Why We Need Less ‘Agile Method’ and More ‘Unfixed Mindset’
Long before COVID-19 hit our sunny Australian shores, there was a growing movement towards ‘agile everything’ - from its roots in software development to marketing, research and innovation too.
Now, with uncertainty at an all-time high, it’s no surprise that the promise of ‘agile innovation’ is picking up steam in some circles. The battle-cry of faster, leaner and more flexible that is so inherent within the agile crusade has never seemed more relevant (or more vital).
… But before we all rush from our ‘linear’ processes to the iterative cadence of ‘agile’, we need to ask ourselves – is simply evolving one set of rules into another the right approach? Isn’t this the time for revolution, and throwing out the rule book altogether?
What if ‘agile’ is NOT the answer?
Agile methodologies are fantastic at freeing teams up to operate in less certain times, with less up-front risk. But ‘agile’ is not a silver bullet. It will not cure all of your problems.
Like any good formula, agile is only as strong as the assumptions it was built on. And in innovation, the general rule of thumb is: assume nothing.
What happens when the world we’re operating in becomes so unstable that incremental results never have time to gain traction? When the quickest route to market isn’t necessarily the most sustainable? When true disruption calls for a ‘big bet’ that can’t so easily be broken down into isolated sprints or stories?
The reality is, sometimes we just don’t know what we don’t know. Former US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld infamously framed this predicament as;
“There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.” - Donald Rumsfeld
It’s a tricky one to get your head around at first, but what his framework for risk highlights is that there is a big difference between the risks we observe (and can therefore control for) and those that we haven’t yet anticipated.
Conventional agile ‘scrum’ methods are great when you’re in that ‘known unknown’ zone – when you have a clear-ish understanding of the landscape you’re operating in, the problem to solve and the (business) outcome you need, but just not the exact path that will get you there. It works because you’re in ‘build’ mode, but not necessarily ‘discover’ mode.
What happens when you’re in the ‘unknown unknowns’ and don’t even know it? When you’re innovating in uncharted grounds. When you find yourself up against those inevitable (unforeseen) challenges and road-blocks that any truly new venture will inevitably throw up along the way.
This is where ‘Unfixed Innovation’ comes in. A flexible mindset that lets you operate beyond the bounds of a single fixed method, it borrows the best principles of ‘agile’, (think ‘sprints’), but deploys them within a less constrained framework. A framework that recognises that not all initiatives slide as neatly into the same models that work so well in the sphere of software development… and that different types of challenges, and different degrees of uncertainty, also demand a different toolkit to solve them.
What does this mean in practice? In the wake of the arrival of COVID-19, we were all faced with the same predicament:
How would we persevere in this increasing volatile landscape?… And more specifically for us - how could we shore up innovation effectiveness on this increasingly unstable ground?
Agile innovation was put under the microscope as we all rallied to deal with a tsunami of uncertainty. But, what every (innovation) challenge had in common was the need for a new ‘unfixed mindset’.
Below is a birds-eye view of just one of the innovation challenges we tackled in recent months. At first glance, it looks and feels a lot like agile… and in many ways it was.
Yes – we needed to deploy elements of an ‘agile’ process to move at pace, and ‘sprints’ helped us keep momentum. But how did we know we were moving in the right direction? How did we balance short and long-term thinking? How did we ensure that we were developing a viable strategy, without slowing down or isolating strategy from all the other workstreams?
More important than speed itself, was the team’s collective ability to navigate uncertainty - not just with the efficiency of agile - but with a flexibility in thinking to operate outside the bounds of any ridged protocol and method when needed.
We call this flexibility in thinking an Unfixed Innovation Mindset, and it boils down to four critical tenets:
1. POSITIVE AMBIGUITY
a conscious detachment to allow yourself to move into the unknown without rushing to ‘the answer’
One of the biggest mistakes you can make in innovation is losing sight of the true objective – not having a clear ‘vision of success’ to act as your anchor. But too many constraints can set you up to fail before you’ve even started as well. Often, in a bid to control the uncontrollable and offset risk, we shoot for the ‘solvable’ challenge. We set our projects up with a predictable outcome… and forget that true discovery can only happen when we suspend our judgement – even for just a moment.
Next time you’re defining your vision of success, ask yourself – ‘have you already pre-loaded the answer into your question?’ How can you pivot your target and anchor the process in the problem to solve, not the presumed end solution?
2. EVERYDAY EMPATHY
a relentless commitment to give the end-user a voice, and ALWAYS put their needs first
Working ‘lean’ does not mean taking a lean approach to end-user validation. In fact, it’s the opposite – the faster you’re moving, the greater the inherent risk in the venture… and the more important it becomes to acid-test your assumptions, early, often, and in the real world. Instead of viewing end-user engagements and co-design as a step on the project journey or an optional bolt on (when time and budget allow), think of it like a habit.
Always make sure you pre-build your end-user checkpoints into the cadence of your workplan – and maintain your empathy habit… even when projects pick up pace. Even if you don’t yet know what question you’ll be asking. Even if it breaks the rhythm of your perfectly timed ‘sprint cycle’.
3. POSITIVE TROUBLEMAKING
the bravery to challenge consensus… especially when it goes against popular opinion
Momentum is a powerful thing… especially once you’ve rallied the whole team to work towards a common goal. Saying ‘no’, poking holes, raising doubt – on first glance they seem the antithesis of effective ‘collaboration’, but authentic dissent is actually a critical ingredient in innovation. It’s this challenging of our ideas in their earliest phases that ensures they’re strong enough to survive when they do make it to market.
Instead of focusing only on building up your ‘business case’, think about how you could ‘kill’ your idea. Break your solution yourself (hypothetically), before you get to launch. Then build it back up - better and stronger than before.
4. FEARLESS EXPERIMENTATION
the tenacity to question, test and test again… even when the answer seems clear
When there’s a business-critical initiative to launch, it can feel safer to rely on best-practice. To default to ‘known’ expertise, follow the path of least resistance and the quickest route to the finish line. But in doing so, we miss the serendipitous discovery that unlocks truly innovative ideas – these are the ‘obvious in hindsight’ solutions that haven’t yet flooded the market.
Before rushing forward with a ‘best-fit’ solution, force yourself to take two steps back. Suspend judgement, ignore your instincts (for just a moment), and run some ‘tests’ for the ideas you expect to fail… not just the ‘fail-safe’ solutions you’re confident you can validate (and launch).
Master all four and you find that progress is made faster and leaner by default. Projects and workstreams naturally flex and respond to changing market forces (even when those forces are in constant flux). Risks are off-set and ‘business cases’ stronger than ever… because solutions are stress-tested earlier, more frequently and without the bias that comes with formulaic delivery schedules.
So next time you hear the catchcry; ‘how can we become more agile?’, ask yourself; ‘what if we unfixed our method and our mindset instead?’
Are you ready to ‘unfix’ your approach to innovation?
Our 2-hour ‘Unfix’ workshops; guide organisations through a rapid reframe of a big innovation or business challenge, identify an ‘unfixed’ path forward, and extract a pool of starting ideas to jump-start progress at the same time.
Get in touch to find out more about Unfixed Innovation and how it can help your business navigate the current landscape of rapid change.