Is it Time for Our Agility Work To Go Underground?
When the language of agile transformation creates resistance, the most effective change work is invisible. How to embed agility without the label.
It seems like we are working on a lot of initiatives. Could it help to get a picture of all the initiatives and where they are in the pipeline?
Would it help to make sure we involve the teams and leaders who will need to execute on initiatives in the decision when to actually start them?
It feels like we, the leadership team, are involved in every decision and are becoming a bottleneck for the organization. Could we perhaps agree on a threshold size of initiative/project where we get involved, and below which we empower our people?
People often work together across departments, and every cross-department initiative is slower and riskier. Could we perhaps agree to work in cross-department teams on certain initiatives?
Are there specific, ongoing, repeating cross-department patterns of work? Does it maybe make sense to arrange cross-department teams to work on those? Maybe give these teams outcome-oriented goals to pursue?
Would it make sense to let people know what’s the intent behind the work they’re doing? Maybe measure progress towards outcomes when we review how initiatives are doing? How these teams are doing?
Would it make sense to expect leaders to focus on building their organization and work with other leaders to build and develop the company? Maybe measure a leader’s effectiveness by how effective their organization is, especially when they’re NOT around calling the shots?
It seems like we’re oscillating between staying stuck in analysis-paralysis and spending a lot of time and money going in a direction without validating it makes sense. Would it help us sleep better at night to identify the most significant assumptions we are making and find a way to derisk them as cheaply and cost-effectively as possible?
Why going underground works
Sometimes, the best way to pursue agility, especially at the organizational level, is to go underground.
We’ve seen how the mandated “Go Agile for Agile’s sake” can become Agile Theater real quick.
We can avoid that when pursuing Portfolio Agility, Product Operating Models, and whatever next big thing comes along.
When this won’t work
This advice won’t work if a big consulting firm is driving your transformation. I’m sorry, and maybe I’ll see you on the other side (you won’t be the first, don’t worry)
But if you’re in the driver’s seat, you can try this different approach, injecting helpful questions and patterns based on your context and needs.
Could you take a few minutes to think about it? What’s the question you should be considering? What is the impact you are trying to achieve? Would you reply and let me know?
Reminder - The Principles-based Agility Assessment can be a great source of questions for the guerilla agilist trying to help their team/organization improve its ability to innovate, get to market faster, satisfy its customers, and create new value. It’s now free through Cyber Monday.
A pharma client example
I’ve used this underground approach several times through the years. I’m helping a pharma company’s leaders pursue agility without “Going All In On Agile.” If you want my advice on how to try this in your context, I’m one reply away.
Moving from agile theater to real business agility takes more than a framework. Explore Business Agility advisory or let’s talk.
Practical thinking on turning AI pilots, adoption, and portfolio work into business impact - by finding the constraint, changing the work, and proving value as you go.
Yuval Yeret helps product and tech leaders move from agile theater to evidence-informed delivery. Work with Yuval →
- 01 Business Agility Without Transformation Theater 11 min
- 02 Expensive Problems >> Principles >> Practices 2 min
- 03 The Change Agent Catch 22 1 min