A predictive model for understanding Agile through the behavioral lens

Published 2021

The Agile Mindset

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What is Agile and why are companies focusing on it?SuccessFinder’s research objectives

Building the foundation: What does it mean for employees and leaders to “be” Agile?

Research Phase I: methodology & findings

Research Phase II: empiric validation of the model

SuccessFinder’s Agile Mindset model

Takeaways on how to leverage the Agile Mindset in your organization

SuccessFinder research team

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Table of contents

The Agile Mindset

What is Agile and why are companies focusing on it?

The Agile management methodology is a response to a world that has become increasingly volatile,uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) because of changing marketplace realities (rapidtechnological advancement, digital connectivity, consumer-centric marketplaces, etc.).

Agile can be viewed as a set of knownmethodologies and business practices that enableorganizations to maximize customer value. Thesemethodologies and practices are characterized bya flexible and iterative approach to projectmanagement. They prioritize small to medium-scale projects for the faster release of minimumviable products (MVP) — i.e., deliverables go outthe door faster; thereby continuously deliveringvalue in increments rather than waiting until thebroader objective is met. This allows organizationsto gather ongoing market feedback and quicklyrespond to changing customer needs. Agile

methods leverage iterative processes and time-boxed tasks to encourage reflection andadjustment as well as decentralized ownership anddecision-making. The guiding principle is that it isOK to fail (or to find out your MVP is not quite whatcustomers wanted) as long as you fail fast, learnfrom it, and adapt to still achieve your objective.

Agile represents an organizational focus towards delivering customer value as itspinnacle objective, not just shareholder value. Ultimately, whether anorganization is Agile is demonstrated through its ability to rapidly adapt tomarket and environmental changes in cost-effective ways. It does this byleveraging collaborative cross-functional teams to tackle the most pressing needsand opportunities created in the marketplace, which amounts to fewer butclearer priorities.

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The Agile Mindset

Traditional approach Agile approach

Project cycles with sequential steps (plan, execute, monitor)

Iterative approach (“sprint”) where several steps are executed simultaneously

Stable, unchanging objectives and scope of work until delivery

Focus on goals rather than plans, thereby promoting flexibility and responsiveness

Emphasis on plans, follow-ups, and processes

Responsiveness to feedback as opposed to firm commitment to the initial plan

Heavy documentation Emphasis on open communication, collaboration, and proactive problem-solving

Centralized responsibility and decision-making, forcing teams to wait for a decision before resuming their work

Decentralized responsibility and decision-making, thereby accelerating processes

The evolution from traditional “waterfall” methods to Agile methods represents a tremendous shift. Here are some of the defining characteristics of each methodology:

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Agile originated in the technological industry, which challenged assumptions of 20th century managementto build a new management framework that could better respond to rapidly changing businessenvironments and customer needs. As these accelerated changes impact more diverse industries anddepartments, demand for this new methodology has spread beyond technology-focused organizationsand teams.

Specifically, how best to identify those who will thrive owing to their naturally Agile Mindsets, how to build more effective teams and determine where to focus their efforts (as well as which groups will be more challenged), and how to start at the top to help organisations understand the management changes required beyond just the operational level.

Dispel the myths regarding what it takes to be Agile by looking at the behaviors of those who thrive. This incudes establishing language for the specific behavioral traits that contribute to Agile-readiness and why they’re important.

2. Help accelerate an organization’sAgile transformation by increasing theirreadiness for disruption

1. Understand Agile through thebehavioral lens

The Agile Mindset

Today, larger and more traditional organizations are seeking to become more efficient, effective,responsive, adaptable, and innovative by adopting Agile methods and practices. Our research validatesthis shift. It also reveals that, to be Agile, a business requires more than just a methodology; it requires achange in mindset: the adoption of a new culture and way of doing things.

SuccessFinder’s research objectivesWe built an empirically validated model to help organizations:

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The Agile Mindset

Building the foundation: What does it mean for employees and leaders to “be” Agile?

The idea that Agile is simply the act of adopting Agile methods and practices may provide a good startingpoint to understand what an Agile transformation requires, but it doesn’t give us the full picture. To trulybecome Agile — that is, to achieve an Agile Mindset and adopt a new culture and way of doing things , is torecognize the effect of such a transformation on the teams and people throughout the organization. Youneed to build Agile leaders, employees, and teams to be able to carry out these methodologies at everylevel of the business and realize a true transformation.

For many organizations, simply adopting Agile methodologies and business practices does not provide thedesired value. Many feel they are simply “going through the motions” of the new practices without trulyadopting the mindset that allows them to thrive.

Set of business practices

Mindset “Being” agile

“Doing” agile

One of the things that becomes evident for any organization attempting this shift is that there is a difference between doing Agile –that is, adopting those known Agile methodologies and practices –and truly “being” Agile – behaving in an Agile way, working together, and making last-minute decisions in an Agile way.

