Is Agile really the 'New Black' for change management ?
Marina Pullin
Freedom of Better Work Advocate | Management Consultant & Facilitator | Company Director | Public Speaker & Founder | Little bit rebellious (just enough)
A lot has been said and written about 'Agile' and the profound impact it can have on a project. Quicker, faster products with a better quality of outcome delivered by happier staff.
No wonder it is the new way of delivering projects in this fast paced world where we need to be appealing 24 x 7.
But what about a whole company?
Agile was first developed as an improvement to the many software development problems that saw the distance and scope of traditional waterfall methods fail the business.
We all know many IT projects fail because of poor requirements, changing scope, inadequately skilled staff to manage complexity and very low levels of communication. Most of us also know the 'human element' of a project will basically determine the success of failure.
Give me the choice between a' certified PM with a bad attitude' or a' PM with a hunger to succeed and a capacity to work with people', I can tell you which one I will choose every time.
After finally observing the way great developers and business analysts/team members can work together, even with vastly different skills, but united by a common goal, Agile was 'inspired'.
But surely this thing we now call 'Agile' hits to the core of the human need to be heard, contribute and be respected for our skills and professional talent?
If this is so, then Agile is the perfect instrument to overhaul bad company culture. It brings back the need to speak with purpose, listen with intent and unite as a team to a common set of goals.
Those who have prospered in chaos, supported bad/poltical decision making or pushed aside rational/commercial logic in favour of 'busyness' projects will feel threatened by Agile. It is just so drenched in common sense for any other fool hardy approach to survive.
There is no doubt Agile upholds the many principles associated with commercial success :
Seek great communication
Value teamwork
Goal achieving and chase real progress
Support and unify
But is it really a 'new' thing? Or is it just a re-badged common sense rule we need to be reminded of?
Dilbert would be out of a job if this is true, but then again, maybe it is just another fad that will wither under poor company culture. Only time will tell.
Interested in continuing the conversation?
Come to #60MOC on Feb 10th 2017 at The Science Exchange and debate with others on whether 'Agile is the new black for changing company culture'.
General Manager: Supply Chain Strategy and Oversight | Manufacturing and Supply Chain Professional I MBA
8 年It is an awesome way to lead change. Like any philosophy, method or tool it shouldn't be over complicated or overthought. It should be tailored for the environment and application.
System Test Engineer/Tester or Test Lead Analyst - Open for New Opportunities in QLD
8 年really looking forward in my next role within Agile
Project Domain Expert: Analysis, Delivery, Change and Training
8 年Everyone has different levels of resistance to change but generally small changes are easier to accept than large changes. Using an agile approach to deliver small changes that build up to an overall large change could be very effective in entrenching the changes in a culture. I think it has the possibility to reduce the effect where a large change does not take hold and culture returns to its previous state.
Chief ?? Officer
8 年Thanks for sharing. I have landed on the importance of being ('Agile' or whatever we want to call it) first and foremost, so people, teams, organisations who start with that in mind and work together in that fashion & spirit may then take on the doing 'Agile'. i.e. don't start an adoption or transformation with an Agile framework (eg Scrum, SAFe, ...), start being, the doing will follow...