0165 - Agile at Scale with Jefferson Cowhig

Hosts: Jesus Cortina Bernal and Odhrán McDonnell

We are delighted to have Jefferson Cowhig to talk with us today. 

Jeff works in Financial Services Technology Transformation for EY.

You are very welcome to the podcast Jeff. 

Could you say a few words about your own background and experience in consulting and technology?

1.Can we start with an article we have been reading, Henrik Kniberg & Anders Ivarsson’s “Scaling Agile @ Spotify”. What were your impressions when you first learnt about the Spotify model? [2012-2016- the Tribes, Squads, Chapters & Guilds… How LeSS/SAFe reacted and interpreted it then and since?]

2.You are a fan of “Team Topologies”, could you tell us about the approach? [candles and cake problem? - organisations are complex, and large organisations are complex and complicated a tool for analysing structure and introducing change for teams, and teams of teams - Team Topologies, matrix diagrams, organisation charts – help to make organisations tangible – capture connections, responsibilities, reporting.]

3.Could you share any tips on approaches that embed communication across hierarchies and between teams? [when you are shaping an organisational change, or within the consulting organisation itself…]

4.How do you start an agile transformation? [Organisational change processes are difficult, take time, and often encounter resistance - facilitation, bottom up, sponsor backed, sprints/design-thinking?]

5.What do you say to the statement that “ideas and solutions are easy, that the real problem is finding real problems”? [rather give my team problems to solve rather than solutions to implement]

6.How has consulting changed over the last couple of years working the Covid?

7.Any final thoughts on changes coming over the next 5 years?

8.Another question?

Well, we’ll wrap up there.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences today.

Notes:

https://eyfinancialservicesthoughtgallery.ie

Jeff’s talk to ALI in March 2021 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuaOfQzFYmU

Books and models referenced included:

•Team Topologies: https://teamtopologies.com/key-concepts 

•Book: Agile IT Organization Design | Thoughtworks - https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/books/agile-it-organization-design

•Cynefin Framework About - Cynefin Framework - The Cynefin Co - https://thecynefin.co/about-us/about-cynefin-framework/

•Kniberg Product Ownership Video: Agile Product Ownership in a Nutshell - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=502ILHjX9EE

•Jeremiah Lee: Spotify’s Failed #SquadGoals (jeremiahlee.com) - https://www.jeremiahlee.com/posts/failed-squad-goals/

•SAFe: SAFe 5 for Lean Enterprises (scaledagileframework.com) - https://www.scaledagileframework.com/

•LeSS: Overview - Large Scale Scrum (LeSS) - https://less.works/

Credits and License

Music 

Title: Impulse

Artist: Ben Prunty

Source: https://www.benpruntymusic.com/

License: Non-transferable license. Permission granted by Ben Prunty (personal letter)

Cover Art 

Title: Pick and Mix

Artist: Conor Fitzpatrick; and Graphic Design: Allen Higgins

Source: Fitzpatrick_Unamed.jpg -> PickAndMix-Name.pptx

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (Permission granted by Conor Fitzpatrick (personal letter))

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Design Talk (dot IE) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 

The license can be viewed at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0

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