Agile vs. Agile-ish: Navigating the Realities of Agile Transformation

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work in different agile environments, from true agile transformations in a large financial and insurance company to places where agile was more of an aspiration, what many people refer to as "Agile-ish."

The Agile Transformation Experience

In this large financial and insurance company, I was part of a structured and strategic agile transformation. This included well-defined frameworks, leadership buy-in, and a cultural shift that empowered squads to truly embrace agility. The impact? Faster iterations, improved collaboration, and tangible business outcomes.

The Reality of Agile-ish

In some other organizations that I have worked, Agile was adopted in a more flexible and pragmatic way, aligning with their specific needs rather than aiming for a full agile transformation. The expectation was not necessarily to embrace agility at its core but to leverage selected agile practices to improve workflows and outcomes. Teams operated within this "Agile-ish" approach effectively, finding a balance between structure and adaptability to achieve our goals.

Adapting to Maturity Levels

Regardless of the level of agile maturity, I have always focused on pushing squads according to their readiness and consistently achieved positive outcomes in both scenarios. In mature agile environments, the challenge was to refine processes, measure outcomes effectively, and maintain agility at scale. In less mature environments, my role was to foster an agile mindset, introduce best practices progressively, and ensure that teams felt empowered rather than burdened by the framework.

Pros and Cons

Agile (Well-Implemented)

? Increased flexibility and adaptability

? Faster feedback loops and continuous improvement

? Higher team engagement and ownership

? Stronger alignment between business and development teams

? Requires cultural and leadership buy-in

? Can be challenging to scale in complex organizations

? Needs continuous effort to avoid falling into rigid processes

Agile-ish (Partial Agile)

? Some process improvements compared to traditional methods

? Faster delivery cycles (even if not always valuable work)

? Initial enthusiasm from leadership

? Lack of real agility, leading to frustration

? Teams follow rituals without true mindset shift

? Risk of burnout due to misunderstood expectations

Final Thoughts

Regardless of the environment, I have successfully driven results by adapting to the organization's context while continuously advocating for true agility. Whether in a full-fledged agile transformation or a company still struggling with "Agile-ish," the key is to guide teams towards continuous learning and incremental improvements.

What has your experience been with agile transformations? Have you encountered "Agile-ish" in your career? Let’s discuss!

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