Agile projects and self-organised teams are in vogue: With Scrum and SAFe (scaled agile framework), as well as holacracy, sociocracy and collegial management, ‘autonomy & transparency’ is being adopted by companies instead of ‘command & control’. This kind of transformation is a challenge for management and teams – and can occasionally be overwhelming. This CheckPoint – consisting of a questionnaire and subsequent recommendations – helps you to find out to what extent your team already meets the requirements for the beneficial introduction of agile methods or self-organisation. You can also pinpoint which areas you and your team still need to work on.

Information about the CheckPoint.

The CheckPoint is structured as a two-stage questionnaire and you can answer it for yourself or together as a team. In 10 minutes and with 10 questions, you can determine whether the prerequisites for agile/self-organised collaboration are met and receive initial recommendations for the next steps. In another 20 minutes and by answering around 30 in-depth questions, you can learn more specifically where there is a need for development and where conditions are already conducive. The questions are taken from developmental psychology, the dysfunctions of teams according to Lencioni, and empirically based models. Since the situation in your team, and thus also the prerequisites, will change, you can repeat the CheckPoint at regular intervals.

Results as a basis for dialogue.

The key factor is not the specific results concerning the current situation, but rather dialogue about the various assessments. A group discussion can generate the energy for change and produce clarity about the ‘destination’. This is why we recommend that you view the results as a team – possibly with your management too.

The canvas to be downloaded can be a helpful instrument for such a dialogue.

Agility and self-organisation explained.

Because of its overly frequent use, the word ‘agile’ is often misunderstood. Basically, agility means nimbleness, manoeuvrability, or flexibility in organisations and persons or in structures and processes. Unforeseen events and new requirements are met with flexible solutions, and people are not only reactive but also proactive. Accordingly, agility refers to rapidity, adaptability, and customer orientation, as well as the attitude upon which agility is based.

Agile collaboration can be implemented on a project or process basis. The best-known agile methods include Kanban, Scrum, Design Thinking and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). Self-organisation refers to a situation in which management structures are abolished and management tasks are allocated within the team. The best-known organisational forms in this case are holacracy, sociocracy and collegial management.

The aim of agile collaboration is to create a self-managing and adaptable company. Importantly, this is not an ‘either or’ choice but rather an ‘as well as’ situation. In a stable environment, traditional forms of organisation can be more efficient, while in a complex-chaotic environment, agile collaboration is a more appropriate approach.