Fortune 500 Medical Device Company Division

Overview

The software development department felt that they had not achieved the productivity promised by Agile after transitioning from their Waterfall development process. They felt that productivity had actually decreased.

The engagement survey was used to measure the level of engagement in October. It showed that only 28% of software development staff were experiencing the frequency of positive reinforcement necessary to sustain engagement. Individual accountability and pressure previously used by project management was no longer effective with the transition to self-directed teams. 

Management and lead engineers were provided with behavioral based training on motivation. The same survey applied four months later showed an increase in engaged staff from 28% to 40%. Agile teams had become highly motivated to set and achieve their Sprint goals. 

Problem

Although management had acknowledged the need for culture change to support the self-directed teams of Agile, their directing and controlling management style persisted:

• Teams were expected to meet fixed feature schedules with no flexibility.
• Managers led standup meetings to track daily progress.
• Frequent priority changes during Sprint development were causing frustration.

Management had not adopted the supportive servant-leader style necessary for effective Agile development. New management roles had not been defined.

Solution

Management was provided with motivation training based on organizational behavior principles. They realized that they needed to establish the environment for frequent peer positive reinforcement to increase team motivation. Motivated teams can be trusted to set and achieve their own Sprint goals without external pressure and frequent priority changes. Standup meetings changed from status meetings to collaborative sessions with peer recognition for contributions to the teams' goals. Frequent achievement of Sprint goals became opportunities for celebration and peer recognition.

Management's responsibility became rapid removal of obstacles outside the control of Scrum Masters. Teams recognized management for their support. Managers felt that they were now adding value to Agile development.

Results

The number of engaged employees increased from 28% to 40%. Job satisfaction increased for software developers and management. Results surpassed what was possible with traditional project tracking an schedule pressure. A positive culture had been achieved.