<aside> <img src="/icons/list-indent_gray.svg" alt="/icons/list-indent_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Introduction to SIS

• SIS goals
• Iteration flow
• Iteration cadence </aside>

Within an iteration, every team will go through a cycle of learning and planning:

• Set context

  • Each team needs to have access to a shared, well-understood model which maps the wider landscape and sets the direction of travel. Typically this is done top-down, but your context may vary. SIS does not mandate how goal setting is done.
  • The model must be up-to date with any changes communicated and explained clearly to all teams in time for their planning.

  <aside> ℹ️ All-Hands or company meetings work well because they are time efficient and ensure that all teams receive the same message. There must also be an opportunity for context-specific discussions with each team about the strategy while they plan.

  </aside>

• Plan

  • Ideally this happens across all value stream levels, as close as possible to the Sync Event. SIS does not mandate how this is done, just what needs to be ready in time for the sync event. Both desired outcomes and planned outputs need to be ready in time for the Sync Event.
  • If your value stream has horizontal or vertical planning dependencies, make sure that timing is tight; the earliest planning should not be more than a week before the sync event. Otherwise, information will be stale and planning will be painful.

  <aside> ℹ️ Each team and the value stream is free to plan at any time during the iteration. In our experience, continuous planning works well in most contexts. In the SIS context, the planning activity just before the Sync Event is focussed on a cross-team mindset.

  </aside>

• Sync

  • Learnings: teams share their learnings from the previous iteration. The Sync Event may include time to compare experiences and delve deeper into the implications.
  • Achievements: at any level should be celebrated in this forum and provide positive drive for the whole value stream
  • Intentions: teams share their assumptions and intentions for the next iteration.
  • Planning: The Sync Event allows time to improve plans with inputs from the whole value stream.

• Execute

  • Each team executes on the refined plans. As your SIS maturity increases, more and more learning and planning will be continuously done during execution.

<aside> ⚠️ During an iteration the context may shift, invalidating assumptions and plans. That’s OK! All teams have a shared understanding so communicating changes will be as effective as possible.

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Next:

Iteration Cadence

Stream Iteration Sync is licensed under CC BY 4.0