Right now, I’m working on the audiobook format for my book, Agile Discovery & Delivery: A Survival Guide for New Software Engineers & Tech Entrepreneurs. I didn’t plan to publish an audiobook, but over the past year and a half, I received a lot of requests for one. As I talk about in the book, one person’s opinion is interesting, but if you hear the same feedback many times, that’s a trend you can act on. I decided to narrate it myself, which means I just re-read it out loud and have been editing it along the way. And I have to say, I’m still as proud of this book as I was the day I published it!
One of the sections I thought might be of interest to my blog readers is the section on Business Agility from Chapter 7, so I’m going to publish a portion of it here. Since the book is for people just getting into the tech industry and not necessarily those who are leading an organization, I only cover what to look for when interviewing to assess whether a business is embracing Business Agility.
What is Business Agility?
“Agility” allows software engineers to adapt and change, deliver early and iterate, so that we can be more sure that what we’re delivering is of value to our customers. The agile principles and various frameworks for agility is exactly what my book is all about.
However, agility is not just for software developers. The most effective companies embrace agile principles in all departments, from the C-Suite and budgeting practices to marketing, sales, and of course their agile software teams. Agile principles and concepts plug nicely into other areas of the business.
Signs A Company Embraces Business Agility
Companies are in various stages of adapting agile practices. In my opinion, embracing even just a couple of the below practices is a good sign. If you’re looking for companies to work for and you notice any of the below happening, take a closer look. This may be a very forward-thinking company, indeed.
- The CEO is accessible and clearly articulates the company strategy. She encourages all departments to continuously improve the way they work.
- Company-wide budgeting and planning are performed quarterly on a rolling basis, not once a year.
- Customer interviews are conducted often and learnings are shared throughout the company.
- Software teams are using agile development techniques. Your interviewers speak enthusiastically about their agile culture.
- The company makes changes based on what existing customers are saying. Sales and prospective customers are one input to building the roadmap, not the only input.
- Marketing and/or customer success teams get excited when you explain to them what Kanban is. Maybe they already use it?
- Innovation is baked into the culture. Ideas are tested rapidly, and the good ones find their way onto the official roadmap.
- Everyone across the company knows what the current mission and product strategy is.
Find Out More About Business Agility
To learn more about business agility, visit the Business Agility Institute website. This organization was founded by the talented Evan Leyborn and Ahmed Sidky. It’s worth checking out their resources and thinking about attending a conference or two.
If you’re more interested in learning what “agile” is and how software development teams can best collaborate to create valuable products for their customers, check out my book.