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The Agile Mindset

Research phase I: methodology & findings

We first set out to learn how Agile is applied in practice and how different people perceive its effectiveness.We conducted interviews with 13 subject matter experts (SMEs), each with extensive experienceimplementing Agile within organizations and holding relevant job titles and responsibilities as leaders inStrategy and Innovation, tech CEOs, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, or Agile Coaches.

We focused our interviews first on learning the requirements for adopting Agile practices, what elementslead to the implementation going well, and what factors, according to our SMEs, make it more difficult orless effective. We then asked all interviewees to complete a validation survey so we could observe if thegroup perceived Agile in a similar way. This allowed us to get a clear portrait of how the group talks aboutAgile and identify consistent themes in the ways Agile methods and practices benefit organizations,contribute to business success, and sometimes challenge organizations (the issues that were consistentlyraised by the group).

The results from Phase I of our research enabled us to develop an initial conceptual map for Agile, builtaround four key dimensions consistently found in those who thrive in disrupted environments and showstrong readiness to adopt Agile practices:

Agile Mindset

2. Recognize the team,not the individual, asthe functional unit

1. Adaptand preservethrough uncertainty

3. Collaborate &consult to make thebest decisions

4. Prioritize basedon objectives,not plans

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The Agile Mindset

Research phase II: empiric validation of the model

The second phase of our study aimed to test our conceptual model empirically on a sample of peoplewho currently work as Agile Leads or in Agile teams. We sought to identify the common behavioralcharacteristics of the people who thrive in Agile environments versus those who maybe find theseenvironments more challenging.

The data captured in Phase II of our researchallowed us to verify whether our conceptual AgileMindset map was empirically supported by thesample of people and, if not, what other behaviorswere better predictors of high performance.

The sample for our Phase II research included 69individuals working in such roles as IT ProjectDirector, Head of Innovation, Agile Coach, ScrumMaster, Product Development Manager, ProductOwner, or DevOps Specialist within 5 differentorganizations in the banking, insurance,construction, technology, and manufacturingindustries.

With the data captured from this sample, we made some adjustments to our conceptual Agile map. Thenwe validated this updated model against a general working population, and we finally ensured there wasno adverse impact in the model (such as differences in gender, age, and ethnicity).

Phase II of our research culminated in the development of a final, empirically validated model.

The results provide confidence that the Agile Mindset model can be used to identify individuals who were rated as thriving in contexts requiring an Agile Mindset.

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The Agile Mindset

Behavioral focus:

Flexibility, risk tolerance, optimistic outlook, energy and enthusiasm, humility

SuccessFinder’s Agile Mindset model

The SuccessFinder Agile Mindset model consists of four behavioral pillars based on the behavioral preferences of people who exemplify Agile or thrive in Agile environments. Let’s dive into the details uncovered by both phases of our research to achieve our final model.

1. Adapt and persevere through uncertainty

Individuals who exemplify the Agile Mindset are open-minded, adaptable, and flexible. They are willing to take action despite everchanging project realities, and they view failure as a sign of positive progress and as a learning opportunity that will improve future work. When obstacles arise, they persevere to find solutions and maintain forward momentum with enthusiasm and energy. They balance this perseverance with the humility to recognize when their course must be altered and initial plans/ideas adjusted, thriving in ever-evolving contexts and unpredictable environments.

This is what we typically refer to as “Agile” in terms of one’s personal flexibility. This dimension of the Agile Mindset captures how you personally respond when required to adapt or change your ways.Many other frameworks focus solely on this dimension, but, in our model, it is just one of the components required to truly “be” Agile.

We also kept hearing the notion of humility come through: humility to learn from your mistakes, humility to ask for help. “I want to hear feedback, and I want to learn from it”; “I want to grow”; “I won't beat myself down, and I’m going to stay focused on solutions.”

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The Agile Mindset

2. Recognize the team, not the individual, asthe functional unit

Individuals who exemplify the Agile Mindset believe that accountability is shared by the team, not assigned to any one individual. They recognize that decentralized responsibility creates operational efficiencies, drives engagement through empowerment, and builds leaders at all levels. They trust and leverage the competencies of others and truly believe, “if the team wins, I win.” These individuals work to create a psychologically safe environment where team members feel comfortable contributing, and competition between team members is reduced to a minimum.

This dimension takes us beyond the notion of personal agility and into the notion of a team’s agility –especially when applying Agile methodology and practices to teams that didn’t used to work that way, as well as when constructing new Agile teams. There is more to “being” Agile than just your own flexibility –you need to approach your work as part of a larger unit, understanding the link between your actions and how they affect others and feeling like everyone is participating and invested at the same level.

We had assumed that wanting to shoulder a lot of responsibility and having that team mindset – the idea that “when the team wins, I win, and that's my responsibility” – was important. This was in fact boosted by a personal sense of accountability for what happened. These are people who really shoulder the notion that “whatever happens to this team project, I want to make sure that I see it through and see it succeed.” Interestingly, this sentiment is even stronger than we had anticipated.

