EPISODE 155 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
Agile work is reshaping how organizations approach productivity, collaboration and workplace flexibility. By focusing on outcomes and empowering individuals, modern work practices can transform traditional structures into adaptable, efficient models for success.
In this episode, we break down some next-gen workplace terminology, talk about the history of agile and how it’s evolved, and give you practical advice to adopt and implement this new mindset.
- Understand core agile principles and how it differs from hybrid and flexible models.
- Explore how this mindset focuses on organizational outcomes over rigid processes.
- Discover key benefits, like increased flexibility, collaboration and innovation.
- Learn practical steps for transitioning your workplace, from pilot projects to full-scale adoption.
- Hear best practices to overcome resistance, foster autonomy and support cultural change.
Subscribe to this podcast: Podbean | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | RSS
Get content and communications tips in our Guide to Better Communications in the Agile Workplace
Transcript
Derek DeWitt: Today we’re going to look at a topic that’s become increasingly relevant as work from home and hybrid workplace models gain traction. We’ll be discussing the concept of agile work, its benefits and best practices for implementation. Joining me to talk about this is Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager at Visix. Hi, Deb. Welcome back to the podcast.
Debbie DeWitt: Hi, Derek. Thanks for having me back.
Derek DeWitt: Of course. And thank you everybody out there for listening to this episode of Digital Signage Done Right. Don’t forget, you can subscribe, and you can follow along with a transcript on the Visix website.
Okay, let’s start with the basics. Now that organizations have gotten somewhat used to new workplace models that are, either full-time or part-time hybrid, they’re looking at ways that they can reconfigure facilities and spaces to become more efficient. And one term tied to this is agile work. What exactly does this phrase “agile work” mean?
Debbie DeWitt: Well, because it’s agile, it’s not always defined the same way. So, I will say this, if you Google it, there are tons of definitions out there, some of them a little bit different than others, but one of the things that they all agree on is that work is an activity, it’s not a place.
One of the definitions I really liked was on AgileOrgUK, and it says agile working incorporates dimensions of time and place flexibility, but also involves doing work differently, focusing on performance and outcomes. In fact, agile is more than working in a different way: it’s being and behaving differently. So it’s transformational.
Derek DeWitt: Well, I mean, gosh, that’s something I’ve always thought as a working person, like, don’t tell me how to do it, just tell me what needs to be done, and I’ll figure it out. If I need help, then I’ll ask, you know?
So, agile work as opposed to, say, flexible work and other things that really focus on the employee, this one centers on the impact to the whole company. I know sometimes it’s hard to separate a lot of this modern lingo – agile, flexible, hybrid. Are they different? How are they different? You know, things like this.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah, definitely. We actually created our own little flowchart to address that, and we’ll put a link to that in the transcript. But basically, agile work is the top level term about the overall work experience. So, it sits at the top of that chart, and underneath it are flexible work and hybrid work, because, you know, flexible is about when people work and hybrid’s about where they work. And then there are a bunch of subgroups under those.
Derek DeWitt: Right. And the thing is, this isn’t really a new thing. The concept comes from the Agile Manifesto, which was, back in 2001, I think it was written. And that in turn got its inspiration from stuff written back in 1956 when a software engineer named Herbert Bebington presented a model for software development that breaks down a project into a series of linear sequential phases, which is kind of like a coding assembly line, if you will. You finish one phase, hand that off to the next group, they finish the next phase, they hand it on to the next group, and so on and so on. This is how software was developed for decades.
But then in 2001, 17 software engineers got together to create the Agile Manifesto. Let’s look at this in a new way. It lists four key values and 12 principles for agile software development. These values emphasize individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration and responding to change. And some of the 12 principles focus on customer satisfaction, welcoming changing requirements, sustainable development, and things like technical excellence. And obviously there’s more.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. And a lot of those can be applied to agile work, like we’re talking about it, but that’s one of the reasons we have to differentiate between agile as a project management method, which is still used for a lot of software development, and then agile workplaces, which is what we’re really talking about today.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah. And there’s a full list of principles from that Agile Manifesto from 2001 in a blog article titled Understanding the Agile Work Environment, which, again, there’s a link in the episode notes.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. And the principles from it that really apply to what we’re talking about, focus on simplicity, regular reflection, motivated individuals and self-organization. You know, it’s really more a mindset than a policy. And it’s very much about corporate culture, and it has to be adopted, nurtured and supported at every level of the business.
