Few bad apples in the path of agility!

"But he won't change, no matter what I try. I can reinforce the principles, I can bring in the top Agile practices, that wouldn't change a thing in his behaviour."

How many times have your Scrum Masters, RTEs, and Product Owners said something like this? What can you as an Agile Coach do to help them? If your answer to the first question is 'Too often' and you seek some advice to formulate the answer to the second question, you have come to the right place.

To begin, let us take a look at this frequently occurring problem- Working with an individual who resists change and can get defensive or defiant. The situation can be difficult or even downright ugly.

Now how do we approach this problem- At the risk of sounding cliché, let's reframe this problem so that it's not a problem anymore.

So, let's ask ourselves a question-what is our reasoning that this is a unsolvable problem? Usual answers I hear are- He is too rigid, she is too old to accept change (ageist assumption!), he is stubborn, she is out to get me, she wants my job, he only cared about himself, etc etc.

I'd like to argue something different. People you work with are adults. They are highly likely to be reasonable and logical, especially if they were hired to solve problems for the organisation. These are the people who have built your organisation. Don't assume things about them. Sorry, scratch that! You can actually assume one thing about almost everyone- 'They have a good reason or two for their actions.'

Even when they resist change, they usually have a few good, sometimes even great reasons to do so. They might know things, that you and I don't. Or, they might assume things (sometimes correctly, other times not) that we never did. Either way, they have a logical path, constructed consciously or otherwise, from their reasons to their actions. Can we try to figure out what is that reason and what path does it take to manifest itself?

The people who resist are our biggest allies. Consider them not as the enemy of Agile and agility, but as teachers whose knowledge has been untapped in certain areas. They usually have a lot to teach- provided we maintain an honest channel of communication, ask genuine and socratic questions, and above all, keep an open mind.

The resistant folks can be the source of incredible discoveries. Maybe the change we wanted was blocked by just a couple of trivial and very solvable problems. Maybe that change was never needed, but instead a different change is more relevant. Maybe something else... And that's how you reframe this situation to your advantage. It is not a problem anymore, but rather an opportunity!

Given the right platform, these discoveries can lead to great revelations, enlightenment, and favourable changes in our approach, or even entire strategies and portfolios.

Although, being completely honest, in most organisations, you will most likely just dawn upon a different appraisal and recognition method, but that's a mammoth achievement in itself. Remember, if someone's livelihood depends on not listening to you, they won't.

At this point, I realise I am getting close to prescriptive.

To avoid that, I'd like to ask you a question- If you have met someone resistant to change, what did you do to overcome this challenge? (And if you'd like to read some of my own experiences in dealing with resistance, let me know.)