Can the Agile Mindset Thrive Outside of Software Teams?

Despite the adoption of the buzzwords Business Agility, an often misused and misplaced concept, there is still a lot of push that Agile belongs in the software world not outside of it. Awhile ago, I was reading an article in People Management about Sky broadcasting. The article describes what I see and hear over and over. People work in silos. Processes are “the way they have always been.” Nobody shares information. Everyone is just doing their own thing.

But why are organisations and departments outside of software development hesitant? Is it because they think that Agile itself is a concept defined solely for software? Is it because they feel that if they don’t produce a tangible product that it cannot be applied?

If we take a look at the four pillars of the Agile Manifesto and look beyond frameworks and processes, we start to see the applicability.

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

• Working software over comprehensive documentation

• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

• Responding to change over following a plan

In other words, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

Or let’s take a look at Modern Agile. I have been using this as a guide for non-technical teams more and more lately because the initial four pillars are very straightforward.

1) Make People Awesome

2) Deliver Value Continuously

3) Make (Psychological) Safety a Pre-requisite

4) Experiment and Learn Rapidly

While digging deeper into the layers of the Modern Agile pillars you may find things are driving again toward software, if we stay on the surface and look at what agility is, what the dictionary says about agility, we can see the application goes far beyond software development and even into our personal lives. Who wouldn’t want to “make people awesome?”

But let’s return to the HR department or any other integral operational department within an organisation. Whether looking at the manifesto or Modern Agile, what in those four bullets would not apply? In fact, if each group or company would have a deep conversation about the problems that they are trying to solve and how this mindset might assist, I think that they would find value in all four of them.

But let’s return to the HR department or any other integral operational department within an organisation. Whether looking at the manifesto or Modern Agile, what in those four bullets would not apply? In fact, if each group or company would have a deep conversation about the problems that they are trying to solve and how this mindset might assist, I think that they would find value in all four of them.

And if we look at the Return on Investment (ROI) from Agile then the case gets even stronger. With changes in how groups think about their work ensuring that everything brings value to them and their stakeholders then suddenly there is a case for driving down the total cost of ownership, driving up the return on investment and building trust within the organisation to see all of the groups or divisions as integral to the overall business mission.

If we look at the value that Agile delivers, then what do you have to lose?

If we consider that the employees in a company and potential candidates joining the team are the stakeholders, then we have to look at what value add they need from each of the internal departments. With this in mind, how could an organisation change the product (services) that they deliver to their employees? Incorporating agile ways of working into every day thinking and productivity will yield all of the positive outcomes that lead to higher retention of employees. It will also empower the members of these teams to own the changes that they make instead of having them driven down from executive leadership. They will be able to use the company’s mission and goals as the driving force behind the way in which they operate.

No transformation or change is easy

No transformation or change is easy, but if we focus on delivering value instead of producing, then it changes how we start to think about the way in which we work. What applicability do you see outside of software development for the agile mindset? We want to hear your thoughts.

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About the Author:

INDRA A. BOOKS

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