by Jason Gardner (Ed.)
If your company has gone through an agile transformation, it’s likely that you have encountered resistance from executives and other stakeholders. It can be challenging to get them to commit to the changes necessary for successful adoption of an agile workflow. In this blog post, we’ll provide guidance on how you can help motivate executives and other decision makers in order to keep momentum going with your organization’s transition. We’ll go over the best ways to foster engagement with high level individuals, as well as identify strategies for making sure everyone is invested in long-term success. Read on for expert tips and advice on getting executives re-engaged in your business’ journey towards agility!
Demonstrate the value of an agile transformation by emphasizing increased productivity and customer satisfaction.
An agile transformation may seem daunting at first, but the benefits are well worth the effort. By implementing agile practices, productivity increases and teams become more able to adjust to changes in priorities and customer needs. This leads to faster delivery times and greater customer satisfaction. An agile framework also emphasizes constant communication and collaboration, which improves team dynamics and morale. Customers appreciate the increased transparency and involvement in the development process, which builds trust and loyalty. Showcasing successful implementations of agile transformations in other organizations allows executives to see these improvements.
There are many examples of successful agile implementations out there, from small startups to large corporations. By examining their journeys, you can gain insights into the strategies and practices that will work best for your own organization. Inspiration can be found in examples like Spotify’s “Squad Model” which is a team-based approach to organization that emphasizes collaboration and shared responsibility. Or Amazon’s “Two-Pizza Rule,” a concept developed by Jeff Bezos which suggests that a team should be small enough to be fed by two pizzas as a way to encourage smaller, more efficient teams, and avoid unnecessary bureaucracy. Showcasing successes such as these is a good way to demonstrate value.
Highlight the financial benefits that come with an agile transformation, such as reduced costs and improved cost control.
An agile transformation can bring a plethora of financial benefits to a company, ranging from reduced costs to improved cost control. When a company becomes more agile, it can adapt quickly to changing market conditions, which can result in a more efficient use of resources. By using agile methodologies, companies can also reduce the waste of time and resources on projects that don’t produce the intended results. This approach helps organizations to save money and focus their efforts on profitable areas. Another financial benefit that comes with agile adoption is improved cost control. With more clear and structured processes to follow, companies can quickly see where they need to invest money and where they can cut back. This not only helps companies to save money in the short-term, but also lays the foundation for long-term financial health. When executives recognize these financial benefits, they can easily see that an agile approach is essential for any businesses that wants to stay competitive and at the forefront of their industry.
Host an expert lead workshop.
A deeper understanding of an agile methodology, can help your executive team recognize the value of the transformation. Bringing in an outside expert for an executive tailored workshop, can be an effective way to create a positive perspective for your leaders. Platinum Edge agility experts offer a one day, two hour Executive Agile Leadership Workshop that gives context to agility and why it works, show how agile values and principles drive effectiveness, and communicates the role and importance of leadership support. By taking part in these workshops, executives can better see the role they have to play in the success of the transformation and feel more motivated/better equipped to guide their teams towards success.
Find your agile champion.
Lastly, recognize that change can be intimidating, and part of leadership is helping an organization to navigate that change. Find which executives are already excited about implementing agile principles, and start with them. As their teams begin to reap the benefits, other areas in the organization will have an easier time adopting those principles. Nothing speaks like success.
Conclusion
The success of your agile transformation relies heavily on the support of company leaders. By focusing on key outcomes such as productivity, customer satisfaction, and improved cost management, you can help executives understand the benefits of implementing agile principles. Also, be sure to make use of our Agile Leadership Workshop and to start with the leaders who are willing to champion change! Engaging your executives will help your organization to embrace the principles and culture that will help your company be successful.
