SAFe Core Value 1 – Alignment
Alignment is a core value in SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) because if we have individuals or teams working on their own prioritized items, without business and customer objectives alignment, we have people who are busy, but we don’t achieve important outcomes that matter.
So, we are all busy, we are all tired – sometimes overburdened and stressed – but we aren’t achieving anything that matters to customers or the organization.
How does SAFe align teams?
The agile framework aligns organizational strategy and objectives with a customer purpose.
In other words, we align teams in a way that creates value for customers and creates economic and operational value for the organization.
It is important that both the customer and organizational objectives are aligned.
If we only focus on the organization, without considering customer needs and requirements, we are vulnerable to disruption from competitors and will lose those customers over time. If we don’t create and capture value for the organization, we won’t have a viable business and won’t be able to effectively serve customers.
When does the alignment occur?
It is a process of continuous alignment and improvement.
Aligning teams with organizational mission and customer purpose is not something that only occurs at the start of an initiative, we continuously seek and achieve alignment because circumstances change, markets change, customer behaviour changes, and so forth, so we need to constantly align.
We also ensure that our individuals and teams are aligned with core organizational values and principles, SAFe values and principles, and Agile values and principles.
If we aren’t aligned with core organizational values, it isn’t sustainable.
So, this is why the first SAFe value, Alignment, is incredibly important to succeeding with Agile.
About Value Glide
Value Glide are a SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) consultancy, coaching practice, and training specialist who work with organizations to align business objectives with customer needs and wants.
As deeply experienced agile coaches and practitioners, our team are invested in continuous learning through each client engagement and use the data and evidence we gather from each implementation to inform our training, coaching, and consulting services.
In a nutshell, empirical process control or empiricism.
If you are thinking of adopting agile within your organization and have identified SAFe as a great agile framework to adopt, implement and improve your business agility, visit our SAFe Quickstart ART Launch program page or view our SAFe Consulting Services page.
If you have identified a need for an agile coach and SAFe coach to help your organization adopt and implement SAFe, visit our SAFe Coaching Services page.
If you want to know more about SAFe and how to lead SAFe, visit our SAFE Training page for a host of options, from Leading SAFe to a SAFe Release Train Engineer course.
#SAFe #scaledagileframework #scalingagile #agile #agileframework #agilecoach
