Emperor’s new clothes?
Unless you’ve been living in a deep and dark well somewhere, any change professional will be familiar with the drive to ‘Agile’. Fans may laud this approach to executing change as the silver bullet; cynics may call these new labels on old ideas.
The real insight is to think evolution not revolution. Agile can lift the best ideas from a plethora of innovations. From iterative development and rapid response teams through to lean engineering and quality circles.
Agile can promise to deliver the pace and flexibility that businesses demand. Too often it can fall flat as it’s scrum masters and practitioners fall foul of a blind belief in process. A failing not of agile but an oversight of the fundamentals of change.
Get clarity up front of the end goal – what does success really look like? Not the path but the outcome you’re seeking. Use this as your touch-stone at every major planning event and individual sprint.
Is what you’re doing today moving you closer to that goal? Think through the agile labels of backlogs and minimum viable products. Challenge if what’s on that backlog is a genuine building block to success. Changing direction today is cheaper than tomorrow.
Agile is not one size fits all. Take a hybrid approach. Where does Agile deliver the pace, flexibility and iteration you need? Where would you combine this with other change or project approaches? Be bold and challenge your process for your unique circumstances. Above all bring your team and stakeholders with you – think, challenge, tailor and educate.
