Agile organizational diagnosis

Rather than guessing which levers should be used to obtain the desired results, the agile organizational diagnosis will help you understand the factors that affect the performance of your organization.

« The importance of investing in culture and change on the journey to agility cannot be overstated. Agile is, above all, a mindset. Without the right mindset, all other parts of the agile operating system can be in place, and yet companies will see few benefits. »

The journey to an agile organization, mckinsey.com, May 2019

So much movement, so little results!

By now, most organizations have implemented some form of agile methods and processes – and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, many organizations are only getting marginal returns on their investments. They typically see performance only improve by 15% to 30% in the teams that have adopted an agile approach.

That’s a good start, but it could be [much] more…

Rather than taking full advantage of organizational agility, those organizations stop short by only implementing new methods (such as Scrum or Kanban).

To get « 10x » (10 times) the impact and the benefits, organizational agility must transform the culture, the mindset and the behaviours in addition to changing the methods. Furthermore, agility should not be limited to teams, it should go organizational.

The agile organizational diagnosis aims to provide a clear picture of the areas where agile has been implemented properly as well as the many areas of opportunities to get even better results.

The agile organizational diagnosis will provide you with a holistic view of your organization by examining it across four domains:

« This mindset is the environment within which agile teams flourish. It isn’t a prerequisite for an agile adoption, nor is it required for a functional agile team. But if this mindset is cultivated and nourished, whether before, during or after agile adoption, the teams (and therefore the company) will experience amazing results – happy employees delivering great value and making customers elated with the results. »

Project Management and Leadership Challenges, Volume IV
M. Mirza – Business Expert Press – 2018

What is an organizational diagnosis?

An agile organizational diagnosis is a structured approach that makes it possible to assess the functioning and level of agility of an organization. The diagnosis can be limited to a team, to a project or can be extended to the whole organization. In all cases, the organizational diagnosis works in the same way:

  • We first assess the functioning of the organization (organizational structure, business process, management method, skills and behavior, etc.) by various means (individual interviews, surveys, meeting observations, readings, etc.) to obtain the most precise portrait possible.
  • Following this step, a comparison between the current state and the results desired end state makes it possible to develop a concrete action plan. A series of specific recommendations are presented.
  • In collaboration with the client, the activities to be carried out are then prioritized according to their positive impact on the organization. Measuring elements are established to assess progress.
  • With external support or independently, the client then implements the recommendations and measures the positive impacts of the changes.

What will I get out of an agile organizational diagnosis?

Carrying out an agile organizational diagnosis allows leaders to better understand the functioning, culture, strengths and weaknesses of their organization. More specifically, our organizational diagnosis helps answer the following questions and recommend concrete solutions that are tailored to the needs of each of our customers. 

  • Are the vision and the mission of the organization clear, motivating and shared by all?
  • Have executives established and communicated a strategic plan?
  • What are the behaviours that the corporate culture supports and promotes?
  • Do the teams have clearly defined and communicated objectives?
  • Are roles, responsibilities and operational processes known and understood?
  • Have the processes been adapted according to the evolution of the organization?
  • Does each employee understand what they should do (and what they shouldn’t do) to help the business succeed?
  • Do employees and managers have the skills necessary for their success?
  • Has the organization given itself the means to objectively assess its performance level and make the necessary adjustments, in real-time?
  • Is the work environment open to facilitate information sharing, collaboration and mutual aid?
  • Are the management practices adapted to the reality and the challenges faced by the organization?
  • Does the organization support professional skills development and process improvement?