The Agile Dilemma

Navigating Challenges

The "Agile" concept is facing challenges. Organizations are removing Agile roles, and reports are emerging that some companies assert Agile investments are not yielding returns. There are initiatives such as Agile 2, re-imagining what "Agile" should have been.

Several factors contribute to the failure of Agile transformations. These include;

• Not having the right team to lead the Agile transformation, focusing mainly on tools and the processes of Agile frameworks, ignoring the mindset behind the values and principles of the Agile manifesto.

• Trying to develop agile teams in a non-agile organizational culture and keeping traditional rituals at the organizational level.

• Expecting a transformation project to be accomplished by a small team of experts rather than a company-wide effort.

• Underestimating issues about the organizational climate, such as distrust, lack of accountability, and fear of failure.

You can add some other factors to this list challenging the agile approaches.

Despite the challenges, it's important to remember that the business world has accumulated substantial knowledge and experience in project management over the past six decades. The Agile Manifesto's values and principles have played a pivotal role in dismantling barriers between the business realm and project management teams. We already have the tools to overcome these challenges, but addressing these complex issues requires more than just the capabilities of project teams.

As a result, sustainable success in value creation is a company-wide journey, which requires a transformation for most companies. And success in this journey can only occur with the belief and active support of C-level executives.