At Splended, we’re all about blending technical expertise with coaching to make change more manageable, especially when tackling complex challenges. Recently, we partnered with a team of four DevOps key users at a Finnish forest company’s IT department to coach them on the technicalities of DevOps and agile methodologies, aiming to establish new ways of cooperation and implement more widespread sprint planning. The goal? To enhance transparency on workload and improve operational efficiency.
Why this change?
Initially, teams were hesitant to embrace DevOps practices, resulting in resistance to change. To drive change effectively, the leaders selected four key users to undergo training and act as trusted advisors for technical inquiries. This project’s ownership was strategically placed among those most in need, employing a bottom-up approach to address the challenge.
How did we support the team of key users?
Firstly, we meticulously analyzed the current status quo by interviewing the key users, while Jani Nevalainen, our technical expert and the co-founder at Mallow, conducted a technical discovery of their existing DevOps environment. Subsequently, we compiled a report and discussed it with the project leaders.
What was our approach?
Picture a series of engaging coaching sessions led by me, Splended’s CEO, Marjut Sadeharju, and Jani who was responsible for the technical aspects of DevOps, while Marjut coached the key users to become confident advocates for global DevOps implementation. These key users were to assist teams across various locations in initiating sprint planning using a unified and aligned approach. Jani also answered any questions that arose on a Teams channel so that future users can keep on learning after the project. This channel will also facilitate questions between the key users and the wider community.
After three months of training and coaching sessions, we conducted interviews with the participants to assess the outcomes.This is an ongoing process of development and improvement, but the feedback was promising. One of the key users commended Marjut for her exceptional change coaching abilities throughout the sessions. And as for Jani? Let’s just say his expertise served as a guiding light, and his wealth of knowledge proved indispensable in the project. “A very pleasant and interesting course with accommodating coaches, willing to train employees in the subject. The training turned out to be very dynamic, as much was unclear from the company’s side initially”, commented one key user in their feedback.
What truly shone through was the trust and openness we were able to establish with the key users. We were there every step of the way, ready to address any obstacles. It was a partnership built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to learning and development, aimed at making tangible changes for all IT team members.
At Splended, we take pride in meeting our partners where they are and guiding them towards success with expertise and empathy. Whether you’re just dipping your toes into DevOps or you’re ready to take the plunge, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
