Beth SchaeferJune 30, 2021Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

Return-to-Work Phobia | A Workplace Blog

What can leaders can do to ease the fear of returning to work after Covid?

Many people are dreading the return to work: the commute, unnecessary in-person meetings, sitting a cubicle, eating lunch at their desk…

 

For over a year, public health messaging has been that the safest place to be is your home, so it is hard to turn off that messaging just because your cubicle wants you back. Only 44% of workers are comfortable going to a workplace outside their homes.  2/3 thirds have anxiety over returning to work.

Some of the reasons for this anxiety are:

  • Fear of infection – Many households have someone vulnerable to Covid due to underlying health issues
  • Grieving – 600,000+ people died of Covid, which means many more of us are still adjusting to life without a family member compared to a non-pandemic time
  • Distrust of medical institution recommendations – Changing science recommendations as we learned more about the virus, plus a history of inadequate care for Black and Brown people, lead some to distrust any recommendations, including the Covid vaccine
  • Daycare shortage – Many in-home daycares went out of business, and large centers are having trouble hiring staff
  • Isolation = depression – The isolation needed for the pandemic could have led to undiagnosed or unidentified depression, so for some, anxiety about returning to work may be a symptom of something larger
  • Resistance to change – Always a certain percentage of people who just do not want change or are not sure what they want their post-pandemic normal to be – Read more about this in the article Yes, We are There! Or Are We There Yet?

 

Many people are voting with their feet by leaving jobs that require them to transition back to the cube lifestyle and choosing jobs that offer a more flexible hybrid model or to not work at all.

 

While many decisions about the transition back to the office are made by the organization, many of those decisions focus on the physical environment: protective plexiglass, higher cube walls, new barriers, mask rules, installation of numerous sanitizer dispensers, reduced room occupancy rate, temperature screenings, etc.

 

This means that supervisors and managers need to focus on the emotional needs and recognize the true trauma that many faced and are still facing because of the pandemic.  While many leaders may feel that handling staff emotions falls outside their roles, research will tell you that employees who feel their concerns and well-being are being addressed by employers are far, far less likely to seek new employment.  And, having flexible policies to accommodate the transition will help you hire all those people leaving their inflexible roles.

 

Five Actions for Leaders to Manage Return-to-Work Phobia After COVID

 

Proactively address concerns with your team members:

  • When you sense or hear statements that relate to Return-to-Work anxiety, have a conversation with the person and ask that person to bring the root cause and suggestions for addressing it to you.
  • If someone proactively brings up concerns, be honest and sincere about finding solutions within the organization’s policies.
  • Remind employees about Employee Assistance Programs.
  • Encourage employees to know and pay attention to their stress warnings: clenched jaw, quick breathing, fidgeting, neck or shoulder pain, etc.

       

      Rethink your communication plan:

      • Communicate the organization’s return-to-work expectations to your staff. Even if the organization sends a mass message, reiterate what that means for your team.
      • If the organization’s expectations are not clear to you, request more communication from your leadership.
      • Update frequently. We are still in a time of new information and new guidelines; keep updating as necessary.
      • If you have some people still working from home, make sure you include them in all communications. One of the biggest complaints from remote workers is lack of information from their leaders.
      • Consider daily check-ins with staff, not on work getting done, but on how they are feeling. Keep your finger on the pulse of their health, families’ health needs, caregiving to extended family, changes in daycare, and school situations.  Let people know that it is OK to not feel OK.

       

      Experiment on working models, if you can:

      • If you do not need to nail down a new working model, take time now to try out different modes, schedules, and combinations to find the one that works best for your team.
      • Offer the option of an iterative change back to the office.
      • Invite your staff to provide suggestions and feedback on creating a safe workspace to add a sense of control.
      • Be prepared for special accommodations, flexible work time, modified work schedule. If in a union environment, also pay attention to contract constraints, and know that accommodations for one person without official paperwork may need to extend to all.
      • Be flexible and realistic with expectations. Even though people are returning to the familiar, it is still a change, and normal change curve phases (Denial, Resistance, Acceptance, Commitment) will apply.

