Transcend the “Feature Factory” Mindset Using Modern Agile and OKR
Combining Modern Agile with the proper use of OKR can be a lightweight, joyful way for organizations to help their people achieve awesome results.
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Summary
Most agile implementations focus on delivery, while management sets the strategy and cascades goals down to the teams. This top-down waterfall management style turns teams into "feature factories", coding and testing without a clear understanding of the bigger context. As the authors point out, "using Agile to deliver a waterfall plan has limited benefits".
A better way is proposed by embracing OKR (Objectives and Key Results) management in conjunction with Modern Agile principles. OKRs are evaluated frequently and are by-directional, where teams craft their own objectives only after understanding the overall corporate objective - creating contracts with their managers for their delivery.
OKRs also support the four Modern Agile principles: 1) Deliver Value Continuously, by ensuring day-to-day tasks actually achieve the desired outcome (meet the pre-defined Key Results); 2) Experiment & Learn Rapidly, by distributing objective setting down to the front line; 3) Make People Awesome, by enabling autonomous and self-organized teams deciding how they will reach the desired outcomes; and 4) Make Safety a Prerequisite, by decoupling OKRs from compensation and promotions and thus providing psychological safety for teams to try and fail fast.
A better way is proposed by embracing OKR (Objectives and Key Results) management in conjunction with Modern Agile principles. OKRs are evaluated frequently and are by-directional, where teams craft their own objectives only after understanding the overall corporate objective - creating contracts with their managers for their delivery.
OKRs also support the four Modern Agile principles: 1) Deliver Value Continuously, by ensuring day-to-day tasks actually achieve the desired outcome (meet the pre-defined Key Results); 2) Experiment & Learn Rapidly, by distributing objective setting down to the front line; 3) Make People Awesome, by enabling autonomous and self-organized teams deciding how they will reach the desired outcomes; and 4) Make Safety a Prerequisite, by decoupling OKRs from compensation and promotions and thus providing psychological safety for teams to try and fail fast.
Created on Oct 23, 2020 12:02,
published on Aug 27, 2017 00:00,
last edited on Oct 24, 2020 15:58
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