Nowadays, every company tries to work as agilely as possible. But what exactly does ‘agile’ or ‘agile working’ mean? It is difficult to find a single definition, as there are many different ones. It can broadly be described as flexible, proactive or adaptable.
Key features
In essence, it can be said that agile working is not an entirely new concept. The underlying principles are very similar to traditional methods, but they are more flexible and capable of adapting successfully – and, above all, quickly – to changing circumstances. This is what makes agile working so appealing to many companies.
Unlike traditional methods, agile working should not be seen as a single tool, but rather as a sort of toolbox. A different approach may be the right one for each company. This allows you to put together your own methods that are best suited to your company and your team. Agile working therefore presents you and your company with a range of possible methods, but does not provide any one-size-fits-all solutions.
How does agile working actually work?
Transparency and teamwork form the basis of agile working methods. You do not need specific methods such as Scrum or Kanban. You can tailor agile working to the individual needs of your company. There are various ways of going about this. Some people, for example, use software, whilst others use Post-it notes to keep track of the progress of tasks. The only important thing is that transparency is maintained for your entire team.
Daily meetings are a key factor when it comes to transparency. This allows you to discuss progress or any issues that arise every day and keeps you on top of your staff’s daily tasks. Feedback meetings every one to two weeks are important for actively setting aside time to address your staff’s concerns or doubts.
Break your project down into smaller sub-projects so that you can set smaller targets. This allows you to monitor, step by step, how well your overall project is progressing and, if necessary, intervene at an early stage should you encounter difficulties during the process.
Here are some key points that are important for successfully implementing agile working:
- Daily stand-ups and regular feedback meetings
- Transparent presentation of tasks and progress
- Division into smaller projects
- Forward-looking planning (sprints with a fixed duration of approximately four weeks)
- Project from the customer’s perspective
Who is agile working suitable for?
Put simply, the answer to this question is: everyone. Agile working has its origins in software development and the IT sector. Start-ups, in particular, have been reaping the benefits of agile working methods for some time. However, this does not mean that other areas of business cannot benefit from agile working. Large organisations are also well-suited to switching to these flexible working methods, although the transition may be more complex for them. A very small business might have one or two teams, whilst a large organisation may consist of as many as 40–50 teams. Agile working has no fixed rules or framework. If you believe your company needs greater agility and that your staff are suited to agile processes, there is really nothing standing in the way of the transition.
Challenges
The transition to agile working can be a challenge. The main issue lies in adopting a new way of thinking. Agile working requires greater freedom, which means fewer hierarchies and placing more trust in your staff. It is essential that this shift in mindset takes place not only within you, but also amongst your staff. Change can sometimes be difficult, but without fundamental changes to your own mindset, you will not be able to achieve success with this approach. So-called agile coaches are available to help organisations with this transition.
Not all staff are cut out for agile working, as it requires initiative and, above all, a higher level of commitment. Your staff must learn to organise themselves and must not expect to be told exactly what needs to be done and when. Above all, however, your staff must manage to build mutual trust.
If your staff are used to having to implement fully planned production processes, they may find it difficult to embrace a process that has only been partially thought through. Yet the willingness to make mistakes is essential in order to make progress within the process.
The success of agile working methods is more difficult to measure than that of traditional working methods, as you first need to commit to a process. Agile working is a long-term boost to productivity, not a quick-fix panacea for your business.
Transforming your organisation from traditional to agile working can prove to be a complex and time-consuming process. Your staff will first need to be trained in the relevant methods. You may also need to plan to reconfigure your office space accordingly.
Advantages
Now more than ever, it is of enormous importance to be able to react quickly to change. In the digital age, new technologies are constantly emerging and customer requirements often change within a very short space of time. That is why, for many companies, agile working is the answer to digitalisation, as it enables them to respond better, faster and more creatively to the changing needs of markets and customers. Through these flexible methods, you not only increase the complexity of your business, but also its manageability. However, you must also take care not to neglect external communication with your customers if you are to truly capitalise on this advantage. You are producing a product for your customers, not for yourselves. That is why it is important to understand your customers’ opinions and wishes so that you can incorporate them into the production process.
The switch to agile working methods can also strengthen your company’s internal structures. The increased need for interaction, communication and responsibility not only has a positive effect on teamwork as a whole, but also shifts your individual employees’ mindset from a self-centred approach to a ‘we’ mindset. Constant reflection, as well as intensive dialogue amongst your staff, contributes to the personal development of individuals. This has a positive impact on your company’s productivity.
Through short-term planning and the division of an overall project into sub-projects, you can quickly identify and resolve any problems that arise, thanks to the flexibility gained. With traditional working methods, once a project has started, it is difficult to make changes on the fly. Agile working, however, enables you to respond very quickly to new customer requirements or changes in the market.
Conclusion
Agile working methods have been proven to boost your company’s productivity in the long term and make it easier for you to manage your business. As communication and teamwork are the cornerstones of this approach, it is important that your staff are present in the office. The COLLECTION Business Centres offer office space for rent that supports the flexibility of your working style. You can tailor the individual contract terms to suit your specific project. This allows you to focus entirely on the successful implementation of your project.
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Featured image: © Shutterstock/SFIO CRACHO
