Thread by @johncutlefish

(thread related to #kanban #orgdesign #changeagency)

1. most work systems are for more interconnected than we realize

2. trad mgmt approaches implicitly restrict visibility/sensing the whole system

3. ...and are designed to "break up the problem" into local problems ...

4. we crave independence/autonomy. Our tendency is to manufacture local independence/autonomy even if it negatively impacts the functioning of the whole ...

5. related...we are also pragmatists. If the problem is local and within our control, we solve it. Global... we work around it. We are local pragmatists/opportunities. ...

6. Amazon proved to be incredible good at both encouraging local innovation, and imposing enough "rules" to maintain global health. Your 2-pizza team is made possible by 100s/1000s of other 2-pizza teams. It was a deliberate choice though...

7. "Start where you are" and "visualize the work" work... but they also strike right to the heart of the problem. They threaten the establishment, as they immediately expose the illusion of local independence and traditional manager roles...

8. The same goes for more holistic, global continuous improvement efforts. In (some high) ##% of the "world", continuous improvement means talking 1:1 with your manager to resolve the global issue. That's it...

9. To truly start where you are... you need to acknowledge the implicit and explicit power structures, boundaries, and situation on the ground.

Where you are might be a dozen kanban boards that only get reviewed simultaneously in a meeting of managers...

10. Put another way ... the situation on the ground is perfectly optimized for something. That something will not magically change.