Where did we go wrong with Agile?

In the ever changing world of improving the delivery of projects, nothing has been as revolutionary, and as overstated or overused, as the word “Agile”. Originating over 20 years ago as a breath of fresh air intended to streamline processes and increase adaptability where there is uncertainty, Agile has, over the years, been interpreted in various ways. Unfortunately it has also been bastardised in so many ways as well. So often the issue isn’t with Agile itself but how it’s often implemented.

Original Agile Manifesto meeting in 2001

The Consultant Conundrum

One of the biggest criticisms of Agile today stems from its implementation by consultancies. Many organisations, in their desire to offer the latest and greatest, have developed their own interpretations of Agile. The problem is that these versions often come with a claimed “secret sauce” to make “their” version of Agile the one to follow, but that can overshadow the very principles Agile is built upon. Instead of fostering simplicity and adopting and accepting what isn’t known in a project, these interpretations can create more bureaucracy, leaving teams feeling trapped in a new kind of red tape.

Back to Basics: The Real Agile

At its core, Agile isn’t about the countless rituals, stand-up meetings, or endless iterations of training programs. It’s fundamentally about three key principles:

1. Define what is the problem that you are trying to solve, based on the information, understanding and hypothesis that you have at that point in time.

2. Take a small step to solve that problem by planning and building something tangible that can be tested to validate your hypothesis

3. Based on what you have delivered, make an adjustment on what you have learned and your new understanding, which may adjust your hypothesis of what the actual problem is, or how it can be solved.

These principles highlight the essence of Agile as a philosophy rather than a rigid methodology. It’s a shift towards valuing adaptability and real-time feedback, rather than sticking to a plan set in stone at the project’s outset.

One can argue that as long as you are following these principles of not trying to plan and predict everything up front, but accept that you will need to learn along the way, you are being Agile.

It's about the philosophy of Agile, not the processes

The heart of Agile is a philosophical shift in how projects are approached. Traditional project management often involves extensive planning upfront, with the expectation that everything can be predicted and accounted for before any real work begins. Agile, on the other hand, embraces the unknown. It’s about planning as you go, learning and adapting as new information emerges, and being willing to change course when necessary.

This dynamic approach can feel chaotic to those used to traditional methods, but it’s this very flexibility that allows teams to respond to changes quickly and deliver more relevant results.

It has also challenged those that understand the supporting processes in traditional project delivery. For example, how do you convince your CFO to fund your project when you are essentially telling them that you don’t know how long it will take, or how much it will cost to solve the business problem? Yes, there have been many approaches to this, but they often compromise on the principles themselves.

Embracing True Agility

So, is Agile really dead? Did Agile actually really live? This is an interesting question, and maybe for the forefathers of the Agile Manifesto and whether they feel that the ‘spirit’ of what they intended to solve is being honoured.

Agile is definitely alive and well, in some form or another, but its true potential is often buried beneath layers of unnecessary complexity introduced by those who’ve strayed from its core principles. To truly benefit from Agile, teams need to peel back these layers and return to the basics: adopt deep collaboration, focus on delivering value (regardless of the rituals), and being adaptable in the face of change.

In a need to constantly evolve, the ability to pivot and adapt is more crucial than ever. By embracing the core spirit and true principles of Agile, teams can thrive by delivering solutions that truly meet the needs of their customers and staying ahead of the curve.

Agile isn’t dead, but it does need to be stimulated and not be buried under layers of unnecessary complexity. Instead celebrate its simplicity and potential to transform the way we work.