         

        Be optimistic:

        • Optimism, joy, gratitude, and humor can spread the same way that fear and anxiety is spread.
        • Reinstate the fun aspects of being in the office together. Celebrations, ordering lunch in, wearing jerseys for game days, etc.
        • Consider how to virtually loop in those who work from home to have fun too.
        • Give your team time to interact without you. Colleagues are more excited about seeing each other than they are for more face-time with their boss.

           

          Focus on wellness for yourself (and encourage your staff to do the same):

          • As always, practice a healthy diet, get plenty of sleep, and get some exercise.
          • Fear can weaken your immune system. Eliminate or limit activities that increase anxiety, such as:
          • Watching a news show (look for 5- minute news summary option)
          • Having conversations that only focus on negativity and fear

             

            Using these 5 strategies can help you reduce your concerns and the concerns of your staff as you transition back to the workplace.

             

             

            Beth Schaefer,

            IPD Director

             

            Sources
            • After a Year of Remote Life, New Anxiety Emerges; Returning to Work by Paul Caine from PBS in Chicago
            • Back to the Office Anxiety? How to Keep Your Fears in Check by Dr. Margie Warrell from Forbes
            • Child Care Crisis will Linger After Pandemic by Pat Baustian and Heidi Omerza from Star Tribune
            • Do You Have a Fear of Returning to the Office? By Emma Beddington from The Guardian
            • Why fear is the greatest obstacle to Returning to Work? by Allison Velex from SHRM
            • Years of Medical Abuse Make Black Americans Less Likely to Trust Covid Vaccine by Dan Royles from the Washington Post
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            Beth SchaeferJune 2, 2021DEI Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

            Five Criteria For High-Quality Diversity Training | A Workplace Blog

            The workplace is full of buzzwords … Some that you may know and love (?) are: pivot, synergy, transparency, bandwith…

            Most started out positive, but have devolved into a joke because they are more talk than walk (another overused workplace buzzphrase).

            This year, “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” have also become words the workplace uses more and more. The difference; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) are not just buzzwords.

            These values deserve and need to be a focus in our workplace goals and strategies and are far too important to just end up a part of the buzzword pile.

            Instead of just talking, taking action to make real change should be part of the strategy going forward and training for your workplace is often a good first step.

            Please be aware that the popularity of DE&I has made many trainers become sudden experts; all eager to sell your organization on their training.  When I searched Google 1,370,000,000 results came up under “Diversity Training.”   With so much to choose from, how do you sift through all of these training options and find one that will actually be affordable and make a difference?

            To save you time, I researched what makes a good DE&I trainer and combined the information I found into five key criteria.

            Training and trainers should…

            1. Focus on changing behavior, not just increasing awareness.
            2. Directly teach actions of inclusion. Do not assume that people know how to intuitively be inclusive even when they want to be.
            3. Encourage leaders to also attend training that is focused on improving their own DEI-related skills.
            4. Offer organizations assistance in setting DE&I strategy and training goals that are actionable and in the forefront of the organization’s goals and work.
            5. Have individuals set a measurable diversity goal to work on outside of the training session. The goal should be just outside their comfort zone with support that encourages, not shames mistakes.

            Please keep in mind that even if diversity training for your organization seems impossible right now, you can use the criteria as an inspirational list while you start putting resources towards meaningful intentional workplace changes.

             

             

            Resources

             

             

             

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            Beth SchaeferMay 6, 2021For the Public Sector, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

            Why It Makes Dollars and Sense to Improve Workplace Mental Health | A Workplace Blog

            May is Mental Health Awareness Month

            Things You Can Do Now To Improve Your Organization’s Mental Health – Even While Working From Home

            In the past, I would have dismissed this topic as something that is so distant to me, I would not even need to glance in its direction.

