Focus on capabilities, not maturity
If you could only read one book on the topic of release engineering, read ‘Accelerate’, by Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble and Gene Kim. One of the bigger takeaways there is that organizations should focus much more on their capabilities, rather than on maturity models.
While maturity models are very popular, the authors cannot stress enough that maturity models are not the appropriate tool to use or mindset to have regarding software delivery. Rather, shifting to a capability model of measurement is essential for organizations wanting to accelerate their software delivery.
The continuous improvement paradigm
Maturity models guide organizations to what might be considered a mature state. Defining a static level of technological, process, and organizational abilities to achieve and therefore giving organizations the opportunity to declare themselves done. Rather, these types of transformations should follow a continuous improvement paradigm. Maturity models do not facilitate continuous improvement.
Capability models on the other hand, focus on helping organizations continually improve and progress. Keeping in mind that the business and technological landscape is ever-changing.
Contextualize your approach
Maturity models assume that the different levels are the same, or similar, across different teams and organizations alike. Therefore missing some essential contextualization of team and organization specific challenges and opportunities.
“In contrast, capability models are multidimensional and dynamic, allowing different parts of the organization to take a customized approach to improvement, and focus on capabilities that will give them the most benefit based on their current context and their short- and long-term goals." - Accelerate, page 29.
It's crucial to consider that each team has its own context, systems, goals, and constraints, which should shape decision making on priorities for accelerating transformations.
Focus on key outcomes
Capability models focus on key outcomes. These can then be further elaborated upon to show how the capabilities, or levers, are able to drive improvement in those outcomes. This encourages leadership and a clear direction on high level goals, all the while keeping tabs on if you’re working towards the desired outcomes.
Take away
By employing a continuous improvement paradigm through one or more capability models, organizations can continuously drive improvement.
By subsequent focusing on the right capabilities, organizations can also drive improvements in their outcomes. Allowing them to develop and deliver software quickly, and with stability.
This has been a short excerpt of ‘Accelerate’ which I think is underexposed in the current business landscape. A lot of organizations don’t organize their approach to change in this manner yet, which could be an outsized improvement. But don’t take that from me, try it out for yourself!