Steps: Gain Buy-In

Sets

  1. Obtain Permission to Evangelize
  2. Determine Next Steps
  3. Evangelize FuSca™
  4. Obtain Team-Level Support
  5. Begin Implementation

Note: The steps here are a very pared-down version of my “Process for Agile Transformation,” which I strongly recommend for multi-team organizations due to the high failure rate of most organizational culture change efforts.

Obtain Permission to Evangelize

  1. Download the FuSca Proposal Slides and convert them to your preferred template.
  2. Revise the deck for your situation using the “Recipe for Persuasion.”
  3. Rehearse your presentation, and if needed cut it to a maximum of 30 minutes.
    Tip: Ask attendees to only ask questions during your talk if something is unclear, because others may get answered later in the deck, and you’ve allowed time for general questions.
  4. Do a trial run with a colleague and update the deck.
  5. Schedule a one-hour meeting with your supervisor and anyone else from whom you need permission to pursue FuSca.
  6. At the meeting:
    1. Deliver the presentation.
    2. Answer questions.
    3. Ask for approval to pursue a change to FuSca.
    4. Ask attendees to identify stakeholder groups that must agree or be trained.
      Tip: Think through every group that could possibly be impacted by the change. At minimum, this will be every group whose members might be asked to serve on Agile teams or in any Guidance Role.
  7. Update the deck for later re-use based on any objections or questions raised.

Details: “Define the Choice” and “Gain Buy-In.”

Determine Next Steps

If you are:

  • Only trying to convert your team(s)—Skip the next set of steps.
  • Building stakeholder consensus—Continue to the next set.
    Note: The next two sets can be performed in parallel.

Evangelize FuSca

Set meetings with representatives of each stakeholder group, and for each:

  1. Deliver the presentation per the previous set of steps.
  2. After the meeting, send a copy of the deck to each attendee.
  3. Update the deck based on any objections or questions raised.
  4. If the group does not agree immediately:
    1. Reschedule a follow-up meeting at the attendees’ desired timing.
    2. At the follow-up, point out the deck changes and address further objections or questions.
  5. Repeat steps 2–4 as needed to obtain support from the majority of members.
  6. Continue to the next set for any existing teams that would be asked to adopt, or modify current, Scrum practices.

Obtain Team-Level Support

In a team meeting:

  1. Deliver the presentation.
  2. Answer the team’s questions.
  3. Ask the team members if they are willing to try Full Scale agile, and specifically all the team-level steps in this site, for at least eight sprints (or two releases if used).
    Caution: Do not let members “pick and choose” parts to try.
  4. If the group does not agree immediately:
    1. Reschedule a follow-up meeting at the attendees’ desired timing.
    2. At the follow-up, point out any deck changes and address further objections or questions.
    3. Repeat steps 2–4 as needed to obtain support from the majority of members.
  5. If the team agrees, but an individual does not want to switch, decide how to handle their case per “Set the Boundaries.”
    Note: This will likely need to be referred to the person’s supervisor.

Begin Implementation

For:

  • A new or pre-existing team, or group of teams, making the switch without larger organizational change—Continue to the “The Sprint Process” steps.
  • A team or group currently using Scrum but adding release planning—Skip to the “Release Planning” steps.
    Note: Teams must have a stable velocity (whether story points or counts), and able to meet the Agile Performance Standards with existing practices. If either is not true, see the previous bullet point.
  • New major initiatives (programs or projects)—Skip to the “Initiate Agile Programs” steps, whether using new or existing teams.
  • Organizations adopting the system:
    1. Read “Agile Across the Enterprise” and consider whether to pursue any of the changes there.
    2. Continue to the next page.

Tip: Adoption will happen faster if organizational changes are at least done in parallel with team changes, rather than waiting for the team changes to be implemented first.

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