Rescuing Agile from the Abyss

Exec: “Sarah, I thought Agile was supposed to make the team autonomous. Why am I still making all the decisions?”

Agile Coach: “Because you won’t stop making all the decisions.”

Exec: “But what if they choose the wrong thing?”

Agile Coach: “That’s the point. They learn from it.”

Exec: “Right, but it’s faster if I just tell them what to do.”

Agile Coach: “Of course, because nothing says ‘autonomy’ like a to-do list from their boss.”

Sound familiar? Fragile Agile loves to pay lip service to team autonomy while ensuring no one actually gets any.

Welcome back. If you’re still here, I’m guessing you’ve seen the dark side of Agile. Burnout, micromanagement, and endless sprints are all signs that Fragile Agile has taken over your team. But don’t despair—there’s a way out.

In this article, we’ll look at how to combat the hamster wheel of sprints, break free from micromanagement, and rediscover what Agile was supposed to be all along, a flexible, empowering way to deliver value (aka as get s**t done).

The Hamster Wheel of Doom

Agile sprints are supposed to be sustainable. But Fragile Agile teams treat them like marathons stacked back-to-back. The result? Burnout. And not the trendy “take a week off and bounce back” kind. This is deep, soul-crushing exhaustion, where even a Friday pint can’t lift spirits.

When teams are constantly sprinting, they lose the chance to regroup. Quality dips. Morale tanks. And your “high-performing” team? They’re secretly updating their CVs.

What to do about it? Stop treating sprints like a never-ending race. Build breathing room into your schedule—whether that’s time for retros, recharging, or just thinking. Agile is supposed to be sustainable. If your team looks like zombies, you’re doing it wrong.

Agile as Micromanagement. The Orwellian Stand-Up

Stand-ups were meant to be quick updates. In Fragile Agile, they’ve become daily interrogations. Leaders demand updates on every minor task while team members scramble to justify their existence. Micromanagement masquerades as “staying on top of things”, and as for empowerment? It’s gone the way of Woolworths—once a beloved retail chain, now a relic of the past, disappearing from British life.

What to do about it? Loosen the reins. Give Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and the rest of the reindeer a break. Trust your team to deliver without hovering. Stand-ups should focus on collaboration, not control. And remember: autonomy is a core Agile principle, not just something to stick in the project charter.

The Real Numbers Game

Here’s the truth: you can’t fix what you can’t measure. Agile without meaningful metrics is just guesswork in fancy wrapping paper. But in Fragile Agile, metrics are either ignored, gamed, or so over-complicated that they’re meaningless. You need metrics that reflect real progress—not vanity numbers that look good on a slide deck.

Velocity is a guide, not a scoreboard. Lead time and cycle time? Great for understanding workflow efficiency. But don’t forget the metrics that tie back to what actually matters—user satisfaction, quality, and outcomes that deliver value.

What to do about it? Keep it simple. Pick a handful of metrics that genuinely reflect your goals. Monitor them, but don’t obsess over them. And above all, don’t let the metrics become the goal themselves. The point isn’t to chase numbers—it’s to deliver results.

Talent Matters

No Agile framework, however perfect, will save you if you don’t have the right team in place. Yet Fragile Agile teams often fall into the trap of over-engineering processes to compensate for underperforming talent. Here’s the thing: you can’t process your way out of a bad hire.

A strong Agile team needs tech talent who can adapt, communicate, and solve problems autonomously. Hiring for skills alone isn’t enough—you need people who thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving environment.

What to do about it? Invest in hiring. Look for people who fit your team’s culture and can bring both expertise and adaptability to the table. Build a team that doesn’t just do Agile but thrives in it. And once you’ve got the right people, trust them. They’ll get the job done.

Agile Isn’t Supposed to Be This Fragile

Agile was designed to cut through bureaucracy, not create more of it. But Fragile Agile thrives on rules, rituals, and rigidity. If your team feels trapped, it’s time to take a step back.

• Cut the fluff. Ask what actually adds value, and ditch the rest.
• Simplify tools. Use them to help, not to overwhelm.
• Focus on outcomes. Deliver results, not just reports.
• Empower teams. Trust people to do their jobs.

Agile doesn’t have to be a mess. With a little effort (and a lot less Jira), you can bring it back to life. So go forth. Bend the rules. And most importantly, stop sprinting towards burnout.