Businesses are currently in a state of flux, uncertain how to maintain their day-to-day management, let alone continue to their long-term strategic targets. This is because many of their tried and tested techniques which they have relied upon in the past, are simply not available to them as the global COVID-19 outbreak further develops.
And that is where an agile mindset comes in. Originating in the automobile manufacturing industry and really coming to prominence in the IT sector, agile is a continuous journey towards enabling teams to work flexibly in a flatter structure, always questioning and seeking new solutions. It has been used to address some of the most technically complicated business challenges and its proven techniques enable colleagues to come together in cross-functional teams to tackle large, complex and unpredictable problems.
Simply put, the more agile a business is in responding to this pandemic, the more likely it will not just survive the current crisis but come out of it stronger.
Psychological safety and a fear of failure
A key tenet of agile is empowering employees to have a curious mindset and remove the ‘fear of failure’. This is crucial because when we are frightened, our ability to think creatively about solving problems is severely hampered. In a normal business environment, the empowerment championed by agile approaches boosts employee wellbeing and helps find innovative solutions to market challenges quickly. Businesses are facing unprecedented issues, and employees, uncertainty. Relinquishing the ‘fear of failure’ will be critical to encourage a culture that will need to rapidly evolve through small-scale iterative experiments, while simultaneously bolstering a sense of belonging and confidence in employees.
The ‘psychological safety’ created with adopting agile new ways of working will enable employees to regain lost control from the recent upheaval associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Good leaders should consider their language and positioning on the outbreak. For example, setting an example and pointing out the positive opportunities the situation provides. That does not mean down-playing the seriousness of the threat, but rather highlighting how employees can now exercise a greater level of autonomy, benefit from less distractions in the workplace, and focus on more meaningful and long term projects.
With massive advancements in both technology, infrastructure and software, a lot of the work we do does not require colleagues to be physically in the same room. But teams do need support in finding the appropriate tools and apps to support effective collaboration. Enabling people to find what works for them is critical to facilitate a truly collaborative, remote working style on a sustainable basis.
Pivoting to new communication methods
Businesses need to pivot from their traditional means of communication towards embracing online tools. The priority is to ensure that businesses provide the basics in terms of remote tools, such as HD cameras, microphones and desktop sharing. Once these are in place, there is no reason why colleagues cannot look at, and simultaneously contribute to, the same information. There really is a wealth of options out there – for example Zoom enables breakout sessions, nonverbal communication signals and can even be used to facilitate online workshops. There are also relatively low-cost options, such as Google Drive, which enables people to collaborate in real-time, and Miro, which enables people to expand their working canvas indefinitely. Sometimes, this may even provide a benefit over and above in-person collaboration, as there will be less chance of distractions and noise when working remotely, than in a dedicated chat room.
With new opportunities comes new problems, and that is okay. Businesses will need to be opportunistic and discuss how they can adapt to new problems, such as using shared technological platforms from a security perceptive, as many businesses have banned these or severely limit their use on corporate networks.
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The change to home-working is more likely to involve a shift in perspective rather than a working practice itself – especially from a senior leadership point of view, who may be entrenched in traditional styles of working. Embracing new communication methods means the teams need to develop their trust levels with their colleagues, believing that they do not need to physically see them and check in with them on their progress as frequently as previously possible. For example, by embracing an agile approach, businesses can encourage employees to build their leadership development by encouraging them to take up online modular courses. These provide quick iterative feedback – another core tenet of agile – and encourage employees to take control of their own career development, focusing on developing aspects of their career which are important to them.
By remaining agile and responsive to the ever-changing context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, organisations will seamlessly tackle problems in new and unprecedented ways to not only transform uncertainty into opportunity, but drive innovation and pioneering ingenuity into their business practises.
By Geoff Watts
Author Bio
Geoff Watts is one of the most experienced and respected Scrum coaches in the world. Having started using Scrum at British Telecom, one of the first large-scale agile adoptions, he has since coached organisations large and small through their agile journeys. As a Scrum Alliance Certified Agile Coach, he is at the cutting edge of the developments in the agile world and can regularly be found speaking at both international conferences and local user groups. He is the founder of Inspect & Adapt Ltd, which offers Scrum coaching and training to individuals and businesses.
Scrum Alliance Bio
Scrum Alliance is the largest certifying body and professional association of agile experts and coaches. Scrum Alliance trains coaches in agile, which refers to a specific set of principles and values that foster the soft skills businesses need to succeed. It has trained over 750,000 professionals globally, who have gone onto become coaches themselves, across diverse businesses.
