The document discusses systems for change and creating an effective system of change. It describes different types of change, including planned, retrospective, directed, and evolutionary change. It also discusses different approaches to change, such as using constraints to enable collaboration and experimentation, applying the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) loop for hypothesis-driven change, and combining reflective observation and active experimentation using a Kanban system. The overall goal is to view change as a dynamic system and establish a system of change that incorporates planned change, emergent constraints, and retrospective change to drive measurable yet adaptive organizational change.

1. SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 1
@PatrickSteyaert
Lean Agile Scotland 2016
KANBAN systems for change

2. SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 2
The mental image of a snowmobile used by Col. John Boyd to
illustrate the role of analysis and synthesis in innova,on.
Picture: http://s117.photobucket.com/

3. SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 3
Confusion
Change is a dynamic complex system with
many moving parts and interacPons

4. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 4
The partsDifferent types of change
Evolutionary
change
Directed
change
Retrospective
change Planned
change
Convex / ExponenPal
Concave / Linear

5. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 5
The whole
Constraints* and regime changes
Enabling
constraints
Emergent
constraints
Over-
constrained
Un-
constrained
*Inspired by both A. Juarrero’s Dynamics in Ac9on and E. Goldrath’s Theory of Constraints
(Individual, no system)
(Emergent team, system)
(“Individual”, rigid rules)
(Team, system)

6. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 6
Opposite ends that meet
Planned and retrospective change
Action
After Action
Review
Set standard

7. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 7
By separating the thinking from the doing the system of work
becomes over-constrained
Planned change
After Action
Review
what needs to be done
how it has to be done
by whom
in what Pming
Set standard Action

8. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 8
Unconstrained
Retrospective change
ActionSet standard
Things to keep
Things to improve
What have we learned
What sPll puzzles us
After Action
Review

9. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 9
Creating flow
Inbound
Outbound
IdenPfying
opPons for
change
(using models,
frameworks,
assessments, …)
Delivering
change
(in small
increments)

10. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 10
Kanban system for changePlanned and retrospective change
upstream inventory downstream
suggestion Evaluation consolidation Ready to
impl
ready Initiate
change
Guide
change
Validate
Adoption
Techniques
Prac,ces
Procedures
5 4 6 5 >7 >5 >3 8
Inventory
Techniques
Prac,ces
Procedures
Story
mapping Visual
mngt

11. SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 11
What is (implicitly) expected
Convex/exponential change
success
Expected
pain
Expected
gain
Change accumulates into
*big* outcomes
fail

12. SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 12
What is actually happening
Concave/linear change
success
Expected
pain
Expected
gain
Outcomes are capped and change ini,a,ves
tend to stall
fail

13. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 13
Active experimentationThe pdca loop and hypothesis-driven change
do
check
adjust
plan
We believe that
<doing this>
Will achieve
<this outcome>
Hypothesis
Experiment
Results
Learning
Model

14. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 14
Evolutionary change
Start where you are
now
STEP #1
Implement a safe-to-
fail change
STEP #2
Evaluate fitness
against fitness-for-
purpose criteria
Ø if posiPve reinforce
Ø if negaPve roll back
STEP #3

15. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 15
Experiments need a
stable context to give
meaningful results.
Context matters
When the level of
collabora,on is low
and the process is
unstable then
experimenta,on does
not make sense.

16. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 16
Too unstable to experiment in
What turns this …
Ideas Ready for Dev Development TesTIng Ready for UAT Done
ongoing done
Abandoned
A user
story
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story
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Into this?
Ideas Ready for Dev Development TesTIng Ready for UAT Done
ongoing done
Abandoned
A user
story
A user
story
A user
story
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story
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story
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story
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story
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story

18. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 18
Kanban
Ideas Ready for Dev Development TesTIng Ready for UAT Done
ongoing done
5 ∞
Abandoned
5
3
A user
story
A user
story
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story
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story
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story
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story
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story
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It is not about visualizaPon; it is about
the effect of WIP limits as a constraint
that enables novel behavior.

19. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 19
Enabling constraints
Catalyze
Collabora,on
Stable Chao,c
Individual

20. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 20
Emerging
constraints

21. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 21
Reflective observationThe OODA loop
orient
decide
act
observe
Unfolding
events
Implicit
guidance
Implicit
guidance
Habits, experiences and disposiPons RaPonal choice

22. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 22
Align on direction give autonomy to execution
Directed change
New target Ideal future statenow
“How” is discovered
“Why” and “What” are defined

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Double loop Learning
ReflecPve
observaPon
AcPve
experimentaPon
ORIENT
DECIDEACTOBSERVE
Implicit
guidance
DOCHECK
ADJUST
PLAN
Feedback
Unfolding
events
Model

24. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 24
Kanban system for changeReflective observation + Active experimentation
Decision making (OODA) Hypothesis Learning (PDCA)
Observe Orient
Abandon
Decide Act Plan Do Check Adjust
Observa,ons
5 4 6 5 5 6 8 8
Hypothesis
Abandon Experiments

25. © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE 25
Looking at the whole
System of Change
Convex
change
Concave
change
Evolutionary
change
Directed
change
Retrospective
change Planned
change
Enabling
constraints
Emergent
constraints
Over-
constraining
Un-
constraining

26. SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 26
System of change
Changing the way of change
Planned change is often the starting point –
It can mobilize for change
Keep a watch on emergent constraints to
realize measurable results
Look for constraints that enable collaboration
and experimentation
Retrospective change is your eyes and
ears in the organization

27. SYSTEMS FOR CHANGE © Patrick Steyaert, 2016 27
Thank you
Stay in touch with us!
twiher.com/@PatrickSteyaert patrick.steyaert@okaloa.com