{"id":5001,"date":"2026-03-20T11:10:35","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T10:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/?p=5001"},"modified":"2026-07-28T08:21:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T06:21:42","slug":"agile-arbeit-in-dynamischer-komplexer-arbeitswelt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/agile-arbeit-in-dynamischer-komplexer-arbeitswelt\/","title":{"rendered":"What does agility actually mean in concrete terms? An interview with Maximilian Rembser"},"content":{"rendered":"

Agile working: in many organizations, it's the answer to an increasingly dynamic and complex working world. But what does agility actually mean in concrete terms, and how does it work in practice? <\/strong><\/h1>\n

We will discuss this with Maximilian Rembser (business economist, economic psychologist, agile coach, transformation consultant, managing director of INFO Trainings- und Beratungs- GmbH) and ask him five questions on the subject. <\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the interview, he talks about where agile working methods originally come from, why they are gaining importance in many organizations, when agility can be used effectively, and how classic, agile, and hybrid approaches, as well as values, principles, and methods of agile collaboration, can be used practically in everyday work.<\/p>\n

Hi Max,\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2026 why do we need agility today \u2013 and where does it actually come from?\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201e"The term 'agility' is strongly linked to today's VUCA world \u2013 a working environment characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Organizations are increasingly faced with the challenge of having to react to changes more quickly than before. Classic, highly planning-oriented approaches (e.g., waterfall models) sometimes reach their limits in this context.".<\/p>\n

Agility originally comes from software development and IT project management. It was recognized there that projects in dynamic environments are hardly fully plannable. This led to the development of agile methodologies that rely more heavily on iterations, feedback, and continuous adaptation. It's important to note that agility doesn't completely replace traditional project management, but rather complements it with agile project management techniques and hybrid approaches when the context is appropriate and makes sense.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201e"When are agile working methods helpful \u2013 and when are they less so?"\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201e"Whether agile working methods are useful depends heavily on the work context. The Stacey Matrix, which distinguishes between simple, complicated, and complex problems, offers helpful guidance here.".<\/p>\n

For simple or clearly plannable tasks, classic, structured approaches usually work very well. Here, processes are clearly defined and results are easily predictable.<\/p>\n

Agile approaches can demonstrate their strength in complex problems where neither the solution path nor the outcome is fully predictable. Through short learning cycles, feedback, and adaptation, teams can develop solutions step by step.<\/p>\n

This means that agility is not a panacea. The crucial factor is choosing the appropriate way of working for the specific context.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201e"What is fundamentally needed for agility to work?"\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201eAgility is not just a collection of \u201emethods\u201c (e.g., roles, events, and artifacts), but above all an attitude and a specific way of collaborating. This is based on the values and principles of agile work, as described, for example, in the Agile Manifesto.\u201d.<\/p>\n

These include transparency, trust, personal responsibility, continuous learning, and an open feedback culture. Methods alone are not enough if these values are not practiced or do not fit the existing corporate culture.<\/p>\n

For agility to work, organizations must be willing to rethink collaboration, decision-making processes and responsibilities, as well as promote the "life" of agile values and principles.\u201e<\/p>\n

\u201e"How can organizations use more agile ways of working in practice \u2013 and which methods are particularly helpful?"\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201e"In practice, hybrid approaches often prove to be particularly effective. This means combining classic and agile methods in a meaningful way, instead of relying solely on one method.".<\/p>\n

For teamwork, the use of certain agile elements has proven particularly effective. These include, for example, clearly defined work phases (iterations) in which teams work in a focused manner on specific goals.<\/p>\n

Pull-oriented task structures like Kanban are also helpful, as they allow work to be transparently visualized and actively "pulled" by teams. Short daily meetings\u2014so-called dailies\u2014facilitate quick information exchange within the team. It's important that these meetings don't become lengthy discussions; any issues are resolved bilaterally.<\/p>\n

Regular reviews with stakeholders are also highly recommended in order to reflect on and adjust results early on.<\/p>\n

A key component of agile work is retrospectives, in which teams regularly reflect on how their collaboration is working and what they can improve. In practice, these retrospectives are often neglected, which in my view is one of the biggest mistakes in agile work structures.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201e"What is needed for an organization to become more agile overall?"\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201e"For agile working methods to function sustainably, different levels within an organization must align. The agile dimensions of strategy, organization, method, leadership, team, and individual can serve as a guide here.".<\/p>\n

On the strategic<\/u> At this level, a clear, comprehensible, and, if possible, participatively developed strategy is needed. In the organization<\/u> Good networking, relatively flat hierarchies, and a culture of learning are helpful.<\/p>\n

Even the methodological<\/u> Level plays a role: Digital tools should be readily available and iterative workflows should be well-established. The following is particularly important: guide<\/u>. Leaders primarily support agility by creating framework conditions and acting more as servant leaders \u2013 that is, empowering teams rather than solely controlling them.<\/p>\n

On team<\/u>At this level, openness, the ability to give feedback, and a shared understanding of goals are crucial. And ultimately, it also depends on... individual<\/u> To: Self-reflection, the ability to accept criticism, and the willingness to take responsibility are important prerequisites.<\/p>\n

Agility therefore does not arise from individual methods \u2013 but from the interplay of method use and a lived agile culture.\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201e"Thank you so much for the fascinating insights, Max. The perspectives on agile working methods, their prerequisites, and their practical application provide a helpful overview for anyone involved in modern collaboration and organizational development. Thank you for the conversation."\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

Register here for Max's free presentation on agile working.<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many organizations are discussing agile working as a response to an increasingly dynamic and complex work environment. But what exactly does agility mean, and how does it work in practice? Five concise questions for Max in this interview.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5001"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5869,"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5001\/revisions\/5869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/info-home.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}