Organizations seeking to improve their ability to innovate rapidly, at low-cost look to the promise of Agile and the successes of companies like John Deere, Lego and USAA. They decide to invest time and resources into Agile training for their teams. Yet, too frequently they fail to realize the expected results when their teams struggle to apply what they learned to their working environment. Agile training alone isn’t enough to lead to a successful Agile Transformation.
One of the common roadblocks is inadequate leadership buy in. The role of Agile teams is to create innovative products, services and processes through new ways of working. The role of executive leadership is to build and operate an Agile enterprise. Leaders must understand Agile principles and what it means for their teams to be Agile and then foster an environment that allows their teams to thrive.
In the book Doing Agile Right, the authors highlight three common ways that organizations do Agile wrong:
-
Going too Agile and removing bureaucracy and operational structure to the point that there is chaos and frustration due to lack of alignment and coordination.
-
Thinking of Agile as something only teams do or that it only involves IT. Without full organizational transformation, your leadership and organizational environment won’t get the most out of Agility which can lead to conflict within the organization.
-
Seeing Agile as a quick fix. Leaders may think Agility can be expedited by copying what works elsewhere. There is no one size fits all Agile methodology as each organization, its customers and the problems its teams aim to solve are unique. Additionally, a rapid change in roles, teams and how work is done can disrupt employees by introducing uncertainty and insecurity.
The three antipatterns above highlight the importance of leadership’s role in a successful Agile transformation. While Agile team members dedicate their time to their Agile roles, executives must create and operate an Agile enterprise, while overseeing traditional business units and functions. Executive leaders must strike an organizational balance between innovative creativity and standard operational business concerns. Without an enterprise-wide transformation effort led by executive champions, organizations won’t realize the full benefit of their Agile transformation efforts.
In the webinar, Train to Sustain™: 3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Agile Training, xScion’s Agile Practice Lead, Jennifer Romero-Greene and Agile Coach Lyndsay Letellier provide tips on how Executive Championship and enterprise-wide cultural transformation foster an environment for Agile teams to thrive. You'll learn how to optimally leverage knowledge gained from classroom training and certifications so your organization realizes the innovation, customer and employee satisfaction, reduced costs and competitive advantage of a successful Agile transformation. xScion's Train to Sustain™ approach to knowledge transfer is designed to leave a lasting impact on teams, Stakeholders and ultimately help your organization reach its unique business goals.
Register to attend the live webinar on September 27, 2-3 pm ET here. Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll send you the video to watch and share with your teams.
