Agile in a Virtual World : One Big Experiment

Recently, I had the pleasure of moderating a rich discussion for an online event called Agile in a Virtual World, hosted by Women in Technology Wisconsin (WIT). Three guest panelists, Christy Clement, Jason Kolpack, and Libby Shea, shared their experiences and knowledge in how teams can be agile while remote or dispersed. Approximately 175 participants engaged in the conversation through online polls, Q&A and chat features. I’m excited to share with you the key takeaways from the event.

Agile has always been most successful with small, collaborative teams utilizing open communication and quick feedback to continuously adapt. All participants in this discussion agreed that agile teams are continuing to thrive in an ever-evolving work environment. Our conversation spanned a variety of topics including the reality of working remote, leadership behaviors amidst uncertainty, and what this all means for the future of work.

Remote Work is Working

An overwhelming majority of participants (96%) agreed that virtual work is working. Individuals and teams seem to be settling into a new way of working, but that has not been without trial-and-error, frustration, and time. All panelists agreed that, at the 4-month point, they are just starting to “get in a groove” with their virtual teams. Technology, increased communication and an expanded awareness of diversity are all factors contributing to the success of working remote.

Technology is a key enabler for distributed teams. Project teams have moved from in-person meetings to virtual “rooms” using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, or other online platforms. They are finding supporting tools such as virtual whiteboards and chat channels that advance online collaboration as well as backlog management tools like Jira and Azure.

All agreed that increased communication has been crucial to making virtual work. Frequent, direct communication from leaders has helped to flatten the power gradient, a concept coined by David Marquet encouraging leaders to seek information and ideas from all levels of employees. Weekly one-on-ones with managers keep employees engaged and help to monitor burnout. Employee Pulse surveys help leaders to understand shifting employee needs and gauge communication effectiveness. While we are missing the impromptu communications in hallways and stairwells, it’s relatively easy to spin up a video chat to connect with colleagues on other teams or those working in different functional areas of the business. Turning video on during conference calls helps to build and strengthen relationships and all panelists recommended utilizing video as much as possible.

Working virtually has spurred increased awareness and new conversation around diversity and inclusion, helping to break down barriers across ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic lines. All panelists expect this conversation to continue and are excited to be part of the solution for creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Leadership Authenticity

When asked to choose just one scrum value that is most critical at this time, 69% of participants indicated openness as their top value. We now meet with leaders from their homes, creating a greater sense of accessibility and authenticity than pre-COVID days. This also helps to strengthen employee trust and commitment and has helped to keep teams focused on priorities. Employees value transparency and humility. They appreciate when leaders communicate what they don’t know alongside what is known. Participants also cited respect as an important leadership characteristic. Employees want to know that leaders respect different working schedules, family priorities and boundaries.

One Colossal Experiment

An agile mindset is the ability to make incremental change utilizing multiple iterations to test hypotheses. Agile works best with cross-skilled collaborative teams, and small feedback loops that provide the opportunity to test and learn. For many, agile is synonymous with experimentation. Given that we are in the midst of one giant experiment (how to work and adapt alongside the COVID-19 pandemic), the time to hone our agile skills is now.

As Jason commented during the discussion, it’s easy to think that “this is how remote work will always be done,” when, in reality, the way we work will likely shift again. We need to plan, not only for a distributed workforce, but also for creative ways to support employees working from home. We need to define relevant metrics to evaluate what’s working and what’s not so that teams can pivot as needed. We must continue to adapt as the environment around us changes.

The Future Looks Agile

During this time of uncertainty and experimentation, the key tenets of agile will continue to support organizations as we venture forward.

• Align with customer expectations.
• Facilitate and expect continuous improvement rather than “Big Change,” by defining incremental work with short feedback loops.
• Utilize hypotheses to test, learn and adapt - both within and across teams.
• Expect and model transparency.
• Communicate openly and frequently to foster inclusion and reinforce trust.

Lessons learned over the past five months demonstrate that by focusing on being agile, organizations will be best prepared to navigate the waves ahead.