From Top-Down to Collaborative—Reimagining Organizational Restructuring | Somya Mehra

Summary

Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile Storytelling from the Trenches Episode: From Top-Down to Collaborative—Reimagining Organizational Restructuring | Somya Mehra
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Somya Mehra
Release Date: August 13, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, host Vasco Duarte engages in a compelling conversation with Somya Mehra, an experienced Agile Coach and Scrum Master. The discussion centers around Somya's recent experience leading an organizational restructuring process, transitioning from a traditional top-down approach to a more collaborative and inclusive methodology. This episode provides valuable insights into effective change management, team engagement, and the practical application of Agile principles in real-world scenarios.

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The Change Process: Shifting from Top-Down to Collaborative

Initiating the Change

Somya recounts a significant change process that occurred within her organization just a month prior. The company decided to split into two distinct business units to enhance focus and efficiency. Historically, such reorganizations were dictated by upper management without team involvement, leading to frustration among employees.

"Most of the time you see these are the decisions made at the top level. They decide what portfolio, which team will have and how, where, who will go and they just inform them."
(01:56)

Recognizing the dissatisfaction, upper management took a different approach this time by involving a team of five to six Scrum Masters in designing the reorganization process. This shift aimed to foster a sense of ownership and collaboration among the affected teams.

Defining Constraints and Collaborative Planning

The first step Somya and her team took was to consult with upper management to understand the non-negotiable constraints of the reorganization. This clarity prevented back-and-forth adjustments and streamlined the planning process.

"Before going in front of team and doing this workshop with them, let's do it by ourselves. Each Scrum master, based on the constraint, tried to create the teams to see what kind of different approaches each one is taking."
(03:15)

Each Scrum Master independently proposed team structures, considering factors like location, skill sets, and interpersonal dynamics. These proposals were then collectively reviewed to identify the most feasible and harmonious team configurations.

Engaging Product Owners

The next phase involved a workshop with product owners to allocate product portfolios to the newly formed teams. This stage was particularly challenging as it required balancing differing interests and ensuring that product ownership aligned with team capabilities.

"This workshop was about preparing how to divide the product portfolio within the teams and who will be the product owner of which team so that the team stayed focused."
(06:18)

Despite initial resistance and prolonged negotiations, Somya emphasized the importance of product owners embracing their roles in driving vision and ensuring team alignment.

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Implementing the Change with Team Members

After securing agreement from the product owners, Somya and her team presented the proposed structures to the team members. Transparency was key; they communicated that while feedback was welcomed, it was impossible to satisfy every preference.

"We are taking your feedback, trying to include as much as we can, but there is no surety that you will make 100% people happy."
(07:38)

Each Scrum Master worked closely with their respective teams, facilitating workshops where team members could express their preferences and concerns. This participatory approach ensured that the majority felt heard and valued in the process.

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Key Lessons Learned

1. Securing Buy-In Through Inclusion

One of the foremost lessons Somya highlights is the necessity of involving team members in the change process to garner buy-in and reduce resistance.

"The first key lesson is to get the buy in from the people. You have to include them in the process."
(08:50)

By making team members active participants, they developed a sense of ownership and commitment to the new structure, resulting in higher satisfaction rates.

2. Managing Dissatisfaction Constructively

Despite best efforts, some team members may resist change. Somya shares an instance where a team member criticized the inclusion process as a waste of time.

"You are the one saying that, okay, the changes happens and we are not included and now we are including you. So it's a wastage of time."
(09:05)

Addressing such concerns with empathy and reiterating the benefits of inclusion helped mitigate resistance. Somya underscores the importance of accepting that not everyone will be entirely satisfied, aiming instead for widespread approval.

3. Continuous Collaboration and Adaptation

Post-restructuring, Somya's team remained agile, ready to make adjustments based on feedback and evolving circumstances. This flexibility ensured the new structure remained effective and responsive to team needs.

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Notable Quotes

• "Once you start to include them in the change process, letting them know why we are doing it, what is the benefit of doing it, and they are part of it and they have somewhat control over it. You get a buy in from them so they are not revolting."
  — Somya Mehra (08:50)

• "We can't make Everybody happy, but 80 to 90% people are happy and they are appreciating this change."
  — Somya Mehra (09:15)

• "Including team members who were impacted."
  — Somya Mehra (07:38)

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Conclusion

Somya Mehra's experience underscores the transformative power of collaborative change management within Agile frameworks. By involving Scrum Masters and team members in the restructuring process, her organization successfully navigated a complex transition with high levels of engagement and satisfaction. Key takeaways from this episode include the importance of securing buy-in through inclusion, managing inevitable dissatisfaction with empathy, and maintaining flexibility throughout the change process.

For Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches, Somya's approach serves as a valuable blueprint for leading effective organizational change that respects and empowers team members, ultimately fostering a more resilient and adaptive workplace.

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Join the Conversation

For more actionable insights and inspiring stories from Agile practitioners worldwide, consider joining the Scrum Master Toolbox membership community at scrummastertoolbox.org/membership. Connect with like-minded professionals, access exclusive content, and elevate your Agile practice to new heights.

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This summary is intended for individuals who seek to enhance their understanding of Agile change management through real-world examples and expert insights. Whether you're a seasoned Scrum Master or new to the Agile landscape, the strategies discussed in this episode can significantly impact your approach to leading and managing change within your organization.

Transcript

[Vasko]

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[Host]

Hello everybody. Welcome to our Wednesday the Change Leadership episode this week with Somia Mehra. Hey Somia, welcome back.

[Soumya Mehra]

Thank you for having me again Vasco.

