Leading The Change: How Exemplary Behaviours, Team Support, And A Safe Environment Foster Innovation

Did your organization go through an agile transformation, or even more, implement DevOps? Do you feel that though new terms are used, some new tools were implemented, and there is wide use of stand-up meetings, the outcomes are the same way as always? If the answer is yes, you are not alone. According to Gartner, up to 75 percent of DevOps transformations fail to deliver. Why is that so, and what can you, as a leader, do to change this?

The concept of DevOps has many different definitions. Generally, it is about breaking organizational silos between delivery and operational teams. Based on Agile and Lean principles, the focus is on cross-functional teams responsible for building new systems and supporting and maintaining them. The premise is that this approach reduces the number of hand-offs, improves communication, increases business value delivery speed, and enhances stability and reliability. Additionally, there are many flavours of DevOps depending on the functions involved, like DevSecOps, DataOps, Cloud Ops, and AI Ops, to mention a few.

Working with many organizations in the past that tried to implement Agile, the problem was usually the same; they started from the wrong side. Often a detailed plan was developed, milestones were set, consultants engaged, new tools and processes implemented, and staff trained. Almost always, there was one critical, foundational element missing – the culture change.

DevOps is a cultural movement. Yes, the CI/CD pipelines, tools and processes are part of DevOps, but the culture must first change. Culture is a set of behaviours, beliefs and values that are difficult to change and requires time and attention. There is no straightforward recipe to follow, as each organization is different. Setting up arbitrary milestones and trying to squeeze activities will lead to implementation shortcuts, resulting in superficial adoption. The ingrained behaviours stay, and as soon as the consultants move on, the organization returns to its comfort zone, old habits, albeit now using new terminology. Without senior leadership providing a clear ‘why’ and giving time and space, the transformation will fail to achieve the full benefits.

Here are a few areas where you, as a leader, can help.

Management safety

It might be surprising, but most of the resistance doesn’t come from senior leaders or teams but from middle management. How hierarchies and management metrics were set up works against the change. Managers are careful to protect their boundaries; unless they see and understand what benefits they will get, they will resist. The feeling that they are losing control when their resources move to cross-functional teams, and the uncertainty about their future, are just a few of the factors. To address this, senior leaders need to define the managers’ roles in the new world and change how they are being measured.

Leaders play a critical role in the transformation that cannot be delegated. They need to be at the forefront of the change, exemplify the behaviours, support the teams, and create an environment that is safe to experiment.

Clarity of vision

Vague statements that things will be better are not enough. Each organization is different, and the future needs to be described in unambiguous terms. The leaders need to provide a compelling story that ignites emotional engagement, at the same time spelling out details that are unknown at this time. This will encourage the teams to innovate and take ownership.

Psychological safety

The teams need to know that it is safe to experiment and that a wrong answer is as good as a right answer as long astheyunderstand why. This will help with developing a culture of constant improvement and learning.

Implementation skills

Check the history of your consultants. They need experience and a toolbox with various approaches depending on circumstances and the organization’s existing culture. Sending people to some courses is not sufficient, as it will limit them to following a prescribed process that might not be correct.

Growth culture

Every person in the organization needs to understand that with DevOps, there is no end-state. Technologies, markets, and customer expectations are constantly changing. They need to be vigilant and continuously check for what is working and what is not. Leaders need to create time and space for forward-thinking, retrospectives and learning.

Modelling behaviours

Leaders need to be first to change their behaviours. If not done, the teams will quickly become cynical, and the transformation will halt. The leaders need to define upfront what these behaviours are and follow them.

Shift from project to product thinking

Traditional organizations are tactical projects oriented. Instead, we need to think about end-to-end products and long-term outcomes. This will help with innovation, empowerment and motivation. Leaders might help by identifying delivery value streams and measures to identify the bottlenecks. There needs to be a process that constantly measures the efficiency of the value stream. The teams need to know that they are not left alone but that someone will help them resolve their problems.

Organizational goals alignment

There is nothing more detrimental to change than misaligned goals across departments. The leaders must identify common goals and cascade them down to limit conflicts.

Leaders play a critical role in the transformation that cannot be delegated. They need to be at the forefront of the change, exemplify the behaviours, support the teams, and create an environment that is safe to experiment. This will increase the odds of successful transformation and adoption of DevOps.