Common leadership mistakes creating Agile fiascos

Agile methodology as any other methodology would need to be planned, managed and implemented by people/stakeholders because people are the drivers behind any change. Top level management support is highly crucial for realizing the success of Agile implementation as its success rests up to a significant extent on management fueled organizational transformation. Many disasters of software projects toward Agile development can be factored in on the absence of support from the side of management. Agile misconceptions on the part of higher management need to be done away it as that poses to be one of the most important factors in jeopardizing the Agile project. Imposing Agile adoption alone just cannot change anything; the leaders need to be a very much active part of the whole process.

Agile delusions

·         Business leaders take it for granted that adopting Agile would improve software development within a short period of time – say a couple of months. Time, as a crucial aspect of any project management, is an area which the leaders of businesses are not prepared to negotiate with the development teamas the team goes on about the learning process of Agile implementation.Effective implementation of Agile development would require years, if not months, in a given organization holistically. No doubt, progress in increments can be seen during the process but in the scope of the larger picture, efficiently responding to changes and requirements of the business in the long term would require more time. The team and the organization, by then, would have learnt Agile as a way of life and, thus take pride in achieving improvements on a continual basis.

Fostering Agile is only aboutferrying ininnovativetrappingsto the development organization

·         It is a complete misnomer to believe and accept the fact that adopting Agile is all about getting to know their tools aiding iterative development in the spheres of designing, analyzing, developing and releasing activities. This culminates in disasters often.

Swift delivery of apps and software is the principal objective of Agile development

·         Technical debt can be a major drawback of teams striving for more speed in terms of delivery working on delivery of software. This would impact adversely quality – another major aspect of the project culminating in sacrificing a core part of the value delivery.

The core focus of change in embracing Agile should be the development group ONLY

·         Agile brings with it organizational transformations. The change toward transformation of the organization should be whole and only the development team just doesn’t justify that logic. It should start from top level management who needs to understand and practice it.