            I would much rather focus on other topics that can claim May as their month:

            American Cheese – and not just the slices in cellophane wrappers, but the artisan chesses.  The American Cheese Society encourages you to visit a local cheese producer.

            Asparagus- hard to grow, but easy to cook.

            Barbecue – obviously, go out to eat

            Bikes – featuring National Bike to School Day on May 5th

            Even, Correct Your Posture Month sounds more appealing than a discussion about mental health, and oh, so easy, to celebrate.  This website says to stand up from your desk every 30 minutes.

             

            Mental Health – no so fun and not so easy to focus on.

            While, in theory I know the stigma attached to mental health and seeking help needs to be removed; when it comes to myself it is easy to think, “I am just fine – thank you very much.”

            In actuality, being just fine would put me in the minority. 

            Forbes reported that 75% of U.S. Workers have struggled at work this past year due to anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other recent current events.

            While many companies are mentioning their support systems more frequently to help their employees with mental health – like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that Metro State employees can tap into, I feel it quite unlikely that I would make that call because I feel “stressed.”  Perhaps, you are like me.  Even though you are struggling with stress, you are not ready to make an official call for help.

            So, what can you and I do to contribute to positive mental health of our workplace – especially when working from home?

            #1. Take Care of Me

            Yes, you first.  

            You cannot help others if you are unhealthy.

            1. Keep a regular schedule each day that includes specific times to:
              1. Stop and start work
              2. Connect with family and friends, and
              3. Provide self -care (time to eat, exercise, and sleep).
            2. Use relaxation techniques, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique
            3. Distract and redirect energy into activities that bring joy – for me – gardening
            4. Schedule time away from screens and get fresh air
            5. Set up an ergonomically correct work station

             

            #2. Take Care of Your Coworkers

            Now that you cannot gather around the water cooler each day, this is even more important.

            1. Show empathy when others share their anxiety
            2. Schedule time to routinely check in with coworkers to ward off isolation
            3. Encourage them to use the EAP if you hear something troubling
            4. Encourage them to be assertive, yet courteous, and say “no” to work or deadlines that go beyond understood boundaries
            5. Encourage them to do the five items above in “Taking Care of Me”

             

            #3. Take Care of Your Staff

            Leaders have extra responsibility in maintaining a health workplace culture.

            1. Make sure your staff is aware of EAP resources
            2. Routinely schedule 1:1 time with team members:
              1. Provide space for them to “not be OK”
              2. Help them feel connected to the vision and mission of the organization
              3. Clarify their role and responsibilities
            3. Encourage staff to set and keep regular work hours. Make sure they know that working from home does not equate to being available 24/7
            4. As guidelines change, create coworking spaces where your team can meet in person now and then
            5. If the position allows, provide flexibility for staff to control their own schedules

             

            If your organization needs some nudging to help you create a healthy work- from-home structure, remind them that

            healthy people are more productive:  they…

            • Call in sick less
            • Reduce the organization’s turnover rate
            • Have more brain capacity available to be problem-solvers
            • Reduce healthcare costs

            One final note, *I am not a mental health professional.*

            This blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment or therapy.

            Now, quit reading this screen and go for a walk.

             

            Resources
            5-4-3-2-1 Coping Technique for Anxiety from Behavioral Health Partners Blog from the University of Rochester Medical Center
            Coping with Stress on Healthline
            How to Keep Your Mental Health in Check When You Work From Home from We Work Remotely
            How Working from Home is Impacting our Mental Health by Bethany Garner from Business Because
            The Impact of Mental Health on Employees’ Productivity by Dennis Relojo-Howell on Psychreg
            Mental Health and Remote Work: Survey Reveals 80% Would Quit their Jobs for This by Chris Westfall on Forbes
            What Employers Need to Know About Mental Health in the Workplace published on McLean: Harvard Medical School Affiliate
            Working Remotely During Covid-19  Center for Workplace Mental Health sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation
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            Beth SchaeferApril 6, 2021Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

