Blog - Aneo

The agile manager: reaching new heights

Written by Mallory Goossens | 06 February 2018

 

On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay set foot on the pristine summit of the world. In the photos illustrating this extraordinary achievement, it is Tenzing Norgay, the porter, who is highlighted, photographed by Hillary.

The rapid evolution of customer expectations, the emergence of a community-based approach in customer relations, and the speed of technological changes place companies in front of a mountain to climb: "digital transition." The agile manager will be a major player in this ascent.

It is indeed a climbing team, where everyone is empowered, has a good idea of where the team wants to go, without necessarily knowing in advance what will be encountered on the way. For the manager, it will be essential to be attentive to the environment and to adapt, not hesitating to adjust the pace of progress or even to terminate the initiative.

In this climbing team, no one is left behind; each member plays a role in the team's progress, providing relevant information for collective functioning, with the collective prevailing over the individual. The manager is there to guide the team towards this functioning, providing the framework to achieve it.

The characteristics of the agile manager will include:

  • Giving meaning to collaboration
  • Truly listening to the team
  • Combining kindness and rigor
  • Making decisions
  • Being an actor and setting an example
  • Knowing how to read and anticipate the environment
  • Advocating for and promoting the team without necessarily being in every photo.