In the business world, you have the responsibility of ensuring that a team that you’re supervising meets its targets. Failure to do so often results in those “not-so-friendly” talks no one wants from the higher-ups. In this article, we’ll share a 5-step guide and strategies to implement Agile on your company in the best way to generate results.
For some people, taking charge is relatively easy. This is so because they have mastered the art of managing a team for the completion of a project. They employ the best of several project management methods available to them, and they deliver results.
For others, they have to try, and sometimes fail at it before they finally figure things out. That is why we have written this article. There are different ways to tackle managing a team to complete a task, regardless of your profession. However, one way that has continuously proven itself useful and indispensable is Agile.
How To Implement Agile in Your Company
- Understand Agile Principles: Begin by familiarizing yourself with the core values and principles of Agile as outlined in the Agile Manifesto. This will form the foundation of your implementation strategy.
- Evaluate Your Company’s Readiness: Assess the current processes, culture, and mindset within your company to determine how ready your organization is for Agile. Consider conducting surveys or workshops to understand the willingness to adapt to change.
- Get Buy-In from Leadership: Agile transformation requires support from the top. Engage with executives and key stakeholders to ensure they understand and are committed to the Agile process.
- Provide Training and Education: Invest in Agile training for your teams. This can include workshops, certifications, or bringing in Agile coaches to ensure everyone understands Agile practices and tools.
- Start Small: Choose a pilot project or team to implement Agile practices. This allows you to refine your approach in a controlled environment before a wider rollout.
- Choose the Right Agile Framework: There are several Agile frameworks, like Scrum, Kanban, or Lean. Select one that best fits your team’s needs and the nature of your projects.
- Set Up Cross-Functional Teams: Agile thrives on collaboration. Organize your teams so that they are cross-functional and self-organizing, with all the skills necessary to deliver the product.
- Establish Iterative Work Cycles: Implement sprints or iterations, short, consistent work cycles that allow your team to plan, execute, and review progress regularly.
- Embrace Continuous Improvement: After each iteration, conduct retrospective meetings to discuss what went well and what can be improved. Use this feedback to refine your Agile practices.
- Implement Agile Project Management Tools: Use tools that support Agile methodologies, such as Jira, Asana, or Trello, to track progress and facilitate communication.
- Encourage Open Communication: Foster an environment of transparency and open communication. Daily stand-ups and regular check-ins can keep everyone aligned and informed.
What is Agile, and why should you use it?
Originating from Utah in 2001, Agile is one of the different project management techniques that top managers in various organizations use. It focuses on improving continuously by receiving inputs from team members and allowing a significant amount of flexibility. This does not mean that the project merely starts haphazardly. More often than not, there is a plan.
However, the difference between Agile and other project management methods is that it allows you to develop along the way. After each sprint, there is a review of sorts to determine if the result is satisfactory. If it isn’t, users of the Agile method come up with something new and get to work again until the project is complete.
The flexibility it offers leaves room for improvement, and multiple companies over the world have experienced relatively astounding levels of productivity using it. It prioritizes interactions between people over rigid tools and procedures.
How do you know if Agile is the best project management technique for you?
Agile is not quite as rigid as some of its other techniques. If the expected result of your project is certain, you might want to use a different technique. This is so because the number of changes that result from using the Agile method might shift you off track eventually. A classic one like the Waterfall method, where everything is planned sequentially, can come in handy here.
However, if your project has a peculiar uncertainty about it, and you cannot possibly determine the result from the start, then you should consider using the Agile management technique. That way, you can make whatever changes you want to without going too far off track. Alongside that, you should use Agile if:
- Firstly, you can take risks.
- Secondly, have flexible team members.
- Finally, you have team members who are available to meet occasionally to discuss the advancement of the project, etc in this guide on how to Implement Agile in a company.
How can you implement the Agile project management technique in your company?
Many people are relatively new to the fact that there is such a thing as “techniques for project management,” talk less of how to implement them. Some have an idea but are at a loss as to how they can apply them. It doesn’t matter which category you belong to. One can adopt agile methodology for startups as well as enterprises. We have come up with a five-step guide on how to implement Agile in your company. They are:
1 Allow key stakeholders to weigh in
Agile fosters collaboration. This collaboration is not limited to those who would be working directly on the project.
Other people, like the customers who would get the result of the project, the ones who would sponsor the project, as well as those who would act as the vendors, are equally important. If you are going to implement Agile, you need to speak to them and find out their opinions. Explain to them the benefits of Agile. Afterward, answer whatever questions they might have in this guide on how to Implement Agile.
2 Start with a small part of the project to implement agile
Having discussed with the key stakeholders, the next step is for you to begin with a small part of the project. Practically everything that Agile preaches is increasing development based on inputs from those who are involved in one way or the other. With “development” being the keyword here, you must start small. That way, you will be able to build upwards gradually.
Here, you have to set key performance indicators regardless of what you are working on. If you are working on an ecommerce project, for example, setting e-commerce KPIs to measure your progress is a no-brainer in this guide on how to Implement Agile.
3 Pick and maintain a framework
Implement agile requires flexibility, not chaos. As such, to employ this method, you have to pick a particular framework and stick to it. Take, for example, if you decide to use scrum, you have to ensure that everyone is available for meetings at the appropriate times. That is, after each sprint, you must not miss a meeting period for review, no matter how occupied everyone might be.
4 Ensure your team is constantly motivated
This step is more of an endless process than just a phase. Agile requires a team that is adequately motivated and interested in what they are doing. This is so because of the potentially numerous changes the project might go through to be satisfactory.
Whether you are working with internal members of your company or you are outsourcing to professionals who would give you a pro forma invoice when you start, you need to keep them motivated. It might require a bit of skill on the project lead’s part, but you cannot neglect it.
5 Revise the agile process in your company
Agile requires an aversion to extreme rigidity. After getting thus far with applying Agile to your company, you have to learn to make out time for revisions. Is it working? Does it satisfy the needs we created it for? How do the users feel about it?
Can we do it better? You should ask yourself all these questions after significant milestones have been crossed in your journey of progress. That way, you would be able to make changes where necessary as required by Agile.
Implement Agile conclusion
Making your company Agile has many benefits ranging from increased productivity to higher quality of service, among other things. If you follow the outlines of this article, you, too, should be on your way to enjoying all these benefits.