Blind Faith Is Not The Way To Agile Success
Why Are Agile Results Still Disappointing? The Real Reasons Most Teams Struggle
In a recent article, Steve Berez posed a question that hits home for many organizations: “Agile teams are common in technology—so why are the results so often disappointing?” According to the 14th Annual State of Agile report, a staggering 95% of organizations practicing agile are still stumbling. For a movement that’s been around for nearly two decades, it’s surprising—and costly—that so many are still struggling to figure it out.
The Real-World Symptoms of “Fake” Agility
So what’s going wrong? Here are a few patterns I see over and over:
- Us vs. Them Mentality: Old habits from traditional management die hard. Teams fall into turf wars—either between departments or within teams themselves. This “us vs. them” thinking clashes with agile values and breeds frustration.
- Traditional Work Disguised as Agile: Many organizations slap the agile label on old processes but never change how they actually work. The result? Delays, firefighting, and avoidable stress—all the pain of waterfall, with none of the benefits of true agility.
- The Corvette-Chevette Paradox: Agile teams are forced to slow down to match non-agile teams, or vice versa. This mismatch kills momentum, reduces value, and creates unnecessary obstacles.
The Root Cause: Misplaced Faith and Underinvestment
As Steve points out, a big part of the problem is misplaced faith in agile frameworks. Leaders hope that simply “doing agile” will fix everything, but they underinvest in the real necessities—things like modular architecture, automation, data management, analytics, and engineering skills. Without these, even the best agile teams are set up to fail.
The Fix: Behavioural Shifts, Not Just New Frameworks
So, how can organizations break free from the 95% and start seeing real results?
- Focus on Behaviours, Not Just Processes: Frameworks are tools. Without the right behaviours—collaboration, openness, continuous learning—they’re just empty rituals.
- Treat the Organization as an Evolving Organism: Every part of your company has a unique function, but all must work in sync to adapt and thrive. In the past, slow evolution allowed traditional thinking to work. Today, rapid change demands agility at every level.
- Ditch the One-Size-Fits-All Playbook: There’s no universal guide to becoming agile. Each organization must develop its own approach, tailored to its unique culture, challenges, and goals.
The Path Forward
The reasons for disappointing agile results are many, but at their core, they come down to a lack of true behavioural and mindset change. If you want your agile journey to succeed, start by finding the real root causes of your challenges. Focus on building the right culture, investing in your people and technology, and evolving your playbook as you grow.
Ready to break out of the 95% and see real results from your agile journey?
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"I help create ecosystems that become legacies.”
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