There is no off-the-shelf product for agility
Introduction
Over the past decades, many organisations have recognised the value of Agile methodologies in response to increasing competition and market complexity. Several frameworks have been developed to optimise team performance and coordination, often accompanied by certification programs to document skills and abilities. While these frameworks are helpful, they have also led to a misconception that Agile can be purchased and implemented as a one-size-fits-all solution. At Better Change, we firmly believe that Agile cannot be bought; instead, it must be cultivated within an organisation. A true Agile transformation requires a strong desire to achieve specific goals and a wholehearted commitment to the journey.
At Better Change, we do not offer Agile as an off-the-shelf product for sale. We see Agile as an internal growth process that must align with an organisation’s unique context. To succeed in this endeavour, the starting point must be an understanding of the organisational culture and dynamics, followed by a clear vision of where the organisation aims to be. Better Change aims to be the travel partner on your journey towards cultivating innovative and competitive competences as an organisation. We offer our experiences, knowledge, tools, and practices, while expecting our partners to take leadership and responsibility for their Agile transformation journey. We understand that you are the experts in your organisation, market, and domain.
Introducing Better Change
Better Change is an international organisation of master level Agile coaches, providing training, transformational services, and coaching in the context of Agile. Our approach is not biased towards any particular framework, and we do not promote dogmatic adherence to a single approach. Instead, we focus on understanding the complexity of organisational dynamics and human interactions. We believe that Agile transformation is fundamentally a cultural change within an organisation, and our goal is to help you and your teams progress in this journey.
We operate under the belief that all members of an organisation act with good intentions, and any resistance arise from uncertainty and anxiety about the change. Our role is to help you cope with and embrace these changes by empowering your leadership team, organisation, and individual members. Our primary focus is on building up your internal competences so that you can continue the Agile journey independently, leveraging your own strengths to achieve success.
Agile Transformation with Better Change
The Agile transformation journey begins by identifying your vision and strategy for transformation. At Better Change, we work collaboratively with you to build an Execution System that drives Agile transformation within your organisation. We believe in the power of experimentation and deliberate learning to achieve successful outcomes. The Execution System allows for visibility, focus, and support for initiatives and experiments that lead to Agile ways of working.
We understand that successful Agile transformation is closely linked to balanced strategies for handling both unknowns and the known tasks involved in an Agile implementation. Our approach at Better Change is built on a dual strategy:
1. Mastering the unknowns through experimentation – We help you identify experiments, validate learnings, and amplify successful experiments to achieve sustained impact. The Execution System, built around Empirical Process Control, fosters transparency, learning, and continuous improvements.
2. Mastering the “must do’s” of an Agile implementation – While Agile implementation involves complexity and unpredictability, certain activities can be planned and scheduled. We assist in areas such as Agile awareness training, organisational structure assessment, team training, team building, and refining backlogs to kick-start your Agile journey effectively.
Leadership and Organisational Culture as the Core for Succeeding
Leadership plays a vital role in a successful Agile transformation. At Better Change, we actively equip managers at all levels with the understanding of their role in catalysing transformation. Our Agile Leadership training, Leadership cohorts, and individual coaching sessions are based on Systemic principles and conducted at an accredited senior practitioner level.
We recognise that leadership and culture are interconnected. Our work with organisational culture revolves around validated learning from experiments, often related to changing leadership behaviour, structures, policies, or metrics. We use the Competing Values Framework to map the current and desired culture, fostering a deeper understanding of the change needed and formulating experiments to achieve the desired cultural shift.
Product Management and Team Coaching Capabilities
Two crucial capabilities in Agile organisations are Product Management and Team Coaching. Investing in Product Management capabilities enables organisations to make informed product-level decisions and guide product teams in delivering value. Team Coaching capabilities bring together various competencies and domain knowledge, enabling effective collaboration and value delivery within teams.
Own Your Transformation – Do Not Rent It from Consultants
We believe in empowering our partners to own their Agile transformation journey. As you work alongside Better Change coaches, you’ll build internal competences, reducing dependency on external support. Our Agile Awareness trainings, coaching sessions, and education of internal Agile Coaches contribute to the development of your organisation’s internal capabilities.
Conclusion
At Better Change, we approach Agile transformations as a collaborative journey, focusing on cultural change, experimentation, and building internal competences. We provide the necessary experiences, knowledge, tools, and practices to support your transformation journey. As your partner, we will help you be equipped to embrace Agile principles, adapt to market demands, and achieve lasting success in your Agile transformation.