Explore the process of transitioning from a conventional mindset to an Agile mindset and understand the transformative influence that adopting an Agile approach can have on your organizational culture, work environment, and the way value is delivered.
What Is an Agile Mindset?
The Agile mindset encompasses a collection of beliefs, perspectives, and attitudes that enable teams to be more adaptable and flexible in the face of change. It emphasizes collaboration, sharing knowledge, and exchanging feedback, which helps organizations concentrate on delivering value and continually improving.
In essence, a mindset refers to an individual’s way of thinking and their opinions.
Therefore, an Agile mindset is an internal inclination that transforms one’s behavior, making collaboration, iterative execution, customer value, and experimentation the natural choices. Once someone adopts Agile thinking, they are truly embracing agility and entering an ongoing process of adapting and progressing.
A common misconception about Agile is the tendency to focus solely on which frameworks or methods will suit our needs.
Agile Mindset vs. Agile Frameworks
What happened to Agile? How did the conversation shift from questioning the sensibility of actions to simply adhering to the prescribed guidelines? There are two main factors at play: economic interests and the desire for quick results.
In a nutshell, the pioneers of Agile shared their remarkable achievements and the positive outcomes they experienced by following Agile principles. This led the rest of the business world to exclaim, “I want those results too, and I want them fast!” or “Tell me the exact instructions to give my team so that we can achieve the same outcomes.” As a result, consultants and coaches adapted to this new market demand.
As we know, supply tends to follow demand. Therefore, it’s not surprising that within a relatively short span of 15-20 years, more than 70 different Agile frameworks emerged, accompanied by hundreds of certification programs.
Now, let’s delve into the reasons behind this shift:
- Frameworks are merely the starting point in the ongoing process of embracing an Agile mindset.
- Blindly adhering to frameworks can lead to practicing Agile in a mechanical manner without truly embodying the Agile principles.
Frameworks as a Starting Point
Following the rules is easier than changing your mindset, and it takes less time to establish new rules compared to creating a completely new environment.
The purpose of the recently developed frameworks is to provide a convenient way to achieve agility, and if their role is properly understood, they can indeed fulfill that purpose.
However, it is crucial to view them as a starting point rather than a perfect solution or a quick path to business agility.
Introducing a framework, sending employees for certification courses, implementing tools, and hiring consultants are all important and necessary steps to cultivate habits of agility.
Nevertheless, these actions alone will not instantly transform your mindset to embrace agility. Shifting your mindset requires personal time and effort beyond what any certification program can provide.
Consider it similar to acquiring proficiency in a foreign language. You enroll in a language course, take a test, and receive a certificate. However, obtaining that certificate doesn’t automatically imply that you are now a fluent speaker with complete knowledge of all the vocabulary in that language. Nor does it mean that you should restrict yourself to using only the words taught in the course, considering any other words as incorrect because they are not in your vocabulary. The certificate simply indicates that you have grasped the fundamental rules and logic of the language, and from there, you should continue exploring and refining your skills independently.
This same principle applies to embracing agile methodologies. It’s acceptable to begin with a particular framework, but it’s crucial not to halt your progress at that point. Reflecting on it, rigidly adhering to the prescribed rules of a single agile framework might be the least agile approach one can take. It signifies a superficial change, where you’re merely trying out a new tool within the same traditional environment of top-down command and control.
Frameworks as a Means to an End
Another problem arises when the focus of a company shifts towards Agile as the ultimate objective. Instead of perceiving agility as a tool or approach to achieve desired outcomes, some companies disregard their unique circumstances and fixate solely on conforming to the framework’s recommendations.
Simply adhering to frameworks without critical evaluation will yield minimal, if any, meaningful outcomes. Instead of treating Agile as a mere task to be accomplished, the goal should be to grasp the underlying principles of an Agile mindset and learn how to effectively incorporate them into the specific context of one’s business environment.
Agility as the Manifestation of the Agile Mindset
The focus on Agile frameworks has overshadowed the importance of agility itself. Agility refers to the capacity to promptly adapt to changes and is not merely a tool but rather a characteristic or behavior that should be fostered by all Agile endeavors. Essentially, agility is the outcome of embracing the Agile mindset.
What Are the 5 Agility Attributes?
- Transparency: Agile thinking promotes the sharing of progress, ideas, challenges, and feedback, fostering a safe environment that emphasizes collaborative work.
- Customer focus: Agile work prioritizes understanding customer requirements by encouraging ongoing feedback and collaboration.
- Adaptability: Agile transformation aims to cultivate an organizational mindset that is highly adaptable and resilient in the face of turbulent changes.
- Sense of ownership: The Agile mindset fosters collaboration and active involvement of team members in the decision-making process, leading to increased motivation and engagement.
- Continuous improvement: Continuous improvement is a fundamental aspect of agility and the Agile mindset. It entails regularly reflecting on past experiences, learning from them, and striving for improvement.
