Harnessing the Power of Org Topologies: A Journey in Designing Agile Organizations

Introduction: The Fusion of Theory and Practice

In the world of agile transformations and organizational design, the integration of innovative frameworks like Org Topologies™ with practical learning experiences marks a new era in organizational development. This article delves into a unique experiment with Org Topologies™.

I. The Org Topologies™ Experiment: A Community's Exploration

A Unique Community Event

Last Thursday evening, a private community event brought together a group of forward-thinkers to explore the Org Topologies™ map. This session wasn't just another routine workshop; it was an enlightening journey through the intricate pathways of organizational design.

The Experiment's Design and Purpose

The session, crafted by yours truly (Jurgen De Smet), aimed to explore two critical questions:

1. Can participants effectively utilize Org Topologies™ without prior in-depth explanation?
2. What new applications of Org Topologies™ could emerge beyond the conventional understanding?

The approach was minimalistic, with little to no introduction to Org Topologies™, encouraging participants to dive into the map with fresh eyes and interpret it based on their instincts and assumptions. And this in a very short timeframe of 1,5 hours!

Reflections and Insights

Participants engaged in a reflective exercise, exploring the map's various dimensions - vertical, horizontal, and even diagonal axes. This process validated the first objective: people can indeed navigate the Org Topologies™ map without extensive theoretical grounding. The deviations observed were not just minimal but offered new, potentially valuable perspectives.

Some of the reflections built by attendees:

SINGLE SKILL INDIVIDUALFUNCTIONAL UNITMULTI-SKILL UNITMULTI-LEARNING UNITWHOLE PRODUCT FOCUSPRODUCT PART FOCUSFEATURE FOCUSTASK FOCUSBROADSCOPE OF WORKNARROWLOWCOMPLETENESS OF SKILLSHIGHWe can understand the business betterNow we can make a real impactDear PO, the proposed solution is stupid, here is a better waythe world is changing continuously, I can learn new stuff continuously as well (?)Finally, I have someone else to carry that big stuffoh, others might also care or even know something about the thing that is MY special knowledge / skill. Shocking!! (?)As a team of teams, we change how we work to better support the businessWe can talk to customers to see if our work is usefulAha, se can split the work to deliver it faster.Hey, continuous development is great when you work with multiple skills together (?)We can get more done in less timeoh, I can just ask the guy sitting next to me to change the API facing instead of waiting for months for the backend team (?)Real team...https://6teamconditions.com/teams-reimagined/framework (?)What? ChatGPT took my job?Aha! Different specialists CAN understand each otherAha, other pair of eyes helped me to stop running in circlesHey, these other guys also want to do a good job, they don't just want to make mine harder (?)there are other people that know how to do "my job", that I might learn fromI can trust that my team mates will solve this problem that seems impossible to meso they DO care about what I do!they will do a better job at this than I would

Hover over or tap any text on the drawing to read it.Tap any text on the drawing to read it.

Any other usages you can think of?Eye opener for managers keeping themselves busy solving the wrong problemsto map out some kind of counter-intuitive journey of transformation, like in the LeadingAgile stuffget more depressed :DSense making for me as consultantCommunication vessel to beteer understand where we areUsing this language might also be nice in a situation like: we want to go from Y1 dpt to B2 org, and then to feed people's desire or inspire them what can be possible let's visit a B2 and so.create awareness that this can go a lot further than you can imagine right nowmodel the situational from yet another perspective to trigger thinkingI think the paradigm shifts can really help me focus on what to coach onat a retro: "dear team, where are we now and why?""forget about team topologies, this is a newer and shynier thing"Helps to define strategy for change (many times called agile transformation :-) )EMERGENCEAD-HOC, LOW TRUSTLEAN STARTUP, FULLY DECOUPLEPREDICTABILITYADAPTABILITYPE, AE, PC, ACBECOME PREDICTABLELEAN/AGILEREDUCE BATCH SIZEAGILECONVERGENCE

Hover over or tap any text on the drawing to read it.Tap any text on the drawing to read it.

The value for me was... (0-->10)81010988

Hover over or tap any text on the drawing to read it.Tap any text on the drawing to read it.

