Managing change for technology teams

Managing Change for Technology Teams HOW CAN YOU BEST LEVERAGE YOUR STRENGTHS? ARE YOU LEAN AND AGILE OR STRONG IN NUMBERS? “THE X-WING FIGHTER VS USS ENTERPRISE” Change in business drives innovation and growth For technology team members, change inspires professional development Whether you are a leader or an individual contributor, knowing how to effectively plan for and adapt with change based on the needs of your team or organization can make your work more effective, successful, and rewarding How can you best leverage your strengths? Are you lean and agile or strong in numbers? Are you an X-Wing fighter or the USS Enterprise? This guide explores actions available to all members of a technology team working to successfully navigate change LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 02 THIS GUIDE EXPLORES HOW TECHNOLOGY TEAMS CAN SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE CHANGE CONTENTS 01 Getting Focused 02 Size Determines Strategy 03 The Small Business 04 The Medium-Size Business 05 The Enterprise 06 Conclusion p.04 p.05 p.06 p.09 p p 01 Getting Focused KEY CONSIDERATIONS Change is demanding When managing change for a technology team, it’s important to know where to focus Decision-Making Change requires a decision to act Often, conversations take place but there is a reluctance to commit to the work discussed Perceived risk or lack of consensus may contribute to inaction Ultimately, a decision needs to be made O1 : GETTING FOCUSED Planning Support Trust Change requires planning Adjusting roles or switching directions without a plan breeds chaos A plan won’t outline everything It’s not the law It’s a guide As it unfolds, unknowns come into play Have a plan, but don’t be chained to it Change is difficult when employees affected aren’t aware it’s coming Their value to an organization becomes less clear For managers, supporting a team is a key responsibilty They also should support stakeholders, other managers, and clients Change puts trust to the test For managers, rely on the strengths of your team, stakeholders, and other managers to ease the pressure LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 04 02 Size Determines Strategy “THE X-WING FIGHTER VS USS ENTERPRISE” How change is best handled depends on an organization’s size Startups and small businesses, medium-size companies, and large enterprises all function differently Startups and small businesses are affected by the same dynamics that characterize X-Wing fighters in Star Wars At the other end of the spectrum, large organizations embody characteristics of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek In Star Wars, small and incredibly fast X-Wing fighters hold a single pilot They can quickly maneuver in new directions to complete their missions But they aren’t very powerful And due to their size, they are vulnerable In Star Trek, the USS Enterprise is large and typically slow but powerful When its hundreds of crewmembers work well together, the ship can travel at amazing speeds It becomes a formidable opponent with equally powerful offensive and defensive capabilities O2 : SIZE DETERMINES STRATEGY LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 05 03 The Small Business GETTING ESTABLISHED Let’s look at a hypothetical startup or small business building a mobile application for an emerging industry The industry shifts and the solution needs adjusting, so the company pursues “establishment change” to adjust its initial work and gain a market foothold The change here is localized among a handful of employees who can individually or through lightweight collaboration react, plan, and execute O3 : THE SMALL BUSINESS LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 06 The Small Business ceo vp product develpment office manager vp marketing developer quality engineer The CEO works directly with two vice presidents to communicate and accomplish change O3 : THE SMALL BUSINESS The vice president of product development functions as product manager, architect, and development manager, and can realign the solution from all three of those perspectives —explaining the new strategy to the developer and quality engineer For the developer, the directive originates from a single person and is one level removed from the source of the change, the CEO In all likelihood, the message is clear and actionable LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 07 The Small Business Decision-Making Planning ✓ Use small size to an advan- ✓ U se defined goals to build ✓ Identify key factors affecting ✓ B uild a technical roadmap tage Communicate and collaborate to understand the decision-making process a decision (Decisions are usually made by the CEO in an organization this size.) ✓ Clearly define goals O3 : THE SMALL BUSINESS your planning process Post the goals on a wall, and refer to them often with clear milestones Check each one to ensure it aligns with goals ✓ Build the need to correct course into your plan Your team is small, so you can navigate unknowns well, but only if you aren’t overwhelmed Support ✓ S upport your colleagues universally Change at an organization this size is a big risk, and you need to help everyone ✓ C onsider how you can embody change Is there something outward-facing you can adjust? Take advantage of this time to that, and share it with your team Make a culture of change something that is embraced Trust ✓ T rust your colleagues to use their expertise and amplify their commitment Remember, trust got you this far ✓ T rust the work that goes into making the change Since the organization is small, you are able to contribute greatly to the decision-making process LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 08 04 The Medium-Size Business EVOLVING FOR NEW GROWTH Let’s look at a hypothetical medium-size business of about 500 employees building a single successful product for an existing user base O4 : THE MEDIUM-SIZE BUSINESS LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 09 The Medium-Size Business ceo cto cmo vp product management vp engineering developer lead quality lead developers architect coo vp product marketing user experience designers product marketing manager campaign manager quality engineers