Agile Workforce Implementation

Flip the Switch: Take an Agile Approach to Becoming Agile Switching from Waterfall to Agile can feel overwhelming for teams used to detailed plans, comprehensive requirements, logical sequential phases, and a perceived sense of certainty. But the transition often reveals that this certainty is an illusion. Priorities, plans, and estimates change. The real challenge is unlearning misconceptions about Agile and adopting the mindset. So, how can your teams flip the switch and be Agile? Well, Step 1 is realizing you can't just flip a switch. Success requires intention, persistence, and patience. So, let's move to Step 2... 2) Shared Vision Clearly articulate why Agile is the right approach. If you can't, then hit pause. Link the decision to measurable goals like faster delivery or improved adaptability. Leadership must vocally champion the vision, showing that Agile means working smarter, not abandoning structure. Tacit approval ain’t good enough. 3) Pilot Start with a pilot team (or ART, for large orgs). Select a manageable project and let teams experience Agile planning cycles, like Sprint or PI Planning. A pilot dispels misconceptions that Agile is chaotic, provides a safe space to learn, and delivers value. 4) Mindsets Invest in training and coaching to bridge the learning curve. Teach the differences between static and adaptive planning. Highlight Agile’s focus incremental value and fast feedback. Equip leaders to support the cultural shift and empower teams to embrace autonomy. 5) Cadences Introduce structured rhythms like iterations and Scrum events. Show that discovery and planning are continuous, not absent. These events align teams, reduce uncertainty, and foster collaboration, contrasting with Waterfall’s detailed but often inaccurate upfront schedules. 6) Tools & Metrics Adopt tools like boards and backlog management platforms to support Agile practices. Use metrics like lead time, velocity, and predictability to provide actionable insights. Focus metrics on outcomes to guide improvement not to control teams. 7) Communities Create forums where teams share challenges and solutions. Communities of Practice foster collaboration, reinforce learning, and promote practice consistency while respecting autonomy. 8) Learn Waterfall’s detailed plans create a false sense of control. Agile embraces uncertainty as part of learning. Use retros, reviews, and demos to adjust based on data. Help teams see that this approach delivers better outcomes, even if it feels uncomfortable. 9) Scale Expand Agile incrementally, applying lessons from the pilot. Frameworks like SAFe provide structure for scaling while maintaining flexibility. Encourage experimentation and adaptation. Lights On Transitioning to Agile requires unlearning misconceptions and adopting new mindsets and practices. Teams will quickly recognize the illusion of certainty and embrace Agile’s adaptive approach. Start small, iterate, and scale gradually to build confidence.

The Evolving Role of Leaders in Lean Agile The shift to lean agile and scaled agile ways of working demands a fundamental change in leadership. While traditional managers often had a strong technical connection and direct delivery focus, in agile, unless they hold a specific agile role, their direct involvement in product development decreases significantly. This makes their ability to coach and enable teams absolutely critical. Lean agile emphasizes minimizing waste and maximizing value, requiring leaders to focus on optimizing processes and empowering teams. 👉 This shift highlights a vital point: For leaders to effectively coach and empower agile teams, they must themselves upskill and become true agile experts. Without a deep understanding of agile and lean principles, practices, and mindsets, their coaching efforts will fall short. ———————— First-Line Managers: Coaches & Impediment Removers These leaders are agile teams' heartbeat, focusing on: Coaching & Mentoring: Guiding teams in agile/lean principles, continuous improvement, waste elimination. Removing Impediments: Clearing obstacles for smooth value streams. Fostering Culture: Building trust, safety, collaboration. Competence Development: Supporting individual growth. They empower self-organizing teams, facilitating, not supervising. ——————————— Second-Line Managers: System Optimizers & Strategic Enablers Often Directors, these leaders impact multiple teams/value streams. Their role: Leading Change: Championing lean-agile transformation with deep understanding of agile at scale. Developing Capability: Investing in people, fostering an agile workforce. Decentralizing Decisions: Empowering lower levels, shifting from centralized control. Strategic Alignment: Connecting team efforts to business goals. System Improvement: Addressing organizational hurdles, eliminating waste, optimizing value streams. 👉 They shift from managing work to managing the system doing the work, creating an environment where agility thrives via transparency, visualized workflow, and limited Work In Progress (WIP). In conclusion, both levels of leadership are moving towards servant leadership, fostering autonomy, and focusing on value delivery through empowered teams. For this to succeed, leaders must commit to continuous learning, becoming agile and lean practitioners and experts themselves to effectively coach and guide the organization. #Agile #ScaledAgile #Leadership #Management #Transformation #AgileCoaching #Upskilling #Scrum #SAFe

