Latest news with #Agile
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why Hypothesis-Driven Strategies Help Companies Navigate Uncertainty
Laureen Knudsen is CTO of Empower Consultant Group and an industry leader in Transformation, Member of Power50, Top 100 Women in Tech. About twenty-five years ago, the software industry admitted a fundamental truth: We couldn't plan development work upfront because we didn't know what we didn't know. This realization birthed the Agile Manifesto. Today, we face a similar challenge at the strategic level: We don't know what we don't know about how to best achieve our strategies and objectives. Many executives have a hard time admitting that they don't know the best path forward to meet their goals. Yet, when we examine how businesses actually operate, how we place bets when funding products or projects, we must acknowledge that our annual plans rarely lead to the outcomes we anticipated. This year presents unique challenges. With explosive AI growth and an uncertain global economy, companies must be ready to pivot at a moment's notice. Organizations must, therefore, embrace flexibility in their approach to reaching their goals. The Opportunity Advantage Companies with the flexibility to pivot quickly will have a competitive edge over those following fixed, long-term plans that can't adapt to change. The era of three-year strategic plans that remain unchanged is over. Today, between the economic, technological and geopolitical disruptions over the last few years, even three-month plans may require constant adjustment. Consider supply chain management. Companies must monitor market conditions regularly, as even a slight delay in reacting to competitors could lead to significant financial losses. While long-range planning remains necessary, they must be intentional about our objectives while assuming our methods for achieving them will evolve. The Hypothesis-Driven Business Model Drawing from Lean UX principles, the hypothesis-driven business operates on this belief: We know our strategies, goals and objectives, but we cannot know the best way to achieve them. This sounds simple, but transitioning from traditional operating models to this approach requires fundamental changes in leadership and execution. The framework requires setting clear company objectives, then checking frequently to ensure you're taking the optimal route to your goals. While planning and articulating strategies remain valuable, spending months creating detailed plans is not. Following those plans without validating that they represent the fastest path to success can leave you behind competitors. Plans are hypotheses, best guesses for achieving outcomes. Recognizing this distinction is crucial. Traditional approaches involved creating annual plans and strategic visions, then forgetting the strategy to focus solely on plan execution without checking if business objectives were being met. Today's approach inverts this model. As soon as plans are complete, each team should verify whether the chosen path remains the quickest route to your goals. If not, pivot the organization toward a better path. This doesn't create chaos when proper processes and guidelines exist. Effective processes must: • Facilitate the seamless flow of work throughout the organization. • Reduce bottlenecks. • Include fast feedback loops. • Align tightly with customers. • Generate data naturally. • Enable quick data interpretation and response. The Plan-Do-Check-Act Framework Rather than inventing new methods, you can adapt proven approaches. The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) method provides an iterative four-step management method for continuous process and product improvement. At the executive level, PDCA, or similar frameworks like the observe, orient, decide and act (OODA) loop, helps focus on reaching goals rather than simply completing plans: 1. Plan: Teams create hypotheses to achieve objectives. 2. Do: They design experiments to test hypotheses and begin implementation. 3. Check: Assess business objective progress at regular intervals, sharing both successes and failures to identify the best path forward. 4. Act: Align on the best results and repeat the cycle. The Mountain Summit Analogy Consider the analogy of climbing a mountain when implementing this strategy: 1. The Summit: Your objective is a mountain peak. All teams share the goal of reaching it quickly and efficiently. 2. Guardrails: Provide constraints (e.g., "the west side offers better routes"). 3. Path Selection: Teams assess their skills and choose their fastest route. Some select short but steep paths, others choose longer but less steep routes that they can navigate quickly. 4. Regular Check-Ins: Leaders meet weekly or bi-weekly to compare results, sharing what worked, what didn't and what inhibited progress. 