The Agile methodology cannot work in any organization until all members of the organization work with an Agile mindset. Creating an Agile mindset seems simple enough on paper, but putting it to practice is a monumental task. The Agile mindset includes a total change in the way an organization thinks, which ultimately impacts the way it functions.
So what Exactly is an Agile Mindset?
People practicing the Agile methodology are set to have an Agile mindset when they are completely driven to innovate and deliver customer value. The main focus is the customer and their satisfaction, and an Agile mindset helps employees deliver that. It also focuses on doing this using self-organizing teams, usually on a small scale, and creating an interactive network across the organization.
Organizations with this mindset can adapt easily and quickly to any changes in the marketplace.
How is it Different From the Traditional Mindset?
Members of organizations that operate traditionally have a bureaucratic mindset. This is not necessarily a bad thing because the main focus, instead of increasing value for customers, is to generate more revenue for the company and the shareholders.
This is the main driving factor behind all business decisions. It impacts how they organize their work, what rules, regulations, and processes are in place, and how they operate as an organization. Typically, an organization with a traditional or a bureaucratic mindset works with a vertical hierarchy made with multiple layers and divisions.
While this process is not a bad way of functioning for an organization, it is often slow and rigid. This makes it hard for companies to adapt to the rapid changes taking place in the marketplace today. Companies that follow a bureaucratic mindset also have networks, but the main focus is generally on maintaining the layers and divisions.
Over time, more and more companies have begun to realize that the traditional way of running their operations is obstructing them from operating at their full potential. This is why over 71% of surveyed organizations have reported using Agile approaches in their organization.
How do you Create an Agile Mindset Within the Organization?
Deliver a Continuous Flow of Value
The outcome of any project needs to be discussed among the team before starting. Everyone associated with the project needs to have a clear idea of what the return on each project will be. The ROI does not have to be financial, any type of valuable outcome can be considered here.
All performance and value metrics need to be created with collaboration and all stakeholders need to be informed every step of the way. With each iteration, there will be a continuous flow of value generated for the customer and every team member and stakeholder will be fully aware of the progress.
Create Engagement with Customers and a Sense of Shared Ownership
The customer is the deciding factor in any project’s success. Therefore creating projects with the customer’s needs in mind should be crucial for any project. If the customers aren’t involved, the project will usually have a poor outcome. This is why customer engagement in each iteration is important.
The constant feedback that team members receive with the end of each sprint will help create objectives for future sprints so that the final complete project will be one with maximum capabilities and customer satisfaction. This creates a sense of shared ownership between the customer and the Agile team working on the project as well. There are no assumptions made for customer response because it is readily available as feedback.
Management of all Disruptions and Uncertainties with Iterations and Adaptations
With an Agile mindset, teams understand that there is no correct way to complete or deploy a project. There are no absolutes because there are a lot of external factors involved that the Agile team will have no control over. With an Agile mindset, team members are more ready to adapt to any unforeseeable changes.
Each iteration is focused on taking a cognitive approach to consumer and market trends and adapting existing functionalities and principles to meet the changing demands. This is something a traditional bureaucratic business environment is not capable of tackling successfully.
Involve Team Members in all Processes and Enable Gradual Change in Mentality
If all team members are not on the same page about the way a project is being handled, it will ultimately lead to resistance in its lifespan, which could lead to the failure of the entire project. While the implementation plan can seem easy enough to implement by telling the team what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and enforcing ways that will make sure it gets done; it does not mean that the steps will be followed with due diligence. Team members can do their job and complete their tasks, but if it is not an intrinsic need to do it well, there will be gaps in the final project.
Create a Sense of Shared Responsibility Within the Team to Improve Results
Each project needs to be a work of collaboration, and not just a set of individual tasks coming together. Team members need to have a clear picture of how their work impacts the final goal of the project and how their involvement is beneficial to its completion. This will create a sense of ownership within the team members as individuals and also a shared sense of ownership as a team. They will hold themselves and each other accountable for their tasks. This will lead to the project getting completed in a more collaborative manner.
Mutual engagement also helps in identifying any problems that may arise within the lifespan of a project and the Agile team can work together to come up with a solution and adapt to any unforeseen circumstances.
Create Flexible Strategies and Processes that Can be Adapted Based on the Situation
Another important part of creating an Agile mindset among team members is to create strategies that can be adapted to many different scenarios. Trying to fit all circumstances into one rigid narrative will only lead to confusion and instability in the project.
An Agile mindset also means using the tools and techniques that have worked in the past and staying mindful of all the reasons for failures before to improve each process and iteration for every project. Agile teams need to understand how circumstances change and then create strategies to evolve their processes accordingly.
Final Thoughts
A big part of the implementation of the Agile methodology is creating a strong Agile mindset in all the employees of an organization. This shift in organizational culture will require a lot of time and effort. To make this process easier and more impactful, companies can coach and train their employees in the Agile methodology. Proper tools for training and coaching will help team members effectively develop the mindset and skills required to create an Agile organization.
Some of the popular Agile Certification Courses that individuals and enterprise teams can take up are:
