Large-scale software rollouts are treated as a distributed system where people are the nodes, introducing challenges that require managing communication debt and change management issues.
When stakeholders become unresponsive, use the DACI framework to clarify roles (Driver, Approver, Contributor, Informed) and ensure you are communicating the right "why" to the right person.
Combat the proliferation of meetings by establishing a disciplined, searchable, and written single source of truth for all project decisions, statuses, and responsibilities.
Break through decision paralysis by using the RAPID framework to explicitly assign roles for recommending, agreeing, performing, providing input, and ultimately deciding.
Avoid project stalls caused by key individuals being unavailable by increasing the team's bus factor through pair programming, task rotation, and thorough documentation.
Address user resistance not with more information, but by focusing on buy-in using the ADKAR model to build awareness and desire before teaching the "how."
Make training more effective by focusing on the 70-20-10 learning principle and empowering respected local champions to mentor peers and provide hands-on support.
Control scope creep by using the MoSCoW method to prioritize features, paying special attention to the "won't have" category to create clear boundaries and stakeholder alignment.
Decommission legacy systems safely by applying the strangler fig pattern to incrementally replace functionality, migrate processes, and set a final sunset date.
Resolve process duplication caused by multiple tools by using Gartner's TIME framework to strategically decide which applications to tolerate, invest in, migrate, or eliminate.
Avoid the pitfalls of decision debt, where the "why" behind a choice is lost, by using Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) and understanding Chesterton's Fence.
Combat ownership debt, where responsibility is implied but not assigned, by using frameworks like RACI, DACI, and DRI to explicitly name a single responsible individual.
Prevent your project's story from becoming distorted by using frameworks like the message house and commander's intent, and by repeating the core narrative at least seven times.
Fix structural debt where the system is built to lose information, but also recognize that the goal is not zero debt but rather no surprises, making some debt acceptable.
Understand the direct link between different types of communication debt and the emergence of specific change management monsters, such as ownership debt causing the disengager.
Jobs that call for the skills explored in this talk.