How to introduce Agile in HR management
I learned two things about the introduction of Agile working methods during a year long pilot in one of the operational areas of my organization which is far from being in the IT product development world where the approach developed.
The first was that the foundational Agile Manifesto resonates with emerging, fundamental principles of people management and human motivation (agilemanifesto.org):
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
There are also twelve principles behind the ‘Agile Manifesto’ and three are particularly aligned with good people management principles:
Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
The second learning for me was that the successful adoption of Agile working methods in a traditionally structured organization needs changes not only in management practices but also in the HR systems and approaches which support them. Becoming familiar with Agile is a useful inclusion for HR practitioners into their ongoing professional development.
The pilot was put on hold for a range of reasons but I have enjoyed introducing aspects of Agile into my own HR management practice. When I reflect on the last three years, this has helped introduce changes at an organizational level in a range of HR processes and products including the adoption of a new system to make recruitment effective particularly in meeting diversity targets and the creation of a mobile-enabled learning experience to engage, connect and inform new recruits before their first day in the organization.
The vehicle which has allowed the adoption of many Agile practices is the formation of working groups.This enables the adoption of practices such as checking in during brief stand up meetings, regular reviews on how the work is being accomplished, non hierarchical adoption of roles and ideas according to merit and strength and not seniority or rank and the checking of the opinion of constituent groups regularly, often with quick ‘pulse surveys’. These groups are formed relatively quickly, for a specific purpose and once that has been achieved they are dissolved.
One relatively ‘heavy’ HR process we adapted to support their operation is the performance management system. It was important for the volunteers on the working groups that their work was recognized not just in management communication but also in the formal performance management system. Once they become familiar with their role, they described the objectives they would like in their evaluation and the project manager completes a review at the end of the project for inclusion by their line manager in the overall annual review. This was something of a work around as the existing work flow does not allow for input from multiple managers in parallel.
What helps
Constantly recognizing the effort involved in balancing ongoing operational work with the ‘additional’ change related work which comes with being a member of a working group.
Ensuring that those who do not participate in working groups are valued equally with those that do. This is important if the output of the working group is to be scaled up or adopted more widely.
Maintaining flexibility concerning which aspects of the Agile approach to producing outcomes in organizations are relevant in HR management and for your team.
Creating a clear scoping document at the outset of the working group’s life which explains the rationale, aims and outcomes, deliverables, planning milestones and suggested roles and responsibilities for the project. This should not be prescriptive but it does enable working group members to have a view in advance of what they are signing up for and for how long.
Resources
The Agile HR community provides training and resources for HR practitioners interested in learning how to integrate Agile into HR management.
https://www.agilehrcommunity.com
The daily podcast from the scrum master tool box is always an enjoyable listen. I am struck by how the challenges encountered by scrum masters as they support their teams are very similar to those encountered by managers of more traditional teams.
https://scrum-master-toolbox.org
Esther Derby and Diana Larsen, Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great. (2006) Pragmatic Programmers, PLC.
This is a great resource and describes many activities often informed by traditional facilitation which enable groups to review their progress and how they are working together in participative and engaging ways. The aim is always learning how to do things better next time round.