Agile

Adoption and Fluency

Agile is not an end unto itself. Agile is a means to achieve the highest possible return on your investment.

Greater agility delivers better software, happier customers, more humane workplaces, stronger leadership, reduced turnover. The buzz about Agile makes promises that the reality of Agile adoption rarely keeps. Many Agile models can be naive when it comes to organizational change.

We know that there is no perfect Agile solution. Yet, there is a best Agile solution for your organization.

The Agile Fluency™ Model

We use The Agile Fluency Model as a map to determine which Agile practices will give you the best results for your particular situation. Where are you now? Where do you need to be? Answering the following three questions will give you a rough sense of your ideal placement in the Agile Fluency model.

Question 1 Does your company make software as its central business?

If Yes, any of the four fluency destinations may be appropriate for your company.

If No, it’s likely that a Focus on Value or Deliver Value fluency is appropriate for your company.

Question 2 Which Agile Fluency do you aspire to?

Individual contributors work in collaborative teams. Teams’ performance and progress is transparent and visible to the business. Teams work with product people to produce valuable deliverables. Product managers redirect the teams’ work toward more value at will.

Your technical teams consistently deliver business value on the market cadence. Product sponsors can choose to release at will. Teams create software with no or low defects. They spend more time creating new features, and less time on hotfixes or rework.

Cross-functional teams contain all the skillsets and domain knowledge needed. Teams deliver exactly what the customer wants. They even anticipate what customers might need next. All the expertise lies within the team, minimizing handoffs or waiting for decisions. Organizational structure supports the creation of value. Business liaisons and teams cover each other’s blind-spots, checking false assumptions about customer needs.

Your teams contribute to the greater good of the organization beyond team product focus. Innovation and discovery flourish in every team’s daily work.

Question 3 How much time are you willing to invest in an agile transformation?

Systemic transformation takes time, but the rewards are worth it! Are you ready to invest what it takes to achieve your best Agile solution? Your team’s starting place may vary, but all teams must be Building Code to start on the Agile Fluency path.

Depending on initial conditions, it typically takes a team four to eight months to develop from Building Code to Focus on Value in the Agile Fluency model.

Depending on initial conditions, it typically takes a team six months to two years to develop from Building Code to Deliver Value in the Agile Fluency model.

Depending on initial conditions, it typically takes a team one to five years to develop from Building Code to Optimize Value in the Agile Fluency model.

How do you get to where you need to be?

Your destination and your path depend on the specifics of your business as well as your teams’ current fluency. How can you be sure you embrace the methods that will deliver the results you need? Immersed in the Agile world, FutureWorks consultants have deep expertise in both team analysis and organizational change management. We will ensure your focus is on Agile approaches appropriate to your business bottom-line.​

Contact us today!

Ready? Let’s schedule an Agile Fluency Team Self-Diagnostic and get started on the path toward your “best fit Agile.” Send us your name and email address and we’ll be in touch!

Still have questions? Use this form to ask us anything. Or, give us a call at +1 (503) 750-9618. We’d love to talk to you.