I’m currently sitting in my hotel room at the Central-Hotel Kaiserhof in Hanover. A beautiful, fine hotel - even if it sounds more imperial than it is - at least for a Viennese 😉 Behind me is a long day of workshops at a software development company. The 19 software developers and managers (i.e. all employees) started a series of workshops on agile mindset with me a year ago. Not unusual so far. Until today.
How it all began
When we got together a year ago, I thought: What do they want? They’re already doing a fantastic job. They deliver top software. The customers are delighted. The development processes are running smoothly. Agile working wasn’t just an empty phrase, it was part of their DNA. The employees are satisfied. But they wanted more: more efficient processes, more team spirit, more efficiency, more pride in and more fun at work. But there was still something missing - even if none of us could put our finger on it. And so we set off.
Everything already there
And how to get started now? Upgrade methodically? Well, let’s be honest: software developers can develop software. And if they can’t do something, they teach themselves. They also use agile methods and they are not rocket science. You can find them in countless books, blogs, guides, etc. It’s no secret, fully available and applicable. But the fun begins when agile methods and procedures are adapted via retrospectives and increasingly reflect the characteristics of the teams and employees. This is how the individual, agile path is created. It is always a pleasure when a team gets into this mode and they themselves shape their agile processes more and more until they are so deeply embedded in the company’s DNA that they no longer need to call it “agile”. Then they also have the highly praised “agile mindset”. But where does that come from? AHA!
Search for clues
Agility - everyone wants it. And if you ask 10 experts for the definition of agility, you get 12 different answers. Stupid, right? Not at all! Because that’s what it’s all about. Because this little word hides other agile values such as: Courage, feedback, curiosity, openness, etc. There is no 100 percent defined list here either - but there are many similarities. And this is where we can start, namely by defining the values: What does openness actually mean for each individual and for the team? What does transparency actually mean? And what does feedback mean? And what does courage mean? And then in sum: What does agility actually mean? The collective answer to these questions is as individual as the company itself!
Side note: Agile methods try to “implement” these values and are, so to speak, the best practices of other companies in implementing their agile values. But whether this will work for your own team/company is uncertain. If courage is not the same as courage, then Daily does not have to be the same as Daily. It’s great what comes out of it!
A whole new way
With values, we are suddenly in an area that is suddenly really “soft” and “personal”. And this opens up a whole new dimension: what do I actually have to think when I live these values? What do I believe in? Who do I have to be? What kind of team do we need to be? Reflecting on and dealing with these questions no longer has anything to do with agile methods, but only leads to one thing: the personal development and maturation of employees. Oh my! Suddenly it’s no longer about a little more agile please - it’s about transformation!
“The personal development thing certainly doesn’t work for us! We have experienced engineers and developers. And you know, our programmers are also a bit … well … independent. They certainly don’t sit down in a circle with incense sticks and play stupid games” - well, even if it doesn’t sound very appreciative, that’s what some managers think. It’s just as well that personality development has become massively professionalized in recent years, accompanied by findings from psychology and brain research.
Today
In today’s workshop, we discussed what an agile team needs to think of itself in order to work well - and what everyone believes and should believe about themselves. This not only helped the software developers to form a common understanding of agile teamwork, they also got to know each other on a whole new level and exchanged ideas. And most importantly, one 25-year-old participant said at the end: “Phew, I really learned a lot about myself today. I wouldn’t have thought that.”
And all without a sitting circle, incense sticks and silly games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it not enough to simply adopt agile methods to truly work in an agile way?
Agile methods are best practices used by other companies to implement their own values. Whether they work for your own team remains to be seen. The methods themselves are no secret—they’re freely available in books, blogs, and guides. What matters most is what values like courage or openness mean in a specific team. If courage isn’t always the same thing, then a daily stand-up doesn’t have to be the same thing either.
Why is there no single definition of agility?
If you ask ten experts for a definition, you’ll get twelve answers. This isn’t a shortcoming—it’s the heart of the matter: Behind the term lie values such as courage, feedback, curiosity, and openness, and there isn’t a 100 percent fixed list for those either. There are many similarities, but the collective answer is as unique as the company itself.
How can you tell if a team has developed an agile mindset?
A good sign is when the team designs its own processes through retrospectives and the approaches increasingly reflect the unique characteristics of individual team members. This creates a unique agile path. Ultimately, the approach becomes so deeply ingrained in the company’s DNA that no one needs to specifically call it “agile” anymore.
How do you make abstract agile values concrete for a team?
By going through them one by one and defining them: What does openness mean for each individual and for the team? What does transparency mean, what does feedback mean, what does courage mean? And ultimately: What does agility mean in this context? This work cannot be copied from a template because the answers depend on the specific company and its people.
Why does working on agile values inevitably lead to personal development?
Because values raise questions that go far beyond methods: What must I think when I live by these values? What should I believe in? Who must I be, and what kind of team must we be? Engaging with these questions leads to the personal growth of individual employees. Thus, it’s no longer just about a little more agility, but about transformation.
Is working on an agile mindset also worthwhile for teams that are already performing well?
Yes. The company described—with 19 software developers and managers—delivered top-notch software, had enthusiastic customers, well-rounded development processes, and satisfied employees. Nevertheless, it wanted more: more efficient processes, a stronger sense of team spirit, more pride in their work, and more enjoyment of it. The fact that no one could pinpoint what was missing at the start was no obstacle to getting started.
Does personal development work even with skeptical developers and engineers?
The preconception that technical experts wouldn’t sit in a circle with incense sticks and silly games is widespread, but it wasn’t confirmed in the workshop series described here. The developers got to know each other on a new level. A 25-year-old participant said at the end that he had learned a lot about himself and hadn’t expected that.
How has personality development in a professional context changed?
By 2022, it had become significantly more professional, supported by insights from psychology and brain research. This debunks the common cliché of esoteric-sounding formats. The workshop series described focused on the question of what an agile team needs to believe about itself in order to work well, and what each individual should believe about themselves.
