Is agile a religion or a business?

 

Recently, I was consulting on a client call and we were discussing product offerings to the world, when

one of the executives asked me the question: " Is agile more of a religion? or is it a business?" This

turned into an interesting discussion, and thought I'd share a bit of what was discussed, especially when

you are looking to hire someone to help you with your agile transformation - or if you are joining an agile

company. The Great Resignation has 4.5 Million people in the US quit their jobs in November 2021

alone.

This is really a time of change.

I'm no scholar on religion, so I did a little digging trying to find a definition, and with all I found it appears the scholars themselves don't agree. (see reference) There are some elements of the myriad of definitions of religion that sound a lot like how many approach agility. Phrases like " system of beliefs and practices", " comprehensive worldview" seem to align nicely while others do not ( "worship of a superhuman controlling power" would be an example)

But I do consider myself a student of the agile movement, and for me it is just that - a movement.

Dictionary.com has this definition for Movement:

Now, it may be debatable if all agilist have a " common ideology" , but I think you can see how this would apply. And the passion many people in the movement have, give us the appearance of a religion to some. This is especially true of those that focus on "employee happiness" as the leading goal. While I do believe agile teams enjoy their work more, it is a byproduct of having a vested interest in how the work gets done, and connection to the customer. Happiness is an outcome of the team based work, but shouldn't be the focus without the delivery aspect an agile way of working helps us achieve.

Now to Business. Wow, has this become a business. You see this everyday on websites and marketing collateral from organization, consultancies and more. People are selling "Agile*" and formulaic approaches - especially those that are financially beneficial to those selling. And the worlds organizations are buying. Many of those most active in selling " Agile*" can be the most accomplished business focused people, yet, can also be the least aligned with the agile movement. Large selling organizations have a powerful ability to connect companies needs with what they have to offer. They create selling solutions for the opportunities, and this shift from traditional ways of working has created a vast amount of opportunity. When they have a hammer, they help you see you are the nail.

So what is the answer?

I am finding is that many of the businesses best at selling "Agile*" maybe the least agile companies. And, many of the most agile people are likely some of the least equipped to powerfully sell what they know.

Yes, the agile movement has attributes of religious movements, but it isn't a religion. And yes, it is a business because people are buying offerings to help individuals and organizations to become more agile, but those that are focused on this as a business, likely are not very agile themselves. I'm sure there are outliers here, and these are just broad strokes, but it's a pattern I see again and again.

So what to do?

Before selecting who to hire or who to work for, do your homework.

• Check for champagne. A company should live the values it is proposing to teach you, they should drink their own champagne. This includes their C-suite, HR policies, Marketing and more. Ask questions and ask to actually see Mission/Vision/Values and governing documents. Talk to existing employees, and see how work is delivered iteratively and incrementally. Also ask employees how they are valued as an active contributor towards solutions for their customers.
• Read what they write. Read what you can that they have contributed to the agile movement beyond simply advertising for their particular solution. Are they adding to the collective good of the movement, or are they being divisive. This includes the principals within the company and how they present at agile events, write on social media and blog sites. Some spend most of their energy sharing how other people are wrong, in some effort to make themselves look better - I'd avoid them.
• Discover together. Be cautious of people's willingness and ability to help when they already have a solution to offer. The movement to agility isn't a one size fits all, and each company is in a different current state. Have frank and open conversations about where you are as a company, and what goals you hope to achieve. A company offering agile consulting should definitely take an iterative and incremental approach, and insisting on co-creating that journey with each client. If you are going to work for a company offering agile consulting, don't fall into the trap of signing up for a 3-step solution to every client's issues or a perfect framework - it likely will never work,

Organizational change is difficult, costly, and not guaranteed of success. You should do your due diligence.

The business of agility is booming. People and organizations realize the need to be able to be more responsive to customer's needs, and pivot when things change. You don't have to choose religion or business. Just ensure those you go into business with, aren't just selling "Agile*" but are living agile principles and values.

* - I am using the term "Agile" on purpose here - Capital "A" Agile. The word agile is not a noun. You can't buy an "Agile". Yet so many companies and consultants are selling it that way. Agile is an adjective or an adverb, and it can be used to describe something else. An agile process, or an agile mindset.

Please note: this article was originally published on my LinkedIn account March 22, 2022.