Derek DeWitt: Right. It was very successful for software development. I know it’s behind a lot of these stereotypes we have today out of that first tech bubble in the late 90s of, you know, coders sleeping in the office and playing, you know, Nerf football and having a PlayStation and Xbox around, and basically just kind of hanging around and making it like a playground. But that was part of this whole movement really.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. And I think one of the reasons we got those stereotypes is because, like we say, it’s about mindset and culture. That was a very different culture, especially when, historically, a lot of businesses have not been thinking that way about general work styles. You know, they’ve been pretty rigid, kind of old-fashioned.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah. I mean, if you Google “agile work”, the reason that you’ll see so many different definitions and conflicting terminology and how-to articles that don’t actually agree about some of the specifics is that there’s no strict structure to follow. It depends on the individuals that you employ.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. It’s not a rigid system. You know, it’s not Six Sigma. You don’t have some prepackaged plan that you can follow from beginning to end. Going back to that AgileOrgUK article, it’s about bringing people, processes, connectivity; and technology, time and place together, to find the most appropriate and effective way of working, you know, to carry out a particular task. It’s working within guidelines of the task, but without boundaries of how you achieve it. And I think that’s a big difference, this lack of boundaries and lack of rigid guidelines.
Derek DeWitt: Right. It’s not one-size-fits-all. People aren’t machines. It’s more like a buffet, I guess. But all of these terms, agile and then its subcategories of flexible and, you know, hybrid and things like this, they somehow involve choices in the how, the what, the where and the when of working.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. Choice is a big one. You know, there’s commonality in these themes and the practices that you can use in your organization, but each business or school or healthcare facility, whatever it is, down to the team level, they’ll have to choose what works best for them. You know, as we said, the mindset is put in place, and then you adopt methodologies, and then you have to experiment with them.
Derek DeWitt: Right. And adjust as need be.
Now, okay, so that’s what it is. Let’s talk about some of the benefits of it. How does adopting this new mindset and applying these practices impact a business environment? Because that’s what’s being stressed here, that this is an organization-focused mindset that has to really be zeroed in on outcomes.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. Because one place will have a different version of what those outcomes should be than another one. The benefits will be very individualized and unique to each organization. But there are some common benefits.
First of all, it increases flexibility. You know, it lets organizations adapt quickly to change, which is great. It also fosters better collaboration and communication within teams, and that generally leads to higher productivity and efficiency. And it can also improve employee satisfaction by giving people more autonomy and accommodating different work styles, which can enhance creativity and innovation.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah. And I especially think the first one that you said, the flexibility thing, I mean, that’s agility in in the modern age, you know? It all sounds to me kinda like a win-win for both the organization and the employees.
Now, we did find some stats out there that, if they are true, do seem to really back this up. For example, some research by McKinsey & Co. showed that 93% of agile organizations report better customer satisfaction, 76% said they have better employee engagement, which is huge, and 93% reported better operational performance. I mean, those are good numbers!
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. And there are a lot of stats out there showing it makes companies faster at adapting, more transparent and authentic, and it improves quality and productivity. But interestingly, I did find one negative stat out there. It said that only 3% of agile workers are satisfied with their work-life balance.
Derek DeWitt: Huh.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. It pointed out that sometimes less structure can lead to a sort of always-on workplace culture.
Derek DeWitt: Oh, like people getting emails or chat messages at midnight that they’re expected to, you know, immediately respond to.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. Yeah. Not everybody’s regulated against that, like some of the European countries. I wish they would.
Derek DeWitt: Hey, organizations don’t do that!
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. So, even if you have a very evolved workplace, you still need some policies to ensure that work-life balance. And you also have to think about how you’ll measure success, you know, how you’ll tie data to the outcomes that you want.
Derek DeWitt: I mean, I’d imagine it’s very easy to measure that sort of thing at the project level, but maybe harder at the organizational level. But things like employee engagement and customer satisfaction, I mean, these are things you should be measuring regularly anyway. So, if you’ve implemented some of this agile work stuff, and your numbers do get better, assume at least a little bit of causation there, I should think.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. And like you said, businesses should already know how to sort out their analytics and metrics to see if it’s having an impact. I mean, please, if you’ve listened to this podcast at all, we’re asking you to measure engagement, for sure.
