"Individuals and Interactions" is something to take quite seriously, especially in today's environment where organizations hire "installer of frameworks" ad nauseam. The epitome of "installers of frameworks" is SAFe. SAFe is not Agile, SAFe is a cumbersome process that requires SAFe bureaucrats and pedants to install and maintain.
The alternative to SAFe (and any framework) is hiring highly qualified Agile Consultants or Coaches that work well in your organization (not cutting, copying and pasting SAFe to "scale"). It is the people (or individuals/consultants) that will assist you in your Agile journey (scaling, de-scaling, tools, etc) NOT the monolithic process like SAFe. For example, Spotify didn't install "SAFe" they created the "Spotify Model" by hiring a talented, experienced consultant (Henrik Kniberg) to custom tailor Agile specific to Spotify. Peter Drucker did not install SAFe, he used his experience & knowledge to consult organizations on becoming more efficient/Lean. It's the people (or consultants), not the framework, that makes the Agile journey successful (remember "individuals and interactions over processes and tools"?). With that said, an alternative to SAFe is hiring talented consultants to custom tailor Agile to your organization. Organizations should be targeting highly qualified Consultants, not targeting "installers of SAFe" (e.g. SPCs, RTEs, etc). Here are a few excellent consultants I would recommend from my own experiences and observations:
Of course, I must do some shameless self promotion. Please checkout www.truagile.info to learn more on the alternatives to SAFe. I am also always available for a chat.
You must research and interview consultants that will work well in your particular organization. The relationship is very important. One consultant may not "click" while another will "click". This should be your priority, not finding certified SAFe consultants. Keep in mind the certification does not matter ("I am SAFe certified!"). What matters is the skill, personality, and experience of the Agile consultant. Do they truly understand Agile (scaling, descaling) or are they just a "installer of framework"? The question you should be asking is:
Can they make your organization more Agile? Do they understand the mindset and essence of Agile?
NOT
Can they make my organization more SAFe? Do they understand SAFe, the process, and how to install it?
In addition, if you have any other alternatives to SAFe (scaling or de-scaling) please provide them in the comments below (I am sure these will be great!).
Thank you and I hope this helps in alternatives to SAFe :)
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