When I say Agile, do you think of a set of rules? or maybe you think of the Agile Manifesto? or some acrobats in a circus? or maybe nothing at all... Far too often we see people within an organization who see a process from a different perspective and it creates confusion, unmet expectations, and a loss of morale. In this article, I want to provide insight on how to get on the same page and why this matters.
How do we get there?
Anytime a new process is being implemented it is critical that all employees at all levels are on the same within the same book. The easiest way to get there is through training and timing of the training is important. This can be done in a couple stages.
Stage 1 - Initial Rollout
Stage 2 - Upkeep
Stage 1 - Initial Rollout
Initial Rollout is where we spend time ensuring all employees are trained on the specific process and how it pertains to their role within the process flow. An example of this would be training teams on how their work from development to Production Release will look going forward; versus explaining to Product the importance of Ideation to Production Release and how their input and prioritization is critical. Beyond Product and Development Teams, we want to ensure Marketing, Finance, C-level leadership and others are aware of their specific role in this change. One thing I recommend for teams (regardless of department) is to create a Working Agreement. These Working Agreements outline how the team will work together within this process and any other special considerations (maybe meeting times or even meeting length). If you are thinking, how do I get these trainings out to my employees?... A seasoned SPC, like those at MoGility, can come in and provide these trainings to ensure a deep level of understanding OR if you have a staffed Agile Coach they could provide training as well. Think of the Initial Rollout as the time period where everyone comes together to hear the same message at the same time (this could be done in groups or phases).
Stage 2 - Upkeep
Upkeep is critical for anything we want to last. This is true for most things in life - relationships, home cleanliness, speaking another language, and even our physical health. If we apply this understanding to a new process we will see that we need to continually provide training and education to our employees regarding the processes. This can be through guest speakers who are Subject Mater Experts (SMEs) - like us at MoGility, training sessions hosted by an SPC or an onsite coach, Communities of Excellence (COE), and many other ways. Another thing I like to point out in this Upkeep stage is the need to offer training quarterly or bi-annually for new employees. If you have the ability to create an onboarding for new employees based on their role which explains the process as well as expectations, this would be ideal. A lot of companies have really great ways to create learning paths within specific systems that allow them to ensure ongoing training is part of their employee plan
Why does it matter?
Each and every single one of us have a level of frustration that once reached, we cannot take in any more frustration or we will simply break. Within a company we want to provide our employees with a safe space to learn, grow, and be excited about their work. The last thing we want are people who are so frustrated and burnt out that they want to quit or just silently quit. When we have people quitting we have a cost in regard to recruiting, onboarding and during this time other people spread thin picking up the slack. When people silently quit we have dead weight on teams that aren't helping move the dial nor providing creativity or excitement into the team. All of these things impact the company's profitability and speed to market which in turn impact the customer satisfaction and the overall longterm success of the company. So, why does this matter? In the simplest words, it is how your company doesn't die.
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