Transforming Operations from Scheduled to Real-Time Organizations are recognizing the need to shift from rigid, schedule-based operations to agile, real-time models driven by environmental/local data, usage patterns, & customer sentiment. This transformation, while challenging, offers significant benefits in safety, customer satisfaction, & operational efficiency. At FeedbackNow, we've found that a structured approach to change management is crucial for success. We're fans of the popular "ADKAR" method, a proven framework that focuses on five key elements: >Awareness: Building understanding of the need for change Example: Hospital staff learn how real-time patient sentiment alerts can prevent issues before they escalate, vs. delayed survey results from discharged patients. FeedbackNow note: We emphasize awareness not just for staff, but also for customers and patients. At a minimum, we include "Your feedback powers our operations!" messaging on every deployment to drive home the impact of their participation; but there's so much more we can do. >Desire: Cultivating motivation to support & participate in the change Example: Retail associates see how prompt responses to sentiment alerts boost customer loyalty, with management sharing data & rewarding the real-time heroes. >Knowledge: Providing information on *how* to change Example: Airport staff receive training on interpreting usage data & sentiment signals, learning which real-time actions reduce queue times. >Ability: Developing skills & behaviors to implement the change Example: Hospital staff confidently respond to alerts, adjusting care in real time. This may involve retraining in different skills in some cases. >Reinforcement: Sustaining the change through recognition & continuous improvement Example: Regular recognition of employees & teams excelling in real-time responsiveness, coupled with ongoing training and feedback loops. A structured approach like ADKAR transforms challenges into opportunities, enabling organizations to thrive in real-time. Our Insights Services, included with every deployment, guide clients through this transition, focusing on: >Tailored Implementation: Adapting the ADKAR framework to each organization's unique culture & needs. >Phased Rollout: Implementing changes iteratively, allowing for adjustments based on early learnings. >Technology Integration: Ensuring seamless integration of real-time operations with existing technologies. >Metrics/KPIs: Developing clear measures of success, both for operational improvements and staff adoption. >Comprehensive Communication: Maintaining transparent, consistent messaging throughout the change process. By combining cutting-edge technology with proven change management strategies, FeedbackNow empowers organizations to excel in the real-time operational landscape. Our partnership approach ensures that clients don't just implement a new system, but successfully transform their entire operational philosophy.

Rolling out a WFM tool in a company with hundreds or thousands of seats across multiple locations? Here are the common mistakes and how you can avoid them. Common Mistakes: ❗️Not involving major stakeholders in the decision process ❗️Getting overly ambitious with the implementation plan ❗️Being eager to have the system implemented yesterday, which leads to skipping major steps in the process ❗️Having all hands on deck until business realities kick in, at which point there are no hands on deck ❗️Focusing solely on the implementation and disregarding post-implementation activities Implementation Survival Kit: ✅ Conduct a thorough discovery before deciding on a vendor. This includes documenting your requirements, sharing them with the vendor, and ensuring there is a documented understanding of what can and cannot be done. ✅ Prepare a realistic timeline that accounts for your business activities, plans, known events, absences, etc. It's unrealistic to think you can pull everyone into the implementation and still run the business smoothly. ✅ Change management is a crucial part of the process—not just a PowerPoint slide with the new vendor's name. Pay attention to communicating and discussing “What will this change mean for ME?” for every affected role. ✅ The system is live—great! But you'll still need time to adjust and provide ongoing support. While the switch flips in the tech sense, people will make mistakes until they learn the system. Looking for someone to support your global rollout? I’d love to take this journey with you 💜 And as the post became too lenghty to fit in everything, what other struggles you have seen and how do you suggest to resolve them? Happy Monday! #workforcemanagement #resourcemanagement #wfm #resourceplanning

