“The creative spark jumps across.” Interview with Professor Dr. Ayelt Komus, University of Applied Sciences Koblenz.
PProfessor Dr. Ayelt Komus teaches Organizational Design at the University of Applied Sciences Koblenz. His research and consulting focus on the opportunities of digitalization and artificial intelligence, as well as the organizational requirements that arise from these technologies. Ayelt is a member of the product advisory board of Magile, our software for agile organizations. We spoke with him about how companies deal with agility and why he enjoys contributing to our work.
Ayelt, the current economic situation is anything but stable. What challenges does this create for companies?
Uncertainty, volatility, acceleration, and ambiguity increasingly shape our lives. The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear wake-up call. I also vividly remember the Ever Given crisis in the Suez Canal in March 2021 and its devastating consequences: a single ship getting stuck was enough to trigger global economic turbulence. The war in Ukraine once again showed how vulnerable our societies are. Everywhere we see symptoms of a world that is changing faster and becoming more tightly interconnected.
How can companies manage these changes?
We cannot prepare for unforeseen events in a specific way. Companies therefore have to learn to deal with uncertainty. They need to be able to respond flexibly to change and build resilience. Everything that strengthens self-organization—especially agile methods—increases an organization’s ability to remain viable in today’s economy.
How widespread are such approaches?
Most companies have already engaged with agile methods in one way or another. However, I fear that many entered these initiatives with unrealistic expectations. After the initial enthusiasm, disappointment often follows: “They’re not delivering anything.” Self-organization is not just about people feeling comfortable—although that is certainly important. At the same time, companies are meant to become faster, more capable, and more adaptable.
What today’s environment requires is a corporate culture that encourages and enables employees to take responsibility. When agile teams are empowered to make short-term decisions on their own, reaction speed increases significantly—whether it’s choosing alternative procurement routes or prioritizing IT support requests based on urgency. Decision-making autonomy across all areas of the organization improves the ability to respond appropriately to situations that cannot be fully planned.
Often, it makes sense to combine agile methods with classical elements. Agile teams in large corporations cannot organize themselves entirely without broader coordination. Large systems require goals, overarching planning, and standards so that team performance can work together synergistically. These shared standards can, of course, be developed collaboratively. In addition, corporate governance and compliance impose requirements that must be respected in daily work. Agile methods help increase flexibility within this framework—a concept nicely summarized as “freedom within a frame.”
What characterizes resilient organizations?
Companies are well positioned when they know where they want to go. They understand their unique value proposition and stay on course even in the face of major disruptions. They pursue their goals more creatively and effectively. They know their purpose—the meaning behind what they do. This is also crucial today when it comes to attracting and retaining skilled professionals. At rising systems, this shared sense of purpose is continuously revisited and refined. You can feel that throughout the company. When I contribute ideas as part of the Magile product advisory board, my input is taken seriously and incorporated into further development. The creative spark jumps across—both ways.
You have insight into many organizations. Who typically drives initiatives toward new organizational models internally?
That varies widely. What is particularly striking in many companies is the growing importance of the CIO function. The role of the former “IT manager” has changed dramatically over the past ten years. In the past, the stereotype of the male nerd sitting in a basement under fluorescent lights, thinking in ones and zeros, wasn’t entirely unfounded. Today, strategic IT departments are often at the forefront of transformation—and especially of introducing agile methods. They think fundamentally about how teams can collaborate more effectively.
You are very busy with research and teaching. What motivates you to be part of the Magile product advisory board?
rising systems is a holacratic organization, which I find very exciting. Because the software was originally developed for internal use, the development teams knew exactly what mattered in practice. The result is a solution that is highly practical. It enables companies to apply agile methods in real-world settings—not in an abstract ideal, but integrated with classical structures. This includes ERP integration as well as features like time tracking.
Since Magile is based on an existing system—the open-source ERP solution Odoo—it could be implemented quickly. It continues to grow and improve with every release. I’m very curious to see what comes next.