Hybrid Vigour is a widely recognised phenomenon in nature. It has been observed across many different plant and animal species where crossbreeding between genetically different groups results in offspring which are stronger, faster or fitter than either of their parents. Plants and animals with hybrid vigour are better able to compete in their environment, to both adapt and outperform those without.
In the dynamic and quickly evolving world of change and transformation teams are under significant pressures to deliver quickly, adapt to changing business priorities and manage ongoing uncertainty all while delivering business value at higher and higher paces.
To cope with these increasing demands and outperform the competition its important change organisations have the right delivery methodologies in place. Delivery methodologies have evolved significantly since the early days of change governance with most organisations now having standardised project management practices.
The growing pace required from delivery organisations and the need to adjust and adapt to changing business needs means it’s now more important than ever to give project teams the right controls to get delivery done. A hybrid delivery methodology may give your change portfolio the vigour to outperform your competition.
Simplification enables evolution
Businesses today face rapidly changing environments and increasingly complex and varied projects. Having a clear, effective and well implemented delivery methodology is a critical factor in the success of change delivery. Organisations with clear and well adopted change methodologies and approaches consistently outperform those which don’t.
In the latest iterations of many common methodologies focus has also been placed on simplification. PRINCE2 has been through several revisions starting in 1998 with the latest updates making PRINCE2 simpler and more easily customisable. The most recent major PRINCE2 revision released in 2017 focused on scalability and flexibility encouraging the tailoring of the methodology. The drive for simplification isn’t limited to waterfall methods. Scrum the common Agile method has been simplified. From 2017 to 2020 the Scrum Guide has become less prescriptive aiming to be a “minimally sufficient framework” now running to fewer than 13 pages showing just how lightweight an effective methodology can be.
By deploying simple methodologies organisations can evolve and adapt more rapidly and incorporate cutting-edge technologies. With simpler methodologies teams are better able to focus on only managing what matters to the organisation when delivering complex projects rather than onerous or complex governance regimes.
Simplifying methods helps teams to tailor their approaches to the change being delivered, rather than be bound by complex rules or arduous processes and governance procedures.
The right methodology for your business?
Establishing the right simple change methodology for your business isn’t about reducing control or stopping governance. It’s about selecting the right methodology for the business, then applying it thoughtfully.
Traditional, linear Change Management methods such as Waterfall, where projects were sequentially ordered, stable and committed to at the beginning emphasise structure and planning. More recently being nimble and agile has become a key focus as time to market has become increasingly important. Agile management approaches like Scrum focus on flexibility and adaptability. Both linear and agile approaches have their advantages and disadvantages and will be appropriate in different situations. Construction projects are more likely to benefit from a Waterfall approach, whereas product development may require a more agile approach. No one single approach or methodology is the best, or fits every situation, yet many organisations try to fit their entire change portfolio to a single approach. By forcing change into a “one-size-fits-all” approach and overlooking the varied and complex nature of projects within the portfolio organisations stifle their ability deliver quickly and reliably, adapt to change and cope with ongoing uncertainty.
Instead of picking a single method and implementing it across the portfolio organisations are prioritising fit-for-purpose approaches and flexibility for teams to select the right approaches for any situation creating their own Hybrid Methodologies.
Combining different methodologies where parts of different approaches are used during different projects across the portfolio, or giving change teams the flexibility to use different methods at different times within a single project gives teams the flexibility to manage delivery in the most effective way possible.
Hybrid Methodologies are becoming increasingly common with flexibility in application allowing teams to react quickly to changing requirements and priorities during a project and to use different methods as required. The team can choose between traditional and agile approaches or even combine elements from methods in both approaches.
Why are hybrid methodologies right for your business?
The complexity of modern change portfolios where multiple initiatives run concurrently across various departments and locations makes implementing the right delivery methodologies and controls more important than ever. Change leadership must build the right controls for both individuals and teams to operate flexibly with the right empowerment to deliver their project goals. Hybrid Methodologies allow you to do this by:
- Managing uncertainty – Project leaders can manage their way through uncertainty without losing sight of the overall objectives. Where new opportunities or challenges are discovered instead of reworking and re-baselining an entire waterfall plan, hybrid project management can introduce an agile approach such as Scrum to adjust to and manage the uncertainty and challenges in short development cycles without weeks of re-planning giving your stakeholders confidence in the plan.
- Enable adaptability – As conditions shift hybrid teams are empowered to quickly pivot or adjust to new priorities. This dynamic adaptability is crucial in a fast-paced portfolios where static short-term goals can be detrimental to long-term progress. While a planning phase may be structured and the traditional waterfall model, an implementation phase can be more dynamic, especially when unforeseen events occur. Here, more agile approach such as Scrum or Kanban can be considered to achieve faster progress.
