Cracking the Code of Agile Resistance with Org Topologies

One question and situation I’ve often encountered in interviews and from personal and/or colleagues’ experiences is this: "What would you do if you faced resistance from developers regarding adopting Agile practices, an agile mindset, and ultimately becoming agile?"

I've found resistance might arise when the ways of working developers excelled in are still perceived as effective. Addressing this requires deep empathy and understanding of organizational dynamics, and Org Topologies might just provide the lens to make sense of this challenge. (If you’re new to Org Topologies?, you can read a quick introduction here: [Org Topologies] or familiarize yourself with the Org Topologies Map below.)

Resistance: A Crisis of Professional Identity?

Imagine developers who’ve excelled in traditional silos (Y0/Y1 archetypes in Org Topologies). Over years, they’ve honed specialized skills, been rewarded for individual contributions, and measured by their ability to execute fragmented tasks efficiently. Now, consider the shift when these same people are placed in a so-called "cross-functional" Scrum or Agile team. Suddenly, they’re expected to broaden their capabilities, work on tasks outside their expertise (the "T-shape" mandate), and share responsibilities with others.

It’s not just a change in processes—it’s a challenge to their professional identity and the culture that once celebrated specialization. This is where frustration and resistance may take root.

Now let’s add another layer: organizational culture. If the organization still rewards individual performance over team outcomes, plans tasks or "requirements" in silos (B0 level) and assign them ultimately to individuals (thanks JIRA for that!), and fails to foster an ecosystem of learning and collaboration, then developers’ skepticism about Agile is entirely justified. They’re being told to embrace cross-functionality, collaboration, self-direction, T-shaped skills, among other expectations, while still receiving very clear conflicting signals from the reward system and work structure—being treated, among other things, as resources.

With Org Topologies I found a way to visualize these tensions. It helps map the current state of organizational design, assess gaps, and identify where misalignments between strategy, culture, and structure are sabotaging change efforts.

For Agile Coaches or Scrum Masters, this insight might transform how you approach resistance. Rather than pressuring developers to adapt, shield them from the fallout of misaligned systems. Advocate for structural changes higher up, such as shifting the focus from individual tasks to team-based outcomes, cultivating a learning culture, and - because it can'T be said enough - reducing work-in-progress (WIP) at the system and team levels; for even in manufacturing, running machines at 80%+ capacity is risky— why do we expect humans to handle it?

But for me, most importantly, I now understand that if someone has been valued, rewarded, and judged based on their specialization and individual contributions, taking this away from them will, of course, cause a sense of disorientation and perhaps even worthlessness. The reality is that pushing change as if the team were already at an A2 or A3 level without addressing the broader ecosystem (and its current reality—Y-level silos) is often futile.

The journey to overcoming Agile resistance begins with recognizing the organizational structures and cultural norms that shape behavior.

By leveraging the Org Topologies? approach, teams and leaders can map their current state, identify gaps, and align structures with the strategic goals of agility and collaboration. For success comes not from forcing individuals to adapt but from reshaping the ecosystem to support learning, cross-functionality, and team-oriented outcomes. That is the true managers’ task!

True transformation requires addressing the root causes of resistance—reward systems, siloed structures, and conflicting signals—while creating an environment that values adaptability and collaboration. Organizations that embrace this approach unlock the full potential of their teams and foster sustainable change. As the Org Topologies highlight, “The evolution to agility must be built on a foundation of alignment between strategy, culture, and structure.”

Only by addressing these misalignments can organizations decisively and effectively move forward, empowering individuals and teams to thrive in an Agile future.

The question now is: Are we ready to design for real lasting change?

(Note: This article was changed after some friendly suggestions and insights by Alexey Krivitsky )