How to keep good sync: Two-speed IT and the CM

Last week’s article on Two-speed IT brought a lot of interest. But also one repeated question. Ok, you have an hybrid model between Agile and Core ways of working. How do you keep both in sync?

Well, by having a sync-layer and a new role: the Communication Manager.

In Two-Speed IT, a communication manager is a role responsible for developing and implementing communication plans to ensure effective communication between the core IT team and the agile IT team. The communication manager works to establish communication channels and protocols and ensures that all team members are aware of the communication plan and understand their roles and responsibilities. He or she is the main role of the Sync layer.

The communication manager plays a critical role in ensuring that communication is clear and effective between the core and agile IT teams. They are responsible for establishing communication channels, such as email, instant messaging, or video conferencing, and ensuring that all team members are aware of these channels and how to use them. The communication manager also establishes protocols for communication, such as frequency and format, and ensures that all team members understand these protocols and follow them.

CMs are also responsible for monitoring communication channels to ensure that they are working effectively and that team members are communicating with each other in a timely and efficient manner. They also provide feedback to team members to ensure that communication is effective and efficient, and to identify areas for improvement.

The communication manager is typically a highly skilled professional with experience in communication, project management, and IT. They have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and are able to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including business leaders, IT professionals, and end-users.

Overall, the communication manager plays a critical role in ensuring that communication is clear and effective between the core and agile IT teams in Two-Speed IT. By establishing clear communication channels and protocols, and monitoring communication channels to ensure that they are working effectively, the communication manager helps to ensure that the benefits of the Two-Speed IT approach are realized.

The CM populates a layer with a mixture of Agile roles (Scrum Master, PO, etc.) and traditional roles (PM, PMO, etc.) which is used for synchronicity. By enabling a series of intersecting communications between GANTTs, Epics and holding Quarterly Planning meetings, the CMs in an organization keep the work on path.

But which are the other roles of Two-speed it?


The Agile IT Team: The agile IT team is responsible for developing and implementing new systems and technologies that are more flexible and adaptable to change. To achieve this, they need to work collaboratively with business units and stakeholders to understand their needs and requirements. The agile IT team is responsible for communicating the status of their projects, sharing updates on their progress, and collaborating with the core IT team to ensure that the new systems are integrated with the existing core systems. The main Agile roles are Scrum Master, Product Owner, Team Member and Kanban Coach.

The Core IT Team: The core IT team is responsible for maintaining the stability and reliability of the organization’s foundational IT systems. They need to communicate with business units and end-users to understand their needs and requirements, and provide support to resolve any issues or problems that arise. The core IT team is responsible for communicating the status of their projects, sharing updates on their progress, and collaborating with the agile IT team to ensure that the new systems are integrated with the existing core systems. The main roles are Business Analyst, Programmer, Tester, Project Manager.

Together with the CMs, and roles that vary depending on which flavor of methodology you are using (i.e. Agile Coaches, PMOs, etc.) but which can be slotted into one of the three layers:

  1. Agile IT
  2. Core IT
  3. Sync layer

I hope this helps to clarify this aspect of Two-speed IT!

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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