Organizations going to Agile at scale are often pretty set on SAFe. It’s a popular framework so it must do some good. And it does. It attends to the key objectives required but gives only one solution when there are several options needed. While alluding to Lean principles, no one can learn how to apply these in just two or three days.
Taking an implementing SAFe can provide key insights especially if consider three things when in the course:
- See how much of the materials you’re interested in. If you’re just doing Essential SAFe you’ll find a lot of it doesn’t pertain to you. But notice the roles you need at the higher levels.
- How will SAFe help you with prioritization? WSJF looks good but will different business stakeholder agree on what’s important? Unlikely since each looks at what business value is differently.
- How much of your work comprises new products where MVPs would be useful?
- SAFe will tell you what trains should look like in general but talk to the instructor and see if s/he can tell you how to do it at your org.
- If you’re a small group in a big org you almost certainly still need to define your strategies. How will SAFe help you here. Large Solution SAFe (where these are) will be way to big.