Behavioral focus:

Both personal and shared sense of accountability, valuing teamwork, achievement based on

collective wins as opposed to personal wins.

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The Agile Mindset

3. Collaborate and consult tomake the best decisions

Individuals who exemplify the Agile Mindset understand that constant communication is imperative in order to achieve and sustain success. They share their expertise freely and provide regular updates on their work, taking care to listen to and learn from others. They proactively flag challenges and opportunities for the team, and they share their input and provide feedback with respect and tact – all in the interest of helping others and serving the collective goals of the team. These individuals make decisions at the last responsible moment (LRM), having evaluated all pertinent information available from both internal and external (e.g., customers, users) stakeholders. While a single individual may ultimately be responsible for making the final decision, solutions reached by consensus are prioritized.

This dimension is in accord with the notion that a psychologically safe environment is essential for people to feel like they can make mistakes and learn from them. If everyone communicates openly and honestly about the challenges they face, sharing information that could help others facing similar roadblocks, then everyone will gain by making the best decisions together. No one individual holds the key; it’s by openly sharing knowledge that Agile teams can move forward successfully, no matter what they encounter.

An interesting behavioral style that came up was not just asking for help but also offering to help. People are very service oriented. We had expected this behavioral dynamic to be representative of a cooperative style in which someone is very accommodating to the group, but, in actuality, this behavior very much relates to being service-oriented: “I want to help others in my team, and I want to make sure they get the most out of this.”

Behavioral focus:

Empathy and active listening, tact and clear communication, focused on others (helping,

influencing, guiding)

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The Agile Mindset

Individuals who exemplify the Agile Mindset maintain awareness in moments that may require them toadjust their course towards their broader goal. Despite everchanging priorities or disruptions, they alwaysknow where they need to be. They are able to proactively prioritize and reprioritize work in response tochanging market needs and contextual realities. They always prioritize based on what will add maximumvalue in the pursuit of their objective.

This dimension is focused on solving problems as they arise. This is where strategy leaves the higher levelsof the organization and comes alive “on the ground” and in the actions taken. This is how teams are able tomove towards their objectives successfully and continuously, even as the path evolves in accordance withthe challenges they encounter along the way.

Behavioral focus:

Big-picture thinking, curiosity, proactively and creatively considering multiple possibilities and

outcomes

4. Prioritize based on objectives, not plans

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The Agile Mindset

Takeaways on how to leverage the Agile Mindset in your organization

The SuccessFinder Agile Mindset model provides everything an organization needs to respond to today’severchanging business environment – to rapidly gather market feedback, efficiently pivot, prioritize tomaximize value for the customer, and, along the way, operate effectively as a team that supports itsmembers.

The Agile Mindset is an empirically validated model that can help organizations understand Agile throughthe behavioral lens, accelerate their Agile transformation, and increase their preparedness or readiness fordisruption.

Through this research, we have determined the relationship between the behavioral propensities inherentto an Agile Mindset. Individuals and teams high on the Agile Mindset benchmark can effectively:

Improve operational efficiency

Prioritize to maximize value

Strengthen product-market fit

Anticipate challenges and opportunities

Improve problem-solving outcomes

Decentralize responsibility

Build individual and team resiliency

Organizations can leverage the SuccessFinder Agile Mindset model to:

Identify those who naturally approach work with an Agile Mindset and are well positioned to thrive in today’s everchanging business environment

Equip themselves to improve the Agile-readiness of their organization, teams, and leaders by targeting the specific behaviors that make the difference between doing Agile and being Agile

Want to find out more about the Agile Mindset performance model? Book your solution walkthrough

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The Agile Mindset

SuccessFinder’s research team

Andrew Watson, M.Sc.Manager, Learning Strategy & Programs

Andrew holds a M.Sc. in Innovation & Strategy from Grenoble Ecole de Management. He is responsible for designing, developing, and delivering certification programs offered to SuccessFinder client users, overseeing the curriculum strategy for different levels of certification, as well as managing the community of certified practitioners to ensure quality experience and support. He is a SuccessFinder Master Coach and subject matter expert with a unique expertise on SuccessFinder’s psychometric assessment and application in contexts such as HR technology, Future of Work trends, as well as coaching for professional and leadership development.

Carolyn Hass, M.Sc., Ph.D.Vice-President, Product and R&D

An Operations executive and thought leader in the HR technology space, Carolyn owns the end-to-end product life cycle at SuccessFinder, driving corporate strategy execution through the design and development of data-driven tech solutions. She is also a master trainer and facilitator, building on extensive experience as a consultant, focusing on the topics of self-awareness for professional growth and leadership development. Carolyn holds M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial & Organizational Psychology from the University of Montreal .

Laurence Crevier-Braud, Ph.D./Psy.D.Director, Research

Laurence holds a Doctorate degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the Université du Québec à Montréal. With her expertise in psychometrics and analytics Laurence leads the research division at SuccessFinder, where she conducts applied research for client projects as well as internal R&D projects.

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