Abstract:

Whenever an organisation becomes agile, many questions and obstacles can arise. This game puts you in the position of an organizational designer. It simulates obstacles, concerns, and uncertainties when building feature teams. It helps to understand better what transitioning means.

Description:

In this game you will work with a set of individuals with specific skill sets. You will receive a set of cards, one card stands for one individual in your organization. This set of individuals is prepared. For the sake of simplicity only primary skills are shown. 

The game is played in two iterations. The goal of the first iteration is to transition a sub-group towards an agile setup. E.g. you might consider the first area being established. Think of constraints, limitations, and what happens to the people remaining in the traditional structure. Think of leadership and management positions and what might happen to them. 

In the second iteration all the remaining people of the traditional structure are supposed to move to the agile organisation. Think about activities required to include them. Think about concerns, obstacles, limitations, and potential solutions. Think about the social aspects as well as support required. 

The overall goal is to organize the entire organisation following an agile organizational design.

The underlying principles can be found in Scrum and LeSS adoption guides. Rules in place are LeSS rules, like the size of Feature Teams, sizes of areas, and roles in LeSS. For those unfamiliar with these rules, they will be explained.

Enjoy this experience as a decision maker or a coach. Play the role you like. Or just observe and see what challenges others face. Either way, you will remember this game.