We're Agile. Now What?

Congratulations! Your team has made the leap to Agile. You've sat through the workshops, watched the videos, and maybe even read a few books. You know your sprints from your stand-ups, your Kanban from your Scrum. But now, as the initial excitement wanes, a new question emerges: “Is this even working for us?” Or better yet, “Is this what we hoped that Agile would bring?”

Transitioning to Agile takes a significant effort, but it's just the beginning. Implementing Agile methodologies is more than just a process change—it's a cultural shift. So, let's dive into what you can do to keep the momentum going and truly reap the benefits of a transformation.

Keep Evaluating Your Team's Needs

Change is not a one-time event, but a continuous process of growth and adaptation. Keep evaluating your team's needs regularly to ensure they have the right tools, resources, and support to succeed. This ongoing assessment is vital; it helps identify any gaps or areas for improvement, whether it's additional training, better tools, or more streamlined processes. This is an area where most organisations are getting it wrong -when transformations are a fire-and-forget exercise. Team dynamics change over time. People come and go, and each team’s needs evolve. Remember, the evaluation process should never stop; it's an integral part of being truly Agile.

Foster Open Communication

Agile thrives on open, honest communication. Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. Regularly scheduled stand-ups are great for quick updates, but don’t let the conversation stop there. Encourage ongoing dialogue through chat tools, forums, or even informal coffee catch-ups. Remember, transparency builds trust, and trust is the bedrock of an effective Agile team.

Align with Strategic Goals

While focusing on Agile practices, it's crucial to ensure that your day-to-day activities and project goals remain aligned with your organisation's strategic objectives. This is easier said than done because teams can get lost in the weeds of everyday activities very easily. This is one of the major transformation breaking points.

Regularly review your project outcomes against the broader business goals and adjust your priorities as needed. Keep your team informed about the strategic direction and how their work fits into the bigger picture to foster a sense of purpose and direction. Finally, maintain a leadership presence. People feel more included when leadership frequently shows face and is interested in their day to day activities.

Encourage Collaboration

The whole point of transforming an organization is to “work better and deliver faster”. Agile works best when teams collaborate. Break down silos and encourage cross-functional teamwork. Whether it’s through paired programming, collaborative planning sessions, or shared documentation, make sure your team is working together towards a common goal. Collaboration not only improves efficiency but also fosters a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

But, why stop there? Encourage cross-departmental collaboration. Inform other areas of business of how you work, what improvements you’ve made, and what your product is. The teams who are not involved directly in your delivery will be delighted to find out about what you do!

Celebrate Small Wins

We’ve seen companies that never celebrate success. That’s right, never. How is this going to positively affect employees’ morale? Celebrate the small wins as much as the big ones. Did your team complete a sprint successfully? Great! Did you manage to ship a feature on time? Fantastic! Celebrating these achievements can boost morale and keep the team motivated. Remember, it’s the little things that often make the biggest difference.

Focus on Customer Feedback

One of the core tenets of Agile is delivering value to the customer. Make sure you’re constantly seeking and incorporating customer feedback. Use this feedback to guide your iterations and improve your product. After all, Agile is all about delivering what the customer really wants, not what you think they want. And by customer, we don’t necessarily mean “external customers”. Anyone who is expecting something from a team is its customer, meaning that a team could very well have “internal customers”.

Measure Your Success

Lastly, keep track of your progress. The initial excitement of adopting Agile can fade over time. Lack of success metrics is a usual pain point for organisations that undergo a transformation. Use metrics to measure your success and identify areas for improvement. Track key performance indicators like velocity, cycle time, and customer satisfaction. Use these metrics to make data-driven decisions and continuously improve your Agile processes.

Conclusion: The Journey Continues

Agile is a journey of continuous improvement. Embrace it, and you’ll find your team delivering better products, faster, and with more satisfaction.

However, if you’re not yet reaping the benefits that Agile promised, you’re not alone – this is more common than you might think. Many teams struggle to unlock Agile's full potential on their own for a multitude of reasons. At SymmetriX, we specialise in helping teams not just implement Agile, but live it. We work with you to ensure that you are getting what you signed up for and nothing less. Call us today to find out how we can support your Agile transformation and help you achieve the results you’ve been aiming for. Let’s keep moving forward, together.