Agility between success and failure - ZHAW study reveals decisive factors

In a series of studies, the IAP Institute for Applied Psychology at the ZHAW looks at the current changes in our working world in the context of digital transformations and the effects on people. In the current third study, the IAP used structured interviews to ask 22 specialists and managers from various industries and companies in Switzerland how they experience and use the agile transformation in their own companies. For the study, only interviewees from companies and organizations with first-hand experience of agile transformation were selected.

Drivers in the introduction of agility

According to the Swiss companies surveyed, an increased customer focus and the associated need to develop individualized and tailored products are the strongest drivers for establishing agile working and/or organizational methods. Agile companies can also benefit from increased attractiveness for the future talent pool. The hope of speeding up decision-making processes is another key driver for the adoption of agility. Many companies also hope to be able to deal more flexibly with increasingly complex economic conditions by switching to agile forms of work and organization. In addition to employees, top management is driving the agile transformation in some companies.

Obstacles to the introduction of agility

New forms of work and organization often trigger fears among employees regarding the adaptation of their fields of activity or the loss of their jobs. This leads to employees having resistance to the upcoming changes. The interviewees also mentioned the realignment of functions, the lack of clarity regarding responsibilities, decision-making powers and role definitions as further challenges. The increasing self-organization of teams and individual employees can quickly overwhelm employees. "That's why it's imperative that companies involve employees in the process toward greater agility," says Anna-Lena Majkovic, the study's author. "In the process, employees must be explained why the company is moving to agile and what this means in concrete terms for individual employees and their areas of activity." Clear framework conditions must be defined for the introduction of agile methods. According to the companies, however, a lack of specialist knowledge about agile methods often makes professional introduction difficult. Especially in companies whose work structures are characterized by very classic hierarchies.

Agility as a change process

The agile transformation in companies causes profound changes, especially with regard to the design of work processes and in the team set-up. For this reason, the introduction of agile forms of work and organization often does not proceed smoothly in practice. Above all, the interface management between classic and agile forms of work and organization creates communication barriers between classic and agile units. The interview partners surveyed report frustration and friction at the interfaces. "The learning process towards agile can be painful" says Anna-Lena Majkovic. "Companies need a lot of stamina to do this. And they need confidence in the team to try things boldly." The interviewed professionals and leaders emphasize the importance of establishing a positive culture of mistakes and a learning organization. It is advisable to design the implementation of change processes with the employees. Top management is called upon to act as a role model. Early recognition and also discussion of resistance are central to the implementation of agility.

Success and failure factors

The companies surveyed cited the role model function of top management as a success factor. Managers must be actively involved in the change process and also answer critical questions about agile change. In order to be able to openly address challenges and critical issues, however, a culture of trust must prevail.
The failure factors in the change process towards more agility include inadequate communication on the concrete design of the change, again inadequate communication of the sense of purpose and underestimation of the time factor.

Effects on the corporate and error culture

Overall, the respondents describe positive effects from the introduction of agile forms of work and organization. They report a reduction in silo thinking and more open discussion cultures. The reduction of hierarchical structures and decision-making processes also increases personal responsibility and interdepartmental collaboration. According to the interviewees, there is also a positive effect on the error culture. Errors are consciously classified as a learning process that enables quality optimization and improves communication. Errors represent the opportunity to initiate innovative processes and to generate essential insights from wrong decisions. However, the companies surveyed also emphasize that living a constructive error culture remains a challenge for companies.

Accompany agility sensibly

A larger number of the participants surveyed report having used external specialist expertise in the introduction of agile forms of work and organization. For example, short training courses on agile forms of work and organization were conducted. Study author Anna-Lena Majkovic also recommends this: "The agile transformation is a long-term process that is accompanied by resistance, uncertainties and setbacks. It is therefore advisable to accompany the agile project professionally from the very beginning and to allow all levels of an organization to participate in the transformation."

More information: www.zhaw.ch/iap/studie