Derek DeWitt: For god’s sake, just do it!
Debbie DeWitt: And there are lots of articles out there with suggestions on how to set up these kind of parameters, how to measure success, how to measure those outcomes. So again, you have to pick those things that appeal to your individual goals.
Derek DeWitt: All right, let’s talk about some best practices. We kind of said it’s a big buffet of different things you can do. So, how should an organization or a company or a team choose which are the right tools and techniques for them? I assume this takes at least a little bit of analysis and planning.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah, it starts with understanding your current workflows and identifying areas that could benefit from more flexibility. You need to know what you’re doing now and how you want to improve it, basically. Obviously, you need to prioritize what you want to make more flexible. You know, you need to look at the who, the where, the, when, the how, and what scale do you wanna apply all of this on?
You know, do you want to just start with a specific project or one team? Do you wanna start in one location or one branch, or do you want to roll it out companywide? And who do you most want this to impact, you know? Is it your customers, your employees, the organization as a whole? You know, what does each group need and want?
Derek DeWitt: And as always saying, you know what? Ask! Ask your managers, your employees, your customers, whoever it is you’re trying to improve your circumstances for. Ask ’em.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. I’d say you should always ask all of them. Quite frankly, all of your stakeholders should be involved because all of them are gonna be affected by this. But you know, first and foremost, it comes down to concentrating on the desired outcomes and choosing what will best accomplish those outcomes.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah, that makes sense. So, it’s like, start at the project level, or you could start maybe with reconfiguring the physical spaces or adjusting workhour policies or shuffling how teams are organized. I mean, all that stuff’s agile.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. Like we mentioned, it’s a big umbrella. You can experiment with just one or two aspects of flexible or hybrid work. You know, try flextime, try flexible spaces like hot desking or office hoteling. Try a flexible benefits package or activity-based working.
There’s a huge menu of next-gen workplace ideas out there to choose from. And you know, you can also just add in those agile values and principles into your processes and culture.
Derek DeWitt: So, what steps should a company take when trying to transition to agile working?
Debbie DeWitt: Well, it’s crucial to have executive buy-in to support this cultural shift, first and foremost.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah. I’d also say line managers also need to be on board. I mean, if the team leaders don’t buy in, I don’t think you have much chance of success.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah, absolutely. And so, training’s essential for every single person. You know, everyone needs to understand the principles and your desired outcomes.
Derek DeWitt: And, you know, it occurs to me since this is flexible, you could start small maybe with just a pilot project and then see how it goes, adjust as need be, and then gradually scale up as everybody gets more comfortable with it. And then you can expand from projects to teams and then out to the whole organization and workplace culture as a whole.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. And it should spread organically if you’re doing it right.
Derek DeWitt: So, what are some of the common pitfalls companies should watch out for during this time of transition?
Debbie DeWitt: Well, I think resistance to change and adapting your existing processes to this new format are probably the biggest barriers. Because, quite frankly, you either have old-fashioned thinking when it comes to giving people flexibility and agency in their work, or you really want to do this and you just can’t afford it, or you don’t have the resources and can’t manage to roll out the processes to support it.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah, like you said, you have to have strong leadership support, and they need to foster a culture that values feedback, flexibility and collaboration, or you have no chance of success
Debbie DeWitt: If upper management’s not into this kind of thinking. It’s just not gonna happen. But, you know, like we always say, start with why. You know, if people misunderstand your values or principles or the outcomes you’re going for, it’s gonna go nowhere fast.
Derek DeWitt: And I’d say that also probably means that you didn’t do enough training before you rolled it out.
Debbie DeWitt: You also have to consider the emotions and fears that cause change resistance. And you know, a lot of times we talk about employees, but that can also mean management.
Derek DeWitt: Speaking of which, another tip is it’s really, really important to avoid micromanaging. Very, very few individuals like to be micromanaged. They just don’t. This kind of agile work thrives on giving teams and individuals autonomy. If certain people are uncomfortable with the level of autonomy that you’re giving them, it’ll become clear pretty quickly. And then you can, you know, be there as a support, but you don’t need to tell them, “now pick up the pencil with your right hand”, “now draw a circle”, you know? Like, nobody likes that.
