a·gen·tic a·gil·i·ty

7 deadly sins of Agile: Lust

TL;DR; Agile transformation is not a quick fix or something that can be bought off the shelf; it requires genuine commitment, adaptation, and alignment with your organisation’s unique context. Many companies make the mistake of seeking instant results or copying generic models, which often leads to disappointment. Development managers should focus on building a tailored Agile journey through ongoing learning, experimentation, and a willingness to evolve.

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Unravelling the Lust of Agile: Why There’s No Quick Fix in Transformation 

In a world where rapid market evolution is the norm, many organisations find themselves facing the 70-year itch, desperately seeking a solution in Agile transformations.  

But is this desire a mere infatuation, an Agile lust, if you will? 🤔  

Let’s dive into why merely craving Agile isn’t enough and the importance of genuine commitment to the process. 

The 70-Year Itch in Organisations: 

  • 💡 The market has been evolving since the 1930s, drastically changing in the 1970s. 

  • 🔄 Many companies are only now realising the need for change. 

  • 🚀 They eye Agile methodologies as a coveted solution. 

The Misdirected Lust for Agile: 

  • 💭 Organisations often desire Agile as a quick fix, an instant solution. 

  • 🛑 This approach overlooks the need for deep understanding and adaptation. 

  • 🌐 The error lies in seeking to ‘purchase’ Agile, rather than cultivating it organically. 

The Illusion of Easy Agile Transformation : 

  • 🏢 Big firms often bring in top consultants to implement Agile. 

  • 🔍 However, these transformations often miss the unique context of the organisation. 

  • 👁️‍🗨️ There’s a gap between what’s needed and what’s delivered. 

Building Your Unique Agile Path: 

  • ✨ Every organisation must develop its own Agile journey. 

  • 🔄 This process requires effort, time, and energy – it’s not a plug-and-play model. 

  • 🛠️ Adaptation and customisation are key to genuine Agile integration. 

Conclusion:  

The allure of Agile transformation is strong, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. Organisations must resist the temptation to lust after off-the-shelf Agile models. Instead, the focus should be on a tailored approach, considering unique organisational cultures and goals.  

The true essence of Agile lies in its ability to adapt – and that requires more than just surface-level desire. It demands commitment, experimentation , and a willingness to evolve. 

Key Takeaways: 

  • 🤔 Understand that Agile is not a quick fix; it’s a journey. 

  • 🌱 Cultivate an Agile mindset that aligns with your organisation’s unique needs. 

  • 🚀 Embrace the process of learning, adapting, and growing in your Agile journey. 

Agile transformation isn’t about lusting after a trendy methodology; it’s about building a framework that resonates with the ethos of your organisation. It’s a path of discovery, learning, and, most importantly, embracing change from within. 🌟

One of the seven deadly sins of agile is lust. Loads of organisations are talking about agile transformation, digital transformation, whatever transformation. They want something different because they’ve realised that the markets have changed. Right, it’s taken them a long time to realise the markets have changed. They changed years ago. Right, in fact, the 1930s was when the market started to change. The 1970s, they were totally changed, and it’s taken until now for a lot of companies to actually realise, “Oh, stuff’s changed. What’s going on?” Right, why isn’t our old processes and systems working?

So now they’re looking around for something new. They’ve got that, I was going to say, seven-year itch, right? But it’s the 70E itch, and they’re looking around for new processes and practices that they can use. They see this agile thing doing really well, and they want it. Right, they want it desperately, and they don’t really want to do the work for it. They just want to buy it. I think there must be a use for that, but I think I’ll stay away from it. They just want to buy this thing. They don’t want to actually spend the effort and the time and the energy to figure out what it means for them and their business. They just want somebody else to come in and install it. They just want to pay somebody to come in and do it for them. Right, that’s what they want to do.

And that’s why you see a lot of organisations bringing in, you know, the big four consulting companies. You see McKinsey and Accenture and Boston Consulting Group coming in, giving advice. But the problem is they’re giving advice based on all of these other big organisational transformations. There is no precedent within your organisation for agile. You can’t just look at what somebody else is doing and lust after it and bring it into your organisation. You need to build your own unique way of doing things over time and actually do the work to get there.

And that’s why you can’t just lust after this agile thing. You need to do the work to bring it into your organisation. Thanks for watching the video. If you enjoyed it, please like, follow, and subscribe. I always reply to comments, and if you want to have a chat about this or anything else, agile, scrum, or DevOps, then please book a coffee with me through Naked Agility.

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