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Leitwerk: Agile roles & working methods

Agile roles & working methods

When fixed structures reach their limits, agile working methods can bring about more flexibility. When applied optimally, agile working methods can significantly improve a company's ability to react and thus support the development of innovative solutions.

What are the first steps in the introduction of agile working methods in fixed company structures? What contribution do agile roles make? How can agile values and principles be sustainably anchored? And how much agility makes sense at all?

Our approach to the introduction of agile working methods is based on a multi-stage process. This creates acceptance among all those involved as well as a sustainable and effective anchoring of agile values and principles.

We see the empowerment of agile roles and the development of an agile mindset, combined with an understanding of agile working methods, as an ongoing, accompanying process to create the necessary flexibility without jeopardising the necessary stability.

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What are agile roles and how do they affect agile working methods?

Agile working methods serve to support teams or entire companies that organise themselves in an agile setup and implement requirements in the form of a framework. In addition to specific ways of working and methods, dedicated roles with specific tasks and competences are always part of such an agile framework. Agile roles are based on the principle of self-organisation and contribute to more efficient and transparent communication through the application of agile working methods. This optimises collaboration in order to ensure a continuous improvement process, which forms the basis of agile working.

Agile working methods can be utilised in various dimensions. From time boxing, stand-ups and retrospectives to the introduction of an entire agile framework such as Scrum, Kanban, OKR or SAFe®. An important aspect that must not be forgotten when introducing and applying agile working methods is the agile mindset. ‘Doing agile is not the same as being agile.’

The prerequisite for ‘being agile’ is that those involved have an agile mindset that affects the framework conditions, leadership, processes and corporate culture. Agile roles are designed to create precisely this prerequisite.

Agile roles

  • Icon Scrum Master

    Scrum Master

    A Scrum Master, in some cases also known as an Agile Master, has expertise in agile practices and principles and implements these in an agile team. A Scrum Master encourages and supports the other roles in continuously optimising agile processes, working effectively and identifying and removing obstacles. The Scrum Master anchors the agile mindset in the team and thus promotes a culture of openness, collaboration and self-organisation in order to increase the efficiency and productivity of an agile team.

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  • Icon Product Owner

    Product Owner

    As a ‘value optimiser’, a product owner plays a key role in agile teams and organisations. As the link between stakeholders, customers and the development team, a product owner is responsible for the product vision, makes product decisions and keeps an eye on customer and market requirements at all times. By recording and prioritising requirements in the product backlog and regularly obtaining customer feedback, a product owner ensures that the products and services delivered optimise customer value.

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  • Icon Agile Coach

    Agile Coach

    An agile coach supports and advises teams, managers and entire organisations in the transformation to an agile structure and the anchoring of the agile mindset. An agile coach takes a holistic approach that promotes a company-wide culture of agility and facilitates the understanding, introduction and implementation of agile principles and working methods. By optimising the agile process and providing cross-company support, an agile coach helps organisations to achieve sustainable improvements in their working methods and results.

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  • Icon SPC

    SPC

    A SAFe® Practice Consultant (SPC) supports companies as a change agent in the implementation and realisation of the scaled SAFe® framework throughout the entire organisation. With in-depth knowledge and understanding of the framework, an SPC trains managers, supports the identification of value streams and Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and ensures the business agility of an organisation. The agile role thus ensures a sustainable and customised SAFe® transformation.

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  • Icon RTE

    RTE

    A Release Train Engineer (RTE) is responsible for the management, operation and optimisation of an Agile Release Train (ART) in the scaled SAFe® framework. As a servant leader and coach, an RTE supports the ART processes and events in an organisation as well as the provision of services within the ART. An RTE ensures continuous improvement, optimises the flow and coaches the roles in the ART.

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  • Icon OKR Master

    OKR Master

    An OKR Master supports companies in the development and establishment of a customised OKR framework. In addition to ensuring that the OKR sets are linked to the company's vision and objectives, an OKR Master empowers and supports the teams they accompany. To this end, an OKR Master plans and moderates meetings, is the central point of contact for questions and challenges relating to the framework and trains and coaches employees and managers as required in order to further empower them. Other tasks include the continuous improvement of the OKR process, the quality of OKR sets and cross-team communication and transparency.

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Our performance promise

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    The right agile way of working for your organisation

    In a detailed assessment, we work with you to determine which agile way of working is best suited to you. We see ourselves as companions in the transformation process, working with you to implement the defined agile way of working in the long term and continuously develop it further through regular effectiveness reviews.

