Beyond survival: Thrive, leading Agile change.

It’s no shocker steering the course of Agile change whether as a contracted consultant or a specialist embedded in the organisation comes with distinct differences. The former, often arrives locked and loaded with instant credibility and usually secures significant buy-in from leadership given their handsome fee. As experts they deliver content, training and documents, leading implementation mostly unhindered by internal dynamics and possibly wielding the authority to drive the organisational adjustments required for change. In contrast, the latter, sometimes possessing power or influence (rarely of both, often neither) and familiar with nuances of inner workings, can struggle to gain support from leaders across the organisation to enable change. Potentially, their path relies more on appealing to ‘hearts and minds’ in order to secure genuine acceptance of the structural, behavioural, values and mindset shifts required to deliver better outcomes for the business. The insider role can feel like a jungle, filled with quick sand and fauna so dense that clearing obstacles can seem endless.

Having experienced both roles, each comes with its respective pros and cons which I deeply appreciate and equally value. Through study, nuggets of wisdom from veteran coaches and my experience, here are a few a straightforward and practical insights on leading Agile change from an insider’s perspective:

1. Meet people where they are and mind your language
2. Want to build trust? Win small, win fast and take out the trash
3. Thick skin
4. Put business strategy first and tell stories

Meet people where they are and mind your language

To put it bluntly, people may not care how intelligent or thoughtfully crafted a change proposal may be, regardless of reputable certifications or revered industry publications that espouse its benefits. While colleagues usually hold positive regard for each other, arguably, they place more value on solving problems and achieving results. To echo advice from those more learned than me: drop the jargon and buzzwords!

Meet people where they are, understand the corporate strategy, find out what is critical, what problems keep them up at night, and what they need to succeed. Identify the business equivalent of their “love language” or use metaphors and analogies that bring their world into perspective regarding the change.

While coaching an amazing group of senior managers at the portfolio level on limiting work in progress, we changed the language from backlogs of “initiatives” and “epics” to queues of unrealised revenue, current risk, and/or asset liabilities (i.e., unreleased inventory) in the portfolio. Modifying language had a profound impact on senior team behaviour; what and how they agreed was critical for speed, highest priority, or barriers to delivery, with sparse if any mention of “Kanban.” I do concede that specific or technical names are important because they give meaning to the sometimes intangible nature of knowledge work. However, when possible, craft language to give shared meaning to your context and less so dogmatically lifted directly from “fill in the blank” methodology or high-profile organisation.

Want to build trust? Win small, win fast and take out the trash!

Numerous experts on organisational behaviour almost unanimously assert that trust is the bedrock of high performing teams. We prove it (trust), throughout the lifetime of business relationships. People want to be assured that others prioritise collective common interests over individual concerns. Moreover, trust is not so much a leap of faith as it is based on successive observable actions. It is a continuous, “living thing” not static, says Anne Morris, leadership coach and coauthor of the book “Move fast and fix things.”

One effective method for building trust is the accumulation of incremental collective team gains over time. From a single team to team of teams, not excluding leadership teams. Start with something small, but execute fast so that success is tangible however modest it may seem. Collaborate on problems that matter to individuals even if they diverge with your personal goals. Engage people, involve them in data gathering, scoping the problem, designing approaches and carrying out actions.

Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to be humble and take out the trash! Do the “unsexy” things that genuinely help people or teams no matter the scale. Years ago, a meeting chair asked “who would like to take meeting minutes?” I promptly volunteered then and on other occasions despite the agenda having nothing to do with “Agile.” When the team eventually faced a thorny problem, I was in a position to ask, “would a reflective session on ways of working help?” A question which opened a door, allowing me to help them explore opportunities for improvement. A crucial caveat however is to remain true to your authentic self rather than insincere gesture or worse, manipulation. Both the latter and the former not only have the potential to derail any change initiative but can also inflict lasting damage to relationships.

Thick skin

Paraphrasing insight from a sage Agile coach that has stuck with me over the years: organisational resistance to change is often a poorly articulated statement of how much people genuinely care about the work they do or the level of accountability they feel towards colleagues. When individuals or teams are uncertain about how a “new thing” will help them succeed, that inadequate articulation often manifests as a “brick wall” or the metaphorical middle finger. My advice, buckle up and get comfortable with “No” in all of its forms. Taking a different perspective, initial rejection of change could be a signal to get creative, stay curious and get closer to the frame of reference through which stakeholders see the world to better understand their beliefs and challenges.

We love our ideas because they are ours. We take time to craft and shape them so it’s only human to protect them. In the seminal text by Peter M. Senge, “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Living Organisation” the late physicist David Bohm remarked, “Our [individual] thought is incoherent” and asserted that only through engaging in dialogue can we “reveal the incoherence in our thought”. Meaning ideas, much like the back and forth of ping pong, require collaborative engagement with others to shape them into solutions that solve problems. However, the act of doing so may chip away or initially parking-lot parts of your original change proposal (not sparing your ego in the process). You’ll need a thick skin to lean into chunking change concepts down, be willing to take a torch to your original proposal and iteratively shape it through dialogue. However, this doesn’t mean a compromise on sound principles and practices (insert favourite colloquialism for Agile gone wrong here). Embrace the change journey that may present twists, test resilience and cultivate your own personal growth in the face of those challenges.

Put business strategy first and share stories

Accepting change is not only about people embracing the idea, but also requires behaviour changes. Behaviours that likely guaranteed success in the “old way” of doing things or may have provided a reason for joining a company in the first place. People need a compelling reason as to why they should “break with the past with a path to the future,” says Jay Barney, professor at the Eccles School of Business and coauthor of the book, “The Secret of Culture Change.” Without a clear business strategy or objective, the message for change may be perceived as mere “lip service,” he says. In my observation, this lack of clarity has resulted in a massive drop-off in commitment and motivation to continue evolving past initial inertia of change.

In my experience, outcome-driven frameworks like objectives and key results (OKRs) are especially indispensable patterns that can distill and connect people to strategy. It also provides shared awareness and context of the behaviours required to achieve improved results. Moreover, watershed events, such as new leadership or a pivot in company strategy, are opportune moments that can create compelling reasons why new habits and behaviours are necessary to succeed old ones.

The adage “actions speak louder than words” could not be more true in this regard. Sharing personal stories of individual lived experiences describing new habits or behaviours can add compelling and tangible evidence of the change. Essential to the change process are spaces like fire-side chats with leaders across the organisation, lunch and learns and communities of practice, where people are empowered to share their stories inspired by the new strategic direction or business objectives. It is important to note that these are stories authentic to the people sharing them otherwise people within the organisation may readily sniff them out as disingenuous or performative acts.

Two things can be true

After delivering on their contractual obligations consultants may be absent when actual outcomes of Agile change (or transformation), whether positive or otherwise, unfold. In this respect, internal Agile specialists more often have the privilege to persevere through the triumphs and challenges of change, continuing to support an organisation through its journey.

Whether internal or external to an organisation, leading sustainable Agile change that delivers improved outcomes has a higher probability of success when people feel part of the change instead of the change happening to them. Building trust, small and rapid experimentation, authenticity, shared language, engaged leaders (at all levels) sharing new stories and building new habits towards a strategy are but a few values and principles that compliment robust Agile methodologies. Not only do these bring people along the way but also help in embedding a growth mindset. Moving the collective experience past merely surviving to thriving through change.