CASE STUDY

Transforming DevSecOps into a High-Functioning Team  

CORENTUS CLIENT CASES | EFFECTIVE TEAMING CASE STUDY | Transforming DevSecOps into a High-Functioning Team


Background 

In a fast-paced technology organization, the DevSecOps function plays a critical role. Yet, this team wasn’t just facing constraints, they had become the hold-up for the entire organization. Despite working hard and caring deeply, unclear work processes, strained cross-functional collaboration, and an "us vs. them" dynamic were stalling progress. Without alignment, decisions lagged, communication broke down, and team potential remained untapped. 
Corentus was engaged to address these challenges head-on, transforming how this team functioned, collaborated, and contributed to enterprise-wide goals. 

Corentus Approach 
We contracted for the following program: 

  • Corentus Voice of the Team™ Experience: a survey and individual interviews/conversations designed to surface the authentic perspectives of every team member. 

  • A two-day outcome-driven workshop where the results of the Voice of the Team identified the outcomes. 

  • Team coaching: 20 scrum sessions, 12 working sessions, and 6 targeted check-ins 

  • 1:1 leadership coaching with the senior team leader 

We began with the Voice of the Team Experience, where each team member was provided with a 1:1 interview that would feel more like a confidential conversation, allowing each person to share their hopes for the team, the team’s strengths and challenges, and their perceived road map forward. It was clear from the beginning that they all had the wisdom to see what needed to be done; they just needed the time and support to come together to realize it as a collective. 

Corentus synthesized and delivered an anonymized summary to the team before the first workshop, creating a shared understanding of the outcomes they all wanted to drive toward for the offsite. The Voice of the Team Impact Summary made it clear that the team wanted to work on the following specific areas of development: 

  • Improve work processes and project management 

  • Strengthen conflict management and reduce the "us vs. them" dynamic 

  • Enhance communication practices 

  • Align on Common Purpose and Shared Goals 

  • Integrate Corentus frameworks into day-to-day work 

We facilitated a two-day immersive team workshop to surface core issues and co-create new ways of working. Participants brought draft workflows and reflections on collaboration. The design blended microteaching, applied tools, facilitated dialogue, and team-based exercises. 
 

Key workshop activities included: 

  • Mapping and refining the DevSecOps process across six phases: Pre-Project, Clarifying the Request, the Offer, the Agreement, Phased Build Out, and Post Cycles. 

  • Clarifying who needs to be involved at each phase and what success looks like (high-level RACI-D). 

  • Using the Corentus microtools of Clear Request, Clear Offer, and Clear Agreement to reduce confusion and accelerate decision-making. 

  • Practicing Corentus microtools such as effective communication (ACE Listening), conflict management (6-Question Framework), and improvement tools (IQCS). 

  • Engaging in a real scenario to make improvements in the process. 

Outcomes 

  • Shared Process: The team co-developed a transparent workflow and began identifying RACI-Ds for each phase. 

  • Clarity on Purpose: Members drafted a Common Purpose statement, positioning the team as a high-performing, mission-aligned unit. 

  • Improved Communication: Members practiced and integrated intentional Corentus microtools into their daily work. 

  • Shifted Mindset: The team began embracing mutual accountability, moving from isolated roles. 

There’s still work ahead to finalize shared goals and embed the tools fully, but the foundation is strong. 
 

Why It Works 
When teams co-create their workflows and agreements, there is a clear, deep feeling of mutual accountability. When microtools such as Clear Requests, Clear Offers, Clear Agreements, Proactive Decision Making, ACE Listening, and high-level flexible RACI-D (D - decision-making) become habits, teams communicate better, make faster decisions, and resolve tension early.