Christopher Avery at the Cutter Consortium recently published an open letter to agilists on his blog. The major points of his letter are summarized here.
- Agilists frequently site organizational culture and management as the major barriers to enterprise agile adoption.
- Hoping for the culture and management to change is an unsuccessful strategy.
- Agilists should become the management they are currently hoping will change.
- Today's management and culture is steeped in linear thinking and this promotes: front loaded planning and analysis, organizational efficiency, focus on right and wrong, formality.
- Agilists use iterative thinking and this promotes: experimentation, organizational effectiveness, a focus on learning, and discipline.
- Today's management still has time to "retool".
- However, there are strong opportunities for new ideas and new talent that have the will and desire to make enterprise agile adoption happen.
According to Mr Avery's letter:
I also tell executives that it’s not too late for them to retool. Here’s the kicker: I tell them if they choose not to, there is a coming hoard of extremely disciplined young, business-minded, agilists ready to move into the ranks of management and replace them.