The world we live in is constantly evolving –
globalisation, automation and artificial intelligence are rapidly transforming
industries and demanding organisations operate more efficiently than ever
before. To meet these demands, savvy organisations
are shifting towards an Agile methodology; focusing on adaptive planning, early
delivery, continuous improvement, and an ability to respond to change quickly
and easily. Given the present impact of
digital disruption on all industries, it is no surprise organisations are
transitioning themselves towards this approach.
Research conducted in 2006 by the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that agile organisations
grow revenue 37 per cent faster and
generate up to 30 per cent higher
profits than non-agile organisations. Although the need to undertake an agile
approach is increasingly evident, becoming an agile organisation remains
elusive to all but a handful of companies. The Project Management Institute’s
2017 annual survey, ‘The Pulse of the Profession’, indicated that only 12 per cent of organisations distinguished themselves as highly agile.
If your organisation might benefit from adopting an Agile
culture, here are 5 actions you can take to create an organisation that is
faster, more resilient – and more Agile.
1. Assess the Current State of Your Organisation
Before embarking on the journey to Agile,
conduct a review to recognise the current appetite of your organisation. This will provide you with an understanding of
your organisation’s core practices, processes and cultural fit for Agile. This can also be utilised as a benchmark to
measure the impact of future changes, as well as pinpoint any concerns or resistance
your transformation will need to address and overcome for the future. Assessing managerial readiness is particularly
vital early on. Many managers can
struggle to adapt the Agile mindset and may have an undue impact on the change
if not catered for.
2. Hire the Right People to Create a Flexible, Dynamic Team
To assist in the creation an agile organisation,
you’re going to need agile people. Traditional recruitment methods are optimised
for hiring individuals with narrow skill sets that fulfil a specific discipline:
e.g. Marketing, HR, IT.
Candidates recruited through this approach may
find themselves struggling to adapt to the multi-disciplinary style associated
with an Agile culture. A more
appropriate alternative approach that helps increase agility within an
organisation disregards the skills checklist, and instead seeks candidates who fulfil
the 3 Cs – creative, collaborate and
curious. Depending on the role,
technical skills are still required, but the capacity to transition across
disciplines and demonstrate these soft skills should be a priority in all new
hires.
“These are the generalists with an entrepreneurial
spirit,” Harvard Business Review (2014) states, “… the multi-faceted
tinkerers who have specialized in a discipline like design but turn out to be
pretty good coders.”
By having the right individuals, you will
have a dynamic and flexible team that can accommodate and adapt when swift
changes occur.
3. Create Focus and Communicate a Clear Vision
If you want to get your people to go where
you and the organisation need them to go, you must present them with a clear
and captivating vision of the future. The better understanding your people have of
yours and the organisation’s goals and aspirations, the faster everyone will
work towards them.
Creating short term goals can help your team
and the organisation avoid being distracted by a long list of priorities. Create focus by narrowing down your priorities
to just three or four that must be done as soon as possible. As you complete each task, add more to the
list to maintain focus without feeling overwhelmed.
Creating an Agile environment doesn’t happen
overnight. Keeping a clear vision front
of mind in employees about the reasons for change will go a long way in getting
them onside. Change champions can also
assist in communicating to those who aren’t yet sold on the benefits of Agile.
4. Start Small
Although it may be tempting to immediately implement
an organisation-wide Agile transformation, starting off with a single
team/department will help you reduce risk. It will also enable you to resolve any
unexpected challenges while practising Agile ‘in the wild’ while optimising
your approach in a small, controlled environment first.
When identifying your trial group, look for teams
that will be the most open to adopting Agile. Push decision-making authority and autonomy
down the chain of command for the trial group, and give your people control and
freedom over how they do their work. Make
sure you are regularly reviewing progress with the team to keep things aligned
with the short-term goals. If goals are not being met, communicate with the
trial group to see where improvements can be made.
5. Plan Your Roll-Out
Once you feel that you’re satisfied with your
trial initiative and believe it’s working effectively, it’s time to begin
rolling out the Agile approach across the whole organisation. Keep your trial group involved in this
process; not only will they give other teams an established example to follow,
but they’ll also be able to act as Agile champions, advocating the approach
while allaying any doubts or concerns.
The review process implemented during the
trial period should continue throughout the roll-out to ensure that the
approach is personalised to each team’s specific requirements and needs. Keep in mind it is also a good idea to conduct
a wider retrospective analysis to assess how effectively Agile is serving your organisation.
Understanding and planning for these initial
5 steps in implementing an Agile culture will set your organisation up far
better than many competitors in the market.
With only 12% of organisations
able to describe themselves as highly Agile, now is the time to transition your
workforce towards a communicative, collaborative, and innovative Agile
culture.
To assist you in finding the best people to
champion Agile, Psych Press’ menu driven Business Personality Reflections® (BPR®) questionnaire can quickly identify what
competencies employees and candidates possess. This online menu-driven system
contains over 70 selectable psychometric scales bespoke to organisational
needs, and assesses many of the behavioural traits typically associated with
effective Agile teams, including:
- Openness to Change
- Teamwork
- Autonomy
- Ingenuity
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
- Innovativeness
- Self-Management
To learn more about how Psych
Press’s tailored approach, please simply enquire now for a trial of the BPR®, or one of our other services.