            Pandemic Changes That Will Stick | A Workplace Blog

            “The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”
            John Drucker

            For this article, I am taking a quick glance at how our workplace environments are likely to change in the long-term as a result of the pandemic.  It is a non-scientific shallow dive that will most likely align with what many of you have already deciphered through your own observations. For me, I find this topic intriguing because:

            1. My own personal work space will be quite different (see article on IPD move)
            2. The modes of delivering IPD instruction will continue to flex
            3. The way I interact with clients and coworkers will be quite different
            4. And (most importantly) IPD needs to prepare people for their future roles so they flex and adapt with post-pandemic work situations.

            I am interested in knowing what training you and your team will need from IPD to be productive in the post-pandemic world. As we move through this transformational journey, let me know what you need.   Email me (beth.schaefer@metrostate.edu) with your thoughts, and IPD will use those as a starting point for a survey to direct the development of new training courses – whether for you as a leader or the people you lead.

            You can slice and dice the effects of the pandemic on business in many different ways:

            1. Industries that will flourish or perish
            2. Products that will remain in high-demand while others drop down
            3. Habits of consumers driving new services while discarding others
            4. Gender workload differences and pay
            5. Awareness of systemic inequalities in workplace opportunities
            6. Urban real estate declining and small town living increasing in demand

            For the purposes of serving you better, I am looking at the main business change in your work environment- The Remote Office along with the strategies to ensure we are at least as productive as we were pre-pandemic.

            For me, the biggest jolt has been the shift from working in the communal office setting to working solo and remotely.  Almost every other change (such as increased automation, a new focus on AI, moving out of the urban setting, and the uptick with DIY and crafting) can be connected to this one change.  And, it generates a long list of new skills you may need or are still figuring out how to do better:

            • How to avoid “Zoom fatigue”

            • How to function in “hoteling space”

            • How to best communicate – especially the smaller pieces you use to say over the cubical wall or by popping your head into an office

            • How to call upon others to help you quick problem-solve or brainstorm without making it a formal virtual meeting

            • How to communicate project progress

            • How to redo all processes to fit a virtual world

            • How to structure your day

            • How to draw lines between work and home or blur the lines between work and home

            • How to prioritize your work

            • How to find, read, and draw your own insights on data

            The good news is that you are getting some help from your organizations.   According to my sources, most of you are seeing that:

            1. Your company is losing its fear of being an early-adapter of technology
            2. Your work processes are becoming more automated
            3. Your options for hybrid (some remote, some in office) work are opening up

            However, some changes are bit more challenging.  The same sources said that your managers still struggle with:

            1. How to rate and monitor your production instead of your time
            2. How to support your mental health
            3. How to manage teams with the lack of workplace structure
            4. How to make adjustments now that the systemic inequalities are coming to light

            While public and private roles share many commonalities in the post-Covid workplace, public sector managers will have additional challenges when marrying disruption with a system based on stability.  In particular, they will face unsustainable labor agreements with a shrinking tax base and less aid.  When they can hire again, their system touts longevity as a hiring benefit to younger generations who do not care about working for the same organization for 20 years but prefer flexible employment options.   To get the change they need, professional public sector leaders will need to get their councils, boards, and legislators to vote in drastic and dramatic changes.

            Again, please take a minute and let me know areas or topics where you need some support or more information.   Email me with your thoughts, and IPD will use those as a starting point for a survey to direct the development of new training courses – whether for you as a leader or the people you lead.

            I will let you know how I do on my own transition from private office at work to my den at home, and back to my new shared collaborative work space once it is built.

