IT Teams: Take a Page from Product Development’s Notebook

Training and education: Equip teams with the necessary skills and knowledge through comprehensive training programs on agile principles and product management practices. It’s important for IT Ops teams to understand agile fundamentals, including frameworks such as Scrum and technical practices such as DevOps, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), and TDD are also vital. Effective communication and collaboration training are necessary for seamless teamwork. A clear understanding of agile metrics, performance reporting, and conducting retrospectives are also needed to successfully transition to and sustain an agile model. 

Leadership support: Buy-in from senior leadership is essential to champion the transition and provide the necessary resources and support. Structuring an agile IT team should be a collaborative effort involving key stakeholders across the organization. This includes CIOs, IT managers, team leaders from various IT domains, and representatives from business units. Incorporating insights from HR can also be beneficial to ensure that the structure supports career paths and skill development. Additionally, input from engineering, development leads, or external advisors or consultants who have successfully implemented agile methodologies can provide valuable perspectives. This diverse involvement ensures the structure is comprehensive, aligning IT capabilities with business strategies and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. 

Cultural change: Transforming a waterfall-structured IT team to an agile one necessitates a profound cultural shift. First and foremost, team members need to transition to a growth mindset, viewing challenges as opportunities to learn. Iterating, embracing change, and “failing fast” should be a constant rather than something to be avoided. Collaboration and communication must also evolve. Encouraging cross-functional collaboration and increasing the frequency and openness of communication among team members and stakeholders is vital, with regular feedback loops from customers and stakeholders driving development. Flexibility and adaptability should become core values that replace rigid, long-term planning. An open environment, where information is freely shared and accessible, should be also cultivated. 

Incremental implementation: Foundational to an agile approach is adopting an iterative development approach, breaking work into smaller, manageable increments, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Start with pilot projects to demonstrate the value of agile practices and gradually expand their adoption across the organization. The concept of retrospectives is key to acknowledging what worked and to adjust for what didn’t.  

Measurement and adjustment: Continuously measure the impact of agile practices and adjust as needed to optimize outcomes. Regular feedback from stakeholders and customers, gathered through reviews and direct communication, ensures alignment with user needs. Retrospectives at the end of each sprint allow the team to reflect on successes and areas for improvement, fostering continuous enhancement. Sprint reviews provide opportunities to showcase work and receive immediate stakeholder feedback for real-time adjustments. Continuous testing and integration practices ensure quality and quick issue resolution. These and other agile constructs can help IT teams measure their impact and make necessary adjustments to continuously deliver value.