Innovation through Agile: Crucial practices leaders should adopt to capitalise on agile’s potential
As detailed in the excellent Harvard Business Review article by Darrell Rigby, Jeff Sutherland, and Hirotaka Takeuchi ‘Embracing Agile’, innovation is what agile is all about.
Below is a summary of the six points Rigby et al discerned through their study and analysis working in large companies in the US and beyond. See the link at the end of my post to read their full article.
1. Learn How Agile Really Works: Leaders need to understand agile principles and methodologies, such as Scrum, Lean Development, and Kanban. They should know that agile is about cross-functional, self-managed teams and value delivery, not chaos or just doing things faster.
2. Understand Where Agile Does or Does Not Work: Leaders should recognise that agile is most effective in complex, innovative projects where requirements are likely to change. It may not be suitable for routine operations.
3. Start Small and Let the Word Spread: Instead of launching massive organisational changes, successful agile transformations often begin with small, focused teams. Success stories and passionate team members can help spread agile practices across the organisation.
4. Allow “Master” Teams to Customise Their Practices: Teams should initially follow established agile practices. However, experienced practitioners can adapt these practices to their specific needs, as long as they align with agile principles.
5. Practise Agile at the Top: Senior executives can apply agile principles to strategy development, team allocation, and collaboration. Allocating a significant portion of their time to agile leadership teams can drive better results and employee engagement.
6. Destroy the Barriers to Agile Behaviours: To overcome resistance and ensure agile practices are effective, organisations must align cross-functional teams around shared priorities, clarify roles and decision-making authority, focus on collective team intelligence, and use questions rather than orders for guidance.
By embracing these practices, leaders can help their organisations fully leverage agile methodologies, leading to improved productivity, customer satisfaction, and overall business success.
I recommend reading the full article on HBR’s website ‘Embracing Agile: How to master the process that’s transforming management’ by Darrell Rigby, Jeff Sutherland, and Hirotaka Takeuchi.
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