MAKING YOUR WORKPLACE AGILEWORKPLACE STRATEGIES LEARNING LAB SERIES: VOL. 4

WHAT IS AGILE?

WHY AGILE?

DEFINE, DEVELOP, RELEASE, EVALUATE, REPEAT. With roots back to the 1950s, the Agile Methodology as we know it today was formalized in 2001 with the release of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. This document outlined the basics of an alternative approach to the traditional, sequential project management style, proposing instead a style that engages a team from start to finish, working together in an incremental, iterative process to drive continuous progress, informed by constant feedback, data and prioritization. The manifesto highlights four core values:

AGILE 101

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

The nature of work today is increasingly collaborative, team-based, and engagement rich in the pursuit of high performance and innovation. This progression has been influenced in many ways by the digital native workforce, who bring with them a new culture that has helped reshape teamwork and collaborative workstyles for many companies. While developed specifically for the software industry, the Agile approach can be integrated into any organization focused on collaborative results and driving business value.

Scrum is the best-known Agile process framework. Borrowing its name from rugby, the goal is to continuously and consistently move the ball, or project, forward together as a collective team while minimizing the process overhead to maximize productive work time. Teams focus on specific goals, identify a timeline in which those goals will be complete, and meet daily to assess progress and coordinate efforts.

Sprint1-4 weeks

Action items

Sprint Planning

COMMIT

No Change

Daily team coordination, assessment, and redirect

Action Complete

Scrum Team

Product OwnerScrumMasterorganizes team decides what work

will be done

7 +/- 2 people who build the product incrementally

Development Team

THE TOP BENEFITS OF AGILEAGILE WORKS BEST FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE COMPLEX OR HAVE MANY MOVING PARTS. With accountability and frequent check points, each part of the whole project is managed without being micro-managed. Additionally, this methodology can work well for global companies; with development teams often in many parts of the world and/or outsourcing projects, Agile spreads across cultures.

HOW TO MAKE AGILE WORK

WHO IS AGILE?LEADERSWhile Agile is dominant in software organizations, companies in any industry can apply Agile or aspects of it. While companies such as IBM and Spotify have led the Agile charge, non-tech companies have also successfully applied Agile methods.

TOP THREE BENEFITS OF AGILE TOP THREE TIPS FOR SCALING AGILE

TOP FIVE AGILE TECHNIQUESTOP THREE MEASURES OF SUCCESS

Manage changing priorities

Team productivity

Project visibility

Employ consistent processes and practices

Implement common tools across teams

Engage Agile consultants or trainers

Daily standups

Prioritized backlogs

Short iterations

Retrospectives

Iteration planning

On-time delivery of projects

Product quality

Customer/user satisfaction

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Software/IT: 52%Marketing/Advertising: 11%

Construction: 5%Architecture: 5%Product development: 5%

Finance: 4%Education: 2%Event planning: 2%Industrial/Manufacturing: 1%

Other: 13%

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AGILIFYING YOUR OFFICE

RALLY A perfect example of an Agile-enabled environment, the space is all about function for Rally's people and their work. The design focuses on user comfort and mobility. Flexible, overhead power connections encourage continuous reconfiguration of movable desks to support varied team needs throughout the day and over the life of a project.

3 SCRUM SPACEDaily scrums are opportunities for a team to gather and maintain an ongoing dialog, a time when updates are given and goals reassessed. This could be a fundamental aspect of the team’s workspace (see #4) or an immediately adjacent breakout space. Optimum Group Size Theory promotes 5-7 people per team for optimal speed, communication, and commitment.

1

2 ONE BIG ROOM

DECENTRALIZE TECHNOLOGYParamount to the success of being Agile is a variety of spaces. Whether it’s a huddle room, a pod, or a nook for private conversation, deep-dive collaboration or focused work, these easily accessible spaces must be in close proximity for teammates to connect face-to-face and still access all of the digital tools that power the modern office. The days of oversized, tech-heavy conference rooms are at an end.

That said, there is still a need for one place the entire office can gather. “Big Room” planning is a fundamental Agile step, ensuring that everyone hears company goals clearly and firsthand. Ideally, such an all-hands meeting would occur at a minimum of every month. Informed by "Dunbar's Number" theory, which suggests that 150 people is the cognitive limit for any individual to maintain stable social relationships, some Agile organizations try to cap office sizes at that number.

