(Fr)agile
2 Jun 2022
I helped Stripe Partners write a couple of provocations about how “agile” works today, now that it has evolved from a test-iterate approach to software to a cultural aspiration for organisations. They’re conversation-starters rather than academic assessments. I believe in agile - when it works, it is amazing. But particularly in organisations and teams that don’t want to change or are looking for easy quick fixes, it’s hard to practise it well. It’s also a very broad church, which can make it hard to know if you’re doing well.
Understanding agile part 1: what we talk about when we talk about agile
“Agile requires a degree of psychological safety—an environment which lets people fail, to be wrong and to try something new or different in response. In this sense agile is about trust and the culture of an organisation.”
Understanding agile part 2: why agile organisations are so submissive
“At the limit, agile can become a well meaning cargo cult, performing a process theatre without delivering the value it promised.”