Pragmatist’s Guide to navigating Agile

There is no doubt that we are living in the midst of an era of Digital Transformation. The future of many organisations lies in their approach to the ever-changing commercial and consumer environment. The responsibility for navigating these landscapes falls to Senior Management.

Senior Managers have the responsibility and will be expected to be reviewing and assessing how their organisations are going to keep up with the inevitable changes.

One solution: the wholesale transition to Agile! 

But what does that mean?

The path to success is never direct, so accept that your path will meander. You may falter, but keep your eyes fixed on your destination, try a little and learn a lot, and stay on course.

You might well be keen but don’t dive straight in, here are seven things to consider.

1.  Agile is about the mindset of individuals in your organisation, it’s not just another systems development approach to follow. You should look at the culture and the behaviours of the individuals in your organisation, because a lot of this will have to change. Planning how you are going to support this transition is important … if you want to be more Agile.
   
   
2.  Agile does not mean faster and cheaper results by default. Agile means focussing on prioritisation and identifying the business initiatives that are going to maximise your business value … and how that value can be realised at the earliest opportunity.
   
   
3.  Agile empowers a team to be self-organising, to be in control of its throughput, to manage its output and to commit to delivery. This requires a shift in managerial attitudes towards giving trust and giving space … for error and for learning, manifesting as growth.
   
   
4.  Agile is not focussed on tasks, it is focused on results and on realising results! However, you still need to ensure that you are providing the roles within your Agile structure to support the delivery of your vision … don’t forget your change management function.
   
   
5.  Agile is about promoting progress over perfection. Make sure that you understand, and that you accept, that it will never be perfect but understand that being perfect is not what matters … what matters is that it’s good enough.
   
   
6.  Agile is not about one size fits all. Agile is a flexible approach, and like any flexible approach, there are frameworks that can be adopted. Agile is about making a start and being willing to adapt and adjust as you progress, building experience and learning … Agile works with you.
   
   
7.  Agile works now, and if it’s implemented according to your needs, it can also work in the future. Agile isn’t a static one-time implementation … Agile is a journey. 

An Agile organisation is an organisation that has actively positioned itself strategically to welcome and embrace the uncertainty of change to deliver competitive advantage … and is willing to test and learn exactly what will yield the best results for the best value.