alexschwartz/gist:c9f8269cccd15a6a43a7

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Applying Ideas From Conferences for Organizational Change

Fanny Pittack and Alex Schwartz gave a presentation about insights from happy change agents at the Agile Testing Day Netherlands 2015. They talked about the challenges that people can have when they learn an idea at a conference and try to apply it in their work environment, and practiced a a change dojo with the attendants and provided suggestions to do successful change in organizations.
Schwartz told his story about a change that he did to getting rid of a tool. At a conference he learned to avoid tools that are only used by one tester. Back at work he tried to convince the QA team to get rid of a specific tool, but the people that he was working with were not happy about that. In the end the tool was removed, so the change goal was achieved. But the relationship between him and his colleagues was damaged, making future cooperation and doing change more difficult.

You have to focus on identifying the problem, understanding it well, and agree on its importance, and you have to do this all together to do successful change said Pittack and Schwartz.

Pittack and Schwartz did some small exercises with the attendants, using a change dojo approach. They asked them to stand up and form pairs with their neighbor. In the first exercise they showed a change agent who is positioned opposite towards a person. The change agent goes to a person, says hello and then takes him / her along to a target. The attendants did this exercise and shared their experiences. It feels like we are pulling the person towards the target,  pushing change on them said the attendants. There’s a big chance that people will resist.

In the second exercise the change agent stood next to other person. They introduced themselves to each other and had a short talk to establish a relationship. Next the change agent invited the person to go to the target, and then they started walking together. The change agent said thank you to the other person. Many attendant felt that this exercise was more effective, in stead of pushing change you are inviting them and then you go there together.

In the first exercise the change agent selected a goal and then started trying to bring the team there, while in the second exercise you went to the team to first build a shared understanding and then decide about the goal together. People are more open to change if they are being listened to and feel that a change agent understands their problems.

Frustration is a valuable indicator said Pittack and Schwartz, you should not ignore it. Change agents should listen to the feedback that they receive to learn about the people that they are working with, understand the situation that they are in, and find ways to do change together.

InfoQ interviewed Pittack and Schwartz about using change dojos for organizational change.

InfoQ: You talked about doing change dojos. Can you describe what they are?


Pittack: Change Dojos are similar to Coding Dojos: they provide a safe place to practice a skill in an working environment

Schwartz: The change dojo which we introduced is …

InfoQ: What are the benefits that change dojos can bring?
Pittack: First of all it will build up trust. Second change dojo will help you to understand the perspective of your pairing partner or your team member. Third we experienced that people are much faster in understanding the ideas of asking and looking for the need of the other pair while doing the exercise instead of talking or role play. Change dojos helps to slow down and reach your targets.

Schwartz:

Do you have an example of a change dojo that you did? How did it help to get change done?
Schwartz: ???

Pittack: ???

If people want to learn more about change dojos, where can they go?
Pittack: We will offer the next workshop on the agile testing days this november in potsdam. please stay tuned to program it will be published soon. Link to agiletestingdays.de

Take a look of the soon to be published program of the Agile Testing Days this November in Potsdam on agiletestingdays.de, we are proposing to a workshop for this conference.

Schwartz:
We are currently discussing if might offer a workshop in the Berlin area. Please tweet to us if you are interested. Furthermore we have the idea to publish a blog post providing a play book to facilitate a change dojo.
	Applying Ideas From Conferences for Organizational Change

	Fanny Pittack and Alex Schwartz gave a presentation about insights from happy change agents at the Agile Testing Day Netherlands 2015. They talked about the challenges that people can have when they learn an idea at a conference and try to apply it in their work environment, and practiced a a change dojo with the attendants and provided suggestions to do successful change in organizations.
	Schwartz told his story about a change that he did to getting rid of a tool. At a conference he learned to avoid tools that are only used by one tester. Back at work he tried to convince the QA team to get rid of a specific tool, but the people that he was working with were not happy about that. In the end the tool was removed, so the change goal was achieved. But the relationship between him and his colleagues was damaged, making future cooperation and doing change more difficult.

	You have to focus on identifying the problem, understanding it well, and agree on its importance, and you have to do this all together to do successful change said Pittack and Schwartz.

	Pittack and Schwartz did some small exercises with the attendants, using a change dojo approach. They asked them to stand up and form pairs with their neighbor. In the first exercise they showed a change agent who is positioned opposite towards a person. The change agent goes to a person, says hello and then takes him / her along to a target. The attendants did this exercise and shared their experiences. It feels like we are pulling the person towards the target, pushing change on them said the attendants. There’s a big chance that people will resist.

	In the second exercise the change agent stood next to other person. They introduced themselves to each other and had a short talk to establish a relationship. Next the change agent invited the person to go to the target, and then they started walking together. The change agent said thank you to the other person. Many attendant felt that this exercise was more effective, in stead of pushing change you are inviting them and then you go there together.

	In the first exercise the change agent selected a goal and then started trying to bring the team there, while in the second exercise you went to the team to first build a shared understanding and then decide about the goal together. People are more open to change if they are being listened to and feel that a change agent understands their problems.

	Frustration is a valuable indicator said Pittack and Schwartz, you should not ignore it. Change agents should listen to the feedback that they receive to learn about the people that they are working with, understand the situation that they are in, and find ways to do change together.

	InfoQ interviewed Pittack and Schwartz about using change dojos for organizational change.

	InfoQ: You talked about doing change dojos. Can you describe what they are?


	Pittack: Change Dojos are similar to Coding Dojos: they provide a safe place to practice a skill in an working environment

	Schwartz: The change dojo which we introduced is …

	InfoQ: What are the benefits that change dojos can bring?
	Pittack: First of all it will build up trust. Second change dojo will help you to understand the perspective of your pairing partner or your team member. Third we experienced that people are much faster in understanding the ideas of asking and looking for the need of the other pair while doing the exercise instead of talking or role play. Change dojos helps to slow down and reach your targets.

	Schwartz:

	Do you have an example of a change dojo that you did? How did it help to get change done?
	Schwartz: ???

	Pittack: ???

	If people want to learn more about change dojos, where can they go?
	Pittack: We will offer the next workshop on the agile testing days this november in potsdam. please stay tuned to program it will be published soon. Link to agiletestingdays.de

	Take a look of the soon to be published program of the Agile Testing Days this November in Potsdam on agiletestingdays.de, we are proposing to a workshop for this conference.

	Schwartz:
	We are currently discussing if might offer a workshop in the Berlin area. Please tweet to us if you are interested. Furthermore we have the idea to publish a blog post providing a play book to facilitate a change dojo.