OUR ‘LET'S TALK AGILE!’ MEETUP SERIES CONTINUES!

In May 2021, we launched the digital lecture and discussion series ‘Let's talk agile!’ on the Meetup platform.

What motivated us to do this?

The key insight from our work in agile teams and organisations is that the idea of continuous development must also be applied to oneself. Ambiguity requires continuous learning, rethinking and reorganisation and increases the relevance of exchange and networking with others.

We know that successful work in an agile organisational environment requires courageous trial and error and experimentation. Anyone who engages with agile working is aware of the numerous benefits as well as the challenges, which can vary greatly depending on the environment. Working in an agile context is about continuous learning and having the courage to admit mistakes and draw new things from them.

In September, we welcomed Daniel Funk as the third guest speaker in our Meetup series on the topic of self-organisation and agile habits. We will round off 2021 with another Meetup in November before kicking off the new year with more exciting talks.

The smaller a habit is, the more likely it is to be positively accepted. [...] Agile habits have to be trained like a muscle.

Daniel Funk

Missed the event?
We summarise Daniel's key messages for you!

1. Do we really achieve change by setting goals?
In principle, goals are useful for setting a direction and triggering satisfaction in the short to medium term.
However, potential problems can arise here:
Winners and losers often have the same goals, so success is not based on the achievement of goals but on the process.
Achievement sometimes only creates a temporary change.
Depending on the degree of goal achievement, goals can affect happiness both positively and negatively.
Goals are not compatible with long-term progress, as they are only a temporary solution.
2. Why focus on habits rather than goals?
Small habits (e.g. 1% daily) are the key to long-term success, as the effect of these increases exponentially over time.
On average, we need 20-100 repetitions to establish a habit and we hardly have to think about the process. A habit is created by a trigger stimulus and the desire to solve a problem. This leads to a reaction, which ideally represents a reward because the problem has been solved.
3. How exactly does a change in behaviour take place?
This process is divided into three main steps, which also relate to the corporate context:
Step 1: Changing results (focus is on setting goals)
Step 2: Changing processes (focus on developing habits)
Step 3: Changing identity (focus on changing beliefs, assumptions and prejudices)
The aim is to work from the inside out, i.e. to strive for identity-based development. When organisations initiate change, it is important to involve employees in this process from the outset. If the reasons and the common goal of the change are clear, it is possible for employees to identify with the change process.