Business agility is more than the sum of different organizational units that each implement their own chosen agile method on their own little island, constrained by 20^th century management. Nor is it a one-size-fits all model that is imposed from the top down. Business agility requires the engagement of the entire organization in a fundamentally new type of thinking. Especially when the (deep) divide between organizational silos risks being reinforced by the islands of agility formed by the, sometimes dogmatic, implementation of different agile methods in different parts of the organization. It also requires creativity and insight to overcome the relics of a 20^th century management system. Especially when the thinking that underlies division of labour, capacity utilization, and predictive control still runs very deep. Finally, it requires a new type of change that is resilient to setback.

This presentation reports on our experience with teaching and coaching business agility to a wide range of audiences without digressing into specific agile methods. On a tactical level, we discuss how we developed and use business simulations that engage and mobilize all levels of the organization (including higher level management) across all functions (not just IT, but also HR, Marketing and communications, Finance, Legal, Product management, …). We discuss simulations that allow participants to experience the basic concepts of flow, self-organization and active learning; not just simulations at the team level but also at a cross-team level and across the entire value stream (upstream and downstream). Simulations that are generic enough in order to speak to different parts of the organization, but specific enough as to realistically represent real-life work situations.

On a more strategic level, we discuss how to challenge the traditional linear, reductionist, local optimization thinking (“either-or” thinking) about agile and how to teach integrative, applied systems thinking (“and” thinking) as a new foundation for agile business. Using integrative thinking we will explain how the foundational concepts of flow, self-organization and active learning can be shown to build on each other in order to create a whole that is bigger than the sum of the parts. By setting aside any dogmatic discussions, it builds a common, deeper, understanding between practitioners of the different strands of agility. By using simulation, it allows to overcome the habitual 20^th century thinking and prepare for 21^st century business agility.