Ever-So-Lean Podcast

Introducing Business Agility

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In this episode we're onto Business Agility and its transformative power in organisations. Join Matt and special guest, James Dwan, the CEO of Catalyst Consulting. James is a seasoned expert in Business Transformation, well-versed in Agile frameworks, Systems Thinking, Strategy Deployment, Digital transformation) and Lean Six Sigma.

Throughout his career, James has successfully implemented innovative business transformations, combining the power of Lean and Agile methodologies, earning praise from esteemed clients such as The London Stock Exchange, UKRI, Elavon, and Essex County Council. With his wealth of experience, James shares his valuable insights on Agile techniques, shedding light on the benefits and practical applications of Business Agility at both the team and organisational level.

Agile, a new contender in the world of Continuous Improvement methodologies, is making waves beyond its origins in the software industry. Just as Lean transcended automotive and factory settings, Agile is now taking the world by storm. What sets Agile apart is its iterative and collaborative problem-solving approach, breaking down complex adaptive problems into smaller increments and fostering continuous learning and adaptation through rapid feedback. Elements that in this episode James helps us to really understand.

While commonly associated with software development, Agile's versatility extends far beyond that domain. Agile approaches like Scrum or Kanban can effectively manage and track improvement projects in various business initiatives. Today, we dive deep into the realm of Agility, exploring its origins, unique characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and practical uses.

By delving into the foundations of Agile and understanding its distinguishing features, this episode aims to equip you with an entry-level understanding of the value Business Agility can bring to your organisation. James's expertise will provide valuable insights and first hand experiences, allowing you to grasp the benefits of Agility and how it can be effectively applied in your own workplace.

 

Key Takeaways:

  1. It’s about making it enjoyable. Creating an environment where people are empowered to make change and challenge the status quo. Creating passion for change within your organisation. Creating that joy of discovery just can’t be bought. It’s imperative to a healthly organisation.
  • Agile is about getting value to a customer.  Its framework is a set of values, principles, and practices that guide the implementation of Agile frameworks like Scrum and Kanban. It emphasizes cross-functional teams, iterative development, and continuous improvement. Key components include a product backlog, fixed-time sprints/iterations, daily stand-up meetings, sprint review and retrospective sessions, and a focus on delivering value and adapting to change. Agile fosters collaboration, customer involvement, and flexibility in software development and project management processes.
  • Agile gets into the physiology of human beings. James introduced us to HPPOs  (Highest Paid Persons Opinion). Although the term may be new, you may recognise the behaviours of a HPPO culture. Basically do as you are told. In an agile culture, you are aloud to be wrong, in fact you might say it’s encouraged. It’s about learning fast, asking questions like what is the earliest we can run an experiment to check if customers would like that information r care about it? Creating an environment of physiological safety is an absolute must.
  • Pivot from bad to good ideas. Run experiments, if it doesn’t work and is going in the wrong direction, stop and try something else. James shared a great idea where bad ideas being laid to rest are celebrated in a ‘funeral party’. Such a great idea! Let’s prove it’s a bad idea before we progress. If we can’t prove it’s a bad idea then we know that we have a good bet that we should progress and explore further.
  • Getting the right leadership behaviours are a tiger in the tank. Meaning that these behaviours will have the effect of a strong, energetic presence that can give your organisation a competitive edge. Get these right and good things will follow. People are going to learn new skills, it’s takes time to establish a culture of business agility. But the outputs of getting this right is positive in so many ways, in all industries. Agile is a play to win way of thinking. It’s about using feedback, learning and adapting.  It enables organizations to become more adaptable, innovative, customer-focused, collaborative, and continuously improving, thereby increasing your chances of long-term success in a rapidly changing business landscape.
  • What is Scrum? It’s a common question. James described it well when he said It’s a flavour of Agile ways of working. Scrum is just one example of an Agile framework for managing complex projects and product development. It involves three roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development Team. Projects are divided into fixed-duration sprints, typically two to four weeks long. The Product Backlog prioritizes the work to be done, and the team selects items for each sprint during the sprint planning meeting. Daily Scrum meetings synchronize the team's work, while the sprint review showcases completed work to stakeholders. The sprint retrospective allows the team to reflect on the process and identify improvements. Scrum promotes collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement in delivering value incrementally.
  • When it comes to Agility, the Cynefin framework can be used to guide decision-making and adaptability. Agile organizations often leverage the framework to identify which context a problem or situation falls into and determine the most suitable approach. Agile practices, such as iterative development, feedback loops, and continuous learning, align well with the complex and chaotic contexts of the Cynefin framework. By embracing agility, organizations can respond effectively to complex and uncertain situations, experiment with different approaches, and adapt their strategies based on feedback and learning. (Link in show notes)
    • Celebrate learning. It’s not a personal journey, it’s an organisational journey. Target destination is organisational agility.
  • Try to avoid creating new Metrics to measure agile transformation impact. Use your standard organisation metrics and thought human behaviour. The two go hand in hand. The two drive sustained culture. 

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    To find out more about the certifications available with Catalyst Consulting Ltd, visit www.catalystconsulting.co.uk

    The three that James referred to specifically today were:

    Agile Fundamentals - www.catalystconsulting.co.uk/icagile-agile-fundamentals/

    Business Agility - www.catalystconsulting.co.uk/icagile-business-agility-foundations/

    Business Black Belt Programme - www.lean-six-sigma.training/business-black-belt

     

    Additional Reading:

    The Cynefin Framework - www.thecynefin.co/about-us/about-cynefin-framework/

    The New New Product Development Game - www.hbr.org/1986/01/the-new-new-product-development-game

     

    Enrol in the Online Improvement Kata & Coaching Kata Basics Course. The only Kata training created by Jeffrey K. Liker and Mike Rother!

     

    Find out more about the Ever-So-Lean Podcast at www.eversolean.com

     

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    Ever-So-Lean PodcastBy Matt Sims