PI planning can be noose around your neck
11/11/20232 min read
When it comes to implementing SAFe agile in a large organization, there's a delicate balance between efficient planning and maintaining agility. If you lost agility, then you lose the whole point of SAFe. While PI (Program Increment) planning is a crucial aspect of the SAFe framework, it's essential to avoid falling into the trap of over-planning and losing sight of the core principles of agility.
One of the major shortcomings of not following SAFe correctly is the risk of becoming obsessed with PI planning. While planning is important for aligning teams and setting goals, excessive focus on planning can lead to a loss of flexibility and adaptability. Agile methodologies thrive on quick iterations, continuous feedback, and the ability to respond to changing requirements. Over-planning can hinder these essential aspects of agility.
Another drawback of not striking the right balance between SAFe and agility is the potential for meetings to become unproductive and costly. In a large organization, calling a meeting with hundreds of developers for PI planning can be a significant investment of time and resources. However, if these meetings are not streamlined and efficient, they can quickly become burdensome and hinder progress. It's crucial to ensure that meetings are well-structured, focused, and result-oriented, allowing for effective collaboration and decision-making.
Efficiency in SAFe agile implementation in a large organization can be achieved by keeping a few key considerations in mind:
Goal oriented: Before the planning you must have to come up with a very clear goal and you need to define how you can measure the goal. A goal that you can not measure that is not a goal. You need to remember it.
Emphasize Agile Mindset: While following the SAFe framework, it's important to remember that agility is at the core of its principles. Encourage teams to embrace an agile mindset, fostering a culture of adaptability, continuous improvement, and learning.
Right set of people: Before calling the meeting, you need to understand why do you need all those people?
Right-Sized Planning: Avoid the pitfall of over-planning by finding the right balance for your organization. Tailor the level of planning to the complexity and scale of your projects, ensuring that it provides sufficient guidance without stifling agility.
Streamline Meetings: When conducting PI planning meetings, optimize their effectiveness by setting clear objectives, establishing an agenda, and involving only the necessary stakeholders. Ensure that discussions are focused on prioritization, dependencies, and risks, enabling teams to make informed decisions efficiently.
Continuous Feedback: Foster a culture of continuous feedback and learning within the organization. Encourage regular retrospectives and reviews to identify areas of improvement and adapt the SAFe implementation accordingly.
Iterative Approach: Break down large projects into smaller, manageable increments, allowing for frequent iterations and feedback loops. This approach promotes flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to respond to changing market conditions.
By implementing these strategies, a large organization can effectively balance the benefits of SAFe with the need for agility. Remember, SAFe is not a rigid set of rules but a framework that can be adapted to suit the unique requirements and challenges of your organization. Striking the right balance between planning and agility will enable your teams to deliver high-quality products efficiently while remaining responsive to evolving customer needs.