In the Software development world, adoption of Agile is common place, as companies continue to try to crack the nut of improving the success metrics of their software projects. Many executives I talked with are still not convinced that Agile is yielding what it is supposed to. However, the important question is: is it because of the Agile principles itself or the way organizations are currently using it?
As a software engineer, working in the world of both traditional Waterfall, Agile and many things in between, I do believe whole heartedly in the benefits that Agile principles can bring. But according to an HP Online Survey of over 400 organizations, folks still have some convincing.
https://techbeacon.com/app-dev-testing/survey-agile-new-norm
Roughly only half saw positive benefits from their use of Agile process. 54% agreed that it “enhances collaboration between teams” and 52% agreed it “increased software quality”. “Increased customer satisfaction”, “shortens time to market” and “Reduces cost of development” all had agreement levels less than 50%.
The big concerning one here, is “Increases customer satisfaction”, which needs to happen for an organization to keep with Agile for the long term. “Enhancing collaboration between teams” really would have been better asked as “Enhances collaboration WITHIN teams”, another one that is a must have, in my opinion.
So what is really going on? Is the average number ok, because many organizations are doing Agile well and enjoying the benefits, while others are floundering and bringing the numbers down? Either way, it’s not good, because there are clearly organizations that are struggling with making Agile work well.
This is not surprising because it is not easy to get things firing on all cylinders. Like many changes, there is resistance. Some common ones are:
- Executive leadership in-ability to let go of setting deadlines
- Cultural convergence and acceptance of an agreed upon process
- In ability for leadership to give up the “command and control” mentality
The list is a lot longer, but there are some real challenges transforming engineering teams to a successful use of Agile.
The first step is education. Ensuring that the right people with your organization understand what it is and study examples of how it works well and when it can fall short. The second is understanding the values it relies on. If these are understood, it will guide most decisions in the right direction. And third, set it in motion and be open to adjustments. There will be plenty of challenges along the way, but persist and you will see results. And the best way to convince the detractors to come on board is to show real benefits as soon as possible. Get that “Customer/Stakeholder satisfaction” numbers up and watch how the resistance will subside.
If you are having challenges with your Agile adoption, please contact us and we can help.
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