Mik + One: The Official Project to Product Podcast by Dr. Mik Kersten

Episode 57: Gene Kim on "Wiring the Winning Organization," Unlocking High-Performance Organizations

23 snips

Jul 2, 2024

In this discussion, Gene Kim, a technology thought leader and author with over two decades of expertise, shares insights from his latest book, co-authored with Dr. Steven Spear. He emphasizes new organizational frameworks necessary for bridging gaps left by traditional models. Topics include 'slowification,' which promotes strategic slowdowns for long-term benefits, and the importance of strong feedback loops in enhancing efficiency. Gene also highlights modularization as a key to quicker development cycles, showcasing how tech giants like Amazon achieve rapid releases.

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INSIGHT

Three Layers of Organizational Performance

Organizational performance depends on three layered elements: the objects of work, the tools used, and the social circuitry connecting teams.
Social circuitry is the key element where wiring determines how effectively people collaborate and get work done.

ANECDOTE

Couch Moving as Collaboration Metaphor

Gene Kim and Steve Spear illustrated collaboration challenges by moving a couch together under varying conditions affecting communication and coordination.
This simple example highlights how altering social wiring impacts team effectiveness irrespective of task or resources.

INSIGHT

Tech Evolution Rewires Organizations

Advances like generative AI change the nature of work objects (Layer 1), forcing adjustments in tools and social wiring layers.
Effective organizational design must evolve the social circuitry to integrate new specialties and technologies.

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Joining Mik in this episode of Mik + One is technology luminary Gene Kim. Gene Kim is an esteemed author and technology thought leader with over two decades of experience studying high-performing technology organizations. Mik and Gene look into the groundbreaking insights from Gene's latest book, "Wiring the Winning Organization," co-authored with Dr. Steven Spear. They navigate the pressing need for new organizational frameworks that bridge the gaps left by traditional models like Lean, Agile, and DevOps. They also analyze the core mechanisms vital to achieving optimal organizational performance, such as simplification and amplification.

Listen as Mik and Gene explore the concept of ‘slowification’—the strategic slowdown for long-term gains—and provide practical advice on how technology leaders can implement these changes.

Key discussions include:

Understanding the critical layers involved in organizational performance: objects (code, patients), tools (IDEs, MRI machines), and social circuitry (team communication).
Learn about the essential mechanisms—slowification, simplification, and amplification—that form the backbone of successful organizational design.
Explore the impact of strong, clear feedback loops in optimizing organizational efficiency and uncovering hidden inefficiencies.
Discover how partitioning complex systems into modular components can facilitate faster development and deployment cycles.
Learn how Gene's book provides a framework that is understandable and actionable at all organizational levels, focusing on practical implementation.

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Additional Resources:

Portfolio SAFe
The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim
Wiring the Winning Organization by Gene Kim and Steven J. Spear
MarTech
Scrum Studio
Greenfield project
Skunkworks
Bimodal IT
Agile Release Train
Mik + One Podcast Episode 20: Justin Watts
Join the Flow Framework Community

For more information about Gene Kim and to view the full list of resources mentioned in this episode, as well as download the transcript, visit: https://flowframework.org/ffc-podcast/gene-kim-ep-57/