Strategic Planning

Understanding Fake Agile

Discover the truth about Agile: identifying fake Agile and embracing real Agile practices.

Steve Denning

May 23, 2019 • 12 min read

Intermediate

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Agile Culture

Agile Leaders

Agile Transformation

Change Strategies

Organizational Change

Summary

In today's business world, the term 'Agile' is often misused, leading to confusion and misapplication. This resource delves into the concept of 'fake Agile'—instances where Agile practices are claimed but not genuinely implemented. It explores the core principles of true Agile, emphasizing customer value, small team dynamics, and networked organizations. Readers will learn how to distinguish between superficial Agile practices and those that truly transform organizations. Engage with this insightful exploration to ensure your Agile journey is authentic and impactful.

Takeaways

Agile implementation should extend beyond software development to achieve full business agility.
Agile is a continuous journey requiring commitment to its foundational principles for genuine transformation.
Beware of branded Agile solutions that may distract from the core substance of Agile.
Fake Agile occurs when organizations claim Agile practices without embodying its core principles.
True Agile focuses on delivering customer value, utilizing small teams, and fostering networked structures.
Based on his past research, Steve Denning suggests that Real Agile is achieved by organizations embodying a mindset with three main laws: The Law of the Customer, the Law of the Small Team, and the Law of the Network.
Most of the largest and fastest-growing firms on the planet don’t even call themselves Agile and shy away from standard Agile vocabulary but are recognizably Agile in much of what they do.
The term “agile” is often thrown around without any agreement as to its meaning. It is often applied to firms, or parts of firms, that have no substantive claim to any kind of agility.
With the growing recognition that “Agile is eating the world,” surveys by Deloitte and McKinsey show that more than 90% of senior executives give high priority to becoming agile, while less than 10% see their firm as currently highly agile.