Agility – the key elements in a nutshell

The easiest way to build an agile organisation is to learn from the best, draw inspiration and then tailor your experiences to your own needs. The world of agile working demands a completely new organisational structure consisting of tribes, squads and chapters. This short film explains the ideas behind agile working and the benefits of this new structure:

There’s no point using agile methods if people don’t have the right attitude. And this starts in the boardroom. It's about letting go, having trust in others and empowering employees. All these points are brought together by the agile manifesto and form the basis for an agile mindset. According to the agile manifesto, the individual and collaboration are valued more highly than processes and tools. The resulting product is also more important than having all the right documentation. The focus is on cooperation with the customer, not long contractual negotiations. Finally, it is more important to respond quickly and flexibly to changes than to follow a plan. All this forms the basis for successful agile working.

Agile working offers numerous advantages for the organisation as a whole and also for the individual employee. New ideas can be implemented and tried out more quickly by sharing knowledge in a better way. A lot of testing and a certain amount of "trial and error" are important (and not so easy for many corporate cultures).

This speeds up time-to-market and time-to-volume for products. The method is aided by greater transparency, personal responsibility and shorter decision-making pathways. Teams prioritise independently, try things out and, in their tribes and squads, are primarily responsible for the project or product from start to finish.

Finally, the agile working environment calls for good preparation and planning. Clear communication and training allow all employees to be on the same page. If the new structures, tasks and values are not only applied but also put into practice by all employees, agile working can be a great success.

Find out here what we have learnt from the transition to agile working

1. The hardest part is getting started. That's why it can be helpful to learn tips and tricks from companies who have successfully implemented agile working.
2. Having the courage to change: breaking away from old structures and building a new, more powerful organisational structure
3. Create an agile mindset for all employees (including managers). Try out ideas, take on responsibility and strong teamwork – that's what it's all about!
4. Communicate changes transparently so that all employees are on board when working in an agile way.
5. Put agile working into practice! Agile working is not an end in itself. It can be tried, adapted and changed – just as it helps the individual teams to get faster and better.