Yes, Agile Has Become “Business as Usual.” But That’s Not the End of the World. Is It?
For years, Agile was the disruptor—the rebellious teenager shaking up the status quo. Teams embraced it as a breath of fresh air, and organizations hailed it as the antidote to sluggish processes and stifling bureaucracy. Fast forward to today, and Agile has matured. It’s no longer the exciting new thing. Instead, it has become the norm—a standard way of working across countless organizations.
But here’s the big question: Is that a bad thing?
For Agile coaches and transformation consultants, the rise of “business as usual” is not the end of the world—it’s a turning point. It signals the start of a deeper, more meaningful journey. This post explores how you can navigate this shift and help organizations rediscover the transformative power of Agile.
From Revolution to Routine: The Agile Journey
When Agile was first introduced, it was revolutionary. Teams experimented with Scrum, Kanban, and XP, delivering faster, adapting to change, and delighting customers in ways that traditional methods couldn’t.
Now, Agile is ubiquitous. Most organizations have implemented some version of it:
- Daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives are part of the rhythm.
- Backlogs are managed, and velocity is tracked.
- Scaled Agile Frameworks (SAFe), LeSS, and others have formalized Agile at the enterprise level.
However, this widespread adoption has led to predictable challenges:
- Agile Fatigue. In some cases, the excitement has faded, replaced by routine. Agile practices are followed, but the energy and innovation that fueled them initially are gone.
- Superficial Agility. Many organizations perform Agile ceremonies and use its terminology but fail to embrace its underlying principles. They deliver faster, but not necessarily better.
- Complacency. Agile is no longer a novelty; it’s just how things are done. But when Agile becomes static, its transformational power fades.
This is where you, as a coach or consultant, come in. The challenge isn’t to reintroduce Agile but to reinvigorate it, taking organizations to their next stage of evolution.
Why “Business as Usual” Is a Call to Action
The normalization of Agile doesn’t mean it has failed—it means it has succeeded in becoming part of the organizational DNA. Now, the question is: How can we leverage this foundation to deliver even greater value?
Opportunity 1: Shift the Focus from Doing Agile to Being Agile
When Agile becomes routine, it’s time to move beyond the mechanics. Practices like stand-ups and retrospectives are valuable, but they’re just tools. The real goal is to embed agility into the organization’s mindset and culture. Ask yourself:
- Are teams truly collaborating, or just going through the motions?
- Do retrospectives lead to meaningful changes, or are they treated as a formality?
- Is the organization focused on delivering outcomes, or merely outputs?
Your role is to shift the focus from adherence to frameworks to embodying Agile principles like adaptability, customer-centricity, and continuous improvement.
Opportunity 2: Address the Deeper Systemic Challenges
Agile maturity often reveals deeper systemic issues that simple process tweaks can’t fix. These might include:
- Organizational silos that limit cross-functional collaboration.
- Governance structures that stifle decision-making.
- Leadership styles that are at odds with Agile principles.
As an Agile coach, your expertise in systemic thinking and change management is critical. Help organizations identify and address these challenges to unlock the full potential of Agile.
The Evolving Role of Agile Coaches and Transformation Consultants
Now that organizations are maturing, your role is more important—and more complex—than ever. You’re no longer just a guide for Agile adoption; you’re a catalyst for ongoing transformation. Here’s what that looks like:
1. Developing Adaptive Leaders
Agility thrives in environments where leaders model the behaviors they wish to see in their teams. Many leaders, however, still cling to command-and-control mindsets. Your job is to coach leaders to:
- Foster psychological safety, encouraging teams to take risks and innovate.
- Balance short-term needs with long-term vision.
- Lead with humility, embracing failure as a learning opportunity.
2. Elevating the Focus on Value
Many organizations equate Agile success with faster delivery. While speed is important, it’s not the ultimate goal. True agility lies in delivering value. Help organizations:
- Map value streams to understand how work flows from idea to customer.
- Align teams around customer-centric goals.
- Shift from measuring outputs (e.g., velocity) to outcomes (e.g., customer satisfaction, business impact).
3. Driving Cultural Change
Agile practices are only as effective as the culture they operate within. Your role is to help organizations cultivate a culture that supports agility by:
- Encouraging transparency and trust at all levels.
- Breaking down silos to enable cross-functional collaboration.
- Embedding continuous learning and experimentation into daily work.
4. Building Organizational Resilience
You are aware that agility alone isn’t enough; Anti-fragility is key. Organizations must be prepared not just to adapt but to thrive in the face of disruption. This means:
- Developing diverse capabilities within teams.
- Encouraging flexible structures that allow for quick pivots.
- Helping leaders navigate uncertainty with confidence.
5. Sparking Innovation
When Agile becomes routine, the spark of innovation can dim. Reignite it by introducing complementary approaches like Lean Startup, Design Thinking, or Continuous Discovery. Challenge teams to think beyond incremental improvements and aim for transformative impact.
Practical Strategies for Coaches
To help organizations evolve, you’ll need to expand your own toolkit. Here are a few strategies:
- Go Deep on Coaching Skills. Move beyond frameworks and processes to focus on mindset shifts and behavioral change.
- Facilitate Systemic Conversations. Use workshops and visual tools to uncover and address systemic challenges like misaligned incentives or legacy processes.
- Measure What Matters. Introduce metrics that align with Agile’s principles, such as customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and speed to market.
- Experiment Boldly. Encourage organizations to explore new approaches and frameworks that complement Agile, from OKRs to Lean Portfolio Management.
The Road Ahead: Embracing Continuous Evolution
Agility is a journey, not a destination. When Agile becomes “business as usual,” it’s not a sign of failure—it’s a signal that the organization is ready for its next evolution. As an Agile coach or consultant, your mission is to guide them through this new phase, helping them move from routine practices to a culture of adaptability, resilience, and innovation.
So, no, it’s not the end of the world. It’s the beginning of a new chapter.
The question is: What’s your next move?