            Beth Schaefer

            IPD Director

            Sources

            ABC News

            BizJournal

            Careers in Government

            Forbes

            Government Executives

            Harvard Business Week

            McKinsey & Company

            Vault

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            Beth SchaeferFebruary 11, 2021Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog, Workplace Wins

            Build Bridges Within Your Village | A Workplace Blog

            By: Beth Schaefer    Director, Institute for Professional Development

            I believe mentoring can help Minnesota build a competent workforce for all generations of workers by satisfying the workplace needs and personality traits that every generation has.

            As an example, I am a Gen Xer.  According to experts, that makes me independent, innovative, and a strong communicator.   While at work, I am likely to seek problem-solving opportunities and enjoy working with competent colleagues; because of this, mentoring provides a clear outlet for me to meet my Gen Xer needs.

            The Y’s (aka Millennials) are tech-savvy, collaborative, and focused on the greater good; they want meaningful work.  Mentoring fits their traits and provides the meaningful work they seek.

            Baby Boomers, along with being optimistic and hard-working, enjoy mentoring. The opportunity to mentor others is often listed in their workplace needs, so a connection to mentoring is obvious for them.

            So, all the generations agree (on this one thing, anyway), that we should find more ways to mentor in the workplace.

            Being a part of the Village is more than just giving, it is receiving.  A new generation of workers is entering the workplace, and as much as we can teach them – there is a lot we have to learn.

            Gen-Zers have plenty of skills to contribute.  Just some of their noticeable workplace traits are:

            • digitally fluent (and who could not use that during a pandemic)
            • practical (and who could not use that during a pandemic), and
            • flourish in diverse workplace settings (and who could not use that – always).

            They will be seeking culturally competent employers.  Is your workplace culturally ready to recruit and onboard this next generation of valuable workers?

            Consider mentoring as a rewarding step to build the cultural competency of all the valuable generations in your workplace.

            Generation traits and needs from Hobsons Associates.

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            Beth SchaeferJanuary 19, 2021Pandemics, Holidays & Other Stresses, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog, Workplace Wins

            Look Beyond For Joy | A Workplace Blog

            Look Beyond For Joy

            By: Beth Schaefer    Director, Institute for Professional Development

            Normally, this is the time of year that I write about the “New Year, New You” and how training classes at IPD can help with that.

            However, 2020 was not a year of normal, and the first few weeks of 2021 have not started as normal either (I hope).

            While training brings joy to me – it is my passion and how I like to help others – taking a training course will most likely not fulfill your need for joy.  What does joy even mean in these extraordinary times?

            The most common definition of joy has not changed; Joy is a sense of well-being connected to living our convictions.

            In contrast, the common definition of happiness is; the result of an event or circumstance.

            While these times do not afford as many occasions for happiness, they do offer opportunities for joy; for what better time than now to reaffirm, recommit, and live your beliefs?

            To help, here are some action steps I learned while studying the practice of joy.  I hope they will help you better live out your convictions during these turbulent times.

            Express gratitude each day.

            What is something you can be thankful for today?

            Connect with others.

            Who in your life needs you to reach out to them with a word or note of encouragement?

            Look for a silver lining. Adversity brings opportunity.

            What opportunity do you have now due to the current circumstances?  What action can you take to bring that opportunity to fruition?

            I wish you peace and joy in 2021.

            Please join our LinkedIn or Facebook pages for more information on upcoming events.

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            Beth SchaeferMarch 10, 2020Business Architecture, For the Public Sector, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog

            Your Organization Needs Business Architecture | A Workplace Blog

            Why Your Organization Can Use Business Architecture

            Since business architecture is an emerging discipline, you may be hesitant to commit to paying for someone at your organization to attend business architecture training.  Here are 5 reasons why your investment would be wise.

            Business architecture concepts can be used every day to help your organization grow and prosper.

            Even if you do not have the role of  “Business Architect” at your organization, having people who understand business architecture will still be a benefit. Just like millions of people use project management tools as part of their daily jobs without the title of  “Project Manager,” your organization can benefit from the immediate use of the techniques and concepts learned in a business architecture certification course.

