What happens when senior leaders ask middle managers to control their staff, but at the same time tell the entire organization “We’re going Agile”?
It’s a classic situation. Senior leaders, who don’t really understand what they’re asking for, tell the entire organization we’re diving head first into Agile. They invest millions in time and resources in training up the people on the ground, but continue to work in their corner offices the way they always did.
Meanwhile, middle managers are stuck between the old way of working and the new. Their managers are upset with them when they don’t control their staff. Their staff is upset because they’ve been trained to think for themselves, but aren’t freed up to do so. And, big surprise, the organization does not see the gains from Agile that they expected.
What can we, as leaders both middle and senior, do to influence this situation? What have you tried that has worked, and what have you tried that didn’t work so well? What have you seen others do that you’d like to emulate?
Inspiration post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jpsnook_agile-strategy-management-activity-6987756445819695105-kvoG?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
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