Agile: 7 Differences between water and the bottle

I have often been asked to explain the difference between a Framework (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, XP, etc.) and Agile. Many people are convinced that the framework itself is “Agile.”

I describe this as – Agile is the water, the Framework is the bottle.

Agile is the water, the Framework (Scrum, SAFe, etc) is the bottle

A while ago, I was working a contract as an agile coach in a government department that was implementing SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework). I was talking to a section manager who was puzzled that I would refer to agile and SAFe as two different things and he asked me about the difference. The SAFe consultant they were using was someone I enjoyed working with and who really knew SAFe, but had very little idea of what agile was.

Trying desperately for a better way to explain this, I noticed that he (the manager) was carrying one of those off-the-shelf bottles of water that they sold in the shop on the street below so I asked, "What have you got in your hand?".

Puzzled, he looked down, shrugged, and said, "Just water", I was able to correct him, "Actually, you have two things there; you have water, and you have the bottle".

I explained, "Think of agile as the water and the bottle as the framework like SAFe. Water can be poured into many different types of bottles, buckets, and cups just like agile can be implemented into many different frameworks like Scrum, SAFe etc."

"In other words, as an agile coach, I am filling that bottle with water."

In this case, the framework, or "bottle" was SAFe. We relied on our SAFe consultant to know everything about that bottle, the size, the shape ... everything. He can describe it in detail. However, he may not understand about the water or agile. He is installing with excellent professionalism, what he felt was the ideal sized bottle for this organisation. As an agile coach, however, I am working with the teams and groups to help with the understanding of agile. In other words, I am filling that bottle with water."

I explained that agile is a mindset described by the 4 values of the manifesto, defined by the 12 principles, and manifested through any number of practices, of which SAFe is just one.

There are those in the industry who know every detail of the bottle, the shape, the construction, the cap, but really have no idea about the water, thinking that they do because ... well ... “bottle”.

To put that another way, there are highly trained, qualified, and experienced people who understand completely their framework whether it be Scrum, SAFe, or whatever, but do not understand agile at all. This can be good, so long as you use such people to help in the early stages of becoming agile only, ensuring that the rigidity of the bottle does not become permanent. Allow agile to flow and replace or reshape the container as required by the environment.

A Scrum or SAFe coach is NOT an agile coach, these are two different things.

By all means, select an appropriate container to start, but don’t forget, it’s the water that is the value.

Take care, it’s worth noting the following:

1. Bottles don’t change shape, they are rigid in their construction and can lock in the water. Meaning: Without agile being able to flow and find it’s own shape, you are locked into a rigid, highly constrained structure that actually disallows agility.
2. Often people get attached to the rigid and defined structure of the bottle and will enforce that structure and value the rigidity over the water. Meaning: Some will place the value of the framework (e.g. Scrum, SAFe, etc) over becoming agile.
3. Bottles can be empty. Meaning: Installing a framework will not make you agile.
4. Some bottle experts insist they are water experts. Meaning: A Scrum or SAFe coach is NOT an agile coach, these are two different things.
5. Allow your bottle to be open so that the water can flow. Meaning: Frameworks like Scrum, SAFe, LeSS etc are your starting point. It allows teams to know What to do while they learn why they are doing it.
6. Water can exist without a container and, like a river, will find it’s own path. Meaning: Agile itself only needs the framework while the team comes to understand agile (use your agile coach), and can decide to progress through regular refinement in such things as the retrospective. This allows teams to work in the most productive and inspired way for both the team and the environment.
7. Water can end up in still ponds and become contaminated. Meaning: Ensure that you have regular contact with an experienced "agile" coach or the team will drift back into … well ... not a nice or productive place.

The framework is not bad. It is an excellent way that teams can understand what to do, but concentrate on the agile mindset over the framework to truly create value.

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