From becoming a certified scrum master to learning how scrum training works in the first place, Leadership Tribe is here to work with you every step of the way. Learn how to work with various team members with our insight blogs and videos.
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 3, 2020 | Agile Coaching, Scrum Training
What is the purpose for us using ‘Kanban‘ for Portfolio management?
At senior executive levels, it is all about churning ideas each day for your product lines.
The portfolio backlog inputs can come from Sales and Marketing teams, End users, through customer interviews, adhering to compliance, product management teams, etc… These are nothing but strategic themes.
The idea of using Kanban is as follows:
- Pick an idea from the “To Do” to evaluate if it is feasible. Limit the number of ideas picked each week for evaluation purpose (WIP)
- Most importantly create visibility to all the key stakeholders
- The strategic themes
- Prioritize the ideas which are of high business value by ensuring we get inputs from all the key stakeholders
- Allocate lean budgets for each of the value streams
- Solution Architects inputs are most vital to know technical feasibility before prioritizing
- Easiness of maintaining a visualization board
- Continuous exploration feeds the Kanban “To Do” list
Done State
- Approved Epics becomes part of the Portfolio Backlog
It is better to have a cadence preferably to review once in 2 weeks to continuously evolve as a framework to get the most valued items delivered to customers on a fast track mode. This will also help in improving upon WIP limits
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 3, 2020 | Agile Coaching, Scrum Training
The Intent
With twenty-four years in the Indian Army (Infantry and Army Aviation) and two years in the corporate environment, it has been my earnest endeavour to synthesise my learnings in service and deliver high-quality content to my clients as part of Leadership Tribe. What I deliver in my training, they are sourced from active combat situations in my postings and deployments as a counter-terrorism specialist, a combat helicopter pilot and a trainer in Organisational Behaviour at the College of Defence Management.
I have effectively incorporated military leadership and team performance lessons in my sessions as an Agile trainer, Coach, Facilitator and Consultant. Needless to say, my sessions on Agile focus on agility as a mindset, respecting the human element, developing cross-functional competencies, operating in VUCA situations and handling conflict scenarios; areas I have been trained and have consistently performed during my service in uniform.
It came as a pleasant surprise when I was invited to introduce ‘Agile’ in an Army base to explore possibilities of adopting new ways of working and thinking into their existing culture. It was now time to introduce new ways of ‘being’ and ‘doing’ to the very organisation which shaped me to what I am today. It was also an opportunity to ‘give back’ something of value.
The Approach
The Indian Army is an organisation steeped in legacy. Customs, traditions and ethos that have been fiercely guarded against external influences and lend themselves to a culture of high performance and selfless service. However, like any adaptive entity, it needs to embrace change to make itself relevant to a dynamic environment. I saw an opportunity to introduce Agile from an ontological approach. Emphasising more on the primacy of Agile as a ‘mindset’ and the need to acknowledge the importance of the human ‘being’. Using a psychological approach, the aim was to enlighten the participants (Senior Officers), to the art and science of “Being Agile”. The day-long engagement was more on discovering the various facets of the human mind and exploration through shared learning. It was a welcoming change to witness willful participation by the officers (despite the existing hierarchal influence that was present in the room) and the creation of a psychologically safe environment by none other than the Commandant himself.
Does the Military Need Agile?
The military works from the ‘ground-up’ with a core philosophy of building resilient teams responding to any situation or circumstance. They function under numerous processes and procedures that need revalidation and revision. Legacy habits need to be shed and new ways of thinking and operating need to be factored in. Management practices need are looked and substituted with more practical frameworks that are easy to adopt, flexible, responsive and consistent. Agile fulfils in these areas by contributing the following merits:
- Awareness on why any change/transformation can truly be manifested when stakeholder interest is driven from the very top
- Inculcating the true spirit of the Agile Mindset ushers in greater agility in the way things are done.
- Agile frameworks (Kanban, Scrum) implementation into existing processes and procedures.
- Change Management from a more enabling perspective by adopting the Agile way of ‘Being’.
- Facilitation and Coaching are skills that augment the efficiency of leadership (everyone is a leader here). Training to be an Agile coach and facilitator opens up new vistas for officers to address complex man-management issues much more effectively.
