Making the change to agile ways of working is difficult. Executives have to unlearn many of the traditional ways of thinking that have served them all these years. One of the many mistakes organisations do is that while the organisation is redesigned around agile principles, the senior managers who are not part of the daily agile routines keep doing work the traditional way.
Agile is based on autonomy, teamwork and alignment. This spurs ownership and creativity among the team enabling them to take quick decisions and move fast. But this works only when the team members are aligned. This becomes one fo the key roles that the team leaders have to ensure besides the purpose and strategy. Once this is conveyed to the team, leaders should learn to allow the team to figure out how to address the assigned challenges. This is perhaps the most difficult part of the whole exercise for the team leaders as they would have risen the ladder by keeping tight control over the operations. To begin with, they can look at the following areas to let go
Steering committee
The role of leaders is to set the directions and priorities and enable teams to work on their projects. Agile is all about transparency which enables alignment as well as autonomy. Leaders should have a clear vision into what their team is doing and a periodic review is enough to maintain focus without the need for a panel. Progress can be tracked by periodic discussions rather than tracking milestones. Leaders can reinforce alignment by modelling their behaviour and strengthening performance management practices.
Non-essentials on the agenda
leaders should keep a basic principle in mind while drafting the agenda, namely that senior leadership is there to support the teams in their work. the discussions with senior leadership should cover autonomy, alignment and the current work of the teams. Everything they should let go.
Perfection
A basic principle of agile is testing and learning. Teams build MVP for both internal and external customers and test the results to identify what is and what isn't working. Agile teams share ideas early and seek feedback which they incorporate and move on to other tasks. When the senior leaders show they are willing to test and learn it allows the team to take bold chances, learn from experience and mistakes.
Overemphasising skills
managers normally reward technical and functional skills. Agile leaders value Collaboration, flexibility, teamwork and a willingness to take chances and learn. While expertise and knowledge are critical, they can add value only if the person fits into the culture.
The talent that can't change
Every team that transitions to the agile way of working finds that it has to let go of some members who do not fit into the culture. Letting go executives is difficult especially when they have a successful record but it is better to do it early so that the old managers don't act as n anchor. Appointing right people at the senior level sets the example to others who are still hesitant that they need to decide and get let out.
Old ways of managing
Visible change demonstrates the commitment. Successful lighthouse projects can establish momentum and organisations get an understanding of what agile can accomplish. But the final push comes from the top management visibly adopting agile behaviours.
Abandoning the long-standing ways of managing furthers the transformation of their organisations through their actions and shows that they are willing and able to let go of their habits and lead the way forward.
Do you have the courage to an agile leader?
By Manjke Brunklaus, Lindsay Chim, Deborah Lovich, Benjamin Rehberg
BCG 2019/01
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