Agiles Change management. (Photo: NicoElNino / shutterstock)
Agile change management and lean change want to implement improvements step by step and building on each other. But how can agile change actually be implemented? And what should you watch out for when introducing agile practices in a company?
The alpha and omega of the agile approach are quick feedback loops. The procedure is evaluated immediately after the individual steps have been carried out. The evaluation in turn flows into the preparation of the next processes. It’s about reacting quickly and adapting to what is happening. While conventional change management carefully plans the what and how, agile change management is always open to changes. It dispenses with extensive planning in advance and instead approaches the necessary changes step-by-step. Depending on how successful the first measures were, you can derive the following steps from them.
Employees of companies who respond to classic change -Management often experience the changes as something they cannot influence. Agile change, on the other hand, relies on lean startup thinking. This means that all those affected know about the change plans right from the start, can participate and are directly involved in the change. In this way, those affected become participants who decide what will be changed and how it will be changed. You also determine how quickly the individual change processes take place.
The special advantage of Agile Change? With its lean startup principles, agile change management is fundamentally changing companies and organizations. Agile change does not aim to achieve a one-off change, for example as part of a completed project. Instead, it is suitable for anyone who is willing to start a permanent process of change. The catchphrase is continuous improvement – it is about making improvements steadily and in small steps that ultimately strengthen the competitiveness of the company.
Agile Change wants to create learning organizations. This management model sees learning as a central success factor in corporate development. After all, a learning organization can adapt more flexibly and faster to a dynamic environment.
In addition to better implementation, the agile transformation also scores with the fact that it is of is accepted far more often by those involved. Employees and stakeholders welcome the change they have initiated much more often instead of rejecting and undermining it, as is often the case with traditional change processes.
How to implement agile change management
The agile transformation is characterized by the fact that those involved determine the content as well as the scope and speed of the change themselves. In the following we show you three tips that will help you to successfully implement agile change management.
1. Communication is everything
The first big step is communicating the agile transformation to all employees. For this you should think carefully beforehand how the change story developed by you or the management should be communicated. What is the best way to get the message across? Is it enough if the executives announce the news in the next team meeting, or does an event have to be organized that convey the news in a particularly motivating way?
In In any case, there should be a clear starting shot that creates a certain wow effect among the employees and the feeling that they are going on a journey together. It makes sense to point out that there can be setbacks once in a while. At the same time, it is important to emphasize the need for change, i.e. to make its meaning recognizable. It will also help to emphasize that the process will also be fun.
Possible ways of setting off such a starting gun are a town hall -Meeting, i.e. an event where everyone is present, or a video of the board of directors or a video conference. There are no limits to creativity here – if you don’t shy away from the effort, you can also organize a management roadshow that includes all locations.
2. Agile structures instead of top down
Anyone striving for agile change should do everything for teams that are interdisciplinary. These are teams in which employees with different skills and from different fields of activity work on a project or with customers. Fixed teams that are organized according to the same tasks, for example marketing or sales, then no longer exist. Instead, you work purely project and customer-oriented.
Employees and teams form networks that are connected to one another. Hierarchical structures, on the other hand, are a thing of the past. The redistribution of management tasks is also part of an agile transformation. How many and in which positions does your company even need managers? Of course, leadership is important; but many tasks can be given to the teams.
3. Good event management helps
In order to keep the topic of agility in the company up to date, it is helpful to host events in to organize different formats. So-called fuck-up nights sound like getting used to, but they are successful when it comes to dealing with the topic of agile transformation. The purpose of the format is to give space to the stories of people who have tried to make a difference but were unsuccessful. The employees report on their experiences and mistakes and summarize what they have learned from them.
Fuck-up nights result in that the participants can learn from the mistakes described. Dealing with failures and mistakes will also be reflected upon during the event. This open error culture signals to the employees that errors are human and normal and that they can even produce something positive, i.e. new knowledge. That changes the corporate culture, because: Only those who are sure that a mistake will not have any bad consequences dare to take risks and try things – and thus have the chance to be truly innovative.
What you have to consider when introducing agile change management
The most important prerequisite for success agile transformation is not a well thought-out plan and mature goals. Instead, rough planning is enough to start the change. The numerous agile tools and lean methods such as Kanban and Scrum provide assistance with implementation.
What really counts for an effective process is therefore not a perfect one Planning. However, it is essential to involve and motivate employees. They are instructed to share experiences with each other and to contribute ideas, to work together on an equal footing and to take responsibility. Executives go from being drivers of change to being supporters of change. Mistakes are allowed – and are even welcomed as they drive change and innovation.
Oliver Wüntsch is a senior coach at DBVC and an expert in agile change. For him, lean startup thinking and agile working principles are the most effective approaches to accompanying organizations on their way to digitization.
