I am sick to death of Agile Initiatives because they usually fail. Sure there are some companies where Agile just fits, but the most common case is a culture conflict. Best fix I know is: Agile is NOT the Goal (Workshop)
The core problem is that the typical approach used to initiate Agile is inconsistent with Agile goals of empowerment and engagement.
Paul Heidema and I ran a session to explore this at Agile Open Toronto this Spring and this post is a way to share the key learnings.
This is a great workshop to run with people to help them understand different options for engaging with change.
I Caused Damage By Agile …
My mom used to say: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.
Here is how I and others have caused damage with Agile:
Of course you can replace the word “Agile” with any other word such as “Lean”, or “Total Quality Management” or <Fill-in-the-blank>.
Real Change Happens When…
We then reflected on the times when we participated and witnessed real change and found that it emerges – it’s not forced:
How Change Your Agile Initiative into Something Better
Real success comes from digging in deep on what is important and really valued in the organization – not just jumping on the Agile bandwagon.
Here is are practical exercise you can use to transform your Agile Initiative into something more resilient and lasting: Agile is NOT the Goal (Workshop)
Acknowledgements
We really appreciate all the folks who showed up and participated in this session. It was awesome.