5. Evolution: Adjust plans and guardrails based on learnings and repeat. Real-World Application Here's how this looks in practice: A division targets 8% sales growth (the non-negotiable "summit"). Each product manager collaborates with their team (including engineering), sales territory manager and marketing to develop the fastest path to this goal. The hypothesis isn't the goal itself, but the method for reaching it. Each team tests their hypothesis and tracks results. Marketing and product management monitor news, global changes and customer pressures, helping sales teams pivot quickly when new information emerges. Engineering develops new features rapidly. Organizational leaders convene regularly to compare results, share effective strategies and modify plans based on findings. Successful teams share their methods, as do teams that have struggled. Every team uses the learnings to modify their approach, creating consistent goals while allowing each to determine their best method to success. Moving Forward Long-term strategic planning grows more challenging each year. Strategic planning assumptions, especially this year, may not remain valid over time. Even decisions backed by historical data can be disrupted by external factors. While you can develop strategies effectively, determining execution paths becomes increasingly complex as world politics and economics continuously impact your approach to success. These uncertainties can paralyze planning, or you can use them as catalysts to create processes that enable you to compete effectively in the future and pivot as needed. Hypothesis-driven business acknowledges these uncertainties and enables rapid organizational pivots. By embracing this approach, companies can transform uncertainty from a threat into a competitive advantage, staying agile enough to capitalize on opportunities while maintaining focus on their core objectives. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Time Business News
16 hours ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Top Reasons to Pursue a Certified ScrumMaster Certification Today
In today's dynamic business landscape, Agile frameworks are more than just buzzwords—they're core to delivering fast, high-quality results. Amid ongoing digital transformation, obtaining a Certified Scrum Master certification (CSM) is one of the best strategic moves for professionals aiming to lead teams, accelerate career growth, and drive meaningful outcomes in 2025 and beyond. A Certified Scrum Master often commands a significant salary lift over non-certified peers. Data from major tech markets shows: Mid-level CSM professionals earn between USD 95,000–120,000/year Senior Scrum Masters make USD 120,000–140,000 annually The boost isn't just financial—CSM holders frequently land promotions faster. Many organizations prioritize Agile hires for project leadership roles, creating more frequent advancement opportunities post-certification. Through CSM training, you gain deep understanding of the Scrum framework—including its roles, artifacts, and ceremonies. But the program goes beyond theory: You'll develop coaching skills to empower self-organizing teams. Learn to resolve conflict, foster collaboration, and ensure continuous improvement. Gain expertise in identifying and removing impediments that can derail delivery. These skills are highly transferable. In job interviews, CSM-certified professionals often stand out for their proven ability to manage Agile teams effectively. One of the most appealing aspects of pursuing CSM certification is its flexibility: A compact 2-day training workshop—perfect for working professionals. Training delivered both in-person and online with live facilitation. You receive exam access for up to 90 days post-training and can take it online at a convenient time. The one-hour, 50-question exam can be retaken once at no extra cost, providing a safety net for certification completion. Compared to lengthy programs like PMP, CSM certification is a fast, accessible path to Agile leadership credentials. Teams led by CSM-certified Scrum Masters consistently outperform expectations. Studies show Agile adoption positively correlates with project success metrics such as: Faster delivery, with 30% improvement in time-to-market Higher product quality, with 20% fewer defect tickets Stronger customer satisfaction due to iterative, value-based delivery Organizations seeking reliable delivery and continuous value creation frequently prioritize hiring certified Scrum Masters to guide those outcomes. Certified Scrum Masters excel at building high-performing, cross-functional teams. They bring: Servant leadership that helps Development, QA, and Product teams collaborate effectively. Facilitation skills to align stakeholders and promote visibility throughout the delivery cycle. Culture-building capabilities that spread Agile best practices across the organization. By embedding Scrum practices at scale, CSM professionals help create resilient organizations ready to pivot when market conditions shift. Once achieved, CSM certification is recognized worldwide and by most industries—from tech and finance to retail, healthcare, and logistics. Its broad lineage ensures portability: Degree or domain irrelevant—certification proves you're skilled in Agile leadership. Opens doors globally—wherever Agile transformation is underway, Certified Scrum Masters are in demand. Enables mobility across roles (Scrum Master, Agile Coach) and geographies, from startups to Fortune 500 firms. Earning your Certified Scrum Master certification isn't the end—it's the beginning of an engaged global community: You gain access to Scrum Alliance resources—webinars, forums, local