Why does Agile go sour?

Any new process is met with those that are enthusiastic and those that are detractors.  Only time will tell if you can tip the balance in your favor.  This balance is especially interesting when you have a legacy process in place that has a long history, has produced results over time and has several people who are well entrenched in “the way things are”.  However, there is a reason that exploration for a new process took place, and moving from waterfall to agile was met with welcome arms by several within the organization – especially those in Product Management.  This cannot be forgotten.

 

The requests and increased pressure from clients to move from producing a cabernet sauvignon that takes several years into making a sauvignon blanc that can be turned out quickly are coming from all angles.  The promises of the new process cause a lot of excitement and buzz.  Short term successes start to build the momentum and the agile train is growing with passengers.  The problem, there will be bumps.  All of a sudden, you find those from the previous process are quick to request expectations and depth comparable to a cabinet sauvignon being produced in the time of a sauvignon blanc.  This isn’t to say you can’t produce a complex sauvignon blanc, but it takes practice – so don’t expect this right away.

 

The challenges associated with this become increasingly difficult when you enter a world where both processes have to co-exist in a single development organization (Waterfall and Agile).  Some are working on the new agile methodology while others continue to work on the way things used to be.  It is divided by teams and by applications, which causes a natural chasm.  However, these teams are expected to integrate and blend when it is all said and done.  When the heat is turned on, those that were on the fence or just wrapped up in the excitement of agile quickly revert back to wanting all that was waterfall… thorough design documentation, pseudo code, and painstaking approval processes.

 

This is not the recipe for a good blend.

 

You all of a sudden find yourself in a situation where the agilest are making compromises to the new process, scrutiny from the highest levels is increased, and those that were on board are starting to wonder which side the company is going to end up supporting.

 

How do you keep people from going sour?  How do you ensure that they keep the faith in agile?

 

We have been faced with those questions at our company. In business for over 20 years, we have served our telecom and cable service based clients well, as they successfully support over 40,000,000 subscribers on our systems. However, as happens with all business, the competitive and technological landscape is calling for a new way of doing business. In order to meet the system demands, we introduced the agile methodology. Due to the fact that not all resources could be converted at once and the trepidation around a new process, only a portion of the core development team was converted and the balance of the organization remains in a waterfall methodology. The excitement level, both internally and from our clients, was high when we first rolled out the process. As time has marched on, challenges have arisen up and support has waned.

 

Just like any process, things will go wrong.  Lessons are to be learned.  Unanticipated challenges crop out of nowhere.  Above all this, there are those that are trying to ruin the crop before it is even harvested in the first place.  Whether out of fear or comfort, the want the old to continue to succeed and the new to never come off the vines.

 

There are three key ingredients that set you up for a chance at success:  Communication, Executive Sponsorship, and Agile leadership with conviction.

 

The first answer to most challenges starts with communication.  Up front and honest communication that outlines that this is new, this is unchartered territory and there will be sour grapes in the bunch.  It is a constant battle to ensure those on the fence that the process can make a difference and that we will get there.

 

This is where the next two ingredients come in.  With executive sponsorship it makes it possible to knock down walls that previously stopped progress.  The fear people have with a new process is somehow alleviated by just saying “Executive so and so” is behind this initiative and it is critical for the company’s success.  Keep in mind, that knocks down the wall initially, but then as time goes on those that have their doubts will retreat, and likely go to the executives with their complaints.  It is at that time you need to see the true strength in executive management when they stand by their decision.

 

Finally, conviction in the leader of the agile process has to be there, and that conviction has to trickle its way through the agile side of the process and ultimately to those that are on the fence.

 

There is a saying that says to “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”.  In an environment that is introducing agile into a blended world, I don’t think anything could be more true.  While it is important to ensure your own house is in order, it is doubly important to make sure the teams around you that are watching with skepticism are included in what is going on and the pressure is reapplied to what they are responsible for with regards to making the overall company successful.  The agile leader(s) with conviction and confidence will help navigate these waters.

 

Product Management is a good place to continuously use as a litmus test.  If they continue to support what is going on, then you continue to have a fighting chance.  Keep them in the loop, make sure they are constantly reminded of why agile is good and the benefits associated with the methodology.  They are there, and the company can get there – you just have to be sure to recover from the bumps.

 

It is not an easy formula, but none of the good blends ever are.