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”A BIG ADVANTAGE OF ADOPTING AN AGILE APPROACH IS HELPING TO CREATE AN EFFICIENT ORGANIZATION THAT IS MORE ADAPTIVE TO CHANGES”
Adopting an agile approach at work, or in other words being able to handle quick changes, is becoming increasingly common. The approach implies a process that is informed by constant testing, analyzing and assessing. Based on the results, leaders need to continuously adapt and prioritize in a way that moves the project forward.
“As a leader, you have to not only be adaptable to changes, but also welcome them”, Ann explains. “It’s also important to make sure that the abilities and skills of each person in the project group are fully utilized. The team’s knowledge combined with the information available at each stage is what drives the project forward.”
Avoid common pitfalls through closer collaboration
A team leader needs to have comprehensive knowledge of the fundamentals of both the organization and the project, as well as trust in their team’s ability to deliver. Active decision-making is also important. Instead of planning everything in advance, which is the case in more traditional projects, well-informed decisions about next steps need to be made along the way. The entire approach hinges on the ability to make agile decisions, and for the best possible results, all informed viewpoints need to be considered. That is why it is so important for managers/decision-makers to work closely with their team in order to make agile decisions.
“A common pitfall for organizations is when teams work agilely, but clients or decision-makers do not. Perhaps they aren’t involved or available to make agile decisions. Or perhaps they only have one client contact, which limits or prevents the client from hearing the internal conversations of smart and capable employees. Clients and teams need to work closely with each other, with all the information at hand. As a leader, it is important to give them the environment and the support they need.”Clear goals and communicative leadership is essential
A large part of being an agile leader is about setting your team up for success. To achieve this, leadership needs to be communicative, open, and transparent, with clear overarching goals to work towards.
“In cross-functional teams, it is especially important for priorities and goals to be clear – otherwise, it becomes all too easy for misunderstandings to arise. From my own experience, when pre-processes and general goals aren’t clear enough, cross-functional projects are more likely to hit road bumps, and there tends to be a lack of processes that can be applied cross-functionally. Clear goals and good communication are vital for agile project management.”
Advantages in a changing world
A big advantage of adopting an agile approach is helping to create an efficient organization that is more adaptable to changes.
“I meet a lot of people in the program who want to work agilely but haven’t been able to in all respects”, says Ann. “For a lot of people, getting decision-makers to change their approach and availability is a challenge. Oftentimes, the decision-makers are too far removed from the operational side of things and lack the necessary time or in-depth knowledge to successfully be an agile decision-maker. Through new insights and tools, they can take their work processes to the next level, which can lead to big benefits – including steady and efficient project management with effective prioritization based on strategies and overall goals, as well as happy employees whose potentials and growth are fully realized.”