Debbie DeWitt: Boy, I hope there’s nobody out there doing it to that extent.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah. Well, if so, you need to stop.
Debbie DeWitt: Right, exactly. Yeah, like we said, it’s all about agency, autonomy. You give them responsibility and you give them the tools to do it. But like you said, it’s not “do it this way”. It’s “make this outcome”, you know? That’s what we’re really going for.
Derek DeWitt: Here’s what we’re going for. Figure it out.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. So, you have to ensure you have regular feedback loops that can overcome all of these challenges we just talked about.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah. And like any good organization, you gotta listen to your people. You gotta give them what they need. And that might be stuff that you hadn’t thought about ahead of time. You know, it may turn out that Joe over here really does need more support. He needs to be checked in with regularly or something like that, whereas somebody else doesn’t need that.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. Good communication is essential, both at the macro level and one-on-one and team-level, communication throughout is gonna be the key here. We’re a digital signage company, you know, that’s why we’re talking about it today.
Derek DeWitt: Right. So, communications. Reinforcing those values, those principles, those outcomes on screens obviously is a really easy way to support this cultural shift. I mean, it’s right there all over the place. How can people not know the times have a-changed, you know?
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. We talk a lot about showing KPIs and progress to goals. Well, consider it progress to outcomes. You know, that’s an easy one. And like you said, throwing up those values, those principles, putting some kudos, recognition, congratulations, you know, all the things we talk about on this podcast for motivation and engagement really work into this. It’s just tweaking it to go along with this new mindset.
And you know, like we said, you have to be flexible. This plan might change along the way, you know, the culture definitely will. But this is a foundational shift. It’s not something that’s one and done. It takes time.
Derek DeWitt: Right. It’s really more of a process than anything else. And it goes on and on and on.
Now, speaking of time, how do you see agile work evolving in the next, I don’t know, 5 to 10 years?
Debbie DeWitt: Well, number one, I hope more businesses adopt this. I’m not sure how this works as well in terms of like a university or something like that, but, you know, maybe it’s not with the students, but it’s with staff. So, when I say business, it’s anywhere you have, you know, managers, employees and customers. So, I hope more people do it.
You know, I hope that as more businesses get used to it, we’ll see more freedom given to workers. You know, they get to choose where, when, how they work. That’s my greatest hope. And I think as long as the outcomes are positive, more companies are gonna go for it.
Derek DeWitt: And I think a lot of the tech that’s coming out nowadays, obviously AI and machine learning, IOT, all of these are actually gonna help make agile practices easier to adopt, to expand and implement. And measure.
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah. And who knows? I mean, they could come up with new ways to do agile. They could come up with new ideas as they can crunch more data. Your analytics, your outcomes are gonna be faster to measure, and so you can adapt faster. So, I think that’s fantastic. One thing’s for sure, though, I will say agile’s not going away anytime soon.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah, that’s true.
So, any final advice for businesses looking to either adopt or enhance agile?
Debbie DeWitt: Yeah, start small and be patient. You know, focus on creating a culture that embraces change and continuous improvement.
Also, you need to regularly review and adjust your agile methods, you know, to make sure they meet the needs of both your people and your organization. Make sure it doesn’t get top-heavy and make sure it doesn’t get bottom-heavy.
Derek DeWitt: Or middle-heavy! Just try and avoid heaviness entirely.
Debbie DeWitt: Yes. You know, most importantly, involve everyone in the process and encourage open communication. You know, that could be the sign off for every one of our podcast episodes.
Derek DeWitt: Yeah, that’s for sure. Well, I’m a big fan of agile. I know it sounds kind of vague, but again, that’s because the specifics will depend on you and what your people are all about, what your organization’s all about, what your culture is, what your tasks are, what your product is, if you have a product, things like that.
Super interesting stuff. I like the fact that the 21st century started off with all these new ways to approach the workplace, and that did come out of the tech world. So thank you, tech world! And of course, thank you Debbie, for sharing her expertise. Thanks, Deb. Really enlightening, interesting.
Debbie DeWitt: Thank you, Derek.
And yeah, for our listeners, if you’re considering transitioning to any sort of next-gen workplace strategy, just remember to take it one step at a time and stay flexible.
Derek DeWitt: There you have it. Again, I thank you for listening and remind you there is a transcript with links on the Visix website.