            Business Architects are neutral problem-solvers that break down silos.

            Business architects have tools that they can use at any point of a business problem to help business leaders and operational leaders define problems and solutions at a department level, a division level, or (ideally) an enterprise level. Business architects operate outside the silos that can hinder your organization’s ability to work cross-functionally toward one set of objectives.  Unless your organization is problem-free, you can use these skills and tools.

            Business Architects draw the connection between where you are today and where you envision being in the future.

            Besides tools, business architecture teaches people a new way of thinking.  It provides a lens that allows a business architect to ask the right questions that define a business strategy or growth opportunity and create the roadmap (literally, there are a variety of roadmaps) to show the way from the current state to future potential.

            Business Architects get the strategy right the first time.

            Do you sometimes roll out initiatives that miss the mark?   Do they create less value than anticipated, or do they actually make things worse for your customers?  Business architects learn about relationship management.  They find out who needs to be at the table and heard before strategic initiatives get speeding along in the wrong direction.

            Business Architects help you prioritize resources.

            Does your organization have more improvements and initiatives than it has resources to invest in? Business Architecture can help your company align its resources (people, data, technology, and processes) with what it needs to grow.

            Do not wait for the official title. Do not wait for the official department. Do not wait to start using business architecture everyday in your organization because…

            Business Architecture solves business problems!

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            Beth SchaeferNovember 16, 2018Business Architecture, For the Public Sector, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog, Workplace Wins

            Leadership – How do you encourage Agile and innovation in a Bureaucracy? | A Workplace Blog

            How does Leadership encourage Agile and innovation in a Bureaucracy?

            By: Beth Schaefer    Director, Institute for Professional Development

            Are you a leader supporting Agile efforts in a large traditional or bureaucratic organization? Let’s help each other.

            I have Agile going on two fronts now – well, three if count our Agile training programs.

            1. My department is designing and building new business architecture courses with an agile or iterative approach. More on this in the next pocket agile blog.
            2. On the university org. chart, my department has been housed in the Center for Education Innovation (CEI) for the last two years. We are in talks of how to be agile in a government institution like a university.

            What is the Center for Education Innovation (CEI)?

            The Center is comprised of what I consider the most entrepreneurial of the university departments (although I am sure some would argue otherwise) because they are departments that say, “yes” to new ideas and then figure out a way to do it.  As department leaders, we are all calculated risk takers.

            • The CEI Current status?

            Up until now, despite being under the same org. chart umbrella, our departments have largely worked independently of each other or, at best, done some ad hoc, as-needed collaborations.   We do talk about making sure we maintain a culture of innovation, and we have loosely defined what the elements of that culture need to be.

            • CEI Future state?

            As often happens on the organizational maturity continuum, we are looking at moving from ad hoc to standardizing or making our innovation efforts more intentional.  We have started informal discussions on what the value proposition of the CEI should be, who the CEI customers are, and who (what other departments or roles) might be necessary to enable CEI to be Agile and innovative amid a large bureaucracy.

            So, here are my big questions –

            1. If the Agile approach is a necessary component of innovation, how does one blend Agile with bureaucratic processes?
            2. If we start formalizing our CEI to better navigate existing processes, at what point, is the CEI no longer entrepreneurial and just another branch of the bureaucracy?

            What is your best lesson learned to share with the rest of us? I am curious to hear from you.  

            To help, I found this snippet in a longer article in the Harvard Review called Agile at Scale.  I think it provides an interesting intersection between agile pockets and traditional organizational structure.

            When leaders haven’t themselves understood and adopted agile approaches, they may try to scale up agile the way they have attacked other change initiatives: through top-down plans and directives.

            The track record is better when they behave like an agile team. That means viewing various parts of the organization as their customers—people and groups whose needs differ, are probably misunderstood, and will evolve as agile takes hold.

