Someone asked me, “How long will it take to build a high-performing ART (Agile Release Train)?“. “Around 5 years on average“, I replied.
From my perspective, an ART is like a bamboo tree…It takes time for an ART to achieve its peak and sustained performance.
A bamboo will grow over time…it takes years…5 years on average…to reach its peak.
Such length of time / journey takes patience and work…and never giving up…keep nurturing it in various and innovative ways. Similar on a personal level: you keep nurturing your dream…working on it daily in various and innovative ways…remember: “Dreams don’t work unless you do” — John C. Maxwell.
If you look deeper…the beauty of this process is in what your ART is going through: lots of adventures, lots of struggles, lots of challenges, lots of failures, lots of successes…
they are being transformed into a better version of themselves on a daily basis. Can you imagine what they can become in five years? Yup: wiser, stronger, better! It is not what you get…it is what you become, is valuable. This is true as well on a personal level. So have faith, have patience, keep innovating and persevere!
So…how to nurture your ART?
One of many ways of nurturing your team of Agile teams (ART) is having an “ART Improvement Roadmap”. For your Agile teams, having a “Team Improvement Roadmap”. Relentless Improvement and Innovation are great ways of nurturing for growth.
Another way is coaching your Agile teams…and the ART. Coaching them in practicing and living (not just knowing) the Lean-Agile mindset on a daily basis, embracing lean product development and applying systems thinking.
Other ways, of course, were the 7 ways that were presented in the previous series…check it out: Building High-Performing ART…a series of 7 parts.