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    Expertise in the respective agile role

    Our trained consultants have the theoretical and practical expertise to either carry out the role operationally in your organisation or to empower your employees internally through targeted training at our LEITWERK Academy. In addition, we ensure that the agile mindset is successfully anchored through practical coaching of internal roles.

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    Supplementing agile working methods with suitable tools

    In addition to the methodical introduction of agile working methods and roles, we support the introduction and use of digital tools (e.g. Confluence, Azure, Jira).

Project examples

I. Introduction of agile working methods and tools

Scope of commission

As part of the assignment, our team supported an international automotive group in the further development and establishment of agile tools, methods and the sharpening of the agile mindset.

Initial situation

The customer's ‘Shopfloor’ domain carries out various IT development projects as part of the company's own scaled agile framework. The project in question was put together from employees with little to no experience in agile project management. This project involves collaboration with external providers. This constantly presents the project environment with new challenges.

Solution approach

Together, we optimised the agile events by providing targeted impetus in the moderation to promote the agile mindset. We promoted agile collaboration with external providers through various team-building workshops and the introduction of retrospectives, among other things. As part of these workshops, we focussed on picking up ‘agility opponents’ and promoting a hands-on mentality.

Results

Our involvement ensured a smooth flow of work and information in the collaboration between the development team and the external provider (improved velocity). In addition, the project team's independence was strengthened by internalising the agile mindset. The working methods were also successfully optimised by restructuring the tools used (JIRA, Confluence), among other things.

II Agile coaching and introduction of the SAFe® framework

Scope of commission

As part of the assignment, LEITWERK Consulting took over the agile coaching for the IT subsidiary of an automotive group in order to enable the client's teams to work together in the SAFe® framework.

Initial situation

For the customer and its brands, the subsidiary serves as the key to the transformation into a software-orientated group. The joint development of vehicle software is to be driven forward in a new, agile organisational unit. The agile skills of the teams of the different brands are to be enabled for the future collaboration model in the SAFe® framework.

Solution approach

The deployment of our consultants, who supported several teams, was intended to ensure the introduction of agile tools and methodologies in the organisation. One focus of the intensive support was on preparation and support during the PI planning process. Regular dialogue within the network made it possible to identify the need for action in the approach and implement appropriate measures.

Results

In addition to the successful introduction of tools and methods, our consultants also contributed to the development of an agile mindset through their partnership-based collaboration with the teams and reflection in the context of retros. The iterative implementation of agile working methods in the individual project teams ensured the establishment of agile work organisation in accordance with the SAFe® framework.

III Empowerment of the internal Scrum Master role

Scope of commission

As part of the commission, our team supported a medium-sized software company with individual agile coaching sessions for an employee who was newly appointed to the role of Scrum Master.

Initial situation

The team started working according to Scrum, but the Product Owner and team members had very little experience with the Scrum framework.

Solution approach

Various challenges and issues were discussed step by step in individual coaching sessions. Using a systemic approach and with the help of appropriate questions, the Scrum Master was enabled to develop and evaluate suitable solutions and options. The individual development concept was supplemented by the use of concrete examples from practice and the selective presentation of theoretical models.

Results

Thanks to the coaching, the Scrum Master was able to fulfil her role in the team professionally and convincingly and support the successful introduction of the Scrum framework. Through the exchange with her agile coach, she was able to develop suitable solutions for impediments and challenges and support the team in the agile maturity process in the best possible way.

Your advantages
Why LEITWERK Consulting for your setup of agile working methods?

You have the challenges - we have many years of experience in the right working methods and roles in the agile world!

  • Icon Networking of agile roles

    Networking of agile roles

    In addition to anchoring agile roles, we ensure a sustainable network by interlinking the relevant roles across the organisation. In addition, a mutual understanding of roles and clarity about the overlap-free cooperation of the teams contributes to efficient product development.

  • Icon: Everything from a single source

    Everything from a single source

    We analyse your requirements, design and then implement agile working methods. In addition, we support you in the required agile role in every situation. We also ensure practice-oriented qualification of agile roles through customised tool training.

  • Icon: Holistic introduction of agile working methods

    Holistic introduction of agile working methods

    We support you with our holistic, scalable and integrative transformation approach to make the positive effects of agile working methods tangible throughout your organisation. Using a systemic approach, we establish an effective agile mindset in your organisation - from doing to being agile.

Interested? We would be happy to send you detailed information about our solution.
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Carina Werner - Your contact person
Your contact person
Carina Werner
+49 89 189 235 96
carina.werner@leitwerk-consulting.com
.. or write us via our contact form
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