How Agile Improves Company Culture

Agile project management is an effective way to manage complex projects. Why is agile so well-suited for long, complicated projects? The agile mentality underscores the importance of communication, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Agile project management is truly an amazing framework that has successfully transformed lagging organizations. Making coworkers feel more connected and engaged with each other and the project means ideas are more easily exchanged and improved upon.

Teams are more cohesive, flexible, and adaptive, creating a company culture that fosters growth on every level.

Agile Promotes Customer-First Thinking

Agile teams are continually looking for ways to improve their product. Why? They want to create the best product possible for their target market.

While some teams are focused on the technical aspects of completing a project, agile teams concentrate on delivering value as swiftly as possible.

Agile Supports Strong Communication

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development, the seminal pamphlet that laid out the new project management framework calls for face-to-face meetings with the team.

Face-to-face communication is the best way to disseminate information. Instead of teams getting bogged down with emails, memos, or private meetings, team members should exchange information in person.

Agile Teams are More Cohesive

Agile teams need face-to-face communication on a regular basis. Communication is encouraged for everyone.

Team members don’t simply report to agile project managers, they talk openly and honestly about the progress of the project. Each member communicates freely as lines of communication are not obfuscated by a strict hierarchy. As a result, agile teams are more cohesive overall.

A Consistent Pace is Built into the Agile Approach

Agile improves the company culture by giving companies a structure for completing work. This structure has a consistent pace built in. While agile project managers will always underscore the importance of agility, they also know that keeping a steady pace is of equal importance.

By having regular face-to-face meetings and conquering project objectives through an iterative approach, experienced project managers create a consistent pace that can quickly permeate and spread throughout the entire organization.

Team Morale is Boosted Through Collaboration

Agile is a profoundly collaborative project management methodology. In traditional settings, you might expect for co-workers to rarely speak, exchange ideas, or provide input. This is in direct opposition to the agile approach. Agile teams are collaborative, providing input on every facet of the project, regardless of rank or role.

Over the long term, employing agile principles bolsters team morale. Team members feel more connected to the work, feel more ownership of the product, and more involved with the success of other team members.

Agile Promotes Flexibility

Agile calls for constant change. Change is welcomed during every phase of development. Even projects close to close accept and adapt to change. Projects are completed in an iterative manner, where a product is created, then discussed, then improved upon. In cycles, each version becomes more feature-complete.

Agile is, therefore, a flexible project management framework. In fact, it demands flexibility. Without the team fluidly responding to change, processes break down, and teams cannot keep going down the agile path.

Agile Breaks Down Walls

Communication can be tough. What channels do you go through to get your message across? Who should be consulted? Who has the authority to give input? With agile these questions become moot.

Agile teams are in constant communication. Everyone is encouraged to give input regardless of experience, role, or relation to the project.

Agile project managers don’t implement every change that is suggested, but they do hear every single piece of input. In fact, they seek it out. Agile project managers down walls that stymie fluid communication and the exchange of ideas.

Conclusion

The primary goal of agile is to continually improve through effective collaboration. By creating iterative processes in which a product is produced, reviewed, and improved promotes a culture that seeks perfection through constructive criticism, project retrospectives, and constant communication.

Agile promotes customer-first thinking by putting the customer, not the competition, first. It emboldens cultures that encourage communication, collaboration, and cohesiveness. By breaking down walls, agile promotes a more flexible working environment that boosts morale, prevents burnout, and encourages an agile yet sustainable pace.

If you’re looking to improve your processes as well as your company culture, you should seriously consider leveraging agile project management principles for your company.