II. The Agile Journey: From Understanding to Application

Exploring Coaching and Change

The second phase of the experiment shifted focus towards practical applications, such as coaching stances and change strategies to traverse the map. Having familiarized themselves with the map, participants brainstormed on these aspects collectively. What shifts does one need to make to go from left-to-right? What shifts does one need to make to go bottom-up?

Navigating the Org Topologies™ Map

An interesting revelation emerged here: contrary to the expectation that participants would find the left-to-right movement (transformational journey) more intuitive, they expressed greater ease with the bottom-to-top approach (upwards movement in organizational maturity). This finding challenges some traditional assumptions in agile adoption strategies generally focussed on the left-to-right approach, building loosely coupled cross-functional teams.

SINGLE SKILL INDIVIDUALFUNCTIONAL UNITMULTI-SKILL UNITMULTI-LEARNING UNITWHOLE PRODUCT FOCUSPRODUCT PART FOCUSFEATURE FOCUSTASK FOCUSBROADSCOPE OF WORKNARROWLOWCOMPLETENESS OF SKILLSHIGHWe can understand the business betterNow we can make a real impactDear PO, the proposed solution is stupid, here is a better waythe world is changing continuously, I can learn new stuff continuously as well (?)Finally, I have someone else to carry that big stuffoh, others might also care or even know something about the thing that is MY special knowledge / skill. Shocking!! (?)As a team of teams, we change how we work to better support the businessWe can talk to customers to see if our work is usefulAha, se can split the work to deliver it faster.Hey, continuous development is great when you work with multiple skills together (?)We can get more done in less timeoh, I can just ask the guy sitting next to me to change the API facing instead of waiting for months for the backend team (?)Real team...https://6teamconditions.com/teams-reimagined/framework (?)What? ChatGPT took my job?Aha! Different specialists CAN understand each otherAha, other pair of eyes helped me to stop running in circlesHey, these other guys also want to do a good job, they don't just want to make mine harder (?)there are other people that know how to do "my job", that I might learn fromI can trust that my team mates will solve this problem that seems impossible to meso they DO care about what I do!they will do a better job at this than I would

Hover over or tap any text on the drawing to read it.Tap any text on the drawing to read it.

SINGLE SKILL INDIVIDUALFUNCTIONAL UNITMULTI-SKILL UNITMULTI-LEARNING UNITWHOLE PRODUCT FOCUSPRODUCT PART FOCUSFEATURE FOCUSTASK FOCUSBROADSCOPE OF WORKNARROWLOWCOMPLETENESS OF SKILLSHIGHOooff, this is kind a much for one personOur perfect wheel doesn't actually fit in the car!!Let's expand the scope of our Test Competence Center to the entire product!Waaw, those customer outcome based metrics are amazing (?)what we deliver might have some value, but how do we know it was the most valuable thing to deliver?Waaw, those business metrics are nice (?)My specialised skills aren't actually useful for this productperhaps it would be more valuable to retire a feature rather than add oneeven if we deliver our entire backlog, it might not bring any valueWow! The world is bigger than our team backlogoh, maybe it's not so important how many features we produce, but that we try to make meaningful ones instead :o (?)oh, why are we building these features when these will not help our users significantly??? (?)damn, many of the features we build aren't being used (?)Aha! NOT everything I make using my skills is actually valuable!Work completed.. what did we achieve?I won't have time to polish my component to ultimate perfection anymore :) (?)even if I do a perfect job, that doesn't mean that anything will be delivered

Hover over or tap any text on the drawing to read it.Tap any text on the drawing to read it.

Beyond Conventional Applications

The discussion transcended traditional uses of the map, touching upon its role in management, team dynamics, and even personal growth and coaching. These insights illustrate the map's versatility in addressing various facets of an organization's journey towards agility and effectiveness.

Any other usages you can think of?Eye opener for managers keeping themselves busy solving the wrong problemsto map out some kind of counter-intuitive journey of transformation, like in the LeadingAgile stuffget more depressed :DSense making for me as consultantCommunication vessel to beteer understand where we areUsing this language might also be nice in a situation like: we want to go from Y1 dpt to B2 org, and then to feed people's desire or inspire them what can be possible let's visit a B2 and so.create awareness that this can go a lot further than you can imagine right nowmodel the situational from yet another perspective to trigger thinkingI think the paradigm shifts can really help me focus on what to coach onat a retro: "dear team, where are we now and why?""forget about team topologies, this is a newer and shynier thing"Helps to define strategy for change (many times called agile transformation :-) )EMERGENCEAD-HOC, LOW TRUSTLEAN STARTUP, FULLY DECOUPLEPREDICTABILITYADAPTABILITYPE, AE, PC, ACBECOME PREDICTABLELEAN/AGILEREDUCE BATCH SIZEAGILECONVERGENCE

Hover over or tap any text on the drawing to read it.Tap any text on the drawing to read it.

