As someone who values collaboration and innovation, I have come to appreciate the benefits of agile ways of working. Agile is more than just a methodology or a set of tools; it is a mindset that encourages a culture of openness, transparency, and collaboration. By embracing agile principles, individuals can work together more efficiently and effectively to achieve a collective mission. And more importantly, they can be themselves and thus bring the most value to work.
Agile ways of working offer many benefits, including reducing ego and fostering a culture of collaboration. The emphasis on transparency, inspection, and adaptation encourages individuals to share their ideas and feedback without fear of judgment or retribution. Cross-functional teams also bring together individuals from different backgrounds and disciplines to collaborate and solve problems, leading to a more diverse and inclusive approach to decision-making. The diversity in teams ensures that every individual complements the other. Which ultimately leads to better results and more comprehensive solutions.
Scrum is a popular agile approach that emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and adaptability. Self-organizing teams work in short iterations, or Sprints, to deliver value to the customer. This approach encourages co-creation and teamwork, with a focus on clear roles and responsibilities, open communication, and feedback.
Another agile approach is Holacracy, a management system that distributes authority and decision-making throughout the organization. Holacracy emphasizes self-organization, transparency, and continuous improvement, and provides a framework for clear roles and responsibilities, as well as open communication and feedback.
One of the key features of Agile ways of working is the focus on the individual as well as the collective. The Retrospective, for example, is a regular meeting where team members reflect on their work and identify areas for improvement. This meeting provides an opportunity for individuals to share their thoughts and feelings about the project, as well as to give and receive feedback in a supportive environment.
Agile ways of working offer a powerful tool for building strong, cohesive teams and driving innovation and growth. By reducing the emphasis on individual ego and fostering a culture of collaboration and shared mission, individuals can achieve their goals more efficiently and effectively. As we strive towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agile ways of working can help us ideate for real impact and work towards creating a better world for all.
Let’s embrace agile ways of working and the values of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. And leave the 19th and 20th century ways of working behind (including forced office hours and no remote working). By working together, we can create a culture that fosters innovation and real impact. Let us strive towards achieving the SDGs and making the world a better place for all.
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