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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.