A cry for...

I’ve been doing Agile for a while now — longer than most but much less than others. This distinction means that there are those who have far more experience and knowledge than me, whilst others mostly have been navigating the nimble seas with far less experience and information. And I’m curious how all of them, both recent and past, cope with this — the main subject of today’s discussion.

As is common, with each new experience comes new problems, and with those, fresh opportunities to learn. That has always been my passion. To learn as I travel this winding road and to help others along the way. Now, I realize that this could be due to age, tiredness, or even being worn out, not to mention that I’ve always struggled with imposter syndrome (I have an entire article on that), but I’m becoming increasingly frustrated with some organizations (and the people within those organizations) I’ve been working with.

Apart from a few notable exceptions, I’ve seen enterprises go on an Agile journey, often referring to the process as a "transformation", just because it is the current trend and since most large corporations claim to be Agile. If this was the initial motivation and we could then see true progress, I would be happy with it. We have to begin somewhere, right? What is the initial stepping stone for one person may not be the same for another. Each to his or her own. Fine. However, many begin with larger-than-life speeches, some even from C levels, and they may even begin implementing some techniques and/or tools, but when it comes to genuine transformation… no way. Because this is not how we operate. Or this cannot be done in such “new” ways. We must continue doing and, worse, thinking about the old ways.

I’ve seen everything. From companies that still believe projects are the way to go and products are “trendy” approaches that should really be dealt with as projects, to others that still use KPI-based reward systems while advocating for “innovation,” or even those who don’t really understand that some metrics are to be used by teams, for teams, and solely for them, and try to evaluate a team’s performance based on velocity or throughput. I know and feel that there is room for both projects and products. I appreciate the necessity to track performance, which is why a KPI is necessary. And I encourage everyone to make data-driven decisions and to use analytics to do so. It’s the same with everything else. I realize that most businesses will be unable to adopt a holacracy model, just as many will never appreciate the merits or true application of OKRs. Not every technique, practice, framework, or belief works for everyone. That’s just fine with me. What I don’t like is when organizations declare that they are Agile or that they are on their way to becoming Agile, even if they hire professionals or consulting firms to do so, but then quit before they even begin.

An Agile transformation will not make you or your company Agile, regardless of how many use cases of 7, 9, or 12 bullet points you must follow to achieve it. Agile is not a goal, as some of you may have heard or read. It is a journey, a way. And you can only take a road if you make the decision to do so. For example, if you intend to wander the planet, you must leave behind everything that pulls you down, right? And this will be a process. You normally begin with everything you believe essential, but somewhere along the way, you start to shed certain things until you realize that all along, all you actually needed was yourself.

Implementing a framework (Scrum, Kanban, or another) or utilizing Jira and sticky notes is meaningless if the company is fundamentally unchanged. That is the primary distinction between doing Agile and being Agile. I don’t mean you have to get rid of C-level executives or all department heads. However, you must modify your entire perspective on how you manage your business.

In the end, it is your company that suffers. As a result, your revenue will suffer. If the overall culture and ways of working do not change, you will never have truly committed people working with you, willing to bring the best and look for new and innovative ways to deliver what they are good at, all while believing that the entire organization has a bigger purpose than just making money for a few at the expense of others.

This is my cry for… well, not help, but almost despair. Please, if you own or manage a company and want to embark on this Agile journey, you need to do it fully, mind and soul. To add to my last example, even if you buy the best shoes and equipment, that doesn't mean you'll finish any of?the toughest races on earth. You must commit, train, evolve, and not give up when things get difficult. Otherwise, you might as well not even start.

Original article here.