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗧 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 Traditional IT structures often slow down responsiveness and innovation. To enhance agility and operational efficiency, IT departments should shift toward cross-functional, business-aligned models that promote faster decision-making and streamlined execution. Key strategies include:  ✅ Adopting Agile Methodologies: cross-functional teams (squads) working in short cycles ensure rapid adaptability. ✅ Decentralized Decision-Making: empowering team leads to act quickly eliminates bureaucratic delays. ✅ Flat Hierarchical Structures: fewer management layers improve communication and collaboration. ✅ Integration with Business Units: embedding IT within business areas ensures alignment and accelerates issue resolution. The result? A more responsive, innovative, and business-driven IT function that fuels Digital Transformation. How is your IT department adapting to today’s business challenges? Let’s share insights with Digital Transformation Strategist! #digitaltransformation #ittransformation #digitalleadership #operationalexcellence #agileit

In the Army, Mission Command is a leadership approach that emphasizes decentralized execution and subordinate decision-making within the framework of a commander’s intent. Unfortunately, most system processes actually hinder decentralization and are deliberate (read as slow). This is especially true for personnel requirements systems. But the future demands a new approach. Edwin Kolen, PMP and I articulate a new approach for building an agile workforce, and it promotes mission command and empowered management at echelon. It also pushes these decisions down as far as possible to affect meaningful change and management. Success in mission command depends on building competence and trust across teams, ensuring alignment with the overarching goals while enabling flexibility in execution. To transform in contact, we need to take real action. You can read our recently published approach for creating an agile workforce starting on page 20 in the article entitled “Manage the Load: A foundational, universal approach for building a sustainable and agile acquisition workforce”. The article introduces how we are thinking about developing an agile workforce in our part of Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense-JPEO-CBRND and across the ASA(ALT). #agile #workforce #transformincontact https://lnkd.in/eYAkDSA8

Forrester recently confirmed what Toyota Motor Corporation knew 70 years ago: Without quantified performance metrics, Agile contains a lot of unmeasured waste. According to their research, 93% of Agile implementations are ineffective and fail to deliver their promised benefits. Why? Because we've forgotten the fundamental wisdom that rebuilt Japan after WWII. When the original Toyota engineers revolutionized manufacturing, they didn't focus on speed — they focused on improvement and 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. They implemented a system based on values where: ✅ Every process was quantified ✅ Every improvement was validated ✅ Every decision was data-driven 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠. Taiichi Ohno (the father of Toyota's legendary production system) emphasized the importance of observing reality directly to uncover inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. His famous "chalk circle" method involved standing in one spot on the factory floor to deeply analyze processes before taking action. The concept of kaizen, meaning continuous improvement, was a vital component of the Toyota Production System. It’s why Toyota developed systematic methods to identify challenges, test solutions, and refine processes for sustained progress. But today's Agile? ❌ We've kept the rituals while abandoning its core values  ❌ We celebrate velocity metrics that don’t measure anything of value ❌ We run retrospectives that generate unmeasurable improvements ❌ We implement "improvements" without any baseline measurements In other words, we claim success without quantifiable evidence. And the irony is painful: Agile — born from Toyota's Lean principles — has become the very wasteful system it was designed to replace. While building the first ever Software Center of Excellence for one of our largest clients, I discovered that 40% of their Agile activities delivered ZERO measurable value. I therefore went on to implement Agile's universal missing piece: 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. And so by applying Toyota's original approach of quantifying improvement, using 35 ISO-derived SDLC performance competencies, we helped them save 15% of their R&D budget as well as many, many millions of dollars. Taking the time to measure Agile is what makes it effective. Companies quantifying their Agile processes with our standardized metrics see: ✅ 10%+ capacity improvements annually ✅ 45-50% defect reduction ✅ 30%+ productivity gains WITHOUT purchasing new tools ✅ 10-15% faster software delivery The solution to Agile’s inefficiencies isn't to abandon Agile. It's to return to its quantitative roots. DM me the words “team scan” and I’ll help you calculate exactly how much capacity your engineering teams can save with scientific, standardized measurement. #Agile #Agiletransformation #Agileleadership #BetterSoftware

