Numerous innovative, high-growth organizations have just begun to explore Agile and others have seamlessly integrated Scrum into their operations. Regardless of where you currently stand in your transformational journey, the necessity to scale becomes evident as your organization continues to grow.

Rather than jumping in headfirst, there are 10 questions that we recommend considering that will lead to a successful implementation. In this first blog of the series, we will address the first and likely the most important question, “Why scale?” Let’s explore the significance of this question and delve into the factors that might be hindering your organization from finding clarity.

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road can take you there.”

~Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

Agile will guide your journey and take you where you need to go faster, better, cheaper than any other path. The overarching “why” for an Agile company who is implementing and scaling Scrum is likely value delivery, but you need to ask specifically, what does your company want to happen as a result?

Answering the question…

So how do you go about solving the puzzle of why you should scale?  One of the most effective ways to answer this question is to try on different hats. Imagine yourself stepping into the shoes of your customers, users, investors, management, partners, and employees. Now present yourself with this question: “What is the one thing we can improve that would make you feel that we have created value for you?” Picture how each of them would respond and if nothing comes to mind, it is time to have some insightful conversations!

This exercise can be a goldmine of wisdom, and as you gather feedback from your stakeholders, you will notice common themes emerging! You need to pinpoint your top goal and the supporting secondary objectives. These goals will become your navigation system that will keep you on track.

What is stopping you?

Answering the pivotal question, “why scale?” presents teams with several intricate challenges. It is no simple task to unite minds and facilitate difficult discussions. Reaching a consensus with diverse personalities and varying levels of authority in the organization can be tricky. The guiding principles and values of Agile and Scrum can help navigate these differences – urging teams to not just agree, but collectively commit!

In addition to dealing with the human factor, it is also common for organizations to get caught up in the implementation process of scaling, causing them to get off track. With the vast array of tasks, meetings, agendas, roles and responsibilities, and artifacts, the purpose of delivering value can be easily overshadowed. Reconnecting with the core objective requires an open dialogue with your teams to foster a balance between operational necessities and the goal of value delivery.

How can you scale successfully?

Bottom line- teams need to drop their personal biases and preferences and look at things from the perspective of those who will actually use what you are creating. It is not just about your opinions and processes; work collectively to rewire your thinking and dive deep into the mind of the customer.  Successful teams unite to embrace a mindset that goes beyond checking boxes.  They find a path that connects their ambitious goals with what really matters- delivering value to the customer.

Wherever you are in your process, Org Whisperers can help. We have a multitude of wisdom to impart and mistakes to avoid from our many years of scaling organizational teams.

We offer a free 30-minute consultation and we would love to hear from you! Contact Us