meetups. Certification holders can attend Scrum gatherings, deepen Agile knowledge, and network with peers. Many training providers offer mentorship, job assistance, and coach-led workshops for further growth. As technology accelerates through AI, automation, remote work, and IoT, organizations must stay nimble. The need for leaders who can guide Agile transformation is only increasing: Certified Scrum Masters become crucial change agents. They connect work with outcomes and maintain transparency during shifts. They advocate for continuous delivery and iterative improvement. With certification and ongoing Agile mindset, you're well positioned for career longevity and impact. US Salary Averages: Entry-level CSM: USD 95,000 Senior Scrum Master: USD 130,000+ Pay raises & promotions: 25% of newly certified CSMs report promotions within a year Job listings: 150% increase in Agile-related roles post-pandemic, especially in FinTech, Healthcare IT, and eCommerce sectors If you aspire to shape team dynamics, deliver value quickly, and lead Agile adoption, Certified Scrum Master certification is a powerful enabler. It fast-tracks your leadership credentials. It enhances earning potential and career mobility. It connects you to a thriving, future-ready community of Agile professionals. Even if you're early in your career—or a seasoned manager—CSM training can reshape your leadership journey. Consider starting with a live interactive workshop and exam combo. In 2 days, you've moved from curiosity to Certified Scrum Master. By validating your skills, earning global recognition, and joining a community of Agile changemakers—you open the door to long-term impact and career fulfillment in tomorrow's workplace. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Fast Company
6 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Why the best leaders embrace both ‘agile' and ‘waterfall' thinking
Have you ever admired a leader so dialed into their long-term mission that it seems nothing can shake their focus? Every move appears premeditated, every milestone perfectly timed. Now think about a leader who seems to always be in step with the moment. Their company launches timely features, aligns instantly with market shifts, and always feels fresh. For every leader who succeeds through single-minded focus, there are others whose obstinacy has led them and their organizations to arrive at a destination that is no longer desirable. And while adaptability can be a gift, it also leads many organizations to shift strategies with each change in the winds without ever hitting on a true contribution. This tension between structure and adaptability isn't just theoretical; it's a foundational dynamic that has shaped industries for decades. Approaches to enterprise software development provide a useful way to gauge whether you're leaning too far in either direction. Balancing Your Leadership Approaches Early on in the history of the software industry, a 'waterfall' strategy reigned supreme. Road maps guided development, with possible major platform releases happening every one to two years, version releases quarterly, feature sets monthly, and bug fixes weekly. Teams operated with near-military precision towards long-term goals, broken down into shorter term deliverables. But as the pace of change accelerated, that model began to break down. Agile software development emerged, favoring speed, iteration, and real-time user feedback. Short sprints (often 60 to 90 days) determined what was going to be released. Each sprint on a project added features, fixed bugs, and adapted to feedback from the previous release. Unlike with waterfall, employees from across agile teams were empowered to fix things and make many changes without going through their chain of command to get approval. In our coaching work, we've seen that the same push and pull between waterfall and agile playing out in leadership styles and company cultures. Some leaders operate like agile systems: adaptive, fast-moving, iterative, and with a distributed decision structure. They respond quickly to new data and aren't afraid to pivot when the market shifts. Others take a waterfall-inspired approach: structured, methodical, deeply focused on long-term outcomes, and more rigidly hierarchical. They chart a course and stick to it, often prioritizing consistency over speed. Neither mindset is wrong, but over-indexing on either one can create serious blind spots. Agile thinkers risk spinning in circles when they follow the tides. Waterfall thinkers risk charging toward goals that become outdated or foundering on unsolvable problems. For executives, the ability to integrate both approaches is no longer optional—it's essential. Here's how to strike that balance—and why your team's future may depend on it. 1. Assess your own leadership style In our coaching conversations with leaders, we often start by asking them to reflect on whether they naturally lean toward structure or spontaneity. We can expand on their natural preference by administering a personality profile survey as well. Are they more likely to build a road map and stick to it, or pivot at the first sign of change? Developing this self-awareness isn't about labeling or even changing your style—it's about recognizing where you