One of my first bosses used to regularly ask his team members whether they would get their job again if they had to reapply for it? In another rendition of the question, he would ask whether we would get our jobs again if we had to be elected to them? A question he never asked was whether we’d actually want them (more on that later).
It’s a rare role that hasn’t changed in the last five years, and all of us are pedaling to keep up and sustain our success within the context of new requirements, heightened demands and shifting expectations. One of the drivers of this change is the push by many companies for agility.
Agile and Agile-inspired ways of working are all about speed, innovation and customer focus. Agile software development is defined by the Agile Manifesto and uses specific frameworks such as scrums and sprints. In addition, teams outside of information technology (IT) are experimenting and implementing Agile-oriented work principles such as standups or retros. While agile can also be defined as mobile working or a general culture of adaptability and responsiveness, true Agile work – that inspired by software development processes – is the hot new approach to work that is placing new expectations on workplace. In addition, these new ways of working require new skill sets to respond effectively. But, what must we do differently?
Empowering Others (aka Giving up Control)
A brilliant leader used to say ‘design begins when people move in’, and this is never more true than in an Agile environment. The work experiences that foster an Agile environment are those in which people have plenty of control over their space. They can move desks to facilitate paired programming or shift their work surfaces in response to changes in the project cycle that require different configurations. This can be a challenge, however, for real estate and facilities teams whose success has been built on standards, consistency, and the need to manage all the complexities of the workplace. Giving up control and empowering others can be challenging, but worth it in terms of the results produced.
Creating New Systems
Agility can also require new systems in everything from budgeting to inventory management, and from sourcing to user education approaches. A budget that supports ongoing incremental investments in space, rather than less frequent infusions is an example, as well as an inventory management system that allows for kits of parts to be easily deployed and leveraged for the ebb and flow of projects and teams. Agile is a business change that will not be supported with new mindsets alone, system-level changes will be necessary, and this requires new skill sets to initiate, implement, and manage.