A product manager who works indirectly with a team to develop a product often identifies opportunity The initial idea is communicated along a short chain across sections of the product development group as needed If it is a larger project, multiple product managers work on components of the product and coordinate with multiple engineering teams O4 : THE MEDIUM-SIZE BUSINESS product managers vp user experience cfo The architect, developer leads, and quality leads must determine how the change will impact all aspects of the work ahead and plan for adjustments in development methodology and architecture User experience designers may be required to implement the change Developers, quality engineers, and architects are all dependent on the product manager and the developer lead, who define and prioritize the scope of work and feature roadmap Employee roles are specialized and not “doubled up” for any one person An individual developer focused on one feature or component of the whole product communicates and collaborates with fellow developers as needed LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 10 The Medium-Size Business Decision-Making ✓ Voice risks, and be open to multiple options You aren’t at a small company anymore Agreement might not come by consensus Planning Trust ✓ A ccommodate multiple teams ✓ R ely on your team, and lead ✓ Tap the unique skills of employees ✓ S upport managers as well ✓ Connect employees from disparate to build your plan Your plan isn’t limited to your immediate team Stakeholders will play a key role ✓ Build a case and communicate ✓ T ap your infrastructure for it effectively to the technology team, customer, and overall business If a technology issue drives the change, you may own the decision Support help mapping out steps You’ve already got a team, so use it ✓ D evelop an end-to-end by example to help support team members Understand their anxiety Answer their questions ✓ C reate a safe place where concerns are heard and addressed in specialized roles, and encourage them to work together disciplines to encourage unique solutions Invite varying points of view ✓ Trust your stakeholders Give them the autonomy to their jobs clearly and with ownership plan, but take each step one at a time O4 : THE MEDIUM-SIZE BUSINESS LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 11 05 The Enterprise SUSTAINING SUCCESS Let’s look at a hypothetical large enterprise with employees in the thousands, or even tens of thousands The company built a successful product and expanded its portfolio to three business units of products, services, and technologies One product line nears the end of its life The company needs to expand into a new area O5 : THE ENTERPRISE LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 12 The Enterprise ceo cto svp product design evp business unit vp product design svp division director product design evp business unit evp business unit vp product group vp engineering group product designer product management director engineering product marketing manager user experience designer senior product manager engineering manager campaign manager product managers developer lead developers qa lead Business opportunity research, analysis, product design, marketing, and other functions are highly specialized Product managers typically focus on components They collaborate to coordinate feature roadmaps and prioritize across multiple sets of needs Impacts of change ripple widely It’s a challenge to shift the focus of highly skilled professionals to something new They have deep institutional knowledge O5 : THE ENTERPRISE cio coo coo general counsel cro cmo vp marketing architect quality engineers cfo acquisitions marketing manager media marketing of an existing product built on years of architecture and technical debt Should the company transform the skills of its existing team, layoff staff and hire a new team, or pursue both strategies? Urgency, and the importance of the single revenue source, can impact this decision If a company has multiple lines of equally successful products, the process can be evolutionary If not, revolutionary change may be needed The scope of communication required is huge Individual technology professionals must embrace an entirely new ecosystem of software development, customer needs, and feature sets The change affects one business unit, but the interdependencies of technology and infrastructure mandate an epic plan that analyzes and accommodates impacts and communicates them to all stakeholders LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 13 The Enterprise Decision-Making Planning ✓ Accept that decision-making is ✓ A sk questions Which usually opaque, and move on For managers, questioning the process takes time away from being a leader for your team components of current products others rely on? What dependencies will affect the roadmaps of other teams? ✓ E nsure you are not adding risk by reducing the maintenance of an existing product O5 : THE ENTERPRISE Support Trust ✓ C onsider all available options ✓ T rust that your organization’s established lines of business will help provide revenue ✓ A ccommodate training It is part of the work ✓ F or managers, rely on Human Resources when transitioning employees out of the organization For those leaving, write recommendations and provide references Be there for them, wherever they go LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 14 06 Conclusion Change is fundamental in business You, your technology team, and your entire organization can be prepared At a startup or small business, quickly and adeptly address a market with scalable and adaptive technologies and platforms At a medium-size business, understand how to evolve through observation, data science, or analysis At the enterprise, encourage a culture of change and actively communicate across business units Whether your business is an X-Wing fighter or the USS Enterprise, your mission will be a success O6 : CONCLUSION LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 15 About the Author Doug Winnie is director of content for the lynda.com Technology library at LinkedIn, and has worked in the software industry in multiple roles for more than 15 years Through his work with companies