need balance. If you default to agile thinking, ask yourself: Are we making measurable progress? Or changing directions without setting a course? Are we building anything lasting? If you favor waterfall thinking, ask: Is our goal still relevant? What feedback are we ignoring? Which market changes do we need to take into account? During a recent coaching conversation a senior marketing leader at large hospitality company expressed frustrations about her proposed product launch, a new menu item, being challenged by her colleague who runs operations. He thought a different item would be faster, easier, and aligned to what customers recently told him they wanted. Her team had spent the last six months toward brand alignment, market research, product iterations, testing, launch planning, and marketing planning and were now finally ready to do something. Her waterfall approach and his agile approach were in conflict. Both made great points. In the end, they struck a balance between both proposals and management styles. 2. Understand when culture amplifies leadership style As a leader, you have to ask whether your company culture reflects your style or balances it. A culture determines how people behave naturally, on average, even when a leader is 'not in the room.' Do people tend to work in a structured manner, with long-term goals in mind, always talking about progress against objectives? Or, does it feel like people question the current state, proposing new ideas and take initiative without seeking executive approval. Crucially, if the culture leans in a particular direction, how easy and safe is it for people who lean the other way to challenge the others. A lot of can depend on whether the company typically hires and promotes a 'type' that matches the leader's biases or whether it embraces individuals who bring unique perspectives and skills to the workplace. When you build a corporate ethos in your image, you magnify your own tendencies in ways that create a harmonious work environment. People are not likely to argue with your decisions, because they reflect their own opinions as well. Day-to-day, that can be pleasant. In the long-run, though, it creates problems. If the leadership and organization are all Agile, then chaos may manifest. A slow-moving Waterfall culture may stall innovation. Take Boeing as an example; it continued reliance on a hierarchical, Waterfall-style of leadership and development culture has been widely criticized for contributing to recent crises. The rigid, top-down approach delayed necessary changes in engineering and quality control, despite repeated warnings from employees and whistleblowers. The 2024 mid-air panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX reignited scrutiny, and internal documents revealed slow, structured processes that resisted fast adaptation or real-time feedback. The Waterfall mindset—prioritizing schedules, approvals, and internal reporting lines—led to safety risks, brand damage, and regulatory backlash. In contrast, consider Netflix. In the late 1990s, they recognized an inefficiency in the movie rental business. Leaders in this space had significant overhead costs from the physical stores from which people rented and returned movies. By allowing customers to select movies online and have then delivered, they created an economy of scale. Building this business required attention to detail and customer service. Yet, the company remained sensitive to technology trends. They realized that they were essentially sending computer files through a low-bandwidth connection (the U.S. Mail) and disrupted their own business model by pivoting to streaming. Further realizing that many companies could develop streaming models, they pivoted again to content creation. Becoming a content creator requires a lot of expertise, and so they had to implement this model using a more traditional Waterfall approach. This balance between Agile and Waterfall approaches has enabled Netflix to remain a significant force in the market. The takeaway? While a particular cultural and leadership disposition around Waterfall or Agile may be the natural to the organization and may have served it well for many years, great leaders are aware of those tendencies, and build a culture that can challenge the status quote and balance, when needed, Agile and Waterfall approaches to yield healthy (if sometimes uncomfortable) debate. 3. Combine long-term vision with real-time feedback A 2024 meta-analysis in the Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation found that agile leadership has a significant impact on organizational outcomes, team effectiveness, collaboration, and innovation. But the key isn't to replace long-term thinking entirely—it's to layer agility on top of it. That's why the most successful leaders use both mindsets. They know when to zoom out—building toward five-year goals—and when to zoom in, listening to customer feedback or shifting based on real-time performance indicators. New Balance has done this exceptionally well, maintaining its long-term manufacturing commitments in the U.S. while evolving its brand to meet changing consumer tastes—a move that helped drive a record $6.5 billion in sales in 2023. A CMO we coached recently calls her approach 'glocal marketing'—the balance between local and global marketing, which includes honoring the long term brand promise (Waterfall) while still connecting, through customization, at the local level to what is relevant and popular at that moment in a particular area (Agile). At the team level, this looks like maintaining a steady mission while adapting tactics. At the leadership level, it means pairing clarity of purpose with the humility to course correct. 