III. Org Topologies™ in Action: Practical Implications and Insights

Effortless Integration in Organizational Work

This experiment underscores a vital point: introducing and utilizing Org Topologies™ in an organizational context is surprisingly straightforward. It does not demand extensive groundwork or explanation, making it an ideal tool for practitioners who favour action over extended theoretical discussions.

Value scoring of attendees using Org Topologies map without explanation:

The value for me was... (0-->10)81010988

Hover over or tap any text on the drawing to read it.Tap any text on the drawing to read it.

Acknowledging the Contributors

A heartfelt appreciation goes out to the workshop participants - Zdenek Soukup , Aernout van den Burg , Tamás Hajdu , Martin Retka , Tom Jans , Vincent Hennebert - whose engagement and insights were instrumental in the success of this experiment.

Additionally I must acknowledge the work of Alexey Krivitsky and Roland Flemm to put the map together. Great job 👏 

IV. Beyond the Workshop Experiment: Connecting Org Topologies™ with Designing Agile Organizations (DAO)

As a licensed Designing Agile Organizations trainer I can't help myself becoming the DJ mixing things up. Integrating Org Topologies™ with DAO principles and guides offers a comprehensive approach to crafting agile organizations. DAO provides the theoretical backbone and organizational design principles beyond the product development groups, Org Topologies™ offers a practical, hands-on map to navigate your path. Having a map combined with DAO principles, design guidelines and workshop suggestions will make the journey left-to-right, bottom-to-top a lot easier, practical and… allows you to plug-in your product development groups into the larger picture of an organization and its strategic focus.

The blend of DAO's structured learning and broad view on an organization with the dynamic, experimental nature of Org Topologies™ creates a powerful synergy. This combination equips leaders and practitioners with the knowledge and tools to effectively navigate the complexities of agile organizational design. 

V. The Impact on Agile Adoption and Transformation

Redefining Agile Journeys

The insights from the Org Topologies™ experiment redefine how organizations approach agile transformations. It emphasizes a more intuitive, less prescriptive path, aligning with the agile principle of valuing individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

Strategic Movements in Organizational Design

The experiment's findings highlight the importance of considering both horizontal and vertical movements in organizational agility. This holistic view is crucial for a truly transformative agile journey. Generally known as a systemic approach to transformation, at the heart of both Org Topologies™ as well as DAO.

Implications for Leaders and Agile Coaches

For leaders and agile coaches, these insights provide a fresh perspective on guiding organizations through agile transformations. It underscores the need for adaptability, open-mindedness, and a willingness to explore beyond traditional frameworks.

VI. Personal Growth and Coaching: A New Dimension

The application of Org Topologies™ extends beyond organizational boundaries, offering valuable insights for personal growth and coaching. It serves as a reflective tool for individuals to assess their journey and growth paths within the agile landscape.

For coaches, Org Topologies™ becomes a versatile tool in their arsenal, aiding in the development of tailored coaching strategies that resonate with individual needs and organizational contexts.

VII. Final Thoughts and Future Directions

The experiment with Org Topologies™ and its integration with DAO (and LeSS) signifies a pivotal moment in the evolving landscape of agile organizational design. It highlights the continuous need for innovation, experimentation, and an open-minded approach to developing agile frameworks.

As we move forward, embracing these principles and tools will be key in navigating the ever-changing dynamics of organizational structures and cultures in the agile world.

The journey doesn't end here. Continuous learning, adaptation, and the willingness to experiment are essential for anyone involved in agile transformations and organizational design.

PS: I do mix an Org Topologies™ introduction into my versions of the Designing Agile Organizations and LeSS courses in a way that attendees grasp the potential of this powerful mix of principles, guides and experiments. Reach out if you want to attend one someday or you want to have an in-company event organized.