{"id":7728,"date":"2017-04-19T18:33:50","date_gmt":"2017-04-19T18:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.uruit.com\/?p=7728"},"modified":"2023-05-31T08:42:22","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T11:42:22","slug":"shaping-agile-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/shaping-agile-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"The company&#8217;s profile: shaping an Agile Mindset"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/shaping-agile-mindset\/#The_companys_profile_shaping_an_Agile_Mindset\" title=\"The company\u2019s profile: shaping an Agile Mindset\">The company\u2019s profile: shaping an Agile Mindset<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-3\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/shaping-agile-mindset\/#Contradictions\" title=\"Contradictions\">Contradictions<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/shaping-agile-mindset\/#For_an_Agile_Mindset_tips_tools\" title=\"For an Agile Mindset: tips &amp; tools\">For an Agile Mindset: tips &amp; tools<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/shaping-agile-mindset\/#Your_companys_profile_make_your_list\" title=\"Your company&#8217;s profile: make your list\">Your company&#8217;s profile: make your list<\/a><ul class=\"ez-toc-list-level-4\"><li class=\"ez-toc-heading-level-4\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/shaping-agile-mindset\/#People_who_work_in_UruIT\" title=\"People who work in UruIT:\">People who work in UruIT:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_companys_profile_shaping_an_Agile_Mindset\"><\/span><span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;The company\u2019s profile: shaping an Agile Mindset&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:15231,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;4&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:16777215},&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;6&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;7&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;9&quot;:0,&quot;11&quot;:3,&quot;12&quot;:0,&quot;14&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0},&quot;15&quot;:&quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;16&quot;:11}\">The company\u2019s profile: shaping an Agile Mindset<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I love Agile, but, in this case, we need to be more hierarchical\u2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is okay for people to choose what to work on, but this project is more important and I need these people working on that.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m all about transparency, but I\u2019m afraid of what people will do if we make this information public.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are some of the many phrases I encounter regarding \u201cagile transformations\u201d. They all follow the same formula: first the person says he agrees with the agile principle; he then follows up with a \u201cbut\u201d. Finally, he declares the reasons why in this case his actions will be different from his words. Little by little, the exception becomes the rule, and the evident contradiction undermines the efforts on the road to agility, regardless of how much we have spent hiring consultants, getting certificates, courses, books, or whatever the newest trend is. <\/span><b>There is no transformation strategy to support, in a sustainable manner, the difference between words and actions.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Contradictions\"><\/span>Contradictions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many times, the biggest contradictions lie within the organization\u2019s internal structures and policies. We cannot talk about horizontality in a highly hierarchical environment, or in the case where a team has a boss. We can&#8217;t talk about trust if there is a Human Resources department approving and refusing holiday leave. Also, we cannot talk about autonomy or transparency when a third party changes the configuration of a team based on information only he\/she has.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is extremely important to be aware of and know what to do when we are against the values we preach. Especially when our brain<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cognitive_dissonance\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">has the best tools for ignoring these differences.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Personally, I have found some things I believe have helped me navigate through this sea of contradictions we are made of.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"For_an_Agile_Mindset_tips_tools\"><\/span>For an Agile Mindset: tips &amp; tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First and most important, it\u2019s about working with people who, even though they may not share the agile mindset and the fundamental principles of what we are trying to promote, they do have the courage and confidence to help us realize when we have obviously departed from our own path.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to know more about <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/principles-highly-effective-teams\/\">creating highly effective teams, take a look at this other article of mine<\/a>. In this post<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0I discuss the principles and policies we have embraced when forming new \u00a0teams, or making changes to the teams that already exist. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dennisbakke.com\/\" class=\"external\" rel=\"nofollow\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Joy at Work&#8221;<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I came across another tool I found extremely useful; it simply consists of making a general profile of each person working in the company. This will function as a guide when it\u2019s time to define our policies and rules in our organization. This profile highlights who we are. It is used when we make our policies, take decisions and when we choose a certain path.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Your_companys_profile_make_your_list\"><\/span>Your company&#8217;s profile: make your list<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7730 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/DSC_1524-min.jpg\" alt=\"agile mindset\" width=\"6016\" height=\"4000\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If we are aware that a person is reliable, then it should be easy to make certain information available. If we assume people are intelligent, we shouldn\u2019t think that we are the only ones capable of making a decision. <\/span><b>If we believe people are capable of doing their job, maybe we won\u2019t feel the need to control.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When creating these policies and rules, we must be sure they\u2019re aligned to the general profile of people working in our company, not for the borderline cases or exceptions. Moreover, when we encounter these exceptional cases, we should not be disappointed; a profile is an assumption, as flawed as those we make on a daily basis; it\u2019s abstract. I believe that the most important thing is for <\/span><b>our policies not to reflect what we wish to avoid, but rather what we are aiming for.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is really helpful that the profile description is simple, short, supported by the organization\u2019s leadership. Above all, it should be used as a basis for making decisions for problems to come. Thus, we will be more conscious about the size of the changes we propose, and how close we are to really adopting what we preach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe it is not necessary to start with an agreed description that encompasses the entire company; maybe a more personal exercise that defines our abstraction from the people we work with is enough. From there, we can learn to expect better things from our environment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has been almost two years since I made this exercise I\u2019m now sharing; it has changed very little, and I\u2019m still using it for <strong>UruIT<\/strong>, the company I\u2019m working for.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"People_who_work_in_UruIT\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who work in UruIT:<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are reliable; restrictive control mechanisms are unnecessary;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have good intentions. In the case of a mistake, the assumption is they acted trying to accomplish their work in the best possible manner;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are transparent, have no fear of showing what they do and why;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are intelligent and rational, the things they do are for a reason;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">want to improve and learn new things all the time; that is why they may feel down if they do not have the necessary means to achieve it;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are autonomous and responsible. They do not need a person constantly telling them what to do in order to excel at work;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are cooperative, they would rather work in teams.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To continue the conversation about Agile Mindset\u00a0and how you can implement this simple activity in your company for a more agile and effective team, tweet us at @UruIT and share your thoughts!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contents The company\u2019s profile: shaping an Agile MindsetContradictionsFor an Agile Mindset: tips &amp; toolsYour company&#8217;s profile: make your listPeople who work in UruIT: The company\u2019s profile: shaping an Agile Mindset&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":7735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[275],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7728"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7728"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11234,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7728\/revisions\/11234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}