4. Build balanced teams that challenge your defaults There's a method in psychology to measure individual tendencies known as need for cognitive closure, and it provides a useful way to think about your own leadership approach. People high in need for closure prefer action to thinking, so they tend to react to situations and engage with available information, which is characteristic of an agile approach. People low in need for closure prefer thinking to action and typically mull over information, which often leads to the focus on long-term goals characteristic of a waterfall style. Understanding your own tendencies as a leader as well as those of your trusted associates is valuable, because it gives you the opportunity to balance your team to include those with a range of levels of need for closure to ensure your team isn't heavily biased toward either the agile or waterfall style. You can measure these tendencies with the Need for Closure scale. It will help you to see whether the people you work with tend toward High (i.e., Agile) or Low (i.e., Waterfall) Need for Closure. If you find that your team tends to be biased more toward reaction or more toward deep thought, you can use timelines to help overcome those tendencies. For example, if your team tends to react quickly, set a deadline for finalizing a decision that's far enough out to allow your team the time and space to slow down and proceed carefully and thoughtfully. In contrast, if your team often deliberates too long and gets stuck in long-term patterns, an earlier deadline can push them to make decisions more quickly. Don't surround yourself with people who think exactly like you. Instead, build teams that stretch your instincts, pressure-test your assumptions, and help you operate at both 30,000 feet and ground level. Often, people's preferences reflect hidden assumptions that they themselves may not be aware of. Being forced to justify your strategic decisions explicitly in conversations brings those assumptions to the forefront. In addition, these strategic choices may sometimes reflect reasoning gaps that these conversations will also bring to light. Navigate with intention The best leaders don't choose between agile and waterfall—they learn to navigate the tension and switch gears with intention. Agility without direction leads to burnout. Direction without agility leads to obsolescence. So, ask yourself: Are you leaning too far in one direction? What conversations, feedback loops, or partners could help you rebalance? Because real leadership isn't about having a single style—it's about learning when to move fast, when to slow down, and how to bring your team with you, every step of the way.
Business Upturn
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Kurtz Fargo, Colorado's Largest Locally Owned Firm, Expands in Durango
By GlobeNewswire Published on June 25, 2025, 01:51 IST DURANGO, Colo., June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kurtz Fargo LLP , Colorado's largest locally owned and Colorado-focused accounting firm, today announces the grand opening of its new office location in Durango. This further expansion outside of Boulder headquarters is part of their long-term strategic growth plan to continue establishing leadership across the state and nationwide. The modern, 2,476 square foot office is centrally located at 1140 Main Ave, Suite A, Durango, CO 81301. Its convenient downtown location integrates Kurtz Fargo in the community and ensures easy access for clients. A dedicated team of 10 seasoned professionals will staff the location, offering a comprehensive suite of accounting and advisory services tailored to support both local businesses and individuals. The Durango Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed Kurtz Fargo with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 5, 2025, celebrating the firm's arrival in the local business community. Durango was chosen for this strategic expansion to better serve Kurtz Fargo's expanding client base throughout the region and reinforce its robust presence across Colorado. 'Durango's dynamic economy, particularly its thriving small business sector, strong entrepreneurial spirit and supportive local environment, make it an ideal choice for our continued growth,' said Matt Fargo, CPA, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Kurtz Fargo. 'We want to be a meaningful partner in local economic development, bringing our industry-leading accounting and advisory services closer to businesses and individuals in Durango and surrounding areas.' Local business leaders have voiced strong enthusiasm for Kurtz Fargo's expanded presence in Southwest Colorado including Durango-based Agile Space Industries , an in-space propulsion solution provide. 