Book Review - Hacking for Agile Change

Title: Hacking for Agile Change (with an agile mindset, behaviours and practices)

ISBN: 978-0-6481017-4-1

Author: Lena Ross

Audience:

Albeit the title could infer that this is for people working on 'agile' projects, it is far from that. This book is for anyone that recognises that change is now constant and in everything that we do we must do with increased agility.

The book introduction says 'It will help you understand what you can do, as a change leader, a change practitioner and project manager, when you are asked to support an 'agile' project; and even when you are not asked, you will have ideas and examples so you can introduce agile practices to any change initiative to more deeply engage your stakeholders.'

Karen’s Comment:

What I love about this book is that it is about agile mindsets, behaviours and practices that you can apply at any time, on any project, of any type and in any organisation.

It contains over 50 practical and proven change hacks we can all use.

Its structure makes it an easy read. Lena introduces concepts and activities and then provides a #changehack with step by step guidance on how to introduce a concept or undertake an activity in an effective manner.

In chapter 11, 'The Truth About Resistance', Lena introduces the SCARF model and then #changehack 24 is about running a team self-assessment session using that model.

In chapter 13, 'Tell the Story, she explains the power of story-telling and provides a model for doing it effectively. #changehack 30 provides a step by step approach to help a project team build a story.

Throughout the book, Lena shares her extensive and practical experience. This is not an academic tome. This is a book that has come from real experience in the change trenches.

It is a book that once read, you will keeping dipping in and out of, to adopt more and more #changehacks to enable you to operate at the speed now necessary in the dynamic and ever changing business environment.

This book will not only provide you with hacks for agile change, but will also provoke your thinking.

I learnt so much reading this book. It is now front and centre in my organisational change management toolkit. It should be in yours too.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5.