            The executive team sets priorities and sequences opportunities to improve those customers’ experiences and increase their success. Leaders plunge in to solve problems and remove constraints rather than delegate that work to subordinates. The agile leadership team, like any other agile team, has an “initiative owner” who is responsible for overall results and a facilitator who coaches team members and helps keep everyone actively engaged.

            I have sent this article to the other directors under the Center of Education Innovation umbrella, and await their thoughts as to our next steps.

            In addition, I am interested in knowing other leaders successes or failures.

            Please comment on our LinkedIn or Facebook pages.

             

             

             

             

             

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            Beth SchaeferOctober 2, 2018Business Architecture, Leadership and Strategy Blogs, Professional Development and Career Advancement Blog, Workplace Wins

            Is Pocket Agile a Thing, or Did I Just Invent It? | A Workplace Blog

            Is Pocket Agile a Thing, or Did I Just Invent It?

            Or – Is it OK to be Agile Lite?

            By: Beth Schaefer    Director, Institute for Professional Development

            I hesitate to say that I am practicing Agile because I have not been formally trained in Agile. And, I work in higher education – an industry not known for being quick to change.

            So instead, I say that I am making iterative changes – much less official – no standardized rules or manifestos to follow if one is just growing and improving in an iterative fashion.

            However, when I look at my project list, I have lots of opportunities to be Agile:

            • Changing a classroom experience in business architecture into a virtual experience
            • Working with IT professionals to determine my university’s role in recruiting and retaining a talented pool of IT workers for Minnesota
            • Partnering with clients to design effective training experiences

            Of course, like the rest of you, Agile is on my radar these days – and as it moves out of IT and software development to infiltrate other parts of organizations*, my interest grows.

            So, what are my next actions steps to become officially Agile?

            Step 1: Get over the idea that Agile is only for software development.

            Over the next few months, I will focus my blogs on how Agile is being used in:

              • HR
              • Marketing
              • Designing Office Space
              • Business Office Efficiencies

            Step 2: See how the Agile Manifesto can apply to education and training.

            Applying the Manifesto outside software development may label me Agile Lite, but I will do it anyway. I will post it once I have it completed.

            Step 3: Take a class to learn more about Agile and its methodologies.

            My department has 5 project instructors with expertise in Agile and Scrum and all with their own opinions. They will provide information for me to choose the path that works best for my department and eventually (hopefully) my organization.

            Step 4: Innovate and improve – iteratively.

            For now, I need to move iteratively. I have recently moved to being OK with iterative change rather than “flip the switch” change, so we will start pockets of Agile and continue to research if “Pocket Agile” can work in a non-Agile organization.  Yes – more future blogs

            * Here are some articles on using Agile across organizations – both pros and cons.

            An Operating Model for Company-wide Agile Development from McKinsey&Company by Santiago Comella-Dorda, Swati Lohiya, and Gerard Speksnijder

            While this blog is to sell their product, it does provide some good talking points that may be useful for describing the Agile maturity of your own organization. In addition, there is a handy chart that illustrates differences in structures, interactions, roles, and budgeting between traditional organizations and agile ones.

            Can Big Organizations Be Agile?   From Forbes by Steve Denning

            Steve says “yes.” And, not only Agile but entrepreneurial.  He shares examples of where it is happening, including Ericsson, Spotify, Barclays, and Microsoft – including lessons learned by our own CH Robinson’s Agile transformation.

            Bring Agile to the Whole Organization. From Harvard Business Review by Jeff Gothelf

            Jeff starts by stating that we are all in the software business now. He provides some examples of HR and finance can change their structure to support Agile entrepreneurial employees.

            Embracing Agile from Harvard Business Review by Darrell K. Rigby, Jeff Sutherland, and Hirotaka Takeuchi

            This team of writers makes an argument for training executives to understand Agile to move agile out of pockets and spread across organizations.

            Agile training for executives from Institute of Development at Metro State

             

             

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