Thousands of people start a new business every year. Unfortunately, not all of them survive. The fact is, close to 22 percent of new companies close at the end of the first year.
There are many reasons why this takes place. A downturn in the economy or lack of funding is two. However, what really hurts a new business is a failure in project management.
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Issues With Project Management
When too many projects are worked on at one time the result is mismanagement. One project gets an overwhelming amount of help while another gets little or no assistance. Also, important deadlines are regularly missed. These situations result in lost revenue and clients. Furthermore, it causes stress within the workplace.
Stem The Tide Of Closure
Before things get too serious it’s recommended you get outside help. Instead of a regular consultant, you need to go with an agile coach. They can show you another way to handle projects that increases productivity and eases internal tensions.
Here are a few reasons why you should consider agile coaching.
Certification
Before someone becomes a coach, they go through an agile coaching certification online. For this, they work with organizations like ZenAgile to study the methods behind the practice.
Certification doesn’t mean they start coaching immediately. They shadow another agile representative to understand the process from a live perspective. Then, the roles are reversed as they go on their first assignment.
Smaller Pieces
The major difference between standard consulting and agile methodology is how it handles a company. Instead of looking at it as a whole, agile coaches focus on shorter development cycles for continuous improvement.
Rather than seeing everything at the top level, managers and workers take a close-up look at each department. After they examine every one they bring on a “scrum” coach to keep everyone motivated. As a result, the organization receives a whole-company workout to improve their interactions.
They Have Principles
Consultants tend to work on an independent basis. They have a set of skills that worked for them in the business world and they try to apply them to your organization. However, not everything may stick. In fact, their advice might be worthless.
Agile methodology is an internationally-known practice that has been around for over 50 years. Since then, the program has developed 12 principles they follow for each project. These include maintaining customer satisfaction, increasing the frequency of product deployment, and conducting face-to-face meetings.
They Promote Flexibility
A major reason why departments run into project difficulties is the lack of flexibility. Be it the supervisor or employees, no one is willing to try a different way of doing things. As a result, the project slows down or could even stall.
Agile coaches promote flexibility as a solution to issues. They talk to everyone about the concepts around adaptability and how they maximize development. Rather than giving a lesson and leaving, the coach stays as long as they need to ensure everyone is on the same page.
They Encourage Collaboration And Feedback
A “What I say goes” attitude by the company owner or management also slows product development. Sometimes they want something that isn’t feasible in the time given. When team leaders try to tell them this, upper levels of administration demand that they make it work.
Agile coaches don’t accept this as a solution. Instead, they work with management and their departments to encourage collaboration and feedback. They teach people how to discuss an issue without it escalating into a larger problem. They open up channels of communication that the company never worked with.
They Don’t Leave Until Processes Work
The average consultant is there for the length of their review and submission of changes. They might stay on for a bit, but they eventually leave with the sense the company should figure it out on their own.
The agile coaches that come to your company don’t do that. Once they review your overall production they bring in other team members to work with individual departments. These people help bridge communication gaps within and outside their groups. They also guide them through the necessary processes.
Overall, an agile coach can reduce the risk of your company being one of the near 22 percent that closes after one year.