𝟏𝟎 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠!! Agile isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Organizations need to tailor Agile practices to fit their challenges. Here are 10 common situations and recommendations to adapt Agile effectively. 1️⃣ Very Large Project Teams 🔹 Challenge: Large teams slow decision-making and reduce efficiency. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Break projects into smaller ones with focused teams. 🔹 Use scaled Agile frameworks like SAFe, DA, or LeSS. 2️⃣ Dispersed Teams 🔹 Challenge: Remote teams face communication gaps. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Use messaging apps, video calls, and virtual boards. 🔹 Prioritize early face-to-face meetings. 🔹 Leverage iteration-based Agile for time zone differences. 3️⃣ Safety-Critical Products 🔹 Challenge: Compliance-heavy industries require strict documentation. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Use Agile with structured documentation and reviews. 🔹 Adopt a hybrid model for regulatory needs. 4️⃣ Stable Requirements & Execution Process 🔹 Challenge: Agile thrives on change, but some projects have fixed requirements. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Use hybrid models with longer feedback cycles. 🔹 Minimize Agile practices if uncertainty is low. 5️⃣ Functional Silos in Organizations 🔹 Challenge: Siloed teams slow Agile adoption. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Encourage cross-functional teams. 🔹 Align compensation structures to Agile values. 6️⃣ Transparency Can Cause Fear 🔹 Challenge: Some teams resist sharing unfinished work. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Foster psychological safety and trust. 🔹 Use visual tools like whiteboards for transparency. 7️⃣ Limited Technical Knowledge 🔹 Challenge: Inexperienced teams may struggle with Agile. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Provide coaching, mentoring, and structured guidance. 8️⃣ Lack of Executive Buy-In 🔹 Challenge: Without leadership support, Agile adoption stalls. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Educate executives on Agile benefits. 🔹 Start with small wins to build confidence. 9️⃣ Agile Terms Don’t Fit the Culture 🔹 Challenge: Agile jargon may not resonate with all teams. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Adapt language to fit company culture (e.g., use “Planning Workshop” instead of “Planning Game”). 🔟 Scaling Agile Across an Organization 🔹 Challenge: Coordinating Agile across multiple teams. ✅ Tailoring Recommendations: 🔹 Implement frameworks like SAFe, LeSS, or Disciplined Agile. 💡 𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚: 𝑨𝒈𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅! 𝑨𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎’𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔. Are you facing any challenges while implementing Agile in your organization? What tailoring strategies have worked for you? 👇 #Agile #AgileTransformation #ProjectManagement #Scrum #SAFe #Lean #Kanban #ScalingAgile

