What do you do if your boss is resistant to your ideas in an Agile project?

When encountering skepticism from your boss, adopting a stance of patience, empathy, and focused communication is key. Dive into their reservations with an open mind, back your propositions with solid evidence, and clearly show how your ideas align with both project objectives and broader business goals. The aim here is not just to win an argument but to cultivate a solution that propels the project forward while enhancing collaborative dynamics. So, hold onto your innovative spirit. Through a measured approach and a genuine effort to understand and bridge gaps, you stand a good chance of not only earning your boss's backing but also steering your Agile project towards greater success.

If my boss is resistant to my ideas in an Agile project, I would first seek to understand their concerns and perspective. Then, I would present evidence supporting the benefits of my ideas, such as potential improvements in efficiency or customer satisfaction. If necessary, I'd also explore alternative solutions that address my boss's concerns while still aligning with Agile principles.

Anyone coming with ideas should have stats to showcase how it is going to benefit team / project. Boss always look at them before approving ideas for implementation. Align Boss expectations with your role and responsibilities. Being on your role, how you can contribute or by suggesting improvements in processes / tools which will give more success to team. That is what matters for a Boss. If he/she is resistant to some of your ideas, try to convince by applying some ideas on pilot basis to one project / team and show the results.

First step would be to understand from where they are coming, one reason can be that we humans are reluctant to changes or someone might have not given the right information regarding Agility. You can start the second round of discussion with proof, like success stories which are because of agile and how it has helped the organization to grow and foster. Explain in detail Agile values and principles, hear out what they have to say for the same. Continue these exchanges and see what needs to be done. Respecting each other's opinion is also important. Keep learning.

?? Antes de reaccionar, busca comprender las preocupaciones de tu jefe. A menudo, la resistencia se debe a la falta de información, miedo al cambio o preocupaciones sobre los recursos. Haz preguntas específicas para entender sus reservas y muestra empatía. Reconocer y validar sus preocupaciones no solo puede abrir un diálogo constructivo sino también fortalecer tu relación.

Resistance can stem from a lack of knowledge about the method. It's important to explain the principles, objectives, and benefits of using the methodology. In addition to informing, it's important to demonstrate how the method can enhance the team's capabilities and how this can change overall results.

Education is key here to rebalancing the relationship defined here as 'boss'. Agile projects don't have such a role, and in reality your individual ideas would more likely be considered and adopted by your team before being shared more widely as a recommendation. If however we consider 'boss' here to mean stakeholder then the way ideas can be sold more successfully in Agile projects is using experiments and evidence. Try something small and build on it if it works.

A good way would be to start with a few smaller decisions (like a daily meeting, setting goals, start working in pair) Ideally there would be a small project where we can try it the agile way and so we could show our boss and the whole team and stakeholders how it all works in practice

Antes de apresentar os benefícios do ágil tenha resiliência e pratique a esculta ativa, fa?a as perguntas certas para extrair o máximo de informa??es que v?o te ajudar a entender o que motiva seu chefe ser t?o resistente. Após comece a fazer a negocia??o com empatia, acolha os sentimentos dele e apresente como pode fazer uma implementa??o de menor impacto.

Support is critical for any change to work. You need a guiding coalition to create effective change. You must stick with your values and principles to build that coalition and bringing your boss along doesn't hurt. Personally, I've tried to go it alone and failed. I tried implementing some stuff I learned in a book long ago around teams and got multiple calls from senior leaders in the organization I worked in at that time to stand down. At the time, I thought it was a great idea. It was my boss that asked, "What if you had asked me to join you in implementing this? Would the response have been different?" This is why support is critically important and remember Agile is about teamwork and that extends to how we lead change.

Educate and inform your boss and other stakeholders about the benefits and relevance of your proposal. This can be achieved by sharing well-researched articles, case studies, and data that underscore the value and feasibility of your idea. Actively seeking and incorporating feedback is also crucial; it not only refines your proposal but also fosters a sense of involvement and investment among those whose support you need. This strategy ensures that you're not just pushing an idea but nurturing an environment where its potential benefits and impacts are clearly understood and appreciated, paving the way for more receptive and constructive dialogue.

One of the reasons where Agile fails is lack of shared understanding of the Agile values. Working on an Agile Values Working Agreement may help build the expectations and a foster shared understanding of how Agile can benefit the project.

"Make the connection between what they value and the future proposed in the change." There's a better way to propose change than labeling your boss a "resister." Honoring the past, present, and people is the third rule in Esther Derby's "7 Rules for Positive, Productive Change". Work with leadership to collaboratively identify and build upon what is already working in the organization. You should be looking for: - Unique environments that foster highly functional teams - Differentiation in the work product Be curious, then leverage what you found to reassure leadership that that the strongest value produced by the organization will continue to be preserved through Agile adoption.

When your boss resists your ideas in an Agile project, first strive to understand their perspective and concerns. Educate them on the benefits of Agile, using real examples and data. Negotiate and find compromises where possible, implementing small changes to demonstrate Agile's value. Seek support from others who are familiar with Agile to build credibility. Always show respect for your boss’s experience and position, and be open to their feedback. Lastly, use this as an opportunity to learn and improve your own skills in communication, negotiation, and Agile methodologies. This approach can help bridge the gap and foster a more collaborative and productive working environment.

Demonstrating success even on a small scale also goes a long way. Can you take a small project / sub team on a larger project and show measurable improvement?

You must make sure if they have a correct understanding of your idea, and also your idea is within the same scope and really helps with the situation. One thing that you should consider is that you have to keep things professional, and avoid letting other emotions make the situation worse.

I would first seek to understand their concerns and reservations through empathetic listening. I would then demonstrate the value and alignment of my ideas with Agile principles and the project's goals, using data and examples. Collaboratively, I would propose a pilot or experiment for my idea, allowing for tangible evaluation and minimizing perceived risks. This approach facilitates open dialogue, promotes trust, and aligns with the Agile mindset of iterative improvement and responsiveness to change.

If your BOSS is RESISTANT to YOUR IDEA, then there is something fundamentally wrong. 1. Agile is not a packaged solution that you can sell, unfortunately that is mostly the case. If you bring your own solution, people might have difference of opinion. 2. Your boss and everyone in the team must be part of the discussion to frame the problem that you as a team are trying to solve. 3. Once you all have decided the problem and focus areas, you would all discuss how to solve those problems being agile (that does not mean, you straightway again introduce a framework). You have to sit down with your team and meet them where they are and take it from there.

I feel like the 'agile project' bit makes no real difference to my thoughts. If someone is resistant to an idea whether they are your boss or not, you should focus on articulating the real value in the context of the team/department goals. Try to understand if they disagree with the idea or your representation of the value. People have inherently different appetites for risk and so you should keep in this in mind when building a case for any particular action, including ideas to mitigate the greatest risks etc