Self-organization and leadership 2020/08/20 Re-RSGT! #TokyoTaco Yoshiki Iida

Self-Introduction ◂ Yoshiki Iida ◂ Twitter: @ysk_118 ◂ Freelance ◂ Engineer ◂ Advisor ◂ Agile Team Supporters ◂ 一般社団法人 アジャイルチームを支える会 理事 ◂ 相談室などを通していいアジャイルチームを増やす活動 ◂ ex-CrowdWorks ◂ Head of Engineering(執行役員) ◂ Engineer => Scrum Master => Product Owner => Manager 2

Topics ◂ Why focusing on an organization? ◂ Ideal and reality of self-organization ◂ Balance of Autonomy, Responsibility, Discipline ◂ How to focus on an organization? ◂ What leader will get 3

Why focusing on the organization? 4

Human thought changes an organization ◂ I was head of engineering. ◂ But the reason to face an organization wasn’t because of my position. ◂ I thought that I should do it. ◂ When I thought such, I wasn’t in any position. ◂ I just liked the product, people. I wanted to make it better. 5

You are alone when you recognize problem ◂ Your journey always starts from being alone. ぼっちからはじめる cf. カイゼン・ジャーニー ◂ Being alone is strength. ぼっちは強み ◂ But I don’t say that you always should notice problem. When you notice problem by chance/unfortunately, it is time to do… ◂ Be natural. 6

Why we should think about an organization? ◂ Because there is a limit in work that can be done alone. ◂ However working in small group(too small to call an organization) is not bad idea. ◂ But almost all people is working in an organization. 7

Your power is finite ◂ If you noticed some problems and you reluctantly understand that you need to change the organization. ◂ And if you act, act, act,,, for problem, ◂ Then you will recognize that what you can change is small. ◂ Then you will want everyone to improve. ◂ Then you encount self-organization. 8

9 You(alone) Organization (or just group) 1st: You want to improve process / make process better and act You Organization 2nd: Everyone join to improve process / make process better

In Agile Manifesto “The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.” “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.” ◂ As you know, it is said that self-organization team tends to become more effective. 10

Ideal and reality of self-organization 11

Do everyone want to make it better really? ◂ Ideally everyone want to have enough passion and skill to improve daily work. ◂ Ideally someone notices problems and team solve it. ◂ Whereas generally we tend to draw a line to team tasks and require incentive. ◂ People want “take” before “give”. ◂ Organization can’t be changed by only goodwill. 12

Expectation to manager(えらい人) ◂ There is an expectation to people who get high salary.(people who get incentive already) “My manager may manages that problem.” “I just do my tasks.” “Because I don’t get such salary.” Salary is just one reason. There are many reason not to focus an organization matter.(Other example: Authority) As you know, it will not go better. But this is real matter. 13

14 Ideal Self-Organization State Many Reasons not to do (Salary, Authority, Interest, ...) Bad Effect

Balance of Autonomy, Responsibility, Discipline 15

Self-organization needs an autonomy ◂ Autonomy is also called self-government. ◂ Decide, act, learn, improve in team. ◂ It needs to gather a lot of information. ◂ But it is not that we can do freely anything we want. ◂ There is a responsibility in company(or society). 16

Autonomy is with responsibility ◂ Autonomy is always with responsibility. ◂ Responsibility is to understand what we should accomplish and to accomplish actually. ◂ This is very difficult. ◂ Autonomy needs great power, therefore self-organization needs great power. ◂ We can get the outcome from responsibility. 17

Autonomy Responsibility Great Power with with need Self-Organization need Information Authority need Manager provide check Team include Outcome emerge

Discipline in organization ◂ Discipline is for harmony. ◂ It is maybe owner’s philosophy or company’s vision or something like coding guideline. ◂ It is what everyone want to cherish or what everyone agree to follow. ◂ It is for alignment directionality of many self-organization team. ◂ It contains perspective of process. It is not just a goal. 19

20 Self-organiz ation team Self-organiz ation team Self-organiz ation team Outcome Alignment by discipline Autonomy Responsibility

How to focus on an organization? 21

Role of Leadership in self-organization ◂ Make environment (so-called “Ba”) ◂ Inspire people ◂ Scale and leave 22

Making environment where everyone naturally improve ◂ You should install naturally improvement to organization. ◂ That means to clarify that everyone will get return after improving organization process.(long term incentive) ◂ Give the authority. ◂ Trust and wait for long time. 23

Matter of people can not improve technical skill generally ◂ Problem occurs in an organization is almost matter of people, not technology. ◂ So the solution is not technical inevitably. ◂ Generally engineers don’t like to spend time for un-technical matter. ◂ Whereas facing matter of people raises engineer’s market value. ◂ You should speak this fact repeatedly. 24

Scaling an experiment ◂ You have to think how to increase number of people doing experiments in the organization. ◂ There should be safety even if experiment fails. This is also important. ◂ If scaling works, you can do other new mission. 25

Experimenter Next Generation... Next Generation...

If you want to give up..? ◂ Focusing on an organization is hard. ◂ You may want to give up and run away. ◂ You can stop to face. ◂ There is no problem to leave. ◂ Sometimes you need the time to think about nothing. 27

What leader will get 28

What is return for leader? ◂ The experience of focusing on an organization has enough value. ◂ Because there is people whenever, wherever. ◂ This is market value itself. ◂ If you fail to change, the value is never lost. ◂ It is more stockable than technical skill such as some framework. ◂ You’ll get power you can fight everywhere. 29

That’s all. Tell me your challenge and your self-organization team story. Thank you! 30

Special Thanks for English review Gregoire 31