Agile is a mindset
Culture Design
With Cetelem
Challenge
To spark a change of mindset in the Cetelem team through Agile values, principles, and tools.
Outcome
A multidisciplinary team inspired with a new approach, helping Cetelem to better adapt to uncertain, volatile, and ever evolving markets.
Context
It is no question that technology is rapidly changing the way the world works; requiring us to rethink the way we work.
The old product-line business model just won’t cut it any longer. Today, a truly thriving and successful business is adaptable, open to change, and welcomes the continuous learning required to stay ahead of the curve.
Cetelem came to us with a strong desire to learn more about what it means to work in the age of Agile. We rolled up our sleeves and made it happen the With Company way.
Our role
01
Introduce the Cetelem team to Agile; showing them the relevance of this mindset in today’s world of work.
02
Spark this change of mindset in practice, inspiring the team to fully embrace Agile ways of working.
Our Programme
While corporate training is an important part of employee development, they are usually met with a series of groans and eye-rolls from those involved. Our intensive agile training programme, however, was so much more than projecting a presentation on a whiteboard and talking for hours on end in a stuffy conference room.
We began with a three-day bootcamp, during which “learn by doing” was the essential motto; followed by a six-week ‘remote learning journey’ to really integrate these practices into their daily lives.
We structured the programme around four principles:
Each would be experienced multiple times throughout the training, giving space for the lessons to be assimilated into their working lives.
Learn
Get to know Agile values, principles, frameworks, and methods.
Experience
Apply the Agile mindset in real day-to-day settings.
Experiment
Apply learnings in interactive exercises and simulations.
Reflect
Reflect on the experiences across the simulations, the workshop, and the remote coaching.
The bootcamp
The three days were designed for participants to learn about the Agile Methodology, through practical experience of:
- the mindset
- the processes
- the tools
through the use of:
- KANBAN
- Scrum
- Design Thinking
Six weeks in an agile world
The following six weeks were designed to motivate the Cetelem team to adopt the behaviours, tools and frameworks shared during the bootcamp. The team was encouraged to:
- change their behaviours in line with Agile principles
- use tools to solve weekly challenges
- ask questions and further their Agile mindset
- continuously share their learnings with the group
Using WhatsApp, we set challenges, offered rewards for a job well done, and made sure that the Agile mindset was alive and kicking.
At the start of each week, we delivered a secret envelope that contained a different Agile principle, a few associated behaviours, and some new tools to experiment with. By the end of it all, the Cetelem team knew what to expect from us:
Weekly Fun
Whoever shared the most photos or videos with us during the week would receive a fun gif, medal, cute photo, or badge in the group chat.
Mondays
We shared interesting pieces of content related to that week’s principle.
Wednesdays
We set a challenge that made it possible to experiment with the principle. The first person to finish got a special surprise.
Fridays
The team could ask us questions and we’d answer through a video call.
During these six weeks, we also popped in a couple of times and had face-to-face sessions with each team member. We helped guide them on their individual paths, identified potential blockers and enablers, and got to know their teams and workspace.
At the end of our time working together, we met with the team for one final day. Everything about this day was designed to be a surprise, from the secret handpicked location to the delicious live-cooked meal.
After lots of sharing and heartfelt exchanges, one final toast gave way to a new, agile outlook on life.
Currently, Cetelem has over 60 initiatives and internal projects that are incorporating the Agile mindset, processes, and tools
Cetelem certainly caught the agile bug: six months after the first edition, they reached out to us to run a second MindCet for another group of employees.
