The job market is in a state of flux. New practices linked to digital transformation (freelancing, nomadism, hybrid or full remote working) are forcing companies to think about new management methods, in order to maintain growth and profitability.
Strategic agility is there to respond to the continuous and significant changes experienced by managers and teams. To implement such an innovative project management method, it is essential to be able to rely on the expertise of an agile consultant.
What is strategic agility?
“Agility is more a philosophy than a management method”.
The environment in which companies operate is increasingly unstable, forcing managers to face up to lasting uncertainty. In this context, and faced with the vagaries of the market,strategic agility provides answers to the questions managers are asking themselves.
Strategic agility is more than just a buzzword: it is above all a state of mind, a posture that senior management must be able to instill throughout the company. Ultimately, it’s the whole company that must demonstrate its ability to adapt quickly and effectively to new developments, as well as to technological change.
The philosophical origins of agility
The philosophical concept of agility stems from a movement that began a century ago: the school of human relations. Theagile approach was developed in reaction to the excesses of Taylorism, which, in its quest for maximum productivity, contributed to the emergence of behaviors contrary to its original objectives.
From the outset, agile management has been an innovative and humanistic organizational method, enabling the company to be more productive while empowering each of its departments.
Today, the “classic” Taylorian and Fordist models are no longer able to respond to the volatile nature of the market. Organizations can no longer conceive of themselves as monolithic blocks, structured and hierarchical to the extreme.
The historical origins of the agile method
The agile way of working has its roots in the 1970s and 1980s. At that time, software development professionals began to question “traditional” waterfall project management approaches.
Faced with problems of missed deadlines, excessive costs or unsatisfactory results, professionals can no longer rely on an inherently cumbersome, predictive methodology that meets neither market needs nor customer expectations.
The Agile Manifesto and its impact on the notion of agility
The Agile Manifesto, produced in 2001, is the result of frustration among software professionals and other IT experts. Agility became the unifying theme, supposed to achieve consensus. 12 essential principles were laid down:
- Customer satisfaction comes first.
- Welcome change, even if it comes late in the product or service development process.
- Continuously deliver operational versions of the application.
- Ensure ongoing cooperation between the customer and the project team.
- Building projects around motivated people.
- Give priority to face-to-face conversation and direct dialogue.
- Measure project progress in terms of application functionality.
- Move the project forward at a pace that is sustainable and consistent for all project stakeholders.
- Continuous attention to technical excellence and design.
- Simplify as much as possible and avoid unnecessary work.
- Empower teams and leave room for self-organization.
- Adjust behavior and processes at regular intervals to improve efficiency.
Until now, agility has been confined to the CIO (Chief Information Officer) perimeter. Now, agility is spreading its principles and values throughout the company.
How to think about strategic agility in business?
Strategic agility seems almost like an oxymoron: how can we anticipate the unforeseeable, or take uncertainty into account in a business project? Given that uncertainty is now the norm, the project must consider opportunities as well as threats. To achieve this goal and develop valuable skills, the agile manager must take into account a number of key values, principles and competencies.
1. Rethinking upstream thinking
Anticipation is the key to an agile strategy in a fast-changing environment. In the past, it was still possible to design solid hypotheses for the long term. Agility, on the other hand, is based on iterative processes, enabling us to move forward by trial and error.
Design thinking is an innovative approach to problem solving, focused above all on people. Combined advantageously with the agile method, it enables us to change the way we think and work. In short, it enables us to better frame and design the development of high value-added products and services.
Responding to change, rather than following a predefined plan: this is what the new strategic planning models propose to implement. While it is impossible to totally eliminate uncertainty, the strategic process is there to reduce its frequency.
2. Act quickly in the face of market reality
Strategic agility also means knowing how to adapt quickly and effectively to changing market conditions. In short, it means making decisions in the face of uncertainty. To achieve this, each prior hypothesis must be rapidly confronted with market reality, while guaranteeing a disciplined process of experimentation.
This is the famous logic of lean management, which optimizes each process while prioritizing high value-added tasks. The Lean Agile method improves efficiency and eliminates waste.
3. Adapt to project contingencies and correct unforeseen events
Day-to-day management is the third essential stage ofoperational agility. At this stage, it’s crucial to know how to adapt to the vagaries of the project, and quickly correct any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.
In such a context, the agile manager must encourage an approach based on trust and individual initiative. In short, they must do everything in their power to encourage autonomy.
How do you recruit an agile consultant?
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result” – Albert Einstein
An agile consultant is first and foremost an expert in flexibility. This professional has a perfect command of the main agile methodologies in use – such as the scrum method – the aim of which is to define a clear and precise working framework in short iterations, with a view to facilitating implementation.
The consultant helps companies with specific management needs to adopt and implement agile methods. Objective: optimize development and project management processes. Although the professional’s missions are varied within the company, his aim is to improve the overall performance of teams and projects.
Agile consultant responsibilities
Agile consultants often work in the same way, according to a number of successive constraints, including :
- Data evaluation and analysis of existing processes.
- Training and a period of personalized support (coaching).
- Monitoring and continuous improvement, to optimize existing processes.
- Communication and collaboration between the various stakeholders (technical teams, customers, management).
Consult an external agile coach or recruit internally
There are two ways to support the agile transformation of a company’s culture: choose an agile coach, or recruit a Scrum Master. To determine which type of support is most appropriate, several criteria need to be taken into account: quality of expertise, objectivity and flexibility.
Why choose an agile coach
An agile coach is usually an external consultant, although he or she can also be recruited internally. They have a wide range of experience, advanced training and a high level of expertise. This makes them particularly sought-after by large companies.
The agile coach’s mission generally lasts from a few weeks to several months. It involves supporting the transformation of teams on a human and organizational level. The aim is to bring about a radical, or even partial, change in the company’s management to achieve greater efficiency.
The objectives to be achieved are agreed in advance with the customer. These can be of several kinds – achieving efficiency, better group cohesion, improved communication or better project management.
It’s a good idea to recruit an agile coach if you’re in the process of transforming your company’s practices and organizational culture. It may also be a good idea to entrust the existing process to an external partner, who will take a fresh, objective look at your organization and its potential.
Why choose a Scrum Master?
Unlike an agile coach, the Scrum Master limits himself to a particular framework. He focuses on a single team and guides it, applying the basic practices of the Scrum framework. He eliminates obstacles likely to hinder the team’s progress, and organizes the conditions for cooperation and continuous improvement.
The Scrum Master may be able to disseminate agile practices within the team. But his central role remains the continuous improvement of the team and the Scrum process.
If, as a manager or supervisor, you are driven by change and your company is committed to continuous improvement, the Scrum Master can be an invaluable ally. Highly attached to the human factor, this person is committed to understanding teams, detecting and exploiting the potential of each individual, with the aim of creating a group spirit.
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