Idea in Brief
The Problem
Agile methods such as scrum, kanban, and lean development are spreading beyond IT to other functions. Although some companies are scoring big improvements in productivity, speed to market, and customer and employee satisfaction, others are struggling.
The Root Cause
Leaders don’t really understand agile. As a result, they unwittingly continue to employ conventional management practices that undermine agile projects.
The Solution
Learn the basics of agile. Understand the conditions in which it does or doesn’t work. Start small and let it spread organically. Allow “master” teams to customize it. Employ agile at the top. Destroy the barriers to agile behaviors.
Agile innovation methods have revolutionized information technology. Over the past 25 to 30 years they have greatly increased success rates in software development, improved quality and speed to market, and boosted the motivation and productivity of IT teams.