, prioritize your roadmap based on the best opportunities to capitalize on this transformation.

The final execution

You now have a sense of urgency for the transformation, transformation leaders, a vision for the future, and a plan for putting that vision into action. It's now time to put it into action. You must gradually implement changes in your organization to see how your employees react. You'll also need open lines of communication to get honest feedback on what works and what doesn't. Most importantly, you must constantly modify your roadmap based on your discovery.

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