Intro to Transformation

It's like producing a safe chrysalis for a caterpillar's transformation and every caterpillar that follows

A company embarking on its agile journey is much like a caterpillar, considered to be juvenile, and only once it transforms can it reproduce, or as is the case with the company, can reproduce quality outputs again and again. But, the end state of the transformation of a company is not a wonderful butterfly; it is the ability to transform continuously.

Let's go back to junior-high-school science for a moment. The Lepidoptera order of animals contains what we usually refer to as butterflies. Butterflies lay eggs. It can take about four weeks to transform from an egg into a butterfly. Firstly, the eggs take 5 to 10 days to hatch, from which the larva or caterpillar appears. Then after 11 to 18 days, they create a hard-skinned chrysalis - commonly known as a cocoon. The final stage sees the caterpillar enter the cocoon for metamorphosis or 'the big change'. It takes about 10 to 14 days, at the end of which the butterfly emerges to find a mate and start the cycle all over again. The four stages of a butterflies life are an egg, caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly - repeat.

The cyclic nature of this transformation is key to the continuation of the species. And the key to an agile organisation's continuation of value delivery.

An agile transformation is the introduction of revolutionary processes, modernising technology, and ultimately changing the mindsets of individuals throughout the whole organisation to greatly increase value for customers and maximise the flow of work through the entire business system of delivery. The transformation includes the framework, principles and values that are required to start the transformation and continue transforming into the future. It should be noted that it is more than just methodology, more than just agile and more than just culture.

Perhaps then, agile practices can be seen as the chrysalis that allows the transformation to happen within a safe environment again and again and again.

Transformation is not about throwing out the old but working with what already exists and improving, updating, adding to, and taking away what is no longer useful.

Introduction Revolutionary Processes (Process)

• Learn & Apply new practices

• Governance Adjustments

• Unlearn old practices among multiple stakeholders throughout the organization

Modernising Technology (Technology)

• DevOps

• Cloud

• CI/CD

• Automation

Changing Mindsets (People)

• Cultural Shift

• Philosophical Amendment

• Individual, Team, and Company Culture

Creating Knowledge (Data)

• Single source of truth

• Up-to-date and easy to access

• Data-driven decisions

There are many stakeholders within the organisation that need to be considered and aligned to bring about true organizational agility.