How to Deliver with Constant Pivots and Changes in Team Composition

Pivots and changes in team composition always lead to process inefficiency and wasted resources.

When there isn't a clear process in place, tasks tend to get pushed onto the team. This can lead to the team constantly jumping between tasks and doing things quickly, which can cause problems like switching between tasks too frequently and taking longer to get information from business stakeholders.

What strategies can you use to maintain control while still being able to adjust to changing circumstances in a volatile environment?

Using Kanban to reduce bottlenecks without sacrificing flexibility

Try the upstream-downstream Kanban framework.

Upstream

Every task, especially when it’s:

• indescriptive
• difficult to estimate
• too big to be delivered in a single interval

lands in the upstream.

From here, it gets progressively refined and pushed from phase to phase until the full context is provided.

Downstream

Only when:

• all the necessary information is gathered
• the estimate is provided
• and no blocks are present

the task is moved to downstream.

From here, it’s picked up by the development team to be implemented.

Switching to Kanban

When switching from other project methodologies, simply transfer all the open tasks to upstream or downstream, depending on the task status and details provided.

What you can expect from Kanban

The aim of the Kanban stream is to achieve a smooth, linear task flow from the idea phase to their execution.

When tasks become stalled in a particular phase, it’s a sign of a potential staffing or process deficiency. As you’ll begin to identify and address issues in your workflow, you'll notice an improvement in the overall transparency and predictability of the process.

As a result, you'll be able to plan future work with greater precision and efficiency.