Agile is a popular project management methodology that breaks down complex projects into sprints aimed at rapid development with iterative feedback and communication. This framework is now being applied to not just projects, but entire organizations with the goal of improving effectiveness and efficiencies across all departments.
For IT leaders, the challenge of transforming a traditional IT organization into an agile enterprise can be both exciting and daunting. But what does it truly take to embrace agility, and how can you ensure a successful transformation that delivers real value? Let’s dive into the key priorities that every IT leader should focus on during this transformative journey.
Cultivating a Culture of Agility
Agility isn’t just about adopting new tools or methodologies—it’s about changing the way your organization thinks and operates. At the heart of this transformation is a cultural shift that values flexibility, continuous improvement and a customer-first mentality. For Agile teams these concepts are baked into everything they do. To create this culture of change and agility you need to:
- Embracing Agility by encouraging a mindset that prioritizes collaboration, experimentation and rapid response to change. To do this you need to break down silos and foster an environment where teams are motivated to work together towards common goals.
- Get Leadership Buy-In. Transformation starts at the top. As an IT leader, your commitment to agile principles is crucial for driving cultural change. Your role is to champion agility, model the desired behaviors and gain the support of other senior leaders.
At Pima County, they started their culture shift in IT so they could demonstrate the success of their new technology before rolling it out to the rest of the organization.
“The drudgery of working through mundane, repetitive tasks doesn’t exist just in IT,” Mark Hayes, information technology leader for the county, said. “I think the more we can reduce toil within the departments that we support, the more people are going to buy in and understand the value of what we’re trying to achieve [through digital transformation]. There’s nothing like success to breed more success, and once other departments see the benefits they’re going to want these tools too.”
And it’s that success that IT is starting to realize using TeamDynamix for IT Service Management and automation, “We’ve been able to use our success to drive additional headcount in our organization, to do more and better things,” Hayes said.
“As we begin to do automation via workflows it’s only going to make it better,” he concluded. “We’re lucky in that our leadership understands that as the world has changed, IT has become the center of everything. They know that the more they invest in us, the more they can reap benefits and savings in other places.
Building High-Performing Agile Teams
The backbone of any agile enterprise is its teams. Successful agile transformation hinges on the ability to create cross-functional teams that can operate autonomously and adapt quickly to shifting priorities.
To foster cross-functional collaboration you need to bring together diverse skill sets within your teams to enhance collaboration and problem-solving. Empower these teams with the autonomy to make decisions and drive their work forward without unnecessary roadblocks.
Agile teams thrive when they have ownership over their projects. Provide them with the resources they need, remove obstacles and hold them accountable for their outcomes. In addition, acknowledging and rewarding the efforts of those who contribute to this new Agile framework can help to motivate others to do the same. This can also help to build a positive association with change.
The idea that organizational change involves people, processes and platforms in equal measure dates back to at least the 1990s, but it still holds true today. “It’s a three-legged stool,” says Deborah Rojas, Chief Information Officer for Charter Oak Financial. “You can’t really have any of those legs longer or shorter than the others. Balance is important.”
Rojas leads practice optimization efforts for Charter Oak, and TeamDynamix has allowed employees to realize the vision suggested in this name by redesigning and streamlining key business practices, which has led to greater employee engagement.
“What I’m finding interesting is the staff engagement,” Rojas observes. “We’re able to focus on culture by engaging and igniting the team because we’re focused on leveling up our internal processes. As we redesign processes, we collaborate, we learn together.”
Leveraging Technology and Tools
The right technology can significantly accelerate your agile transformation. From project management software to automation tools, technology plays a crucial role in supporting agile practices.
To succeed in becoming an Agile enterprise, you need to implement tools that streamline project management, automate routine tasks and facilitate collaboration. Automation, in particular, helps reduce manual work and speeds up delivery.
When looking for new tools, you must ensure that your technology stack is flexible and scalable, enabling your teams to adapt quickly to new requirements and challenges.
For example, in IT you can invest in a no-code/low-code IT Service Management (ITSM) platform that includes automation and integration capabilities, as well as Project Portfolio Management (PPM).
One of the biggest perks of having your ITSM and PPM on the same platform is the visibility you get into all of the work being done across your organization.
“With one platform now we can actually see the tickets that are being worked on as well as the projects that are in the pipeline,” Hema Nekkanti, project management office manager at the city of Sunnyvale, said. “This gives us the ability to actually allocate the resources appropriately, and there’s no resource conflict.”
And this is a common theme among those using ITSM and PPM together.
“I have a single pane of glass,” said Frank Fear, CIO at Covenant Healthcare. “I can pivot and see SLAs that are not being met, then pivot and see projects at risk – it’s all on one dashboard.”
At the City of Madison, the TeamDynamix platform is being used to support digital transformation initiatives with great success.
The team implemented TeamDynamix ITSM with PPM – focusing on self-service to kick off the city’s IT service delivery transformation according to Abigail Ferguson, Customer Success Manager for the City of Madison’s Information Technology.
“We are seeing the same resource constraints other cities are,” she said. “We are understaffed at times and need to focus on higher-value implementations. So, anything we can do to empower our users to find the resources they need for self-service is a must for us.”
Managing Change Effectively
Change is hard, and resistance is inevitable. A successful agile transformation requires thoughtful change management strategies.
To manage resistance you can address any concerns by clearly communicating the benefits of agility and any new tools you implement to help facilitate your Agile practices. Involve key stakeholders early in the process and provide the necessary support and training to ease the transition.
Then, rather than a sweeping overhaul, implement Agile practices gradually. Start with pilot projects to build momentum and demonstrate the value of agility.
When switching to a new ITSM platform, the team at Legacy Supply Chain Services engaged their help desk employees in the process, by doing so, they were able to gather input on valuable pain points and come up with a plan to find the right tool to alleviate the challenges they face.
“They’re the ones who deal with the system daily,” Keyon Farrier, service desk manager, explained. “They might sometimes be the forgotten folks, the ones who stay behind their laptop handling tickets. Yet, they’re the ones who know what it will take to make the system better.”
By helping people feel heard and part of the processes, it’s easier to get buy-in for change, especially when that change comes with the benefit of alleviating pain points and challenges.
Sustaining Agility for the Long Term
Agile transformation isn’t a one-time project—it’s an ongoing journey. As your organization evolves, so too must your agile practices.
Continuously assess and evolve your organization’s agile maturity. Ensure that your practices remain relevant and effective as the business grows and market conditions change.
As IT finds success, you can expand agile practices across the enterprise, extending the benefits of agility beyond IT to all departments and functions using the IT rollout as a framework for the rest of the organization.
Transforming your IT organization into an agile enterprise can be a complex but rewarding endeavor. By focusing on these key priorities—cultural change, team empowerment and continuous improvement—you can guide your organization toward greater agility, innovation and long-term success. Remember, the journey to agility is ongoing, and staying adaptable in the face of change is the key to thriving in today’s dynamic business environment.