- Brings in a fresh perspective and creativity to problem-solving, especially issues that are sourced from human interactions.
How we Benefit?
Leadership Tribe in its relentless pursuit to push the domain of Agile as a Mindset into significant ‘Non – IT’ environments have leapt faith by engaging with the officers of the Indian Army. The willingness of the officers of the Army to know more from us about ‘Being Agile” and the opportunity to adopt an Agile Mindset has been a significant milestone in our journey so far. It is an engagement of mutual benefit where Agile will be fostered in its true form. Our learning from this initiative will be ploughed back into our programs thereby enriching the learning experience of our clients.
by Krishna Chodipilli | Dec 3, 2020 | Agile Coaching, Scrum Training
Introducing Agile to The Indian Army
The Intent
With twenty-four years in the Indian Army (Infantry and Army Aviation) and two years in the corporate environment, it has been my earnest endeavour to synthesise my learnings in service and deliver high-quality content to my clients as part of Leadership Tribe. What I deliver in my training, they are sourced from active combat situations in my postings and deployments as a counter-terrorism specialist, a combat helicopter pilot and a trainer in Organisational Behaviour at the College of Defence Management.
I have effectively incorporated military leadership and team performance lessons in my sessions as an Agile trainer, Coach, Facilitator and Consultant. Needless to say, my sessions on Agile focus on agility as a mindset, respecting the human element, developing cross-functional competencies, operating in VUCA situations and handling conflict scenarios; areas I have been trained and have consistently performed during my service in uniform.
It came as a pleasant surprise when I was invited to introduce ‘Agile’ in an Army base to explore possibilities of adopting new ways of working and thinking into their existing culture. It was now time to introduce new ways of ‘being’ and ‘doing’ to the very organisation which shaped me to what I am today. It was also an opportunity to ‘give back’ something of value.
The Approach
The Indian Army is an organisation steeped in legacy. Customs, traditions and ethos that have been fiercely guarded against external influences and lend themselves to a culture of high performance and selfless service. However, like any adaptive entity, it needs to embrace change to make itself relevant to a dynamic environment. I saw an opportunity to introduce Agile from an ontological approach. Emphasising more on the primacy of Agile as a ‘mindset’ and the need to acknowledge the importance of the human ‘being’. Using a psychological approach, the aim was to enlighten the participants (Senior Officers), to the art and science of “Being Agile”. The day-long engagement was more on discovering the various facets of the human mind and exploration through shared learning. It was a welcoming change to witness willful participation by the officers (despite the existing hierarchal influence that was present in the room) and the creation of a psychologically safe environment by none other than the Commandant himself.
Does the Military Need Agile?
The military works from the ‘ground-up’ with a core philosophy of building resilient teams responding to any situation or circumstance. They function under numerous processes and procedures that need revalidation and revision. Legacy habits need to be shed and new ways of thinking and operating need to be factored in. Management practices need are looked and substituted with more practical frameworks that are easy to adopt, flexible, responsive and consistent. Agile fulfils in these areas by contributing the following merits:
- Awareness on why any change/transformation can truly be manifested when stakeholder interest is driven from the very top
- Inculcating the true spirit of the Agile Mindset ushers in greater agility in the way things are done.
- Agile frameworks (Kanban, Scrum) implementation into existing processes and procedures.
- Change Management from a more enabling perspective by adopting the Agile way of ‘Being’.
- Facilitation and Coaching are skills that augment the efficiency of leadership (everyone is a leader here). Training to be an Agile coach and facilitator opens up new vistas for officers to address complex man-management issues much more effectively.
- Brings in a fresh perspective and creativity to problem-solving, especially issues that are sourced from human interactions.
How we Benefit?
Leadership Tribe in its relentless pursuit to push the domain of Agile as a Mindset into significant ‘Non – IT’ environments have leapt faith by engaging with the officers of the Indian Army. The willingness of the officers of the Army to know more from us about ‘Being Agile” and the opportunity to adopt an Agile Mindset has been a significant milestone in our journey so far. It is an engagement of mutual benefit where Agile will be fostered in its true form. Our learning from this initiative will be ploughed back into our programs thereby enriching the learning experience of our clients.
