The 2023 State of DevOps report highlights that high performing organizations leverage DevOps to gain competitive advantage. But realizing the benefits requires leaders to shift mindsets and rethink how they empower teams.
Adopting a product vs project mindset is key. Leaders must orient teams around delivering ongoing value to customers rather than completing temporary projects. This means prioritizing outcomes over outputs - continuously improving how solutions benefit users rather than finishing prescribed scope and moving on. It requires building adaptable systems not rigid applications, designing loosely coupled architecture with flexibility to respond to changing needs.
Working in rapid iterations based on user feedback is better than long release timelines and big bang launches. And keeping teams accountable to operate and evolve solutions over time rather than throw solutions over the wall enables ownership.
Obsess Over Customer Experience
Laser focus on making life phenomenal for customers pulls work upstream into priorities that deliver tangible value:
Continuous discovery of pain points and needs, not just at the start, allows teams to gather user insights in an ongoing way. Looking across system boundaries to map journeys end-to-end reveals opportunities to smooth key interactions. Relying on data over opinions ensures user behavior analysis informs roadmap direction. And actively involving customers in co-creating solutions goes beyond just presenting to customers for acceptance.
Coach Self-Sufficient Teams
Command and control gives way to empowered teams who design, build, and run solutions themselves. Guiding with principles and guardrails, not step-by-step directions, clarifies context so teams can move fast. Equipping them with all needed capabilities - tools, training, authority - removes roadblocks.
Trusting teams with autonomy and accountability within agreed parameters lets them determine how to meet goals. And facilitating innovation and experimentation accepts some failure on the path to brilliance.
Enable Flow by Bridging Silos
Smooth value delivery requires connecting fragmented functions. Implementing DevOps platforms and practices links activity across teams. Structuring around value streams rather than functional departments follows the work end-to-end.
Fostering shared goals, incentives, and outcomes across boundaries aligns activity. And building relationships and empathy between functions humanizes collaborators as people.
DevOps demands leaders relinquish command-driven ways and empower teams. It's a journey requiring courage, humility, and often external guidance. If you are seeking help coaching your leaders or teams through this transformation, please reach out. I offer DevOps coaching tailored to accelerating your organization's shift.