10 Laws of Agile Change Management Methodology

Agile change management is the planning and execution of change management practices that encourage flexibility and speed. Even in fast paced change environments, people still have a need for control, understanding, support and purpose. When these changes are happening swiftly and repetitively, there are specific approaches that need to be integrated. These are what we call the 10 laws of Agile Change Management.

1. Maintain Focus on PeopleRemember even in an agile environment, it is all about the people. There should always be a focus on what people need to feel control, understanding, support and purpose.
2. Pay Attention to LeadershipEven in an agile environment, leaders are the most important element to successful change. In an agile environment there will be a need to for more frequent executive conversations and leadership responsiveness to micro and macro communications will increase.
3. Balance Involvement with SpeedIn agile environments it is tempting to narrow focus on stakeholder involvement for the sake of speed. But having broad involvement will help combat resistance, build better solutions, and ensure sustainable adoption of changes.
4. Staff the Change Work WellIn agile environments, staffing considerations can be complicated by nature of micro and macro level of changes. Change leaders need to be able to envision and set up systems and processes to support ongoing change that are part of a fast-paced environment.
5. Develop Infrastructure to Support Iterative ChangesIt is important to establish a set of tools and processes that allow the change team to break down work into smaller bits that can be used over and over. Having an infrastructure in place ensures that the change management team is not held up when changes are in full swing.
6. Establish Effective Core Team CollaborationIn an agile, an effective core team drives efficiency and effectiveness. It is important for change management resources to embed themselves into key project activities that are repeated with each burst of work.
7. Elevate CommunicationsThe need for communications takes an entirely new level of importance in an agile environment. Agile environments rely on strong messaging and accurate information that gets to stakeholders at each wav of change. Fluid, open, two-way, and ongoing communication between cross-functional teams and stakeholders is essential.
8. Simplify and PrioritizeDo not spend too much time on one thing. Change teams need to be able to think creatively about how to get the most information out with the least amount of time and effort.
9. Look to the Long Term as well as the Short TermBalancing long term goals with short term goals is important. The ability to see the bigger picture will help people stay engaged through the waves of change. Keeping your eye on the longer-term view while still focusing on the current release will help produce better results.
10. Balance Planning with Responsiveness

A workplan is necessary to any change effort but change plans in the agile environment need to be especially dynamic and nimble. Change leaders need to be rapidly responsive to the needs of the business to modify and execute the approach quickly.