Agile organizations demand a different kind of communication approach, professionals and toolbox. An overview of the 3 tasks, all illustrated with inspiring examples.

1. The 3 tasks of
Communication in
Agile Organizations
May 8, 2019 – International Inspiration on Leadership & Communication

2. Communication in Agile Organizations
Overview
• Who are we?
• Agile in Communication: where are we now?
• What are the 3 tasks?
• How to do them well?
Example SVB
Example Heineken
Examples Yacht & Rotterdam University
• Characterics of future professionals

3. Who are we?
Director
Communication
and Information
Change &
Communication
lead
Independent
contractor and
lecturer

4. Agile in communication: where are we now?

5. 2014

6. 2017-2019

7. Three tasks

8. Corporate communication
• 1 Transform the communication
department
• 2 Communicate about the organization-
wide agile transformation
• 3 Enable communication in value
streams/tribes

9. 1. Transformation of SVB communication

10. 2. Communicating transformation Global IT

11. Values

12. Transformation = reorganisation = emotion
• Part 0: announcement for
reorganization, iterative approach
• Part 1: the vision and the type of
capabilities needed in future
organization
• Part 2: the new top structure
• Part 3: detailed design

13. 3 Enable communication in value streams/tribes3. Enablement:
Shifting professional identity & learning new frameworks

14. Professional identity: from…
I deliver perfect, sound,
high quality strategies,
plans & means for
communication
objectives

15. Professional identity: …to
I work closely together
with colleagues from
other parts of the
organization to
experiment with and
pivot our communication
until the ‘real’ story
emerges and starts
resonating

16. Toolbox: new frameworks to learn
Self organization
Flow thinking Active learning
Balance capacity
with demand
Thriving on
change
Focus on
outcomes rather
than outputsKanban
Flow Framework
Lean StartUp
SAFe
Intent-based
leadership
Mom-testing
Semco
Spotify
Sociocracy
BMC/VPC/SSB
Agile Project Framework
Scrum
Design thinking
Flowlab simulation

17. Eductation: designing for Rhythm, Focus & Flow
10 weeks on one subject
All adjecent subjects fit in
major
Every two weeks the
student team delivers a
product
Formative testing with
feed forward
Assessor and coach;
different roles so
different persons

18. Future characteristics
Current comms professional
• Follows
• Busy doing everything
• Lineair toolbox
• Creates plans & means
Smart connector
• Leads & facilitates
• Selects for impact
• Iterative toolbox
• Co-creates meaning