The Tyranny of Fake Agile: An Agilist Perspective

By Tony Camacho , M. Sofia Schaale , Shannon Wright

Welcome to Fake Agile

Agile has become the buzzword of the decade, breaking out of its roots in software development to permeate industries ranging from finance to manufacturing. It promises flexibility, faster delivery, and a culture of continuous improvement. But as any seasoned Agile practitioner will tell you, not all "Agile" implementations are created equal. In fact, many organizations wear the Agile badge without truly living its principles, a phenomenon I like to call "Fake Agile."

?

What is Fake Agile?

Fake Agile is the adoption of Agile frameworks, tools, and vocabulary without embracing the mindset and principles that make Agile truly effective. It's the sprint planning without collaboration, the daily stand-ups without purpose, and the retrospectives without change. It's Agile in form, but not in substance. These are some signs You're in a Fake Agile Environment:

· Command and Control Lives On

In a Fake Agile setup, the teams are asked to self-organize, yet leadership continues to micromanage tasks and decisions. Agile builds trust and empowerment; Fake Agile would rather have the illusion of control.

·?Process Over People

Agile values "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools." Fake Agile flips that on its head, obsessing over Jira workflows, Gantt charts masquerading as roadmaps, and rigid adherence to ceremonies.

·?Velocity as a Weapon

True Agile employs metrics such as velocity as a diagnostic tool, never as a performance benchmark. Fake Agile weaponizes it, compelling teams to make their velocity ever bigger, regardless of the cost to quality or team morale.

·? Cargo Cult Ceremonies

In Fake Agile, teams go through the motions: daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, retrospectives, but the outcomes are hollow. The stand-up is a status update for the manager, not an opportunity for the team to organize the work they want to accomplish that day or to unblock work. The retrospective becomes a formality; no actionable insights flow out of it.

·??No Real Customer Focus

Agile prioritizes the delivery of value to the customer. In Fake Agile, the customer is an afterthought. Teams focus on delivering features, not solving real problems or addressing user needs.

·??Agile is Just a Team Thing

Fake Agile relegates the Agile practices to individual teams, while the broader organization clings to traditional hierarchies and planning models. True Agile requires organizational transformation, not just localized change.

?

How Fake Agile Happens

Fake Agile results from not knowing what Agile really is. Leaders can be attracted to the rhetoric of speed and adaptability associated with Agile but simply lack the investment or the will to remodel their company's culture for it. They treat Agile either as a quick fix or simply as a set of best practices, instead of a mindset that demands deep change.

Other times, organizations fall victim to "framework worship," believing that putting Scrum, SAFe, or Kanban in place makes them Agile. It's not that way. Frameworks are mere tools. They work only when joined by a commitment to the values of Agile.

?

Why Fake Agile is Dangerous

Fake Agile not only fails to deliver the promised benefits of agility, but it also breeds cynicism. Teams grow disillusioned; they believe Agile itself is the problem, not the poor implementation. This cynicism can poison future attempts at meaningful transformation.

?

How to Spot, and Combat, Fake Agile

·??Start with Why

Pre-agile, make sure the leadership knows "why." It is not about going faster; it is about delivering better value with a collaborative, adaptive team.

·??Invest in Mindset, Not Just Methodology

Agile is culture, not a checklist. Agile training and coaching are necessary at all levels in the organization.

·??Empower Teams

Trust your teams to make decisions, solve problems, and take ownership of their work. Give them the autonomy to truly self-organize.

·??Focus on Outcomes, Not Outputs

Focus on measuring success based on the value delivered to the customer and not by the number of features released or stories completed.

·??Iterate on Your Agile Practices

Agile is not a destination; it's a journey. Continuously inspect and adapt not just your products but also your processes.

?

The Path to Real Agility

True Agile transformation is hard work. It takes lots of humility, patience, and willingness to unlearn the strong ways of working. However, the rewards, a motivated workforce, delighted customers, and an organization that can adapt to change, are well worth the effort.

So if you find yourself in a Fake Agile environment, don't despair. Use that as an opportunity to teach, inspire, and set an example. Real agility begins with people like you who champion the values and principles that make Agile more than just a buzzword.

Welcome to Fake Agile, may your stay be short and your impact transformative.