Organizations are adopting the Agile project methodology to accelerate delivery and improve project outcomes. However, Agile can be difficult to learn and conquer without the correct training. It’s been told that up to one-third of small companies fail with Agile. And that number can increase to two-thirds with larger-sized companies and more complex organizational structures. Luckily, an experienced coach can be the key to success! Read on to understand whether Agile coaching is a good fit for your organization!

5 Signs Your Organization Could Use Agile Coaching

1. Your Team Is Stressed Out

The symptoms are obvious. People are griping, working overtime, unsure of their roles and responsibilities, and not communicating. And it seems like the entire team is running to stand still. Employees are ready to throw in the towel. Don’t give up! This is completely normal as a team learns the Agile ropes and adjusts to the process. A coach can step in, identify the gaps, and right that ship!

2. You Spend More Time Fixing Than Building

We’ve all heard the story. The fix list continues to pile up and there’s no end in sight. The development list falls to the wayside as the priorities shift. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re constantly delaying the delivery of new development, then something needs tweaking. An adjustment in work quality is needed to reduce the number of breakages. An Agile coach can help!

3. You Keep Missing Deadlines

Perhaps you missed one deadline. That’s fine, but then another one gets missed. And another. And pretty soon, you’ve failed to meet your customer’s or stakeholders’ expectations. Bring in an Agile coach! Usually, this can be fixed by creating better collaboration and matching proper skill sets to roles. An outside perspective can assist with these sensitive areas and put you on the right path.

4. Everything Seems to Be Moving Too Slowly

With Agile sprints, it can almost seem like everything is moving too fast or too slow. The Agile methodology is intended to tap into deep work and focus. Progress will seem to grind down as this happens, creating tension. This is normal. Agile requires a gradual adoption of the new mindset. An Agile coach can renormalize the team to move you towards a better cadence.

5. Your Team Feels Disconnected From the Bigger Picture

One of the goals of Agile is to break bigger project work into smaller chunks. This falsely puts the perception of work on a smaller scale. It can be hard to connect to the larger vision and strategy. If the team is asking questions that indicate they don’t understand the why of what they’re doing, then it will be hard for them to make good decisions about their work. Utilize an Agile coach to reconnect the team to the bigger picture!

Are you struggling with the Agile methodology or attempting to scale with Agile, yet running into roadblocks? Take a look at Project Genetics today to connect with an expert on project delivery! We’re a proven leader in project implementation and committed to your success. We’re passionate about project victory and can help you feel more comfortable with Agile!

Mergers and acquisitions are an excellent opportunity to improve your processes and streamline your operations. However, if you aren’t careful, confusion can consume both organizations. Process optimization during M&As is critical as it will determine the future of both organizations. How can you ensure that your M&As actually result in improvements for everyone? Here are some of the steps we take at Project Genetics to get the best results possible.

4 Keys to Process Optimization After Mergers and Acquisitions

1. Quantify and Contrast

Before you can even think about optimizing processes, you have to first understand how both organizations handle a given task. If both organizations involved have a similar process, you should quantify each step taken and map out the path each process takes through each organization. You may find that one is more efficient than the other, or you could discover an ideal middle ground that gets the best of both strategies.

However, you might be acquiring a company specifically because they can do something you cannot. In those cases, you should still break down the process to its key components. Perhaps there is something your existing infrastructure can do to improve it. You cannot transform what you do not understand, so process analysis is always an important first step.

2. Cull Unnecessary Redundancies

Optimization means you need to eliminate any unnecessary steps. In most M&A scenarios, there will be redundancies that can be removed. This could mean letting go of positions that no longer serve a clear purpose. You may need to reallocate human resources to other areas where they can be more useful. However, you need to be careful to avoid removing critical knowledge from your newly expanded organization.

Oftentimes the larger of the two companies will keep most of its personnel while shedding a significant number from the acquired organization. This may make sense if you intend to rely more on your organization’s processes. However, if you see value in the other company’s approaches, make sure you keep people who know that process inside and out. They will be valuable as you look to optimize later.

3. Implement Better Technological Solutions

M&As are the perfect moment to sit down and evaluate better solutions for your problems. Could your processes be improved by better tracking with data analytics? Has your merger necessitated cloud storage as a means to ensure smooth operation over long distances? Would a change in collaboration software help your new team integrate and speed up processes? Again, it’s important to take stock of what both organizations use and identify weaknesses that could be bolstered by a change in tools.

4. Unify Team Members

When two organizations merge, each knows something that the other doesn’t. In order to truly optimize your processes, the people on both sides need to come together and work in unison. Try to integrate new team members and encourage them to share knowledge with one another to reach that middle ground faster.

Projects depend on processes. Mastery of each small step in a larger process will lead to success for your grandest projects. If you need project delivery solutions and a more comprehensive understanding of your processes, contact Project Genetics to schedule a meeting. We’ll help your organization emerge stronger from M&As and prepare you for much greater success going forward.  

The Agile methodology that revolutionized IT project management has since made its way into other industries, with impressive results. However, not every organization has been able to implement Agile project management successfully. Any time you try to change the culture of an organization, you meet resistance. If you haven’t been able to transform your organization’s approach yet, Agile coaching is the solution. With expert support, you can overcome any obstacle in your way.

How Agile Coaching Can Transform Your Entire Organization

Benefits of an Agile Approach

Demand for Agile coaches has grown significantly, so much so that it was classified as one of 2017’s “Most Promising Jobs”. The number of Agile coaches has more than doubled since. Companies have found that it’s better to invest in proper training. You’re more likely to instill the Agile mindset correctly when you have coaches who truly embody the approach. Most failed efforts are the result of inexperienced managers who don’t fully understand what it means to be Agile.

Agile project management gives you control and flexibility, two concepts that many people see as mutually exclusive. The idea that your projects can be managed in small chunks by several teams can seem radical to staff that are more used to the traditional waterfall approach, where everything is mapped out in advance. However, the Agile approach delivers more predictability and allows for continuous improvement since the project can adapt to changing conditions.

The Need for a Coach

Companies want to reap the benefits of Agile quickly, but company culture doesn’t change overnight. Given that core concepts of the Agile methodology seem so foreign to many workers, it can be hard to get everyone on board. That’s where a coach becomes vital. When your staff works with an Agile coach, they get to see the Agile mentality in action. It’s much easier to believe in the methodology when you see it working.

Coaches from outside also enter the office without the biases that your workers already have towards your management. Even the best managers are hated by at least a couple of workers. Bringing in an outsider sidesteps those preexisting feelings and allows your staff to approach training with an open mind. So, not only can an Agile coach show your team the right way to work, but they’ll also be more likely to succeed at transforming your organization.

Agile Outcomes for Enterprises

With an Agile approach, your company will indeed become more agile. That means you can react faster when unexpected events occur. The last two years have proven that agile enterprises will thrive in the face of adversity. When your team is accustomed to dynamic workflows and collaboration, sudden changes are no longer feared. Businesses that had already invested in agile coaching found themselves in a much better position throughout the pandemic than those that had not made the switch.

If your business is struggling to implement the Agile methodology, or you have projects that you haven’t been able to bring to fruition, contact Project Genetics to schedule an appointment with our project management experts. We’ll help you find the right solution for your company.