4 Common Misconceptions About Agile

"Agile won't work for us" is something I've heard many times throughout my career. It is typically from companies that have tried and had a bad experience or people who have assumptions about what it means to try Agile. In this article I will share 4 common Agile myths in the hopes that teams that have been hesitant to try it out, might take another look. 

Agile = Faster

While certain agile / lean practices (limiting WIP for example) can improve speed, Agile focuses more on using prioritization to learn faster and ultimately deliver the right value. Many businesses I have worked with expect that they will get more of everything if a team is working in agile and it is important to set this expectation right out of the gate.

Agile = Only for IT / Development

Agile focuses on collaboration, transparency, iteration, experimentation, and continuous improvement which can apply to any level or department in an organization. Whether its HR, finance, IT, marketing, everyone in an organization is ultimately working towards a similar goal and facilitating alignment and the opportunity to help each other will always be beneficial.

Agile = Scrum

Scrum is one of multiple frameworks in the broader agile philosophy that help teams foster collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. If Scrum doesn't feel like a good fit, maybe take a look at kanban or shape up. 

Agile = No Planning

Teams and organizations can be skeptical of Agile as they believe it does not allow them to forecast / plan on a longer horizon. Agile teams definitely create long-term roadmaps and release plans that are inspected continuously and adjusted as new knowledge comes to light.

Conclusion

Although agile is not perfect, it can be helpful for any team or organization that is looking to collaborate better or navigate a constantly changing environment. If your people are hesitant to try it, dig in to see if one of these myths might be holding them back.

​Have you run into these myths in your organization? Any others that you have experienced?