The Universal Remedy for Fixing Your Agile Problems—Why Problems Differ, Solutions Are the Same

Unique problems in the chaotic world of product development and delivery plague every team, business unit, or organization. One team struggles with missed deadlines, another with poor code quality, and another with disengaged stakeholders. At first glance, these challenges seem so distinct that they demand custom solutions, tailored strategies, and elaborate frameworks.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the problems may differ, but the solutions are almost always the same—and often the simplest. This realization is both liberating and infuriating. It is liberating because it simplifies the path to improvement, and it is infuriating because it challenges the illusion that complexity equals sophistication.

This is where the Formula of Evidential Elements of Agility? comes into play. It’s not another framework; it’s an agility health diagnostic tool and treatment plan rolled into one for launching, assessing, and optimizing teams. The key isn’t inventing new fixes every time something breaks. The key is identifying the symptoms, mapping them to the root cause, and applying the right Element(s)—just like a doctor diagnosing and treating an illness.

Diagnosing Agile Dysfunction: Symptoms Are Clues, Not the Problem

Consider this: You are not feeling well, so you take your temperature. When you have a fever, the fever isn’t the disease. It’s a symptom signaling an underlying issue—an infection, dehydration, or something more serious. Similarly, when a team consistently misses deadlines, that’s not the problem. It’s a symptom of something more profound: poor backlog refinement, lack of clarity in goals, or unrealistic sprint planning.

The biggest mistake teams make is treating the symptom instead of the cause. They slap on anti-patterns like more meetings, stricter deadlines, or new tools, hoping it’ll magically solve everything. Spoiler alert: it won’t. It’s like taking painkillers for a broken leg without addressing the fracture.

The Formula of Evidential Elements of Agility?: Your Prescription Pad

Think of the Formula as your diagnostic chart. It helps you move from,

? Indicator → Symptom → Root Cause → Solution.

Just like a doctor has a decision support system—fever + cough + fatigue = possible flu—you have one for your team:

? Missed deadlines + unclear backlog + frustrated team = weak Backlog Management practices.

? Slow delivery + handoffs + dependencies = lack of cross-functional Teams with everyone and everything needed, within a broken Structure.

? Low engagement + confusion during Daily Scrums = poor Sprint Planning and/or lack of Psychological Safety.

The cure isn’t a complex, multi-tiered coaching intervention. It’s usually one or two simple adjustments tied to specific Elements:

? Fix the Backlog.

? Clarify Roles.

? Improve Collaboration.

? Shorten Feedback Loops.

? Reduce Dependencies.

Sprint Retrospectives: Your Regular Check-Up

Now, where do you find these symptoms? Sprint Retrospectives. They’re the equivalent of your team’s routine health check-ups. This is where you take the pulse of your processes, diagnose what’s not working, and prescribe the next steps.

However, retrospectives often fail because teams treat them as complaint sessions instead of diagnostic sessions. They discuss how they feel without mapping those feelings to observable behavioral patterns. The magic happens when you shift the focus from:

? “We’re frustrated because of tight deadlines.”

To:

? “Why are the deadlines tight? Oh, because we’re not refining our backlog effectively, which causes last-minute rushes.”

Once you connect the dots, the solution practically presents itself.

The Doctor Analogy: Agile as Healthcare

Let’s stretch the analogy further:

? Indicators = Early warning signs (e.g., flow, item aging).

? Symptoms = What you see and feel (e.g., missed deadlines, poor quality, low morale).

? Diagnosis = Understanding the root cause (e.g., weak backlog, poor team dynamics, lack of clarity).

? Prescription = Applying the right Element (e.g., improving refinement, redefining roles, enhancing team autonomy).

? Treatment Plan = Continuous improvement through retrospectives, feedback loops, and experiments.

Just like in healthcare, you don’t need a different treatment for every patient with the flu. Further, rarely is the problem a new ailment. You apply the same evidence-based treatment because the biology is consistent. The same holds for teams: Agility issues are remarkably predictable. The dysfunction might wear a different mask, but the root causes are strikingly similar.

Complexity Is Addictive, Simplicity Is Revolutionary

Here’s the kicker: Simple solutions often get ignored because they don’t feel sophisticated enough. People expect big problems to require big, complex fixes. But the opposite is usually true.

? The problem feels complex because you’re tangled in symptoms.

? The solution feels simple because it’s clear and direct.

The hard part isn’t solving the problem; it’s having the discipline to stick to the basics.

Key Takeaways: Unf*cking Your Agile with Evidence, Not Opinions

1. Problems differ, and solutions don’t. The context may change, but the principles remain the same.

2. Use evidence-based metrics as leading indicators identifying problems before they become systemic failures.

3. Symptoms are clues, not the cause. Always dig deeper to find the single root issue.

4. Retrospectives are diagnostic tools. Use them like a doctor uses patient history.

5. Apply the Formula of Evidential Elements of Agility?. It’s your guide to mapping indicators to symptoms, symptoms to causes, and causes to solutions.

6. Simple doesn’t mean easy. The most straightforward solutions often require the most discipline to implement consistently.

Final Thought

In the end, unf*cking your Agile isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s about realizing the wheel was never broken. You weren’t using it right.

Excerpts from the book Unf*ck Your Agile? by Mike Fisher

#agility #agile @product