Emphasize interactions, co-construction
Agile Management: Supporting vs Directing
Agile management: What is it, concretely?
Agile methods, originating from the Agile Manifesto, written in 2001, emphasize pragmatism, reactivity, adaptability.
How can you exemplify these primary values and principles on a daily basis?
Compare
Remember
Agile managing is co-constructing while in motion, rather than imposing fixed processes.
A first step in supporting a co-worker or the whole team: having them imagine the future, the project, the next steps:
- What should the co-worker be able to accomplish?
- How will he orient himself at the outset?
- What stages does he anticipate?
- What does he need?
In this way we respect 2 principles of agile management:
▸ Individuals and interactions rather than processes and tools
▸ Give the teams responsibility.
Making change familiar
Co-workers would often like to have greater visibility on the medium to long term. How to help them accept that change is an integral part of the project? We start out in a direction which may evolve over the course of time, and that isn't a problem! The problem would be to want to plan everything out and for things to happen as expected.
Agility is adaptability => It's up to the manager to promote a culture of change, to adopt a pedagogy which de-dramatizes uncertainty and modifications in direction, and to progressively make change familiar.
We thereby respect another principle of agile management:
▸ Welcome requests for change positively.
Proceed according to micro-objectives
Micro-objectives foster adaptation in a moving context: we don't confine ourselves in a straitjacket but function rather by short steps, at the end of which we re-evaluate the pertinence of the next phases.
We regularly ask ourselves questions: Is this really what we want, moving forward? Does our recent experience teach us something that we need to take into account?
In this we respect a principle of agile management:
▸ Adjust our behavior and processes at regular intervals in order to be more efficient.
Evaluation
Each question has only one correct response, but be careful: among the possible responses there is one that is "almost correct" and might make the choice harder!
1 / 3
A change of direction!
Carla comes to see you, angry: "I've been working for nothing. The DMT changed its strategy and put the project on standby." How do you respond?
What bothers you the most in this situation? ✓
Yes, above all you should not think that "change" leads systematically to "anger". On the contrary, accept that change may be perceived as a constraint but then start the discussion: Why? What makes it such a burden? What have we learned from this experience?
I know, but we just have to adapt to these changes. That's the rule now! ⚠
Presenting change as an obligation will affirm Carla's feeling of an imposed burden.
But you didn't work for nothing -- you had some new experiences. ⚠
An interesting view to share, but ideally Carla would first express her own perception herself.
2 / 3
Looking ahead ?
Elio says to you: "I'll be happy to work on this project, but what will happen if no one goes along with it?" How do you respond?
Don't worry, they'll go along with it! ⚠
You give the impression that there's zero risk. That's risky!
It's true that that's one of the possibilities. What result would come from your work then? ✓
Yes, you show that a 100% guarantee is not possible, and that it's not a big deal! You also emphasize that our work is never wasted even if the goal changes along the way.
Well, you would have learned some new things... ⚠
You're right, but it would be better if this realization came from Elio (response 2).
3 / 3
An obstacle along the way
Jennie tells you: "It's really hard to make progress; I think we may not have evaluated the context properly at the start." What do you say to her?
Maybe... Explain to me what leads you to this observation today. ✓
Yes, you accept that a problem has arisen and that it might perhaps be necessary to modify the course of the project.
I'd be surprised. What makes you say that? ⚠
Yes for the question, but no for the slip at the beginning. Why would Jennie not have an accurate view of the situation?
Who participated in the initial diagnostic? ⚠
The search for those possibly responsible is premature!
Your score is
0/3
You finished!
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