Professional relationships are changing dramatically and, with that, the way of managing companies and their workers. Organizations are flat, work on projects, leadership has changed, and people are working remotely from the most unsuspected places.
The way we work and interact with colleagues is also changing. That means companies have to adapt to this new environment.
For this reason, the challenges posed by the modern world, together with the introduction of digital technologies, have led to the development of new methodologies used to more efficiently manage the way of working, motivating employees, and promoting more satisfactory results.
Used for project development, AGILE methodologies are part of this process of change and the introduction of new ways of working and relating professionally: They were revealed in 2001 and, in a short time were applied in different professional contexts, with excellent results.
Today, Agile methodologies have expanded their coverage to cover all areas of business organizations, from the human resources office to the accounting or marketing department.
This favored an improvement in business productivity planning, which starts from the first contact with a possible employee, during the pre-selection of candidates, who need more than training and experience.
In fact, social skills for middle managers and leadership positions are increasingly appreciated.
This article is dedicated to Agile methodologies, their origin, their advantages and how their implementation in the business ecosystem has increased productivity and organizational efficiency in a context marked by talent recruitment and adaptation to changes.
· What are Agile methodologies?
Agile methodologies are an organizational philosophy that aims to improve and optimize processes through a set of approaches that will maximize the quality and efficiency of a project.
This premise includes the hiring of personnel with a competent work profile, changes in the structures or hierarchies of business, and work by objectives or projects.
The Agile methodology has a technological origin; in fact, it was created in 2001 by software designers.
When a group of programmers met in Utah (USA), they produced a document to list the best practices and principles for software development. This document was called the Agile Manifesto.
From that moment on, the linear work scheme was transformed into a more dynamic model, which created more advantages for organizations. Precisely for this reason, it has spread to other sectors of activity and business models. Another option for companies looking to hire remote workers is nearshore software development in Mexico, which offers the advantages of working with a team in a similar time zone with a similar culture and language.
· Values of Agile methodologies
Agile methodologies are based on the following principles:
· Business vision focused on people, their interactions, and actions so that individuals gain prominence about tools or processes.
· Communication and collaboration with the customer is more important than negotiating the most profitable contract
· The processes are not static or have a rigid plan, but can be adapted quickly to any necessary changes
· Advantages of the Agile methodology
Agile methodologies offer a wide variety of advantages, including:
· Productivity improvements. The Agile methodology proposes incremental productivity, where objectives are previously established and aligned as they are achieved. Also, it focuses on better resource allocation and more dynamic process management.
·Increased product quality. This is achieved thanks to the fact that the processes are controlled and scaled individually, allowing them to be optimized to the maximum to improve their performance.
·More control of protocols: methodologies can be shared and studied in detail. Also to that, the results of this study are shared, so that it is possible to analyze problems and find more dynamic solutions.
· Reduced margin of error in processes. With Agile methodologies, risk management is much easier. As the methods are fragmented into shorter stretches, errors can be detected much earlier and corrected quickly.
· More commitment. When you hire competent personnel and assign responsibilities based on evidence that will be translated into more committed workers, since he or she will be focused on the part of the process that he or she is responsible for.
· Improvements in the final product. All of these advantages lead to an improvement in the final product. You can use it to satisfy the needs of all stakeholders, including customers, employees and suppliers.
· Types of Agile methodologies
The types of Agile methodologies used in the corporate world are:
► Lean:
This approach is based on continuous improvement. Also known as the lean method, it was founded on the Kaizen philosophy, and its goal is to offer a quality product using the least amount of resources possible.
In addition to that, it is possible to achieve a high level of commitment thanks to the decentralization of responsibilities and decision-making capacity. This methodology was promoted by Toyota’s director called Taiichi Ono.
► Kanban:
This methodology is based on the flexibility and simplicity of communication between different teams.
Its objective, like the Lean method, is continuous improvement, in which all employees participate to deliver work promptly. This approach became popular thanks to an American man called David Anderson, although its origin is Japanese.
► Scrum:
Also of Japanese origin, this approach is based on regular delivery of the work, so that the customer has an initial impression of the final product.
Tasks are distributed among all employees and are periodically reviewed, reducing the likelihood of error.
In fact, the Scrum Manager’s position has become popular with organizations that apply this methodology.
· How to apply Agile methodologies in a company
Companies can use multiple agile methodologies at the same time, as they can be applied across all sectors and involve various departments. Ultimately, the different groups are aligned and integrated with a business philosophy that responds to the famous words: mission, vision, and values.
Either way, people play a central role in agile methodologies, which is why this philosophy has permeated modern human resources offices. Below, we will review some of the Agile strategies used in HR.
·Creation of multidisciplinary teams, where all workers act in a coordinated manner and communicate fluently in a specific task
· Segmentation of processes through continuously monitored sections. This decreases the response time, increasing the probability of detecting errors, which can be quickly corrected.
· Establishing short, continuous delivery times for initial product tests
· Organization of daily meetings to discuss the goals achieved, the objectives to be specified, and to define what steps should be taken to achieve them. In this space, workers have the opportunity to review the status of all stages of the process and can suggest proposals to achieve the goals. New ideas are always welcome.
· Training the supervisors of each process to participate as coaches and not as managers. In this area, business coaching methodologies have a lot to say and do, highly effective in individual cases.
· Promote collaboration among workers through a commitment system generated at each stage of the process.
· Promote ongoing education and training at all levels of the company. This aspect is a necessity imposed by a VUCA environment (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) in which organizations are currently moving.
· Working in a company with a solid brand that attracts people with the right job profile. Here, new leaders, communicators, empaths, those who know how to listen, and those who can recover from crises in an agile and satisfying way have a lot to say. Entrepreneurs who are following all stages of the process may obtain better results.
· Conclusions
The hierarchy-based linear business model is a thing of the past, and Agile methodologies are presented as a very attractive alternative for business management.
Many of the companies and startups currently established are organized based on agile methodologies, and this structure offers several possibilities for adapting more efficiently to the constant changes that arise in modern society.
Therefore, this philosophy has become a way of working, thinking, and acting.
When applied correctly, this technique increases the effectiveness and efficiency of the processes that take place in organizations, small and large, and this translates into a beneficial income statement, both for the company and its suppliers and customers.
Translated by Micheli.
