Question #3

There needs to be a balance between control (old style management) and empowerment (agile). The balance may be a minimalist approach to the CMMI. Only put what is necessary to achieve the CMMI in a manner that enables empowerment. I think (especially for an organization getting started in this approach – or with a older workforce) that management needs to feel like they are in control (their performance payment (bonus) is probably dependent upon this). The CMMI can give them some level of control.

One of the first steps I take during a transformation is to understand what the compensation practices are at various levels of the organization. Bonuses and other compensation mechanisms are how professionals are ‘graded’. The age old saying “Tell me how you will measure me and I will tell you how I’ll behave”, is highly accurate. If your organization aligns its compensation plan so that its people are incentivized to try and maintain a transformation (or at least the transformative practices), then the probability of success goes up dramatically. If their compensation plan is orthogonal to the transformation, you can kiss the transformation goodbye.

There is a strong attribute of agile that stands out here, and that is the practice of transparency. By both teaching and encouraging teams to be transparent with their projects and programs, then they can keep their empowerment but the control issue tends to dissipate. By ensuring that organizations out side the project team have access to up to date status and information, then they can maintain the level of oversight that they feel is warranted with out having to resort to a fully command and control mode of operation.