The cultural benefits that accompany Agile transformations are well documented. Done right, Agile can work wonders for accountability, morale and overall employee engagement, especially in organizations bogged-down with heavyweight process, centralized governance and bureaucracy.
There is a dark side though.
One of the most powerful aspects of Agile is its hyper-focus on the team. The team, after all, is where all the great stuff happens and so the needs of the team take priority over the needs of individuals. That can be unsettling for some team members, but what if you’re not part of an agile team at all?
Unfortunately, this is a spot many find themselves in during an Agile roll-out. For them, Agile is perceived (quite reasonably) as a serious threat and a major source of anxiety. It’s can represent the ultimate “Who moved my cheese?” crisis, throwing their sense of worth into doubt and derailing their longstanding career aspirations.
Most often impacted are managers and those whose tenure and experience has granted them privileged positions in the organization. Agile organizations need fewer managers, and since teams tend to be flat, tenure is often unrewarded too, at least when reward is measured using traditional yardsticks like title and team size.
Management in Agile organizations also has a different style, so even individuals with clear transition roles in the new org structure may be forced to unlearn what has worked well for them in the past and master new skills if they are to be successful. That kind of change is hard.
This is what makes Agile adoption trickier than typical organizational restructures.
Because this is such a difficult change for many, it’s critical both for the individuals and the overall success of the Agile transformation that change leaders develop a solid transition plan focused on these individuals. Clarity on new structures and roles, career guidance and counseling, training, and ongoing support are necessary for those impacted by these changes.
Alas, it’s still an area that is often neglected. Partly (I suspect) because organizations choose to outsource their transformations to Agile coaches, many of whom have little interest in the broader organization beyond their Agile teams. Don’t get me wrong, Agile coaches are a good thing, but this isn’t necessarily their bag or their headache. HR may be a useful partner, but only if they equipped to address the special needs of the organization during a transformation of this nature.
That said though, even a solid plan and flawless execution won’t please everybody and attempting to do so could well compromise the endgame. Unwillingness to let go of legacy hierarchies can be the difference between an Agile roll-out and an Agile transformation, and it’s one reason many organizations using Agile methods don’t develop that powerful Agile culture.
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