Adopting Agile for internal comms impact
The internal communications team at Cambridge University Press & Assessment has implemented a methodology commonly used in software development. Has it changed working practices and performance?
Traditionally used in contexts such as software development, Agile is a framework which takes a flexible and iterative approach to project management. Teams work in short (usually two-week) ‘sprints’ or phases of work, reflecting and adapting as they go along. It allows teams to course-correct in pursuit of their end goal, reducing risk and delivering value quicker.
Though it’s been around for decades, the Agile methodology is a fairly new concept in the comms world. Yet it has revolutionised the way our team operates and, in only eight months, has reaped benefits at an individual, team and organisational level.
Our team has its roots in the early days of the pandemic when, amid a merger between sister organisations Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press, a disparate group of comms professionals pulled together to form Cambridge University Press & Assessment’s high-performing, collaborative and supportive internal comms ‘dream team’.
Two years on, the pace of change has not slowed for our 15-strong team, and we’ve adopted innovative new approaches to enable an even more responsive and efficient service to our growing organisation – and each other.
By developing our own version of Agile, we have found ways to break down siloed working practices, perform in a more matrixed and flexible way, and enhance development opportunities – as well as building an incredible sense of team spirit and belonging. In fact, it plays perfectly to our organisation’s core values of collaboration, innovation, responsibility and empowerment.
Adapting traditional Agile to a non-traditional context
Since the idea to go Agile was formed nearly a year ago, the sub-team of four internal comms officers – now affectionately known as the ‘Agile Angels’ – have reimagined their way of working. Day to day, tasks and workloads are managed through Microsoft Planner, which gives the wider team a view of progress and capacity. Work is discussed in twice-weekly stand-ups, with weekly retrospectives and sprint planning allowing deeper reflection and the opportunity to explore and enact improvements. In between, a lively Teams chat is the forum for super-quick issue resolution.
We’re also maintaining an all-important focus on their professional development through monthly hour-long sessions dubbed ‘Development Bursts’, while regular ‘Hackathons’ allow the wider IC team to use a design sprint approach to solve thorny problems in an Agile and actionable way.
The process is ever evolving, and we’re now introducing a gamified technique called ‘Planning Poker’ to estimate the weight of the Angels’ tasks.
Analysis of their first six months’ work in the planner indicates an upward trend in the volume of tasks completed, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Over time, they hope weighing tasks will help them control their workloads even better and manage expectations of what can realistically be completed week to week – with a resulting positive impact on team wellbeing. Further data analysis will also help measure colleague engagement and influence our overall IC channel strategy.
Why take the leap?
Despite some initial (and understandable) scepticism, the whole team has been pleasantly surprised by the ease of adapting to a new way of working. Here are just a few of the benefits rippling out across the team and into the organisation…
- Priority work is delivered faster and more efficiently.
- Space is carved out for low-priority, high-impact work.
- Time is ring-fenced for development, and team members upskill each other.
- Risk is reduced by removing bottlenecks.
- Stakeholder expectations are managed with greater confidence.
- Innovation is heightened and risks taken safely.
- The team feels an enhanced sense of belonging and collaboration.
8 top tips for Agile adoption
We’re still on our own learning curve, but we’re evolving to be more creative and less afraid to fail. These are our top tips for any comms team flirting with Agile:
- Make Agile work for you – don’t stick rigidly to official approaches.
- Engage your stakeholders – ultimately this should make things easier for them, but you need them on board from the start.
- Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone – new ways of working require courage.
- Don’t be afraid to fail – it’s an opportunity to learn.
- Give it a go – you don’t need all the answers at the outset and you can learn as you progress.
- Learn from others – join communities, watch YouTube videos, sign up for courses (e.g. Agile HR certifications which are pertinent to our sector).
- Unleash your creativity – allow Agile to take you to places you didn’t know existed!
- Communicate constantly – it’s the foundation of your team’s success.
We’re delighted to share our story with the IC community. If you’re on your own Agile journey or would like to learn more about ours, we’d love to hear from you.
Kate Hughes is Group Internal Communications Manager and Agile team lead at Cambridge University Press & Assessment.