Agile working is a way of working that has become prevalent in a variety of industries internationally. Allowing for greater flexibility at work, employees have the freedom to decide where they work and working hours that suit them – as long as it meets with what the business requires. A more attractive concept to potential employees than a more traditional way of working, a successful agile project will allow for work to be completed that’s of high quality and one that promotes collaboration between them. A useful tool for businesses that want to become profitable, it can be used by businesses of all sizes.
But what is the main secret to agile working?
It’s constant communication between employees. When working on a project together, a manager should promote communication between the different teams. By arranging meetings to discuss what responsibilities each employee should have on the project, how they are getting on with the work and by focusing on what the client wants, the project will be a success.
As agile working allows for collaboration through talking on video calls as well as in locations away from the workplace (for example in a coffee shop), it will allow for more valuable communication between the employees, making them feel as though there are less pressured to come up with an idea for the project whilst sitting in a formal meeting space.
When there is a fast turnaround for a project, by using agile working a company can produce work that fits with the client’s criteria and disregards any complexities that usually come with a project. Often, projects take longer than they should due to extensive planning and miscommunication. If meetings are planned and a clear structure is followed, the work can be delivered within a shorter life cycle.
After the work is completed, meetings can be arranged to discuss if there are any ways in which the employees can improve on future projects and what could be changed about the process. This retrospective can then be taken onto future agile projects that are completed within the business, leading to an even clearer plan for them. It’s important for a business to promote discussions and to handle any ways to improve in a positive way. It’s never a good idea to blame the mistakes of a project on an employee in a harsh way. It should be done in a fair way that helps them learn how to improve, whilst showing that no trust was lost between the employee and employer. This flexibility to alter future projects will also help to grow the business and give insights into how to create new and innovative ideas in the future.
Overall
It’s evident that agile working is a concept that is going to remain within the business world. A firm foundation for high levels of productivity, staff motivation and organisational success, it will undeniably benefit a business. If you own a business that is considering adopting this concept, it’s important that you thoroughly research it, discover the ways that you can adopt it and determine what the pros and cons will be for your company. It takes quite a few changes to introduce agile working into a workplace, therefore is not a consideration that should be taken lightly.
