From 5ea9073a7190e73c71fc4f22f6bbdeb1af5ef79f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Michael Basil Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2025 16:58:19 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 1/5] feat: Weaving the Garden Grid pattern --- patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md | 84 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 84 insertions(+) create mode 100644 patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md diff --git a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..a0c4f9b3a --- /dev/null +++ b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md @@ -0,0 +1,84 @@ +# 🌿 Weaving the Garden Grid + +## Also Known As +- *Circles Before Systems* +- *Middle-Out Mycelium* +- *Feedback as Fertilizer* + +--- + +## Context + +In large, highly regulated organizations undergoing agile or digital transformation, distinct groups such as development, compliance, security, and architecture operate with different priorities, languages, and timelines. Each tends its own β€œplot,” guided by its own definitions of care, quality, and risk. + +The system aspires to become more innovative, adaptive, and aligned β€” but is held back by structural inertia, missing feedback loops, and tribal mistrust between departments. + +--- + +## Problem + +Transformation efforts stall when teams attempt to grow in isolation. Developers innovate without understanding compliance; compliance defends policy without seeing current delivery realities. Architects design elegant futures without grounding in the messy present. Communication becomes brittle, misaligned, and deeply siloed β€” resulting in plans that don’t root, policies that don’t land, and humans who burn out. + +--- + +## Forces + +- πŸ“œ **Compliance mandates** create rigidity in documentation and approval. +- 🧠 **Security demands** shift focus toward control and risk elimination. +- πŸƒ **Agile teams** push for velocity and autonomy. +- 🧱 **Architects** seek elegant future states across messy current states. +- 🌍 **Global scale** amplifies inconsistencies across business units. +- πŸ”„ **Feedback loops are sparse** and asynchronous, reinforcing β€œus/them” dynamics. +- πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈ **Overloaded staff** resist deeper engagement or new complexity. +- πŸ’¬ **Language habits** reinforce separation and mistrust. + +--- + +## Resolution + +**Weave the Garden Grid** by cultivating cross-boundary learning circles and feedback loops rooted in lived experience. Don’t wait for structural reorgs or centralized strategies β€” begin with lightweight, human-scale connection points. + +Draw from the [**Circle Communities**](./circle-communities.md) pattern: form voluntary, purpose-driven circles around shared needs (e.g., secure delivery pipelines, policy interpretation, architectural alignment). Use these circles as composting grounds for tension and disconnection β€” where diverse perspectives can intermingle and grow mutual understanding. + +Pair this with middle-out efforts such as **internal dojos**, **developer experience wikis**, and **feedback rituals**. Like a trellis in a garden, these supports don’t dictate the direction of growth β€” they guide it, strengthen it, and make room for thriving. + +--- + +## Actions / Practice + +- 🌱 Form **cross-functional circles** focused on real delivery or risk challenges. +- 🏯 Use **dojos or learning sessions** to practice together, not just talk. +- πŸ“– Encourage **developer-owned wikis** to clarify policy, architecture, and guidance in lived terms. +- πŸ” Seed **retrospectives and storytelling practices** across role boundaries. +- πŸ—ΊοΈ Build **shared maps** of current state, constraints, and pain points. +- πŸŽ™οΈ Invite **multiple narratives** before declaring alignment. +- πŸŒ€ Let feedback loops inform structure, not the other way around. + +--- + +## Consequences + +βœ… Trust and shared language take root. +βœ… Feedback becomes part of the culture, not an afterthought. +βœ… Transformation efforts adapt more realistically to present state. +βœ… Departments become stewards of shared care, not isolated kingdoms. +🚫 Without this pattern, innovation chokes on misalignment, and transformation collapses under the weight of its own abstraction. + +--- + +## Notes / Variations + +- Works best when paired with [Fearless Change Patterns](https://fearlesschangepatterns.com) like **Evangelist**, **Just Enough Standards**, and **Corridor Politics**. +- Often catalyzed by middle-out roles like **Platform Leads**, **Agile Coaches**, or **DX Advocates**. +- Early experiments may need β€œtending” by a **Change Artist** who can compost tension into relationship. +- This is *not* about more meetings β€” it’s about more meaningful contact. +- Garden wisely: circles grow best when purpose is alive and participation is voluntary. + +## Authors + +- [Michael Basil](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrbasil) + +## Acknowledgements + +- [SAP Dojo](https://github.com/sap-samples/dojo) +- [Mindset Dojo Program & Community](https://mindset.dojo.center) From 8bdc5d07e7f3182cc3cc65cf6fb0420f5761f6de Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Michael Basil Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2025 20:51:35 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 2/5] fix: Proper title Co-authored-by: Sebastian Spier --- patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md | 4 +++- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md index a0c4f9b3a..2fa34f4ca 100644 --- a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md +++ b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md @@ -1,4 +1,6 @@ -# 🌿 Weaving the Garden Grid +## Title + +🌿 Weaving the Garden Grid ## Also Known As - *Circles Before Systems* From 86c386a98267ee5458ffd671b37142e85474127b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Michael Basil Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2025 20:51:49 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 3/5] fix: Formatting Co-authored-by: Sebastian Spier --- patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md | 1 + 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+) diff --git a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md index 2fa34f4ca..bbb8a0483 100644 --- a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md +++ b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md @@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ 🌿 Weaving the Garden Grid ## Also Known As + - *Circles Before Systems* - *Middle-Out Mycelium* - *Feedback as Fertilizer* From c17fa8bd2f21a59286b9bdfff26efc6294974762 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Michael Basil Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2025 21:01:19 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 4/5] fix: Just Enough pattern typo --- patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md index bbb8a0483..e0f32c24c 100644 --- a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md +++ b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md @@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Pair this with middle-out efforts such as **internal dojos**, **developer experi ## Notes / Variations -- Works best when paired with [Fearless Change Patterns](https://fearlesschangepatterns.com) like **Evangelist**, **Just Enough Standards**, and **Corridor Politics**. +- Works best when paired with [Fearless Change Patterns](https://fearlesschangepatterns.com) like **Evangelist**, **Just Enough**, and **Corridor Politics**. - Often catalyzed by middle-out roles like **Platform Leads**, **Agile Coaches**, or **DX Advocates**. - Early experiments may need β€œtending” by a **Change Artist** who can compost tension into relationship. - This is *not* about more meetings β€” it’s about more meaningful contact. From 36ca36651c2650b3d33cbf757a04821d9f19ac5e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Michael Basil Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2025 09:59:19 -0500 Subject: [PATCH 5/5] fix: Clarify surfaces --- patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md index e0f32c24c..3dbf66c85 100644 --- a/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md +++ b/patterns/1-initial/garden-grid.md @@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ Transformation efforts stall when teams attempt to grow in isolation. Developers - 🧠 **Security demands** shift focus toward control and risk elimination. - πŸƒ **Agile teams** push for velocity and autonomy. - 🧱 **Architects** seek elegant future states across messy current states. -- 🌍 **Global scale** amplifies inconsistencies across business units. +- 🌍 **Global scale** surfaces inconsistencies across business units. - πŸ”„ **Feedback loops are sparse** and asynchronous, reinforcing β€œus/them” dynamics. - πŸ§β€β™€οΈπŸ§β€β™‚οΈ **Overloaded staff** resist deeper engagement or new complexity. - πŸ’¬ **Language habits** reinforce separation and mistrust.