Agility in Rigid Organizations

Many organizations want to be agile. But changing the entire organization is difficult so starting with the development operation seems like a logical first step. So we implement Scrum, Kanban, or (the horror!) SAFe. When old structures remain, the rigidity of these structures will be at war with the newly founded agility of the development operation.

Identify the problem

So how do you know you’re working in a ‘rigid’ organization? There are clear signs surrounding topics like teamwork, accountability, and focus where you can easily identify in which category your organization falls. Here’s an -inexhaustive- overview:

Of course, many of these behaviors are intertwined. When departmental managers are accountable for their own results, it’s quite logical for them to push for performance measurements that are aimed at increasing their control. It’s ineffective, but at least they control the little effect they can exert. There are more ‘cross-fulfilling prophecies’ in there, that could be a topic for another time.

So now you know. You’re trying to work agile in a rigid organization. Don’t worry, most of us are.