A Practical Guide to Implementing Open Agile Adoption with Open Space Technology'
In his book, “Inviting Leadership: How to Lead With an Open Invitation,” Daniel Mezick advocates for a leadership style that focuses on invitation and delegation rather than traditional top-down management. According to Mezick, this approach, which is grounded in complexity science and Promise Theory, can lead to more effective self-management and self-organization within an organization.
One key aspect of invitation-based leadership is the use of well-formed invitations, which include clear goals, rules, progress tracking, and opt-in participation. By structuring invitations in this way, leaders can create a clear and compelling vision for their team and encourage buy-in and engagement.
This approach can be particularly effective when it comes to implementing agile practices within an organization. Agile relies on collaboration, transparency, and adaptability, and invitation-based leadership supports these values by creating a safe and inclusive space for open communication and decision-making.
In the case of the retail logistics team at Walmart, the senior vice president’s use of well-formed invitations and quotes from Mr. Sam Walton to rally the team around an open space event demonstrates the power of this approach. By clearly outlining the goals and rules for the event and inviting team members to participate on a voluntary basis, the senior vice president is able to foster a sense of shared ownership and responsibility among the team.
Overall, invitation-based leadership and open agile adoption go hand in hand, as both approaches emphasize collaboration, transparency, and adaptability. By using well-formed invitations and creating a culture of open communication and decision-making, leaders can encourage self-management, self-organization, and innovation within their teams and organizations.
According to Daniel Mezick, invitation-based leadership is a way to “offer opportunities for others to act on their own initiative, to self-manage and self-organize.” This approach is grounded in the idea that “invitation triggers decision-making, human agency, and action, which affect self-management, self-organization, authority, and company culture.”
One key aspect of invitation-based leadership is the use of well-formed invitations. These invitations should have clear goals, rules, progress tracking, and opt-in participation. This structure helps to ensure that recipients of the invitation understand exactly what is being asked of them and are able to make informed decisions about whether or not to accept the invitation.
In order to effectively adopt an invitation-based approach to leadership, it is important to create a culture of open communication and decision-making within the organization. This means encouraging team members to share their ideas and opinions, and actively seeking out diverse perspectives. It also means being transparent about decision-making processes and giving team members the autonomy to make decisions within their areas of expertise.
By fostering a culture of open communication and decision-making, leaders can create a sense of ownership and accountability within their teams. This, in turn, can lead to increased engagement, motivation, and innovation within the organization.
In his book “The Culture Game,” Mezick cites the example of Walmart’s Sam Walton, who believed in the power of open communication and decision-making to drive success. As Walton famously said, “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” By using well-formed invitations and creating a culture of open communication and decision-making, leaders can influence and empower their teams to self-manage, self-organize, and drive innovation within the organization.
One key aspect of invitation-based leadership is the use of well-formed invitations, which include clear goals, rules, progress tracking, and opt-in participation. By structuring invitations in this way, leaders can create a clear and compelling vision for their team and encourage buy-in and engagement.
This approach can be particularly effective when it comes to implementing agile practices within an organization. Agile relies on collaboration, transparency, and adaptability, and invitation-based leadership supports these values by creating a safe and inclusive space for open communication and decision-making.
In the case of the retail logistics team at Walmart, the senior vice president’s use of well-formed invitations and quotes from Mr. Sam Walton to rally the team around an open space event demonstrates the power of this approach. By clearly outlining the goals and rules for the event and inviting team members to participate on a voluntary basis, the senior vice president is able to foster a sense of shared ownership and responsibility among the team.
How to craft a good Invitation for Open Space
Overall, invitation-based leadership and open agile adoption go hand in hand, as both approaches emphasize collaboration, transparency, and adaptability. By using well-formed invitations and creating a culture of open communication and decision-making, leaders can encourage self-management, self-organization, and innovation within their teams and organizations.
According to Daniel Mezick, invitation-based leadership is a way to “offer opportunities for others to act on their own initiative, to self-manage and self-organize.” This approach is grounded in the idea that “invitation triggers decision-making, human agency, and action, which affect self-management, self-organization, authority, and company culture.”
One key aspect of invitation-based leadership is the use of well-formed invitations. These invitations should have clear goals, rules, progress tracking, and opt-in participation. This structure helps to ensure that recipients of the invitation understand exactly what is being asked of them and are able to make informed decisions about whether or not to accept the invitation.
In order to effectively adopt an invitation-based approach to leadership, it is important to create a culture of open communication and decision-making within the organization. This means encouraging team members to share their ideas and opinions, and actively seeking out diverse perspectives. It also means being transparent about decision-making processes and giving team members the autonomy to make decisions within their areas of expertise.
