Svens Corner: "Agile & Beyond"


Agility

Agility. Let's face it. What goes through your mind when you read this? Agility.

Can't you hear (or read) it anymore? Or are you enthusiastically agile? Are you in shock at the expectations you fear in connection with agile thinking? Do you have hopes and wishes that you want to fulfill with agile magic?

If you have made your own experiences, it would be exciting to hear what you have to report. Has agile thinking and working brought you forward? Were your agile initiatives successful? How do you define success? Or are you disappointed? Failed due to granite-hard conditions and traditional thinking? Frustrated?

What positive developments and experiences have you made with agile methods or in agile organizations this year in particular? How has this changed you yourself?

There is no doubt that the general conditions of recent months have affected and changed all of us. Hardly anyone is still working in the same way as in January 2020. In companies that have not had to give up in the meantime, we are experiencing a new way of working with a lot of home office, a lot of virtual communication, digital tools for collaboration, with redesigned business models, forms of organisation and processes. Probably most people had other plans this year. But all of this shows the ability to react and adapt to an externally driven need for change.

Many companies have made - in some cases long overdue - decisions regarding "digitisation". Finally, projects were implemented that had previously been given low priority. "The new shop on the website? There hasn't been time for that yet." As part of the Survival strategy, topics that were previously considered important have now become urgent. The new shop was launched quickly, competently and up-to-date. A success under difficult circumstances. Investments in hardware and software were no longer a question. At the same time, perhaps some hot irons were also tackled, which had previously not been tackled. At last. You surely know examples from your own organisation.

But the technology that promises the brave new world is only one side of the coin. Does digitalization in your case stand for a strategy with sustainable, technical solutions to meet the company's goals? Of course, you also think about the customer and certainly also about the employees. Forms of the above-mentioned new way of working became possible this year (some say finally) or were a necessary evil (others say). The fact is that we suddenly work differently. And that often works surprisingly well, especially when it comes to the new tools. However: the framework conditions have been adapted, but the understanding of leadership, processes, cooperation or customer focus has not of course changed as well. Have your roles, responsibilities and processes changed? Does all this raise questions or problems for the organization? What can you do to ensure that the possibilities of digital technology are really and sensibly used? And the answer certainly does not lie in more technology!

Agility is not a magical solution package, but it can develop a fascination and prepare the organization sustainably and resiliently for the demands of the future. A look at the opportunities offered by agile working could provide initial answers to your questions. The Agile Manifesto of 2001 is a good starting point. (https://agilemanifesto.org/)
Let's get into the conversation. I'm sure we can learn from each other. If you feel like it, write me.