How to Build an Agile Culture
Walking the Talk | A ZRG Company
Walking the Talk is a world leader in aligning culture with strategy to deliver business results.
Having a culture of agility has never been more important. With the BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear and Incomprehensible) world we live in, being adaptive at your core is not a nice to have – it is essential for business survival. ?
In this article, we explore what we mean by a culture of agility, why it’s important, and how to create one. We’ll also look at why so many companies struggle with agility, or only go to surface level, and the risks that poses. And finally, we’ll look at what agility means in the new world of work, as well as its role in the future. ?
What is Agile?
Agility is a set of critical mindsets, and associated behaviours, that?can revolutionise and future-proof your business if implemented properly. At its core, agile is an approach to project management which focuses on a phased workflow, collaboration, and continuous improvement to deliver high-quality results in the most efficient way possible.
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Agility is not a new concept in business, nor is it a buzzword. In fact, many companies claim to be agile, yet very few are. Like innovation, the term agile is thrown around with little understanding of what being agile really means. But for most, agile doesn’t extend beyond performative agile activities. For example, scrum meetings without a clear structure or agenda. ?
As our research showed, agility is a group of mindsets, not simply a methodology. When Walking the Talk first started working with companies on innovation and new product development many years ago, the old waterfall style of project management was dominant. This linear, sequential approach is not customer-centric, doesn’t allow for iteration and experimentation, and can lead to overspend and delays in getting to market. As a result, by the time products and services are launched, they often have faults that were not picked up, issues that could have been foreseen, and worst of all, they may have simply missed the boat completely. ? ??
Agile working addresses many of the issues that we see within traditional workplaces, and promotes a forward-thinking approach to operations, bolstered by technology, and a person-first approach to project management.?For a more detailed explanation of agility, and how it can be incorporated into workplace culture,?listen to this expert agility podcast episode by Amanda Fajak.?