'Having Kurtz Fargo establish an office here is fantastic news for our community and for us as their client as they have been a great partner for Agile,' said Kris Schaa, Chief Financial Officer of Agile Space Industries. 'Over the past three years they helped improve our financial reporting through their audit services. This has been a key component in our ability to scale. They are a great resource for our local business community.' Kurtz Fargo aims to offer a full range of services from its new Durango location, including tax planning and preparation, audit and assurance, and business consulting, tailored to meet the unique needs of the local market. The firm looks forward to becoming an integral part of the Durango community, contributing to its economic vitality and building lasting relationships. About Kurtz Fargo LLP: Founded in 2010 and based in Boulder, CO, Kurtz Fargo LLP is a certified public accounting firm offering professional assurance, tax, and advisory services. They specialize in serving emerging growth, small, and mid-sized businesses, combining agility with expertise to deliver customized financial strategies that drive results. The firm prides itself on building lasting partnerships and providing guidance to help businesses thrive. Kurtz Fargo was recognized as one of the Best Firms to Work For in 2024 by Accounting Today, and proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary in August 2025, marking a decade and a half of dedicated service and growth. Learn more at and connect with Kurtz Fargo on LinkedIn . Contact: Rachel Weber Principal Comm Oddities [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kurtz Fargo, Colorado's Largest Locally Owned Firm, Expands in Durango
The Kurtz Fargo office in Durango is part of strategic expansion across Colorado DURANGO, Colo., June 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kurtz Fargo LLP, Colorado's largest locally owned and Colorado-focused accounting firm, today announces the grand opening of its new office location in Durango. This further expansion outside of Boulder headquarters is part of their long-term strategic growth plan to continue establishing leadership across the state and nationwide. The modern, 2,476 square foot office is centrally located at 1140 Main Ave, Suite A, Durango, CO 81301. Its convenient downtown location integrates Kurtz Fargo in the community and ensures easy access for clients. A dedicated team of 10 seasoned professionals will staff the location, offering a comprehensive suite of accounting and advisory services tailored to support both local businesses and individuals. The Durango Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed Kurtz Fargo with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 5, 2025, celebrating the firm's arrival in the local business community. Durango was chosen for this strategic expansion to better serve Kurtz Fargo's expanding client base throughout the region and reinforce its robust presence across Colorado. "Durango's dynamic economy, particularly its thriving small business sector, strong entrepreneurial spirit and supportive local environment, make it an ideal choice for our continued growth," said Matt Fargo, CPA, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Kurtz Fargo. "We want to be a meaningful partner in local economic development, bringing our industry-leading accounting and advisory services closer to businesses and individuals in Durango and surrounding areas.' Local business leaders have voiced strong enthusiasm for Kurtz Fargo's expanded presence in Southwest Colorado including Durango-based Agile Space Industries, an in-space propulsion solution provide. "Having Kurtz Fargo establish an office here is fantastic news for our community and for us as their client as they have been a great partner for Agile," said Kris Schaa, Chief Financial Officer of Agile Space Industries. "Over the past three years they helped improve our financial reporting through their audit services. This has been a key component in our ability to scale. They are a great resource for our local business community." Kurtz Fargo aims to offer a full range of services from its new Durango location, including tax planning and preparation, audit and assurance, and business consulting, tailored to meet the unique needs of the local market. The firm looks forward to becoming an integral part of the Durango community, contributing to its economic vitality and building lasting relationships. About Kurtz Fargo LLP: Founded in 2010 and based in Boulder, CO, Kurtz Fargo LLP is a certified public accounting firm offering professional assurance, tax, and advisory services. They specialize in serving emerging growth, small, and mid-sized businesses, combining agility with expertise to deliver customized financial strategies that drive results. The firm prides itself on building lasting partnerships and providing guidance to help businesses thrive. Kurtz Fargo was recognized as one of the Best Firms to Work For in 2024 by Accounting Today, and proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary in August 2025, marking a decade and a half of dedicated service and growth. Learn more at and connect with Kurtz Fargo on LinkedIn. Contact: Rachel Weber Principal Comm Oddities rachel@ A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
