How to Get Agile Right
It starts—or stops—at the top
The key to changing the way a company operates is to change the way the people in charge think, work, and lead.
#HowtobyBCG
What You Need to Know About Agile
Agile is a team-centered, iterative, and cross-functional approach that can be applied across industries and business contexts. Born in software development, agile prioritizes speed, autonomy, and collaboration to unlock the hidden potential of organizations.
The Benefits of Agile Are Undeniable
25% to 35% reduction in costs
0%
25%
35%
20%
0%
20% improvement in quality
200%
100%
0%
100% to 200% acceleration in delivery of new products and services
Measuring the impact of Agile
Measuring the impact of Agile
Agile Transformation Begins with a Change in Mindset
“
Agile requires a leadership team that is fully united, that is willing to look outside for inspiration, and that is willing to really embrace radical change.
MARTIN DANOESASTRO
What are you willing to give up to change the way we work?
BCG Senior Partner & Managing Director
It Requires Commitment at the CEO Level
75
of transformation efforts fall short of their targets in terms of value generated, timing, or both
Most large organizations are structured around silos and specialized functions. This creates inefficiencies that can be eliminated with agile ways of working. To implement agile across an entire organization, teams must work together differently, from the top on down.
Five Ways CEOs Keep Agile Transformations Moving
Start with why
1
Adopt the principles, adapt the practices
2
Change your leadership
3
Align to empower
4
Learn and adapt—at speed
5
Start
with why
1
Learn and adapt—at speed
5
Agile puts a premium on feedback and learning. The willingness to adapt is more important than following a plan.
Align to empower
4
The ability to act autonomously spurs ownership and creativity, allowing agile teams to move fast. The more alignment that leaders can establish, the more autonomy they can afford to give.
Change your leadership
3
Agile transformations force executives to unlearn many behaviors that led to their personal success and the success of their companies—and learn new, more effective ones.
Adopt the principles, adapt the practices
2
At its core, agile is a set of values, principles, and behaviors. Leaders must champion and actively promote a cultural shift inside the organization.
READ ABOUT Three agile traps to avoid
READ ABOUT Three agile traps to avoid
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Start with why
1
Change is hard. Leaders must set forth a clear vision, demonstrate its urgency and value, and guard against backsliding into old ways of working.
Leading Means Letting Go
Some executives fear that agile ways of working could mean a loss of control and, inevitably, chaos for their company. But it’s not about exercising control. It’s about inspiring a change in behavior.
For agile leaders, the most important job is to define the desired outcome clearly and give teams the autonomy to achieve that outcome. Alignment on purpose—
the why of an organization—enables leaders to step back, teams to step up, and the business to move forward.
Do you have the courage to be an agile leader?
Do you have the courage to be an agile leader?
Agile Organizations Establish an Unbroken Chain of "Why?"
Work
Outcomes
Purpose
Hover to learn more
Purpose
Why do we exist as an organization?
To create value in a specific way.
Outcomes
Why are we pursuing specific outcomes?
Because achieving these outcomes enables us to fulfill our purpose.
Work
Why are we doing the work that we’re doing?
Because this work directly relates to our outcomes.
Discover how to achieve agile at scale
Learn more NOW
Learn more NOW
Tap into emerging science to enhance agile transformation
the science of ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
the science of ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
For more insights, follow our #HowtobyBCG conversation on LinkedIn
Adopt the principles, adapt the practices
2
At its core, agile is a set of values, principles, and behaviors. Leaders must champion and actively promote a cultural shift inside the organization.
Change your leadership
3
Agile transformations force executives to unlearn many behaviors that led to their personal success and the success of their companies—and learn new, more effective ones.
Align to
empower
4
The ability to act autonomously spurs ownership and creativity, allowing agile teams to move fast. The more alignment that leaders can establish, the more autonomy they can afford to give.
Learn and adapt—at speed
5
Leaders must set forth a clear vision, demonstrate its urgency and value, and guard against backsliding into old ways of working.
Change is hard. Leaders must set forth a clear vision, demonstrate its urgency and value, and guard against backsliding into old ways of working.
For agile leaders, the most important job is to define the desired outcome clearly and give teams the autonomy to achieve that outcome. Alignment on purpose—the why of an organization—enables leaders to step back, teams to step up, and the business to move forward.
why
Leaders must set forth a clear vision, demonstrate its urgency and value, and guard against backsliding into old ways of working.
Agile Transformation Begins with a Change in Mindset
“
Agile requires a leadership team that is fully united, that is willing to look outside for inspiration, and that is willing to really embrace radical change.
Martin Danoesastro
BCG Senior Partner & Managing Director
Martin Danoesastro