Agile isn’t simply about processes and org charts: it’s also about physical space. Agile principle #5 reads, “Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.” That’s not “environment” in a metaphorical sense, but a very real one: the workplace. So how do you “agilify” your office? Here are five ways, tied to key Agile principles:

CA TECHNOLOGIES CA Technologies was impressed with the Agile-enabled work space at their new acquisition Rally (see case, left), and decided to undertake a similar transformation. There are a variety of spaces for focus, meeting, and collaboration, plenty of whiteboard walls and mobile boards, mobile personal storage, and movable, "plug-and-play" desks can be reconfigured as desired or necessary.

321 4 5

5 CULTURE OF TRUSTAgile puts trust at the center of an organization's culture. When a workplace gives individuals and teams the freedom to use space in ways that are best suited to their preferred work style, that’s a fundamental reflection of management that believes in its employees.

4 KIT-OF-PARTSProviding a physical space that each team can manipulate to best fit its needs is essential. The cubicle grid is dead: now it’s about movable desks, tables, and whiteboards, a variety of furniture types and storage options, and flexibility. Customization creates a sense of ownership. Developing a set of standardized options allows employee choice, but manages chaos and Facilities’ headaches. This flexibility helps tackle the Allen Curve, which demonstrates a breakdown in technical communication with increased physical separation.

WORK STATIONIdeal size: 30x60 in

STORAGEIdeal size:1-6 cubic ft

WHITEBOARDIdeal size:6 ft x 36 in (mobile)

Lightweight desks on casters enable mobility and easy team reconfiguration.

Minimizing individual storage reduces clutter and encourages mobility.

Multiple smaller, mobile boards as well as larger, fixed, full-height boards are best for the team.

AN AGILE FLOORPLANPRINCIPLES IN ACTION

WHAT MAY CAUSE AN AGILE PROJECT TO FAIL?

WHAT ARE SOME BARRIERS TO FURTHER ADOPTION OF AGILE?

OVERCOMING AGILE RISKS

46% 55%41% 42%

38% 40%

Company philosophy/culture at odds with core Agile valuesTransitioning to an Agile Work

Environment with a Change Management Plan can minimize risks and result in significantly higher adoption rates.

Inability to change organizational culture

Lack of experience with Agile methods

General resistance to change

Lack of management/cultural transition support & Inconsistent Agile practices and processes

Pre-existing rigid/waterfall framework

SOURCES

AgileConnection: Does Agile Work Outside Software?

Certified ScrumMaster Course documents

cPrime: What Is Agile? What Is Scrum?

MIT Sloan Management Review: Should You Build Strategy Like You Build Software?

ScrumAlliance: Scrum, A Description

VeraCode: Companies Worldwide Are Adopting Agile Development Techniques

VersionOne: 10th Annual State of Agile Report

FLEXIBILITY & MOBILITYGuides furniture and tech infrastructure; wheels and slides for quick rearrangement

ONE BIG ROOMA large, flexible room for training, all hands meetings

COLLABORATIVE / TEAM SPACESOne 4-8 person space for every 3-4 teams

OPTIMUM GROUP SIZE THEORY5-7 people per team promotes speed, communication and commitment

ALLEN CURVE FOR PROXIMITY Decreased distance = increased interaction : applied to break down communications barriers

DUNBAR’S NUMBER Build and maintain meaningful social relationships with +/-150 people

WHOLE SPACE

USEFUL COLLISIONSMajor meeting areas between departments and teams to promote cross-functionality and cross-pollination

UNITING PEOPLE AND PLACE TO DRIVE WORKPLACE PERFORMANCE.

WE is DLR Group’s proprietary Workplace Strategy Program. It is built on stakeholder engagement and research, and backed by industry benchmarks and data.

WE researches and develops design solutions around macrotrends in the rapidly evolving CRE world of workplace.

WE SERVICESChange Management

Culture Analysis

Design Standards

Pilot Studies

Pre + Post Occupancy Surveys

Programming + Needs Assessment

Stakeholder Engagement

WORKPLACE ELEVATED

PLACEWorkplace

Optimization

PEOPLEOrganizational

Change + Alignment

Happy Employees, High Performance

WHY IT WORKS

NO BARRIERSPromotes interactions and relationshipsPlaces for teams to get togetherImproves communicationTeams in close proximityIncreases speed Encourages accountabilityBlocks of teams by affinityPrevents silos and isolationProvides choice of collaboration spaceIndividuals must negotiate for isolation

CENTRALLY LOCATED COMMUNAL AREASCreates useful collisionsBreak areas are located in high traffic areas Encourages cross pollination between teams and departments

SOLICIT FEEDBACKUtilizes team feedbackIf it isn’t working, let’s change itProvide constant value to the Agile team

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