In the past year, we’ve left the EU, stared down a legislative dismantling of the independent contractor and flexible workforce, and we’re in the crucible of a global pandemic that has shut our doors and distanced us from our teams.
The case for Business Agility is present in any one of those events. The imperative for Business Agility is present in all of them occurring at the same time.
If you’ve ever needed an opportunity to quietly assess where you are, where you want to go, and identify the skills gap in your Capability Portfolio, now is the perfect time to start.
Knowledge is Power. Power is the ability to make your intention manifest.
Enter the Agile Centre Capability Model.
What is the Agile Centre Capability Model?
The Capability Model is a model developed by Agile Centre and perfected through years of deployment in some of the UK and Europe’s largest and most challenging Agile Transformations.
Our experience has taught us that a Scrum Master could have strong theoretical knowledge but fail when it comes to coaching and facilitating. A developer might have great communication skills but lack the coding skills necessary for rapid product evolutions in each sprint.
In business, as in life, interdependence is multi-dimensional and you’re better served knowing exactly what you have, how that can effectively be deployed, and what you need to acquire along the way.
The capability model is a multi-dimensional snapshot of the specific knowledge, skills, competencies and capabilities of an individual, a team, or an organisation as a whole.
It’s measurable, specific, and offers granular insight into what you have, what you can do, and what you need to invest in, specifically and measurably, in order to enable and empower Business Agility.
How does the Capability Model work?
The model is facilitated through conversation, specific questions, and a ranking system for capability.
Ideally, your teams would work through the questions with an Agile coach but it is just as effective as a stand-alone tool for self-assessment. As a leader, answers to questions and discussion around those answers offer additional and unique insights so I would recommend you use it in that way.
It starts on the individual level with specific assessments for roles, for example: ScrumMaster, Agile Coach, Agile Leader, etc. with specific questions that align toward a level of competency as well as capability.
Each question requires a ranking of 1 to 5, and so whilst answering the question is relatively straightforward, the questions and discussion it inspires leads to more gold.
On the team and organisational level, questions guide you through the level of competency as well as capability on a ranking system, through specific scenarios and assessments.
At the end of each assessment, your scores are calculated and plotted on a radar chart.
A one-page visual snapshot that articulates competence and capability for the individual and/or team supported by a report with the specific data and insight collected throughout the interview.
Clarity. Insight. Inventory.
How a Capability Assessment Model Assessment helps you right now.
From a functional perspective, the assessments give you clear insight into where you currently are and what you have to work with. It enables you to plan skills and capability development in the form of training and coaching in a specific, measurable and actionable way.
It also enables you to identify what skills and capabilities you need to hire for, and what areas you would be better served by contracting a services company or Agile coach to service.
From a human perspective.
Motivation and Inspiration
Many individuals will be feeling a combination of uncertainty, anxiety and stress about the future. Working through an assessment with them assures them of continuity and career progression.
Vision and Purpose
Knowing what you have to work with and what you are capable of achieving right now enables you to focus on doing the right work, in the right way, at the right time. It crystallises goals and enables you to set an intention that is aligned with a specific, achievable vision and/or purpose.
Progression
Setting an intention and using the Capability Model results to assess where individuals and teams are best deployed, given their level of competence and capability enables you to rapidly and effectively achieve goals.
‘Flow’ is the term used by researchers to define those peak moments of performance and total absorption where the self vanishes, time flies, and all aspects of performance go through the roof. The space where your competencies are fully employed and optimised, yet sufficiently challenged for the work to be engaging and rewarding.
Matching people to tasks and teams, using the Capability Model, where their skills and capabilities are best suited enables them to achieve flow. Individually and collectively, maximising and optimising progression and continuous improvement.
You’re welcome.
The Capability Assessment Model application is currently in development but we have made a digital download of the Model available to help you mobilise in the wake of Covid-19. We’ve suspended any charges for this Model over the lockdown periods, so why not download it now.