Step Into Agile
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Over the past two decades, many large companies have failed to evolve and seen their business margins, market share, and profitability suffer — sometimes leading to devastating results.
Why Embrace Agile
Technology, networks and customer expectations have developed and evolved rapidly over the past two decades. This has posed significant challenges to businesses of all sizes, some industries have faced substantial disruption, look at what Air BnB has done in the travel industry and Uber & Lyft in transportation. Other businesses like Blockbuster are no longer in existence, even technology businesses are not immune from the pace of change, how many people in 2022 own a Blackberry?
Our world and the billions of Galaxies in existence are constantly evolving, the mass adoption of the internet and all the technology it has spawned has accelerated changes in all our lives. Keeping faith in what worked well in the past is a quick path towards decline, this is true at the business level, the team level and at an individual level. In evolving, complex & ambiguous environments the requirement to be flexible is essential, Embracing Agile has many benefits in navigating such environments. Below are a few examples:
· Following Agile culture and principles can assist businesses, teams and individuals in becoming comfortable with ambiguity, as they ‘test & learn’ through iterative increments of work.
· Working in smaller increments allow teams/businesses to understand ‘unknowns’ quicker and this can support key strategic decisions on whether to ‘pivot’ or ‘persevere’ as Eric Ries explained articulately in the ‘Lean Startup’ — which in my humble opinion is a Fantastic book.
· The flexibility & communication offered by an Agile approach factors change into any product/service development and as such is more attuned to ‘customer-centricity’ with the end product delivered matching the customers’ expectations.
You do not need multiple prerequisites to benefit from an Agile approach, it can be used by anyone. Of course as with everything some attributes can help with embracing Agile, such as having an open mind. Let us have a brief look at the importance of values, culture & mindset for Agile.
