Richard Brenner: Skipping the Vision, How Not to Introduce Kanban

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Richard shares an important learning experience from introducing Kanban to teams using a top-down approach. Without clearly articulating why the change was needed, team members questioned what they were doing wrong that necessitated change. Richard found himself unable to connect the organizational vision to the methodology shift, leading to resistance. He emphasizes the importance of first understanding the problem before applying Scrum or Kanban, defining what success looks like, and involving people early in the change process. Richard also recommends thorough contracting with client organizations to assess their current state and understand who is trying to change what, and why.

In this episode, we refer to Kotter’s book Leading Change.

Self-reflection Question: How might your change initiatives be improved by spending more time defining the "why" before introducing new methodologies?

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About Richard

Richard is a versatile technology leader with experience as a Software Engineer, Product Owner, and Agile Coach. Passionate about building software that excites, he thrives at the intersection of technology, change, and leadership. Lately, he's focused on Collaborative Modeling, bridging disciplines to drive innovation and create meaningful impact.

You can link with Richard Brenner on LinkedIn.