At the dawn of the generalization of agile approaches to sectors other than IT, we are entitled to question their effectiveness :
- Are these approaches effective?
- Do they improve well-being at work?
- Are they magic for your organization?
Short answers: YES, YES, NO
Long answers
Are agile approaches such as Scrum or Kanban effective?
The question is legitimate. The investment in your (and your) teams to achieve an agile transformation can be substantial. Temporary drop in productivity, recourse to coaches and consultants, preparation for certifications, … Are the time spent and the money spent really worth it?
Regarding the certifications, I can’t say anything about their effectiveness but I consider that they do not correspond to the agile state of mind. On the other hand, if the time devoted by your employees to this transformation is accompanied by a profound change in their relationship to work, if a coach provides you (in addition to tools) with real elements of understanding of this paradigm, thus allowing the dissemination of the agile mindset, these approaches should quickly prove effective!
At least that’s what a famous study by the Standish Group proves. It demonstrates that with an agile approach, teams experience approximately 3 times less failure (11% versus 28%) and 3 times more success (42% versus 13%). Agile or sequential approaches, many IT projects produce a mixed result (47% and 59%, see third question of the article).
Do agile approaches improve well-being at work?
Again, the answer depends on the adoption of the agile culture before the rigorous implementation of a framework such as SCRUM or KANBAN. I observe in some teams a diversion of vocabulary to put pressure on developers. The term sprint, for example, implies that the team must work very quickly… except that it is not the team but the User Stories (or features) that must progress during an iteration! In order to aim for efficiency, some managers overload the team’s sprints. They make sure to put as many items as possible in the sprint backlog when it is normally up to the team members to define and commit to delivering what they embark on in a sprint.
If there is respect and understanding of agile values and practices, the team gradually finds its rhythm. A rhythm that she is supposed to be able to keep indefinitely (excluding weekends, holidays and public holidays, do not exaggerate). It is the famous state of flow that allows the team to build steadily, by successive iterations, more and more value for users.
Nothing is more stimulating and satisfying than building a useful application as a team in a relaxed setting !
Is it magic?
“No silver bullet” or no magic wand according to the expression introduced by Frederick Brooks in the 1980s. No, an agile approach will not solve all your problems! Agile approaches are often simple to understand but difficult to implement and master. The cultural change that accompanies an agile transformation makes it possible to resolve many frictions within an organization but requires sustained effort and a shared collective vision.
In my opinion, the major difficulty lies in the change in posture of all employees. Managers must give up a need for control to focus on product value (Product Manager, Product Owner) and improving the functioning of the team and the organization (Scrum Master). The technical team will have to take responsibility for how it produces and delivers value for customers and users, these members will no longer be able to be content with being in a position of performers.
The intrinsic values of agility such as introspection, transparency and courage promote the transformation towards a more fluid, simple and efficient organization, more agile in the end!
To conclude
Studies show it; agile approaches such as Scrum or Kanban are effective. Above all, the important thing is to ensure the dissemination of the agile mindset within your organization, in particular through a good understanding of agile values and principles. During an agile transformation or during the continuous improvement of your practices (which is the same thing), you must keep in mind that agility is not an end in itself. It is a way of working which, if it is well implemented, will allow your employees to be fulfilled and your organization to be successful !