• Agile Leadership

Agile manager, bring order to bottum-up chaos

Imposed from above? No, agile working often originates somewhere else in the organization. Bottum-up. A club of people then embraces a new way of working, often as a reaction to the slow and cumbersome processes they are used to. People take matters into their own hands to experiment with moving faster and responding better to customer needs. Often this is done as a “standalone” or with some people from another department. And although such initiatives are allowed, sooner or later they run into the limits of the larger system. Well, what do you do then as an Agile manager? I give you 6 knobs to turn.

Okay, the first phase in which a new way of working is experimented with is often tolerated from above and sometimes mildly encouraged. But no matter how well-intentioned such an initial initiative is, sooner or later it runs into the limits of what a team can do within the larger system with its own rules of the game. This is where your leadership comes in.

Manage the system, not the people

Transforming to agile working touches all functions and roles. It is good to realize this as an Agile manager. Then you can get ahead of the possible chaos of the bottom-up movement and, as a leader, steer the transformation. After all, you shouldn’t expect that guidance entirely from the teams themselves, since they are part of the bigger picture over which you have visibility. Does that mean micromanaging teams and individuals? No, certainly not. It mainly means that as an Agile manager you have to deal with the system. “Manage the system, not the people,” is a well-placed phrase here.

The buttons of agile leadership

Like an amplifier in live music, an organization offers knobs to turn. On an amplifier there are knobs for affecting treble, bass, mids and more. But which knobs do you turn as a leader? Here below the image you will find your 6 knobs with their effect.

1. Culture & Mindset
   The Bottom Line! Create a culture where trying things and making mistakes is okay. This encourages movement and innovation. When you turn this knob, you see that people feel freer to experiment and get moving faster. That’s exactly what you want!
   
   
2. Teamwork & Skills
   Where the magic happens! Teamwork is all about how people work together, complementing and strengthening each other. Skills are the building blocks of an effective team: a combination of hard and soft skills. If you fine-tune this button, you will see that your teams switch more easily between different challenges. So strong teams combine collaboration with a broad skillset, allowing them to shift gears faster and make impact consistently.
   
   
3. Leadership & Management
   This is going to be interesting! As a leader, you want to help your teams grow and be successful. As an agile leader, you want to give trust and provide space, rather than micromanage. You want to inspire, give direction and remove obstacles. If you fine-tune this button, you will see teams become more independent and an organization where everyone moves and contributes.
   
   
4. Innovation & Digitization
   Make work more fun and efficient! As a leader, make smart use of technology and stimulate fresh ideas, because innovation and digitalization are your organization’s turbo. If you turn this knob properly, you will see that your organization responds much faster to what is happening in the market. Competitive advantage, we call it. Cool, right, when you see how technology can make your work more fun and efficient?
   
   
5. Organization & Structure
   Now it gets practical! It’s all about how you divide up the work and who decides what. The way your organization is structured determines how flexibly you can move. A flat organization with short lines of communication often works best. If you fine-tune this knob, you’ll notice that decisions are made faster and teams can work better together.
   
   
6. Methods & Procedures
   Last but not least! The lighter and more flexible your procedures, the easier teams will adapt to new situations. That means less entrenched processes and more focus on delivering value. If you turn this knob toward an iterative approach (such as Scrum), you not only work faster, but you can also continuously learn, improve and respond to what really matters.
   

Does that sound like music to your ears?

Which of these 6 buttons do you recognize in your organization? And how do you want your “music” to sound? Start turning those 6 buttons of agile leadership. But, start small, experiment what works and celebrate the successes you achieve. In the end, it’s all about continuous improvement and continuing to learn together.

PS turning those knobs is quite a lot of work. Not to mention the fact that in addition to the above, as a manager you are also busy with the strategy and the figures at the bottom of the line. So could you use some extra brainpower, want to spar? Easily schedule a 15-minute meeting with me here.