Adopt an engineering-mindset to radically change how we work

By Sanjiv Chourasia, MBA

Elevator Pitch

Cultivating a culture of “Engineering Mindset” can radically transform the organization at the grass-root level by unleashing that “engineer” in everybody. Learn how this strategy is shaping the technology landscape of one of the largest banks in Canada.

Description

An engineering culture refers to a shared mindset and behaviours where each and every employee is:

  1. Endlessly curious: People are naturally eager to explore. They ask why – often. They are constantly reading about new trends and learning new skills in order to tackle problems.

  2. Automating first: They ask: “How do I do this only once? How do I share what I’ve built for the greater good?” Decisions are guided by good data and analytics. Data enables problems to be solved at their core versus on the surface.

  3. Inclined to experiment: Rather than wait for top-down initiatives, people are constantly looking at how to drive improvements. They may start small – a paper clip and a Post-it-eventually getting to more elaborate solutions.

  4. Bias for action: People just get started, recognizing that it’s better to move than wait for perfection. They have a high degree of comfort in changing fast and often.

  5. Ready to collaborate: Strong realization that an individual cannot know everything, so they reach out to peers internally and externally to engage in problem-solving and generate new ideas.

Notes

I have been leading DevOps and Agile transformation in large organizations for several years now; currently, heading the Transformation CoE in TD Bank’s Technology Solutions group. It is interesting to note that organizations are constantly looking for ways to drive higher efficiency, gain speed and cut cost, primarily through automation, but often get handcuffed with “projects” to make that automation happen. Our strategy is radically different. We are driving efficiency by encouraging automation at the employee level by adopting the “engineering mindset”.

I believe the DevOps community will gain valuable insight into this approach and draw some ideas to implement the same in their organizations. I look forward to the opportunity to share this strategy and its benefits with the DevOps community.