📌 How do we plan for the Human and the AI workforce?   AI innovation is accelerating the path of how employees and the new AI workforce work together.   We are entering an era where human intelligence is AMPLIFIED and knowledge is DEMOCRATIZED to assist employees to solve complex problems and provide hyper-personalized experiences. Technology innovation is also democratizing employee experience and that’s where AI agents capabilities come to play, where action-driven agents are not only executing tasks but can reason, perform workflows, understand context, generate creative solutions, learn from their mistakes, and collaborate with employees working side by side.   Let me give you an example. #Successionplanning is a strategic, complex and time-consuming process. However, it could be very subjective as well. With AI agents, managers capabilities are augmented:   → AI agent to analyze sales, employee performance, succession and learning data → AI agent to assess candidates who are most likely to succeed based on historical data and patterns → AI agent to provide a short list of successors for each role → Manager to review talent pipeline created by the AI agent → AI agent will prepare talking points for talent review conversations   However, organizations are facing some challenges:   -Limited AI vision, capabilities and rigid roadmaps -Multiple silo data repositories that do not talk to each other -Applications and platforms with overlapping capabilities -Talent data is scattered across different platforms -Lack of talent and skills to move from pilot to large-scale implementations   The new Human and AI workforce collaboration requires companies to REINVENT how organizations operate and how employees work with intelligent systems to create opportunities to deliver business value while establishing clear policies on human-AI interactions and balance human oversight over AI systems.   HR will need to build foundational HR capabilities using the following guidelines:   1️⃣Develop an integrated human and AI #workforce vision, strategy and agile roadmap 2️⃣Redefine #operatingmodel including structure, governance and processes 3️⃣Develop a future-AI ready cross-functional teams 4️⃣Build #data, AI and technology architecture 5️⃣Develop enterprise #change strategy that promotes role modelling and new mindsets/behaviors   How to get started? → Create a holistic plan: start small and experiment → Learn as you go, fail fast and deliver outcomes → Lead with a human-centered approach → It only works when data is trusted → Build partnerships and establish trust   The one pager below provides a high-level view on how to get started. Please share your thoughts!   ✔ Connect with me to discuss further.   👉 Visit https://lnkd.in/gw6rp63Q to learn more Manoj D. Michael Zeoli David McLean Mark Onisk Heber Sambucetti Jessica Kane Pawel Wierzbicki Serafine Vandebuerie Anthony Onesto Sol Rashidi, MBA Fernanda Clemente Pinto Rebecca McKenna #hrtech #ai

🌟Why achieving business agility is so hard, and what to do about it🌟   In today's business landscape, achieving true agility is more crucial than ever. Organizations around the world are embracing agile methodologies to stay competitive, deliver value to their customers, and respond to market changes rapidly. However, the path to achieving business agility is fraught with challenges. Many articles have been written on the failures and why organizations go wrong and three common pitfalls stand out:   Firstly, agile methods are adopted department by department, without considering the broader organizational context. The result? A lack of needed synchronization and alignment on terminology.   Secondly, an academic implementation; rather than recognizing that each organization is different, and every implementation requires some level of customization.   Thirdly, a focus on “doing” rather than “being” agile. Otherwise put, a lack of focus on the cultural and mindset shift needed to reap the benefits.   At RGR Advisory, we developed a custom framework, The Five Foundations of Organizational Agility, which when employed ahead of methodology adoption, pre-empts all those pitfalls.   🏠It is designed to lay the groundwork for agile transformations and goes beyond a surface-level application of methodologies. It focuses on building the foundational components necessary for any agile method to unlock the highly desired agility benefits.   1. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Silos are the Achilles' heel of agility. Our approach breaks down these barriers, fostering collaboration across departments, adopting agile methods holistically. 2. Organize around Value: This foundation not only unlocks true customer centricity, but it is also the basis for embodying collaboration. 3. Holistic Capacity-based planning: Establishing the first two foundations, allows for integrated, holistic planning, which optimizes your investment strategy, resource management and focus. 4. Cadence-based planning and delivery: Every organization needs a heartbeat that allows for intermediate execution progress reviews, (re)prioritization and (re)committing to goals. 5. Lean Governance: True agility is an ongoing journey. Mechanisms are needed for learning, feedback, and adaptation, ensuring that agility is a part of the organization's DNA, and a growth mindset is unlocked.   The  road to achieving business agility is challenging but unavoidable! To truly reap the benefits, it's vital to go beyond a superficial adoption of agile practices. At RGR Advisory, we're committed to helping organizations build the cultural and structural foundations necessary to thrive within the ever-changing business landscape.   Thoughts on the pitfalls and/or our framework? 🗨️DM me or share your thoughts below!   And if you'd like to learn more on how we can assist your organization, DM me! www.RGRAdvisory.com #BusinessAgility #Resiliency #AgileTransformation #Growthmindset #Collaboration