SN-Logo NewSN-Logo NewSN-Logo NewSN-Logo New
  • Agile Training
    • Scrum Master
    • Scrum Product Owner
    • Leadership Development
    • Private Workshops
    • Calendar
  • Enterprise Solutions
    • Unstoppable Program
    • Agile Keynotes
    • Private Workshops
  • Products
    • Personal Agility Book
    • Ten Agile Contracts Book
    • Extreme Manufacturing Explained
  • Blog
  • About
    • Peter B. Stevens
    • Scrum
    • Personal Agility
    • Saat Network
  • Contact
0

CHF0.00

✕
Formation Scrum en français
10-10-2009
Scrum Gathering: The Doctor is IN
22-10-2009

Saving Great Companies from Paralysis

Published by Peter Stevens on 14-10-2009
Categories
  • scaling
  • sclerosis
  • scrum
Tags

Gary Hamel of the WSJ recently asked, “What really kills great companies?” He observed that established, successful companies become encrusted and unresponsive. During this time they either make insubstantial changes or realize that they are dying of sclerosis and go for the quadruple bypass surgery of dramatic change. So if inertia is a corporate form of sclerosis, what is the cause and what is the cure?

Looking at a large company – a large company is any company where common sense does not universally apply, a situation which probably starts at around 4 to 5 levels of management – we see that top management can become quite isolated from the base. Noise, propagation delay and information loss distort initiatives coming down from the top, so these are only partially or incorrectly implemented. The chain of command filters information coming up from the base. Problems that are obvious at the base don’t get the required attention from the top. Communication and feedback break down.

If we look at functioning democracies, we see there are typically three branches of government: the legislative which sets policy, the executive which carries out that policy (and sometimes has policy ideas of its own), and the judiciary which interprets the law and resolves disputes. A free press ensures that everything which must be said can get said. And in many cases, the rights of initiative and referendum further limit the power of government.

How are this roles reflected in the corporate structure? The legislative branch corresponds to top management: the board, the CEO, and maybe the top level of management. Oddly, these managers are called “executives.” Middle management fulfills the role of the executive branch. These people carry out the company policies and objectives. Like the executive branch of government, they have some ideas of their own about what the company should be doing, but they are fundamentally obliged to follow orders.

And what of the judicial branch and the press? How do opposing views, minority opinions, or even inappropriate behavior by top management get brought to the surface? I believe the short answer is that in many cases, they don’t. Bad news, the consequences of turf battles, structural impediments to productivity, and other problems simply do not get addressed, unless the company is in dire straights.

How can we prevent or cure this problem? Scrum offers a step in the right direction and suggests a more complete solution.

The job of the ScrumMaster is to recognize and resolve impediments to progress. The ScrumMaster does not represent management or any other stakeholder, but simply ensures that the game is played correctly. The ScrumMaster might even take on the role of attorney for team, protecting them from the changing winds of management, and working proactively with them to identify and prioritize measures to improve productivity.

What happens when these measures cannot be implemented by the team or the Scrum Master? If these measures are not handled promptly, or worse are sabotaged by a management more interested in the status quo than creating value for the customer, then continuous improvement stops and sclerosis sets in. What is needed is a way to ensure that impediments and improvements appear on management’s radar and get handled promptly and positively.

An Escalation Team represents a potiental solution to the problem. Their job is to resolve impediments and implement improvements that are beyond the jurisdiction of the ScrumMasters and first level management. This team quickly and effectively resolves the issues raised by the operational teams (and should be measured on their effectiveness at doing so). To be effective, an Escalation Team probably should consist of the managers operating at the level where common sense has given way to political considerations as the driving force in decision making — probably 3 or 4 levels up the ladder from the relevant teams — and should itself have a ScrumMaster who is selected from the operational ranks.

The Escalation Team creates a feedback loop between operational staff and management and is represents a potential cure for organizational sclerosis. If the bonus structure, metrics and other incentives ensure that the Escalation Team must respond quickly and effectively to problems discovered at the base, then we have established a remedy to prevent and cure organizational sclerosis.

Share
Peter Stevens
Peter Stevens

Related posts

Definition of Done Checklist & Infographic - Click to download the PDF

Definition of Done Checklist & Infographic - Click to download the PDF

09-06-2023

Working, Reliable, Valuable: A Definition of Done Checklist


Read more
Inside the Scrum Team Cover

ITST Passed the 2000 View mark on May 22, 2023

23-05-2023

2000 Views on Youtube  🎉


Read more
Infographic - Ten Risks of Product Development

Ten Risks of Product Development - Tips for Better Results, Sooner

02-05-2023

Infographic – Ten Risks of Product Development


Read more

Comments are closed.

Learn more about Agile

  • Certified Scrum Product Owner | Face-2-Face | English | Jun 29-30, 2023
    in Zürich
    June 29, 2023 -
    June 30, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

  • Certified Scrum Master | Face-2-Face | English | Jul 06-07, 2023
    in Zürich
    July 06, 2023 -
    July 07, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

  • Certified Scrum Product Owner | Face-2-Face | English | Aug 24-25, 2023
    in Zürich
    August 24, 2023 -
    August 25, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

  • Certified Scrum Master | Face-2-Face | English | Sep 28-29, 2023
    in Zürich
    September 28, 2023 -
    September 29, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

Saat Network GmbH is a small, independent company dedicated to helping you discover and apply the values, principles and practices that will enable you to thrive in the 21st century.

Quick Links

  • What Really Matters – Peter Stevens’ Blog

High Performing Teams

  • Get Stuff Done
  • Get Right Stuff Done
  • Create Alignment
  • Leadership

Free Resources

  • Personal Agility Institute
  • Impressum
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
© 2023 Saat Network GmbH. All Rights Reserved.
0

CHF0.00

✕

Login

Lost your password?

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Read more about our Privacy Policy
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
mailchimp_landing_site1 monthThe cookie is set by MailChimp to record which page the user first visited.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_42152348_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gcl_au3 monthsProvided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
NID6 monthsNID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads.
test_cookie15 minutesThe test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
COMPASS1 hourNo description
cookies.jssessionNo description available.
S1 hourNo description available.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo