Bringing in S3

Contents

Pattern 5.1: Adapt Patterns To Context

Adapt and evolve S3 patterns to fit your specific context.

ensure everyone affected by adaptation:
- understands why it is necessary to adapt the pattern
- is present or represented when doing so
use S3 principles as a guide for adaptation
run experiments with adaptations for long enough to learn about benefits and potential pitfalls
consider sharing valuable adaptations with the S3 community

Create an environment that invites and enables members of the organization to drive change.

Change things when there is value in doing so:

bring in patterns that solve current and important problems
- don’t break what’s already working!
- meet everyone where they are…
- …and let them choose their own pace
consider making all change voluntary!

Lead by example.

Behave and act in the ways you would like others to behave and act.

A way for individuals to initiate and facilitate change.

be the change you want to see
use and adapt S3 patterns to address drivers when it’s helpful to do so
tell the story about how and why you are using patterns from S3, including documenting outcomes, successes and failures
invite others to experiment with you

Invite everyone to create and run experiments for evolving the organization.

identify the driver for pulling in S3 patterns
schedule regular open space events:
- invite all members to create and run experiments
- define constraints for experiments: e.g. S3 principles
- review and learn from experimentation in the next open space
- repeat

To reveal drivers and establish a metrics-based pull-system for organizational change.

introduce the principle of consent and Navigate Via Tension to evolve work process in one team
consider selecting a facilitator and agreeing on values
trigger continuous improvement (e.g through Kanban)
team members pull in S3 patterns as required
expand the scope of the experiment iteratively
intentionally look out for impediments

Waste is anything not necessary for – or standing in the way of – effective response to a driver.

waste exists in various forms and on different levels of abstraction (tasks, processes, organizational structure, mental models…)
establishing a process for ongoing elimination of waste enables natural evolution of an organization towards greater effectiveness
adaptation to changing context is built into the process

Read next: Defining Agreements