By fostering a culture of open communication and decision-making, leaders can create a sense of ownership and accountability within their teams. This, in turn, can lead to increased engagement, motivation, and innovation within the organization.
In our Agile Transformation at Walmart, I often cited the example of Walmart’s Sam Walton, who believed in the power of open communication and decision-making to drive success. As Walton famously said, “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” By using well-formed invitations and creating a culture of open communication and decision-making, leaders can influence and empower their teams to self-manage, self-organize, and drive innovation within the organization.
Although Daniel spells this out in his book, Inviting Leadership, this can be tricky to put into practice, so, I wrote a script on the likely dialogue between and agile coach and an executive in retail. And, believe me when I say, this is completely fictional; but somehow not unlike conversations I’ve had ...
INT. WALMART HEADQUARTERS — DAY
The Sr. Vice President of Retail Logistics, JIM, sits at his desk, scrolling through a presentation on his computer. He looks stressed and frustrated.
Agile Coach, SARAH, enters the room and approaches Jim’s desk.
SARAH: Hey, Jim. How’s it going?
JIM: (sighs) Not great. We’ve been trying to implement agile in our logistics department, but it’s just not working out.
SARAH: I understand. Agile can be challenging at first. But I believe it’s the right approach for your team.
JIM: (doubtfully) I’m not so sure. I admire Mr. Sam Walton and his focus on efficiency and cost-cutting. Agile seems to go against everything he stood for.
SARAH: Actually, Mr. Walton believed in empowering his team and allowing them to take ownership of their work. In his own words, “The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want. And really, if you think about it from your point of view as a customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of good quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction with what you buy.” Agile allows for that kind of flexibility and adaptability, which is essential in today’s fast-changing retail environment.
JIM: (thoughtfully) I see what you mean. But how do we get our team on board with this new approach?
SARAH: One powerful tool is the invitation. Instead of dictating changes and expecting compliance, invite your team to participate in creating solutions and shaping their work environment. As Daniel Mezick writes in his book “Inviting Leadership,” “An invitation is a kind of test, a test of the receiver’s willingness. An invitation tests the willingness of the receiver to go somewhere or do something. This test generates feedback. It must be OK for the test to return negative results. It has to be OK for the receiver to decline (to not accept) the invitation.”
JIM: (nodding) I like that idea. It gives everyone a say and allows them to take ownership of the change process.
SARAH: Exactly. And I have an idea for an invitation that I think could really make a difference for your team. How about an open space event, where team members can come together to discuss challenges and create solutions in a collaborative environment?
JIM: (excitedly) That sounds amazing! I’m in. Let’s do it.
SARAH: Great! I’ll work on crafting the invitation and getting everything set up.
JIM: (smiling) Thank you, Sarah. I have a feeling this is going to be a game-changer for our team.
As Sarah exits the room, Jim picks up his phone and dials a number.
JIM: (into phone) Hey, it’s Jim. I just had an epiphany. We’re going to try something new with our logistics team…
JIM: (into phone) Hey, it’s Jim. I just had an epiphany. We’re going to try something new with our logistics team…
JIM: (to Sr. VP) I know you admire Mr. Sam Walton and his approach to retail. Well, I think we can bring some of that philosophy into our logistics team by using an open space format. It’s a way for people to come together and collaborate on solving problems and finding new solutions.
SR. VP: I’m not sure I understand. How does this fit in with our agile transformation?
JIM: That’s the beauty of it. Open space is a way to go beyond agile and truly embrace an adaptive, synergy-driven approach. It allows for self-organization and encourages people to take ownership of their work. And as Mr. Walton said, “The more that associates are involved in the decisions that affect their work, the more they will care about the company’s success.”
SR. VP: I see what you’re saying. But how do we get people to participate in this open space format?
JIM: That’s where the art of invitation comes in. We can craft a clear and compelling invitation that speaks to the values and goals of our team. And as Daniel Mezick explains in his book, “Invitation triggers decision-making, human agency, and action, which affect self-management, self-organization, authority, and company culture.” By inviting people to participate and making it optional, we can create a sense of ownership and empowerment that will drive innovation and success.
SR. VP: I like the idea of empowering our team. Let’s do it. How do we go about crafting the invitation?
JIM: Mezick recommends using the four properties of a good game — clear goals, rules, progress tracking, and opt-in participation — to structure the invitation. We can also use Clean Language, as developed by David Grove, to create a safe and open listening space. By accepting and extending the answers of our team members, we can build a shared understanding of the problems and opportunities we face.
