So, the word "agile" has been been beaten up more than I have at Jiu Jitsu tournaments when fighting World Champions. What once showed the value of flexibility and innovation has somehow been muddled with processes that felt like me fighting a 250lb black belt. As a dedicated agilist and someone who does not back away from a challenge I'm here to fight for the true meaning of "agile"—that adjective that has now become a punchline to a bad joke.
It's time to remind everyone what the word truly stands for. Inspired by Dave Thomas' talk
Agile is Dead, one of the original Agile Manifesto signatories, let's refocus on the adjective that represents adaptability and responsiveness. Let's march into the Phantom Zone of Buzzwords and bring back what was taken.
Here are five ways that can help set things right:
Shift from Process-Heavy to Mental Models
Instead of viewing an agile environment as a tedious set of processes, let's talk about the mental model. Picture an agile environment as your favourite yoga pose—flexible, adaptable, and designed to help you handle whatever life throws at you. Highlight the benefits of an agile mental model: quick adjustments, collaboration, and less stress over rigid procedures. Emphasize the behaviours needed in an agile environment and their benefits for everyone, from analysts to the C-Suite. Executives, especially, seem to have the most misconceptions about what an agile environment could do for them personally and the teams they support, where they miss out on so much value.
Stop the Endless Rebranding Cycle
Remember
"Shift Left"? It's essentially an old technique with a shiny new label. Rebranding happens when the essence is lost, and we're left scrambling for new terms to make old ideas sound fresh. But would we rebrand Certified Scrum Product Owners (CSPO) to "Project Wizards"? Or Certified Scrum Masters (CSM) to "Certified Project Firefighters" (actually that does sound cool)? What about Agile Alliance and Scrum Alliance—would they become the "The Nimble Noodle Network" and the "The Scramble Squad Society"? Rebranding adds layers of confusion and in the end is just a distraction that interrupts and slows down the flow. (Read the book Mastering Work Intake and you will see what I mean)
And for us agile coaches and agilists, rebranding what we call ourselves or what we do only causes everything to go into oblivion and starts the cycle over again. Let's be proud of who we are and what we do. Keep the integrity of our roles intact and focus on teaching others the right behaviours needed in an agile environment.
Showcase Agility with Success Stories
Everyone loves a good success story. One of the good ones I have for me is taking an organization that was pressured by the parent company to create a sellable product in a year that was estimated to take two years to develop based on historical data. In eight months the teams were able to complete approximately 80% of the work. Now unfortunately the parent company sold the child company. With the experience that everyone gained in being a true agile environment they were all able to get jobs within a couple months of being let go.
So share those stories where teams rocked the agile boat and emerged victorious. The more we can all celebrate these wins, the more we will paint agility in the proper light.
Educate and Advocate with a Side of Wit
Education doesn't have to be a snooze-fest. Inject some humour into your workshops and webinars. Imagine calling your agile training "The Agile Comedy Hour"—you'll keep people entertained while they learn. Use witty analogies and humorous anecdotes to make the principles of agility stick. Turn education into an engaging experience, and it will help others grasp the true essence of agile with a smile.
Lead by Example—The Agile Way
Sometimes it is hard to communicate what an agile environment can do. We have all been told to not be selfish and show off to people, I think this is an exception to that rule. We need to show off our own practices. Be the agile guru who embraces change like a pro, welcomes feedback with open arms, and constantly seeks improvement. "Agile" has gone through a change where it is not what it was meant to be, so why are we not taking this change head-on to make it right? It's time for one of those 80's action movie training montages; Rocky IV is my favourite, for us to get things on the right path.
Build a Supportive Community
I know the title says five, but I thought I would throw a curveball and add another one just for fun. Let's face it, learning and adapting is more fun with friends. Create a community where agilists can gather (I just created
mine), share war stories, and cheer each other on. Whether it's a forum, a social media group, or an in-person meetup, fostering a supportive network can help reinforce agile's positive image.
Last year at Agile 2023, I came across this one speaker at a session that just turned me off. He was a bit vulgar and broke just a few Agile Coach Code of Ethics rules. What he did though was inspire me to do a rebuttal
video. Now, it is not going after this individual or those that this individual was so adamantly negative about. It was about how we can learn and change things for the better, which I think is what this speaker was trying to convey in a roundabout way.
Let's march out of the Buzzword Phantom zone by focusing on the agile mental model (the term mindset means rigid; agility is about flowing and adapting), sharing success stories, injecting humour into education, leading by example, and building a supportive community, we can revive the true meaning of agility. Stand tall, embrace the adjective, and let's lead the charge in showing that being agile is not just a buzzword but a powerful approach to thriving in today's ever-changing world. Ready to save "agile" from obscurity? Let's get started!
