It has long been proven that agile working helps companies to work faster and more efficiently. A resilient organization is characterized by its ability to react flexibly to unforeseeable events and thus remain competitive. What does it take for companies to become agile? In this article, we explain the basics of agile working methods and the most important facts. This will give you an initial basic knowledge of agility and make it as easy as possible for you to get started.
Understanding agility
Being agile describes the ability to act flexibly and adaptably. At company level, this means that organizations gain the ability to react quickly to unforeseeable events and new requirements. In agile teams, rigid approaches are abandoned in favor of iterative work, whereby processes and workflows are constantly improved and adapted. The basic agile concept was formulated in 2001 by a group of 17 renowned software developers and set out in the Agile Manifesto. It describes the rules of conduct and values of agile teams under the four guidelines:
1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
2. Functioning software via comprehensive documentation
3. Collaboration with the customer via contract negotiation
4. Responding to change more than following a plan
You can view the complete Agile Manifesto here. Don’t forget the addition under the manifesto: “This means that although we consider the values on the right-hand side to be important,
we value the values on the left more highly.”
Implementing agility in your organization
Of course, an agile transformation does not happen overnight. Making an entire organization changeable can take several years, depending on its size, and yet it is never complete. After all, agility is characterized by continuously developing processes over time and avoiding standstills. It is therefore important to start with small steps and continuously scale agile practices within the company. A culture of experimentation should be created in which it is not a shame to make mistakes, but rather to see them as an opportunity to learn.
Agile practices and framework conditions
There are different agile practices and frameworks, the most common being Scrum and Kanban. Each defines its own rules and guidelines, which is why it makes sense as an organization to find the best individual solution and choose the right approach for you. Both are characterized by short work cycles, also known as sprints, in which constant attention is paid to planning and implementing tasks at regular intervals and evaluating them at the end. This means that months or years are not invested in a project only to find out at launch that the requirements have changed over the course of the project and the product no longer meets the customer’s needs. Agile projects are characterized by close collaboration with other teams and feedback loops. In this way, the product is constantly iteratively tested and continuously developed.
Management of agile teams
Building and managing agile teams can be challenging at first, but it is essential for the success of an agile transformation. The core element of agile teams is their self-organized way of working, i.e. away from the top-down approach in which the management level dictates who has to do which tasks and towards the free organization of work within a firmly defined framework.
Although the framework is “predetermined”, the teams themselves decide how to organize themselves within it. After all, the responsible experts in the team know best which tasks they need to complete in order to achieve their goal and what characterizes good work in their area. Self-organizing teams not only have the advantage of eliminating bottlenecks caused by endless coordination processes, they also take responsibility for their work results (e.g. a product or service) and act on the basis of their own expertise.
Ideally, over time, all teams within the company will develop according to agile approaches, so that nothing stands in the way of cross-functional work between teams. This means that colleagues with different specialist skills can quickly come together to work on a product. Especially for new projects in as yet unknown areas, it can make sense to restructure individual teams so that the members are put together in such a way that all skills are bundled in order to achieve the desired goal.
The path to agility: challenging but commendable
An agile transformation is a comprehensive, complex and sometimes bumpy process. Teaching teams or even entire companies to work agilely is like fixing an airplane in flight – it requires precision, experience and sometimes courage. But one thing is certain: the path to agility is time-consuming, but the results are worth it. We are happy to support you in introducing agile techniques in your company, regardless of whether you have 10, 100 or 1000 employees. As an experienced consultancy, we support companies in mastering the transition to agility.
If you are curious and want to learn more about agility right away, we have a very special treat for you! At our Nerd Academy, we offer you the “Fundamentals of Agility” course (in German) completely free of charge. Simply create an account and start your learning journey on agility right away.
