Developing self-organisation:
Consulting on the agile organisation of an IT department

Generating speed and flexibility through a new collaboration model. Case of an IT department in the context of Neuwaldegg’s consulting for agile organisations.

An organisation at the limits of enhancing efficiency

A well-estab­lished IT depart­ment with long-stan­ding employees is at the limits of enhan­cing effi­ci­ency in the hier­ar­chical system that has grown over the years. Some­thing funda­mental has to change in the way they work toge­ther and in the orga­ni­sa­tional struc­ture in order to meet the chal­lenges of ever­yday life and the future. Personal respon­si­bi­lity, self-orga­ni­sa­tion and agility should be increased. At the same time, the depart­ment is part of an orga­ni­sa­tion that is clas­si­cally hier­ar­chi­cally managed and will not change in this respect.

Speed and flexibility through a new collaboration model

The aim of the project is to achieve more focus for the indi­vi­dual in their work through a new orga­ni­sa­tional struc­ture and clear roles, thereby provi­ding real added value for our clients. The orga­ni­sa­tion picks up speed through short decision-making paths and increased decision-making autho­rity. Roles instead of posi­tions create flexi­bi­lity in coping with daily tasks and mobi­lity for future deve­lo­p­ments. Every single employee’s room for mano­euvre should be increased in order to make decis­ions where the expert know­ledge for this lies.

Rapidly developing a first prototype

The first phase of the project is charac­te­rised by inten­sive work with the department’s manage­ment team. The most important key ques­tion at the begin­ning: Which problems do we want to solve and which form of (self-) orga­ni­sa­tion is helpful? It is criti­cally examined whether a change process is wort­hwhile and it quickly becomes clear that a mere struc­tural change is certainly not enough. Leader­ship needs to be more distri­buted throug­hout the entire orga­ni­sa­tion and roles need to be defined. Which decision-making autho­ri­ties are dele­gated to the employees is clearly defined by manage­ment level and trans­ferred with the employees’ consent. Before the entire orga­ni­sa­tion is restruc­tured, we start with an initial pilot project accor­ding to the “fail fast” prin­ciple, develop this proto­type conti­nuously and learn more every day.

Gradual development

Deve­lo­ping the appro­priate form of self-orga­ni­sa­tion in a clas­si­cally hier­ar­chical company is an indi­vi­dual process that can be taken step by step, with a high level of commit­ment from the manage­ment to funda­men­tally ques­tion and comple­tely realign one’s own role. 

Anna Jantscher

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