Shifting teams mindset to adopt Agile: 3 quick tips to foster a culture that best supports your Agile transformation

Shifting teams mindset to adopt Agile can be a challenge. Cultural change is the most important challenge when adopting Agile in an organisation. The transformation to Agile is not just about a new way of thinking and working — it is about changing the culture too.

While we all have our own definitions, I define culture as the set of shared values and beliefs that drive an organisation. These can be explicit (e.g., “We believe in the importance of innovation”) or implicit (e.g., “We don't waste time”). Culture is important because it influences how people behave; what they consider to be acceptable, unacceptable or normal behaviour.

However, cultural change can be difficult and takes time. This article explores how you can create an environment that encourages your employees to accept and maintain cultural change within your organisation.

First, if you want your organisation to be successful with Agile, you need a clear understanding of its key principles. The most important thing to remember is that Agile is not a process or methodology. Instead, it’s a set of values that encourage collaboration and self-organisation between teams, as well as enabling individuals to be more effective in their work. Remember that 'individuals and interactions over processes and tools' is one of the key foundation principles in the Agile Manifesto.

Second, a successful Agile transformation requires an environment where employees are empowered and encouraged to take responsibility for their roles, as well as their own development. You need individuals who can work together effectively and efficiently, regardless of whether they are part of a team or working alone. This can only be achieved by creating an environment where individuals are valued and treated with respect. To create such an environment, organisations need to invest in their employees and provide them with the tools they need to do their job effectively. This includes providing education, training and development opportunities that enable individuals to continuously improve themselves as well as their organisation.

Third, Agile requires a culture that encourages continuous learning and improvement. A key aspect of this is the ability for individuals to learn from their mistakes and from each other in order to improve their processes. This means that there needs to be a focus on experimentation, as well as tools such as retrospectives where teams can discuss what worked well and what didn’t work so well. It is key to create a safe space for your team to experiment and fail. This will allow them to learn from their mistakes without fear of being judged or punished for making them in the first place.

While the three elements I highlighted in this article might seem intuitive, one should not ignore the complexity of their implementation. Cultural conflicts and misunderstandings, if not managed well, can hold a lot of organisations back from fully enjoying the yield Agile promises. Leaders and culture specific support teams need to invest in cultural transformation capabilities with a robust combination of coaching and change management methodology to give the organisation the agility and speed to adapt better to constant market changes.

What are some of the cultural changes that have occurred in your team since adopting an Agile mindset? I would like to hear about your experience in the comments section.

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Dr. Walid Ghannouchi?

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Disclaimer: The thought leadership views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent my current, or previous employers and clients and are the produce of an independent thought process which I share in my quality of independent professional and researcher. The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent an investment advice and should not be used to influence investment decisions. The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although I endeavour to provide accurate and timely information in my quality of independent professional, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.