It is 23 years to date since the creation of the Agile Manifesto. So, a few years ago, Agile reached adulthood. My experience is that it fits very nicely with the state of Agile in 2024. By now, the late majority also has experienced Agile for several years.
I believe it is time to go beyond Agile. And embrace the first words of the Agile Manifesto:
“We are uncovering better ways of developing software [or products - WJ Ageling] by doing it and helping others do it.” - Agile Manifesto
Instead of implementing Agile frameworks, I advise fostering Agility and finding ways to unleash the uniqueness of your team, product or organization.
Here are 7 lessons from the Agile era to successfully embrace Agility.
1. Break the silos
Cross-functional teams that can create a product increment of potential value quickly and repeatedly are here to stay. We don’t want to return to the times of handoffs and numerous approval phases. All this can be avoided by having the people creating the product work closely together.
We also learned that regular direct stakeholder feedback (from users, customers and internal stakeholders) is priceless. Everyone collaborates to maximize the chances of success.
2. Our predictions aren’t future-proof
Most product environments are volatile as the world is changing faster and faster. Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka already knew this in 1986 when they created the precursor of Scrum. 38 years later, this is truer than ever.
We can’t rely on thorough analyses and long-term output-focused plans. We have learned to take small steps and learn from what we did. This allows us to add new information to the discussion and as a result, reprioritise our work.
Output doesn’t guarantee the desired outcome. We can no longer rely on the premise that when we create a product according to specifications, the users will be happy. There’s no direct link between output and outcome. We may have a good idea of what to do to achieve our desired outcomes. But we need to verify if this is the case.
We even accept that we never know for sure if our work will bring the desired outcomes. This is why teams work in short iterations to ensure users and other stakeholders can verify the output regularly.
3. Empowerment brings value
The fact that we put the desired outcome centre stage due to the volatile nature of the environment also implies that teams need to be empowered to find the best way forward to reach the outcome.
Teams no longer get detailed work instructions to create the product. Now they need to work together creatively to find their path. This includes deciding how they will build the product and abandoning an experiment if it doesn’t bring the desired results.
4. Effective and efficient
In simpler times, it sufficed to create detailed instructions for the people. Following these instructions would help build a product that would meet the customer's needs. The best way to win time and money was to make the process more efficient.
However, when you don’t exactly know what needs to happen to meet the customer’s needs, it is more important to focus on effectiveness: are we building the right product?
Sure, teams can still aim to be more efficient in their collaboration. But being effective in reaching their goals is - as I see it - more important.
5. Leaders foster Agility
For the longest time, organizations needed managers to ensure that people were doing the work right. They focused on building the product according to specifications in the planned time.
In the age of Agility, teams don’t need managers. They need leaders. They need people to communicate the desired outcomes and foster the environment so teams self-organize their work.
6. One size doesn’t fit all
It took many years, but finally, we see more and more organizations finding their best Agile ways to create value. After all, their organization is unique. It therefore doesn’t make sense to copy/paste practices from other organizations, like the Spotify Model. The same is true for Scrum. Sometimes teams thrive with Scrum, others may not. And not all teams are best served with two-week Sprints. Some may want shorter Sprints and other longer ones.
I predict organizations will move away from standard approaches to “uncover better ways of developing products”. Instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all solution, they will use tools like unFIX to create their unique Agile organization.
7. Coaching is more important but different
The world will continue to need people who help teams and organizations find their unique way of organising around value. Coaches will help foster Agility instead of implementing Agile frameworks.
Exciting times ahead
Agile growing up. It is starting to stand on its own feet. More and more organizations are finding their unique Agile way of working. They may not call it “Agile” anymore, but “product-centric” or “value-focused”. However, the Agile elements are everywhere.
I applaud this development, moving away from standard scaling recipes to unique solutions that are a better fit. 23 years after the creation of the Agile Manifesto, the world begins to understand Agile.
The hardest thing for most people and organizations to accept is that plans cannot reflect reality.
I must say that unfortunately, the late majority has only seen agile frameworks for some years now. Many of them have not seen Agile or agility, just the frameworks.
But indeed we have learned in the past 23 years and found new ways since then.