To get started with agile, the right mindset is crucial

In recent years, agile has become the buzzword for anything related to flexible work. Yet, it refers to something very concrete: a working method that enables companies to respond to change more quickly. What does it entail, and what benefits does this work culture offer? Agile coach Kim Delgadillo provides clarity.

Kim, how would you define 'agile working'?

Agile literally means 'flexible, agile.' Moving together in response to each other, like boxers or a flock of birds. With a large ship, we sail from A to B, but suddenly, we need to change direction, and that happens slowly. Instead, we sail with 100 small boats that can change direction much faster.

At its core, you restructure for better flow. You ensure that information and activities can flow without blockages—things that can hinder decisions and activities. Compare it to energy in a body. A company in which energy flows without blockages is healthier and yields better results.

What does this look like concretely in the workplace?

You think in terms of continuously creating value for the customer instead of projects with one end result. You have a clear objective, but the path to it is flexible. And that has a positive impact on the result. You work and decide faster, creating a better flow.

Concretely, you mainly work in teams, composed from all departments. These cross-functional teams have the time and space to focus on the added value you are seeking for a while. In that team, everyone necessary for working out the solution is present, so the project doesn't get blocked anywhere.

You base this on a backlog: all the objectives we want to achieve from the business, prioritized. You transparently work through these priorities, with frequent delivery. Each team regularly delivers something.

This sets very specific expectations for leadership. You switch to 'servant leadership': instead of exercising authority and control, you listen to the experts on the shop floor. Management will mainly support and unblock where there are obstacles. You map all blockages, and then you can address them with an agile transformation plan.

Why are more and more companies adopting this approach?

Quite simply: to significantly and quickly improve their operations without compromising quality. You think about the best way of working, starting from the customer's standpoint. And you do this because you want more business value: more customer satisfaction, more revenue, lower costs, higher productivity. Agile working also leads to greater employee satisfaction - if everyone is convinced of the transition, that is.

The more uncertainty there is in the broader business environment, the more agile working is advisable because it allows you to respond more quickly to change. Traditional project work is an investment until the end. Only then does it yield added value if everything goes well. Often, the end result is smaller, more expensive, delayed, or the market demand has changed.

With agile work, you divide the goal into sub-goals, with each step adding value. The agile coach defines specific and useful goals in collaboration with business experts. Compare it to a gardener who works on the garden around your house. If he prunes everything and has to leave suddenly, you're left with a mess everywhere. If he finishes the front yard first and then has to leave, at least you can enjoy that.

I read the 'Agile Manifesto' that underlies the methods. What are the principles?

The key is at the beginning: we seek how we can work better by experimenting ourselves and helping others. That is the real core for me. Additionally, the manifesto describes four important core values of agile working.

Firstly, people and their interaction are above processes and tools. Processes and goals are important, but nothing is more crucial than open and clear communication between people collaborating. Don't fixate blindly on processes, and don't follow them blindly. A process is not a goal in itself but a practical guideline.

Secondly, working solutions are above comprehensive documentation. Large files and manuals are worthless if the solution doesn't work. You must work solution-oriented.

Thirdly: collaboration with the customer is above contract negotiations. We work customer-centered. The customer sits next to you and thinks along, from the beginning. With trust and partnership, you work more directly and productively.

Finally, responding to change is more important than strictly following a plan. People building a product learn, and the market is changing. At the start, the customer doesn't have enough information to know exactly what they need. Changes in the market are often an opportunity to deliver an even better product.

You mentioned the importance of a better flow. What are the main obstacles?

The biggest blockage is caused by dependencies: you need permission, budget needs to be allocated, your time is tied up in another project, extra security is needed, etc. By working with cross-functional teams, you solve this; everyone involved in the project is together.

What about the traditional triangle of scope, budget, and timing? Does agile discard that?

That triangle still exists, but we flip it. Where normally the scope is fixed and time and budget are variable, with agile, only the scope is variable because you respond to opportunities and the changing market. It is crucial that the customer and the company understand this philosophy well.

To make the scope variable, we work with the customer on 'must-haves' - the priorities - and 'nice-to-haves.' Must-haves are delivered anyway, that scope is fixed. If you make a bike, it must ride well and be safe. But in addition, we strive for as much added value and innovation as possible.

Is the need for agile mainly present in larger corporate companies and less in SMEs?

It is useful for both. In corporate companies, due to the need for a clear, workable organizational structure. Often, no one knows how many projects are running, how much budget is in them, and what the status is. But small companies also benefit from this way of working. They can make the transition much faster, especially a young company.

You don't always have to see it as super big. If you just list where the blockages are in your company and try to unblock everything with as much transparency as possible, you are already practicing agile. And look at other companies, because helping each other and working transparently is a must.

What skills do you need to undergo the transformation to this way of working?

Mindset before technical skills: it is mainly important that you can think agile. Skills can be learned, but the mindset must be there. You have to know what it is, why we do it, believe in it, and be willing to deal more with change. You break free from the comfort of a predictable job. That also changes the performance goals and the evaluation: what counts is the value delivered by the teams, not so much the performance of individuals.

Leadership must be able to break away from traditional authority and dedicate itself to supporting and unblocking. That starts with the transformation itself because significant changes always cause resistance. Sufficient attention and support for employees and active sponsorship of change are crucial.

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