Day 22: Crossing the Chasm - Leading Effective Change in Engineering Teams
Be Better Engineering Leader, a 30 Days Series
This is the fifth week of a series of daily lessons on how to Be a Better Engineering Leader. I recommend spending up to an hour on each lesson to gain insights into Product, Technology, and People—areas critical for every Engineering Manager.
Transforming an engineering organization is a multi-stage process. The marketing concept of “Crossing the Chasm” can help you navigate the gap between early adopters and the early majority, a critical point at which many transformations fail due to a lack of widespread buy-in.
Today, we’ll explore how to apply these principles to ensure your change efforts gain traction and achieve success.
Applying "Crossing the Chasm" to Engineering Teams
Identify Your Enthusiasts and Visionaries:
Start by finding the champions for your new practice or technology. Look for three types of people in your organization:Solution/Practice Enthusiasts: Team members who are passionate about the technology or practice you're introducing. Engage them in early pilots to test and refine your approach.
Visionaries: Individuals interested in strategic improvements like faster delivery or better quality. They can help you articulate the broader value of the transformation.
People with a Problem to Solve: Those who face specific challenges that your transformation can address. They may not be early adopters, but they are highly motivated to find solutions.
Build a Whole Product Offering:
Early adopters need more than just the core change. Here are example transformations and what a complete solution may llook like:QA Shift-Left: Provide clear testing principles, documentation, working examples, and infrastructure setup.
DevOps Culture: Offer standardized CI/CD solutions, clear responsibility splits, and team topologies that promote self-sufficiency.
Monolith to Microservices: Deliver microservice templates, observability setup, and unified CI/CD processes.
Ensure that every team involved has the tools, training, and support they need to succeed.
Cross the Chasm:
Move from early adopters to the early majority by demonstrating the reliability and support of new practices:Share internal success stories to show tangible benefits.
Be available to provide hands-on support and gather continuous feedback to address any concerns or issues.
Establish a Beachhead:
Choose a small, manageable project or team where you can fully implement the new practices. Focus on this niche to become the de facto standard in this area before expanding. For example, when transitioning to micro frontends, ensure one team gets the full experience: working templates, unified CI/CD processes, and dedicated support. Use this as a model for other teams.Position the Change:
Communicate the benefits and uniqueness of the new practices clearly. Use data, feedback, and success stories from the early adopters and early majority to show how the transformation is improving the organization.
Highlight measurable outcomes, such as reduced deployment times, improved product quality, or faster feedback cycles. Make it clear that these are not just hypotheses but proven results.Post-Chasm Focus, Distribution, and Support Channels:
After crossing the chasm, focus on optimizing and standardizing the new practices. Establish clear channels for ongoing training and support:Regular workshops, internal support teams, detailed documentation, and tutorials are essential to maintaining momentum.
Update team roles and responsibilities as needed to reflect the new practices, and reassign champions to new projects to drive further adoption.
Action Points
Identify the transformation you want to lead (e.g., introducing DevOps, adopting microservices, implementing QA Shift-Left).
Write down concrete action steps for each of the six points:
Who are your early adopters and visionaries?
What does your whole product plan include?
How will you cross the chasm and support the early majority?
Where will you establish your beachhead?
How will you position and communicate the benefits?
What are your post-chasm support plans?
Share these action steps with a trusted colleague or mentor for feedback and refinement.
Successfully leading change is about guiding your team across the chasm. With a strategic approach and focused actions, you can ensure that your transformation efforts reach their full potential.
Extra Resources
Premium Article: Crossing the Chasm in Engineering Transformation
Book Recommendation: Crossing The Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore
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