- Increasing efficiency – Calling upon different methods can give projects both the clear structure and reliability of traditional approaches and the flexibility and adaptability of an agile approach. By picking and choosing the right approach to the situation only the governance and controls needed are used. Teams aren’t frustrated trying to fit their way of working to an outdated governance framework. Keeping the method simple, efficient and focused on what truly matters lets teams move quickly while remaining in control.
- Enhancing control and clearer performance – With the appropriate controls being used in each situation project teams are better equipped to manage the change. They can plan effectively demonstrate performance with appropriate metrics and identify potential risks early and mitigate them before they escalate into significant threats. With the right guard-rails clearly defined and in place for the approach, it becomes easier to for the team to understand and manage the change effectively and deliver better outcomes for the business.
Moving to a Hybrid Method isn’t without challenges
Moving your portfolio of change to a more flexible and hybrid methodology instead of a single controlling method can enable change teams to work in ways which are better suited for them. Creating the right hybrid methodology for your organisation and getting the benefits of hybrid is not without its difficulties. Recognising and managing these while calling on the right expertise can give your organisation the best chance of success:
- Resistance to methodology change – For many organisations when a new methodology is established there can be significant resistance. Leadership may demand proven approaches. Teams can be unprepared or unwilling to change the way they’ve always worked. This challenge can be much greater for large, complex organisations where emphasis is often placed on the rigorous control of work and leadership teams are accustomed to particular ways of managing projects, performance measures and reports. Smaller companies, start ups, and digitally native companies tend to have an easier time making a successful hybrid transition.
Resistance to the change in methodology can be overcome by helping teams shift mindsets to the benefits the new hybrid methodology bring. The change may require shifts in whole organisation which need top-down leadership support and long-term commitment. Similarly, if leadership attempt to implement a hybrid methodology without properly educating and empowering the change teams, teams become quickly overwhelmed and revert to familiar practices.
- Selecting the right combination – Selecting the right combination of methodologies or right options in a flexible pick-and-mix framework takes planning, coordination and methodology expertise. Three common combinations in hybrid project management are:
- Agile-Waterfall- Integrating agile practices like iterative development and continuous feedback into the traditional lifecycle phases of Waterfall (planning, design, implementation etc). This gives a level of flexibility while at the same time defining clear delivery boundaries and structures.
- Lean-Kanban- Using the principles of Lean to reduce waste and maximise value while workflow is visualised using Kanban boards. This helps teams to identify challenges and bottlenecks in good time while enabling continuous improvement and optimisation of change workflows.
- PRINCE2-Scrum- Unites the structure of PRINCE2 with the agile methods of Scrum. PRINCE2 enables efficient project planning and control, while agile Scrum practices such as sprints and daily stand-up meetings allow project participants a great deal of flexibility and the ability to quicky solve problems.
Portfolios must avoid falling into the trap of creating a ‘Wagile’ methodology. ‘Wagile’ describe approaches which adopt specific agile management processes such as sprints and stand-ups into traditional Waterfall-type approaches. Having a ‘Wagile’ method can often lead to programmes getting the worst of both Agile and Waterfall worlds, rather than the best.
To counter this, it’s critical to select the right methodologies and implement them in ways which get the best of each. Specific expertise in each the selection and implementation of different methods allows change portfolios to make the right informed decisions and create a hybrid methodology which works for the organisation.
- Integration Challenge – The integration of different delivery methodologies and their implementation is often difficult. A perceived loss in structure and control with the increased use of agile methods can result in challenges from leadership. Equally implementing structured governance over agile methods can take more time and resource and be seen to slow delivery. If the team members are not familiar with the methods in the hybrid there can be confusion about the different roles, responsibilities and processes.
The success of a hybrid methodology depends heavily on the careful integration of different methods, the education of teams at all levels so they understand the strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches, how to select the right approach for their change and how to implement the hybrid method in a way which works for them.
There is no single way to work “hybrid”. The combination of prescriptive and agile methods will depend on many variables, including the type of project (e.g. product, service, software, etc.), business environment characteristics, and project team characteristics. This underscores the importance of aligning management practices with specific project needs, challenges, and strategic objectives – and empowering project teams to make the right choices for the projects they manage.
Implementing a hybrid methodology for your organisation may be daunting with behavioural changes at all levels of the organisation and methodology selection and integration being needed yet the opportunity to unlock the capabilities within your own team is massive.
Embracing a hybrid methodology will let your teams manage uncertainty, be increasingly adaptable and efficient while giving you enhanced control and clear performance improvements. The right hybrid delivery methodology will give your change portfolio the vigour to outperform your competition.
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