like Lexus, Safeway, Hewlett-Packard, and Industrial Light & Magic, he has been recognized multiple times for industry awards, including two Webby Award nominations Prior to LinkedIn and lynda.com, Doug worked for many years at Adobe as a principal product manager bridging the gap between the needs and requirements of designers and developers, which resulted in many projects and applications Currently, Doug lives in San Francisco He is @sfdesigner on Twitter ABOUT THE AUTHOR LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | 16 About lynda.com A leader in online learning, lynda.com helps anyone in any organization learn software, creative, and business skills to achieve personal, academic, or professional goals With a lynda.com subscription, users get unlimited access to a vast online library of high-quality, current, and engaging video tutorials Users of any skill level have the ability to watch bite-size segments for immediate problem solving or take comprehensive courses from start to finish—at work, school, home, or on the go New courses and topics are added every week at no extra cost We carefully select the world’s top subject-matter experts They are passionate, and they know how to teach WEBSITE: www.lynda.com/enterprise EMAIL: enterprisesolutions@lynda.com REQUEST A DEMO: www.lynda.com/request-demo ABOUT LYNDA.COM © 2015 lynda.com All rights reserved The lynda.com logo is a registered trademark of lynda.com All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners [...]... organization For those leaving, write recommendations and provide references Be there for them, wherever they go LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 14 06 Conclusion Change is fundamental in business You, your technology team, and your entire organization can be prepared At a startup or small business, quickly and adeptly address a market with scalable and adaptive technologies and platforms... culture of change and actively communicate across business units Whether your business is an X-Wing fighter or the USS Enterprise, your mission will be a success O6 : CONCLUSION LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 15 About the Author Doug Winnie is director of content for the lynda.com Technology library at LinkedIn, and has worked in the software industry in multiple roles for more... stakeholders LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 13 The Enterprise Decision-Making Planning ✓ Accept that decision-making is ✓ A sk questions Which usually opaque, and move on For managers, questioning the process takes time away from being a leader for your team components of current products do others rely on? What dependencies will affect the roadmaps of other teams? ✓ E nsure... portfolio to three business units of products, services, and technologies One product line nears the end of its life The company needs to expand into a new area O5 : THE ENTERPRISE LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 12 The Enterprise ceo cto svp product design evp business unit vp product design svp division director product design evp business unit evp business unit vp product group vp... points of view ✓ Trust your stakeholders Give them the autonomy to do their jobs clearly and with ownership plan, but take each step one at a time O4 : THE MEDIUM-SIZE BUSINESS LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 11 05 The Enterprise SUSTAINING SUCCESS Let’s look at a hypothetical large enterprise with employees in the thousands, or even tens of thousands The company built a successful... successful products, the process can be evolutionary If not, revolutionary change may be needed The scope of communication required is huge Individual technology professionals must embrace an entirely new ecosystem of software development, customer needs, and feature sets The change affects one business unit, but the interdependencies of technology and infrastructure mandate an epic plan that analyzes and... multiple teams ✓ R ely on your team, and lead ✓ Tap the unique skills of employees ✓ S upport managers as well ✓ Connect employees from disparate to build your plan Your plan isn’t limited to your immediate team Stakeholders will play a key role ✓ Build a case and communicate ✓ T ap your infrastructure for it effectively to the technology team, customer, and overall business If a technology. .. times for industry awards, including two Webby Award nominations Prior to LinkedIn and lynda.com, Doug worked for many years at Adobe as a principal product manager bridging the gap between the needs and requirements of designers and developers, which resulted in many projects and applications Currently, Doug lives in San Francisco He is @sfdesigner on Twitter ABOUT THE AUTHOR LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE. .. requirements of designers and developers, which resulted in many projects and applications Currently, Doug lives in San Francisco He is @sfdesigner on Twitter ABOUT THE AUTHOR LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | 16 About lynda.com A leader in online learning, lynda.com helps anyone in any organization learn software, creative, and business skills to achieve personal, academic, or professional goals... Impacts of change ripple widely It’s a challenge to shift the focus of highly skilled professionals to something new They have deep institutional knowledge O5 : THE ENTERPRISE cio coo coo general counsel cro cmo vp marketing architect quality engineers cfo acquisitions marketing manager media marketing of an existing product built on years of architecture and technical debt Should the company transform the ... of a technology team working to successfully navigate change LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 02 THIS GUIDE EXPLORES HOW TECHNOLOGY TEAMS CAN SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE CHANGE. .. organization For those leaving, write recommendations and provide references Be there for them, wherever they go LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS | PAGE 14 06 Conclusion Change is... clients Change puts trust to the test For managers, rely on the strengths of your team, stakeholders, and other managers to ease the pressure LYNDA.COM | MANAGING CHANGE FOR TECHNOLOGY TEAMS |