Becoming agile can help to achieve organizational goals. But setting agile as a goal for an organization does not work. The goal of a software organization should be to achieve results by delivering valuable products and services, not to become agile. Hence my question: do you know why do you want to become agile?
Yes, seriously, I’m asking you why would you do agile? There are lot’s of good reasons (and also some less good ones), but what’s your reason to become agile?
What do you expect from agile?
Agile transformations seriously impact organizations (they should!). It’s a reorganization of people, work, and authorities. Employees are asked to think about the way they want to do their work, and to take responsibility. Managers have to give room to their employees. There must be a good reason to do all of this. You should know the reason why you want to become agile, and let everyone involved know.
It is important to know why you want to increase the agility of your organization and what you expect to achieve with agile. To know why would you want to work in an agile way, why you want your culture to become agile.
Again, agile is not a goal or state that needs to be reached. It’s important that every manager and employee knows why the organization starts an agile journey and what is expected from agile.
Reasons to become agile
If I ask people in organizations that I work with why they want to become agile they often look surprised at first. Of course they want agile! Everybody is doing agile, so it must be good. Agile is supposed to make them faster, cheaper and better. So let’s do it. If it only was that easy … every organization should be truly agile by now.
Does knowing the reason matter? Yes, it does! If you know the reason why you want to become agile, chances of success increase significantly. If people know why they have to change, if they see the purpose, they are more willing to do it.
Some of the reasons that I have heard in organizations on why they want to become agile are:
- Deliver the right products and services
- Be able to deliver faster
- Increase customer satisfaction and win new customers
- Create innovative products with motivated employees
- Reduce the cost of development and management
- Improve the quality of goods and services
- Effective cooperation between development and management
- (your reason here)
My advice to companies is to think about the reason that they arge going on their agile journey. Pick one reason, and one only. State very clearly in one sentence what your main objective is. What would make your agile transformation successful.
Going for one goal is hard enough. Also, the reason you choose impacts the way that agile will be applied (it should!), so choose your reason carefully.
What is your goal with agile?
Do you want to deliver products with good quality? Or be able to better meet the needs of your customers? Lower your costs? Increase the motivation of your employees? Whatever your reason is to become agile, contact me, and I’ll help you to get results :-).