[Host]

Absolutely. So Wednesday is the change episode. And when we talk about change, of course we talk about a change process, right? Like certain things that happen that lead to the certain outcome that we are trying to reach. So we want you to tell us such a story as a story of a change process and walk us through the steps, like what were the key things that happened during that change process? And as you go through those steps, highlight for us the tools, the tips, the tricks and the techniques you learned back then that you still apply today.

[Soumya Mehra]

Okay. Change process that was part of it recently happened like one month. Just, it has been only one month I've been part of a change process. So my current organization was doing the business unit split like having two business units. So then at that time we thought, okay, few of the people from the current organized like the current unit will go to the newer unit. And we've hired few new people also in the team. So the current, the previous setup of our teams were like we were having huge teams with having multiple products under each team. So then the focus was more scattered. So we already knew that this is something which is impacting our efficiency. So when this business unit split happened, the upper organization thought like this is the correct time to do the reorganization making team smaller and better. So most of the time you see like these are the, this, these are the decisions made at the top level. They decide what portfolio, which team will have and how, where, who will go and they just inform them. But this time something different happened. The top management ask us, we are the team of five to six Scrum Masters in our organization that, hey guys, we are inviting you to create a process and have this new reorganization and you brainstorm it and come up with a process and give us the new structure. We as a star master, we were always having this, we were always getting this feedback in our town hall, in our normal teams meeting or the business unit meetings, that people are complaining that, okay, the change, change happens in the company, but we are never part of it. We are, we are just told like, okay, these are the changes and that's how we are going to operate. And they were not liking this kind of approach. So when we got this opportunity, we thought of including the team, whoever is impacted by the whole process, into it so that they feel they are part of it and they have control over making these changes. And that's how we made this whole change in the organization. The next thing that you asked me was the step by step how we did it. So the first thing that we did was we went to the upper management, asked them for the constraints, like, what are the things that you just don't want to get changed or what are the things you want to happen when the teams are getting, you know, decided, like how they will form? The reason behind it was not to go back and forward. Like we do a whole formation with team, we go to management and the management is saying, oh, but we had this constraint, you did it wrong and then doing it. So we first followed the constraint. Once we got the constraint, the Scrum master decided like, before going in front of team and doing this workshop with them, let's do it by ourselves. Each Scrum master, based on the constraint, tried to create the teams to see what kind of different approaches each one is taking. Then we collaborated and share our feedback and we saw, okay, you can have a location based team, you can have a skill based team, you can have a team where, where there is a constraint. Like, okay, these two people don't like to work together, so let's split them and have them in a different team so that they feel happy about it. So these are the kind of feedback we got. So once we were done with this, then we had a first workshop with the product owners, which was the bumpier one. Because now we have to decide what.

[Host]

Were you planning for that workshop? So tell us a little bit about the context. What were you planning to do, discuss and to plan or to prepare together with the product owners?

[Soumya Mehra]

Yeah. So this workshop was about preparing how to divide the product portfolio within the teams and who will be the product owner of which team so that the team stayed focused. So obviously you see, like there are two product owners who want to have the same product portfolio and they do not agree to split it. So these were the kind of situation we had, but we wanted the product owner to take it, so because they are the one who will be driving the vision and they will be the one who will be selling this vision and portfolio to the team. So they should agree to it. So that's what we did. It took us a very long time, took lot of our energy. There were many setbacks again and again doing, repeating the product portfolio. Maybe some like, in some cases we have to include few other guys to, you know, calm down the situation when it was out of control. Once this was done, then we went with the team members.

[Host]

So. So you had, at the time you presented the ideas to the team members, you had the constraints and you had the way the product portfolio would be divided and which product owners would own part of the product portfolio.

[Soumya Mehra]

Yeah. And what will be the team names? Okay, so now we worked with each of the team, like separate SCRUM Masters with their team. They work with the team members to see where they see themselves in this whole organization, like in this whole unit in which team they want to go. But the first thing that we made clear is like we are taking your feedback, trying to include as much as we can, but there is no surety that you will make 100% people happy. And then once this whole workshop was done, then we, the SCRUM Master, collaborated and then we formed the team structure and then we showed it to the team members. They agreed to it. There were few changes which we have to make because you can't make everyone happy. And then we showed it to the organization and then that's how the whole process happened. So we included team members who were impacted.

[Host]

So tell us a little bit more. What were some of the key lessons you learned from this process?

[Soumya Mehra]

Like, the first key lesson is to get the buy in from the people. You have to include them in the process. Once you start to include them in the change process, letting them know why we are doing it, what is the benefit of doing it, and they are part of it and they have somewhat control over it. You get a buy in from them so they are not revolting, like 100%, it is easier to do the change and you will see like 80 to 90% people are happy. The other thing was, no matter what you do, there will be people who won't be happy, so they will be complaining. So there was a situation, we were in the workshop and one of my team members said, you know what Soumya, this is the wastage of time. Why are you asking us to be part of this process change? You should have done it by yourself. And then I reminded like you are the one saying that, okay, the changes happens and we are not included and now we are including you. So it's a wastage of time. And then I just said like, okay, see we can't make Everybody happy, but 80 to 90% people are happy and they are appreciating this change. So we are going to do this and moving forward as a team of like the Scrum masters, we call ourselves Agile Navigators. We will try to include you all in all the change processes.

[Host]

That's another example of including them, right? Like hearing the feedback and then sharing back why we're doing this, why this is important. And of course, no matter what people, how involved people like to be, they always have the chance to step back a little more or step in a little more. Right? Like it's not that we are telling them you need to do this and this and this and this, but no, there's these opportunities for you to be part of, of defining where the change is going. Either take it or you don't take it.

[Soumya Mehra]

Yeah, exactly.

[Host]

Awesome. Soumya, that's a great story. Thank you for sharing that with us.

[Soumya Mehra]

You're welcome.

[Vasko]

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