Tales From The Agile Trenches Chapter III: Denial In The Ranks
The Divided Leadership Team
Once upon a time, in a company far, far away, there was a leadership team comprising a head of product, a head of engineering, and five senior managers. Over the years, they had grown apart, developing different agendas and opinions on key topics such as product priorities, resourcing, budgeting, and team composition.
Their detachment was evident. One department would rarely, if ever, attend the other’s events and meetings, despite everyone being invited. It seemed they couldn’t stand each other, yet they had to work together!
As this divide grew, their product quality declined, testing diligence waned, and client satisfaction plummeted. Consequently, they started losing money. The director began questioning the department’s existence and called a meeting. She gave the leadership team one year to improve or face potential dissolution.
A Heated Argument
During one particularly tense meeting where the user sign-in service had gone down, the head of engineering suggested using more delivery teams to support operational issues caused by an increase in bugs. The head of product vehemently disagreed, believing that the solution lay in improving testing quality, not adding more people to the problem.
“This is ridiculous! We need better testing, not more teams,” the head of product argued, his face flushed with frustration.
The head of engineering responded in a similarly annoyed manner, “Are you calling me ridiculous? We don’t have the luxury of time. We need immediate results, and I make the call in my department, not you!”
The head of product, unable to contain his frustration, stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. The rest of the team sat in stunned silence. A few people exchanged uneasy smiles and raised their eyebrows in despair.
Realizing the unsustainable nature of their situation, the heads of engineering and product knew deep inside that they had to work together. But could they bridge the gap that had widened over the years? Would they align their goals and work cohesively?
Self-Discovery
A few days after the heated argument, I sat down with them separately and advised them to run a workshop, rating themselves in six key areas for self-discovery. They both had to work towards the same product and could make discoveries they hadn’t thought of. I suggested they touch upon these areas:
Customer Focus and Value
People Orientation
Technical Excellence
Transparency and Data-Driven Decision Making
Organization Structure and Planning Mindset
Innovation and Ownership
Each team member ranked themselves from 1-5 in these areas.
The Eye-Opener
The results were stunning:
Customer Focus and Value: 1/5
People Orientation: 1/5
Technical Excellence: 2/5
Transparency and Data-Driven Decision-Making: 1/5
Organization Structure and Planning Mindset: 2/5
Innovation and Product Ownership: 2/5
Shocked by the low scores, the team doubted the results. “We’re not that bad here, right? Let’s change it to a 3.” They altered the scores, turning 2s into 3s and 4s, and 1s into 2s and 3s.
In denial, they thought changing the numbers would change their reality. Why distrust feedback from an exercise they participated in? How could altering scores on paper fix their daily operations and outcomes? Strangely, this group of nearly enemies immediately became a team and started defending themselves as if they were co-responsible for the state of their department. That exercise, though, somehow united them.
Facing the Truth
Reflection was needed. The journey of self-realization began with acknowledging their diverging paths. Their fragmented leadership led them here. Was it pride or fear of the uncomfortable truth?
Realizing was just the beginning. The real challenge was bridging the gap. They agreed to workshops to rebuild trust and understanding, focusing on:
Re-aligning goals with customer needs
Investing in team-building activities
Prioritizing continuous learning and development
Regular check-ins and data-sharing meetings
Reviewing team structure for better collaboration and clarity
Fostering a culture of ownership and responsibility
Genuine Improvement
After six months, they revisited the exercise, being brutally honest. No inflated scores, no denial. They saw genuine improvement areas and recognized where they still needed work. They refined their pillars and reassessed feasibility, renewing their efforts for another six months.
The mere fact that these different blends of people came together to discuss their future coexistence was a victory. Whether the department survived was one outcome, but self-reflection and willingness to change were equally important.
A Valuable Lesson
This experience taught the leadership team a valuable lesson: facing the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, is the first step towards improvement. By acknowledging their shortcomings and working collectively towards solutions, they managed to turn things around. The journey was far from over, but they were now equipped with a clearer vision and a stronger commitment to their common goals.