Who is and what does the Agile Delivery Manager do at Intré?

Why was the ADM role created? Business needs

In 2019, due to the increasing number of collaborators and the growing number of teams they were organized into, it became increasingly difficult for Intré to have a comprehensive view of the various teams and ongoing projects.
It was even more challenging to stay aware of the internal team dynamics and the right support to provide to individuals, risking leaving them with a sense of abandonment.

The need arose for a role that could act as a bridge between:

• the teams and the company board, to bring awareness of different needs and situations, facilitating the flow of information between the two;
• the teams and the client, to ease communication and clearly separate operational aspects from commercial ones;
• the different teams, to strengthen the company’s social fabric even among those who do not work together daily;
• the members of the same team, to identify potential relational, communication, or other issues.

What name should we give to this new role?

A figure like this does not have a predefined label and is not included in Agile Methodologies. In our vision, it is part Scrum Master, part Agile Coach, and part Manager. But it is also a valuable support when needed, able to quickly switch roles to provide assistance and tackle various situations as they arise.

At Intré, we have decided to name it Agile Delivery Manager (ADM) because we found similarities with some existing ADM definitions and progressively shaped the role based on our needs and daily experiences.

The principle that guides the actions of the Agile Delivery Manager

The principle that guides the actions of our Agile Delivery Managers is to ensure the well-being of the people in the company, taking care of them both as individuals and as teams.

From 2019 to today, the objectives of the role have become clearer while maintaining the flexibility required by different contexts. The Agile Delivery Manager operates on multiple levels and with various stakeholders, specifically addressing the needs of the company, teams, individuals, and clients.

What does the Agile Delivery Manager do?

So, what does the ADM do? Their responsibilities are many. To go into detail, let’s list the tasks mentioned in the previous paragraph.

For the company, the ADM:

• summarizes all completed activities comprehensively and provides an overall vision;
• advises and supports in identifying the most advantageous strategic choices for the company;
• works closely with teams and individual members to ensure a tangible perception of the company’s attention to each individual within Intré;
• carefully evaluates team dynamics and their impact on clients, proposing improvements on both a technical and relational level;
• encourages constant knowledge sharing and exchange of perspectives among different team members, fostering collaboration and mutual personal growth;
• collects, analyzes, and synthesizes information from clients, ensuring effective communication and a clear flow of information within the company.

For the teams, the ADM:

• supports them throughout their entire lifecycle;
• acts as the team’s historical memory, especially during transitions;
• assists them in applying agile methodologies;
• facilitates internal dialogue;
• mitigates potential client interferences;
• helps resolve conflicts.

For individuals, the ADM:

• listens to them and helps facilitate their learning and professional growth;
• is available in times of difficulty and serves as an impartial point of reference;
• offers coaching and supports them in maintaining a proper work-life balance;
• assists them during the onboarding phase.

For clients, the ADM:

• helps teams ensure project deadlines are met while maintaining high quality standards;
• supports teams in applying agile methodologies, integrating skills they have yet to refine through coaching and mentoring for both Intré and client personnel;
• exchanges feedback to improve team performance and enhance Intré’s collaboration quality;
• acts as a reliable contact when issues arise beyond the teams’ operational domain;
• if necessary, serves as an initial point of reference for administrative matters as well.

But that’s not all…

Intré’s Agile Delivery Managers also handle various other tasks, all guided by a fundamental principle: people’s well-being. Some of these responsibilities include recruiting new talent, overseeing training plans and personal development goals for team members, organizing events, and promoting the company externally.

The Challenges of the Agile Delivery Manager

The role of the ADM faces challenges that arise from the very nature of its responsibilities.

Being a role with many nuances and covering different areas, the ADM must understand the boundaries within which to operate. After gaining the trust of the team and the client, they need to know how to be present in the right way to generate as much value as possible.
The ability to adapt to different roles based on stakeholders and their needs is one of the most demanding objectives for the ADM. This skill enables the ADM to support the company, teams, clients, and stakeholders in achieving their desired results.

And last but not least—multitasking! It is essential for managing multiple teams, extremely challenging, and can test even the most determined ADM.

Conclusions

The role of the ADM is multifaceted and constantly evolving. What is certain is that, for our Learning Organization model, ADMs are a point of reference for developers, teams, the Board, and clients.

In the next articles, we will talk about who the Scrum Master and the Product Owner are for Intré.