I recently joined a financial institution where my thoughts on Agile are not always those of my peers. This has lead to engaging conversations about the theory of Agile, and forced me to rethink what Agile is and could be, particularly in the financial services space.
When attending an Agile conference, it’s easy to fall victim to the belief that Agile is incredibly accessible, easy to understanding, basic. Why doesn’t everyone do this? After all, Agile makes more sense. Agile just works. Agile…
Agile frameworks are hard to implement correctly. They’re hard to support as a Leader, and more difficult to champion as a team member. Working in an organization where compliance is legally required, Agile is tough to fit into folks’ day-to-day work. After all, detailed reporting and hard numbers are king, not story sizing and estimation.
Of course, not all is lost: There are benefits that Agile can bring to the table, albeit less explicitly. Agile as a mindset? Not quite, but value-driven processes and an inherent need for lean product development helps set up good coaching conversations with teams and individuals alike.
Navigating these waters so that we are successful Scrum Masters and coaches is tricky. We must be mindful of the system we’re operating within, and be curious about why things are they way they are. Leadership and teams will be more receptive when they see how Agile can help them with their objectives. Any other approach to introducing Agile is likely to encounter rough seas.
Safe sailing.
Goscin.ski 