SR. VP: I’m convinced. Let’s do it. Let’s craft the invitation and see what our team can come up with in this open space format.
JIM: Great! I’ll work on putting together the invitation and we can present it to the team. I have a feeling this is going to be a game-changer for our logistics department.
(The two men shake hands and the scene fades to black)
An Invitation to Change
Adaptive Synergy and Going Beyond Agile: Crafting the Right Invitation
The following is completely fictional example of crafting a good invitation that just happens to give me de ja vu.
In today’s fast-paced, constantly changing business environment, agility is crucial for success. However, simply being agile is not enough. To truly excel, organizations must strive for adaptive synergy, or the ability to adapt and thrive in the face of change.
One way to achieve adaptive synergy is through the use of invitational leadership, as outlined by Daniel Mezick in his book “The Culture Game.” According to Mezick, invitations from top decision makers generate 10 to 20 times more feedback than delegations, and business agility runs on high-volume, high-quality feedback.
So, how can organizations craft the right invitations to facilitate adaptive synergy and go beyond just being agile? Mezick recommends using a structured approach, such as the 4-part invitation structure:
Clearly describe the goal: What is the purpose of the invitation and what do you hope to achieve?
Clearly outline the rules: What are the expectations and boundaries for participating in the invitation?
Track progress: How will progress be measured and how will feedback be collected and used?
Offer opt-in participation: Make it clear that accepting the invitation is optional and that there will be no negative consequences for declining.
Let’s take a look at an example of an invitation for an open space event for a retail logistics group, crafted by a Sr. Vice President who admires Mr. Sam Walton and uses quotes from him in support of the invitation.
Here are the rules for this event:
Respect: We will follow the Agile Manifesto’s values of respect, courage, and openness. We will create a safe and welcoming environment for all participants.
Inclusion: This event is open to all members of the retail logistics group, regardless of their job title or level of experience. We want to hear from everyone, from the newest team member to the most seasoned veteran.
Collaboration: This is an open space, which means that we will work together to shape the agenda and facilitate the sessions. Everyone is encouraged to participate and contribute their ideas.
Equality: We believe that everyone’s voice is valuable, and we will strive to create an environment where everyone is heard and treated with respect.
We could then provide more information about the event itself, including the location, date, and any logistical details. You could also include a brief outline of the open space format and how it works, to give people an idea of what to expect.
How to write an Invitation to Open Space
Now, let’s turn to the invitation itself. As a Sr. Vice President, you want to craft an invitation that is both inspiring and informative. You could start by highlighting the benefits of participating in an open space event:
“Dear Associates,
I am excited to invite you to participate in an open space event for our retail logistics group. Our goal for this event is to foster collaboration, innovation, and adaptability as we navigate the constantly changing landscape of retail. And beat the heck out of those online guys from the west coast!
As Mr. Sam Walton once said, ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’ At this open space event, we have the opportunity to go places we have never been before, to learn from each other and to expand our knowledge and understanding of retail logistics. I invite you to join me in this journey of discovery and growth.”
“The open space format is designed to facilitate collaboration and creativity. It is based on the idea that the people who are most closely involved in a problem or challenge are the ones who are most qualified to solve it. This means that everyone’s ideas and perspectives are valuable and deserve to be heard.
We have three principles for this event:
Transparency: We will be open and honest with each other throughout this process, sharing all relevant information and being upfront about any obstacles or challenges that we may face.
Collaboration: We will work together as a team to find solutions and come up with new ideas, rather than trying to solve problems individually.
Accountability: We will hold ourselves and each other accountable for following through on any commitments that we make during this event.
With these principles in mind, let’s come together and use the power of adaptive synergy to take our retail logistics group to the next level. I have no doubt that, with the right approach and the right attitude, we can accomplish great things.
Sincerely, [Sr. Vice President]
— — -
With this example, we see the power of initiation. According to Daniel Mezick, the power of invitation in leadership lies in its ability to create a sense of ownership and buy-in among team members. By inviting people to participate in decision-making and problem-solving processes, leaders can encourage self-management, self-organization, and innovation within their teams and organizations.
Mezick argues that this approach is particularly effective when combined with open space technology, which allows people to come together and discuss the issues that matter most to them in a self-organizing and self-facilitating manner. By using well-formed invitations and creating a culture of open communication and decision-making, leaders can foster greater collaboration, agility, adaptability, and creativity within their teams and organizations.
This is the first in the “Open Secret” series. Please let us know you’re thoughts as we continue to this series describing the powerful techniques behind successful agile transformations — techniques that adaptively synergize beyond the agile framework.
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