Key Points

• Agile is a people-first method of project management.
• Resistance to change is a natural occurrence within any business.
• Foster a safe and communicative environment for the best chances at success with Agile.

How do you get past resistance to Agile? Change is a tricky subject for any company to navigate. This is doubly true when looking at instituting a methodology like Agile for your project management needs. If you’ve got an entrenched method of work, changing gears so abruptly can lead to some setbacks.

However, it doesn’t need to be this way. With the right sort of strategies and a solid game plan in place, you can readily adopt Agile as the dominant project management approach in your organization. The strategies at play are a surefire way of getting those sitting on the fence on board with your Agile project initiatives.

What Is Agile?

Agile is an iterative approach to project management. It focuses heavily on people, communication, and building an environment of transparency. This is a different approach than something like Waterfall project management, which leans very heavily on established processes and a rigid game plan. Agile is very much like its namesake, allowing teams to adapt on the fly to issues as they arise.

It has seen nearly universal adoption across software developers. Software by its very nature is a fluid product, with customer demands and needs changing as new technologies become available. However, Agile is not a methodology for those averse to change.

Agile practitioners understand the need for change and guide their teams along as necessary. However, for organizations that are entrenched in their ways, this can prove to be a challenge. Still, it isn’t difficult to see why Agile has been making waves outside of the tech industry.

Why It’s Effective

Part of what makes Agile such an effective means of managing a project comes down to the environment it fosters. By promoting a sense of adaptation, you’re preparing your team to shift gears hard if the project requirements have changed. Further, it is an approach that fosters open and transparent communication throughout all strata of a project.

You’re going to have regular meetings and conversations with your stakeholders, team members, and even customers as the project progresses. It might not be the best approach for sticking to hard deadlines, but few can deny the quality of software created by Agile.

Further, these qualities make it a natural fit for a slew of different industries. My time in the tech industry was seldom spent behind an IDE, but we made good use of sprints and scrum meetings to accomplish goals. The same can be applied to just about any industry or sector you can imagine, provided you have a team willing to take on the approach.

Reasons for Resistance

There are numerous reasons why a team or organization is going to resist change. For some change is a terrifying concept, especially if the status quo has worked for years. However, like any good change management initiative, you’re going to encounter subcultures at your organization that simply won’t budge on the matter.

It isn’t hard to see the why behind the resistance to Agile. Team members might feel as if they’ve lost control, or perhaps their expertise and education aren’t being valued. Further, if you’re an organization that has spent years or even decades on repeatable approaches to accomplishing a goal, then something that seems opposed to such values might make for a cultural mismatch.

It could simply be down to the simple fact that Agile is a new trend in the wider business world. There is no shortage of fads that are purported to make businesses leaner, meaner, and more profitable. However, when it comes to the resistance to Agile, that is an area where you’re going to have to demonstrate solid leadership to demonstrate the benefits of the approach.

Strategies for Overcoming Resistance to Agile

So, now that we’ve outlined the what and the why of resistance to Agile, how do you move past that? Thankfully, the strategies intended to move past the hump are solid change management strategies that are going to benefit your organization and change managers. There is plenty at stake when it comes to approaching an Agile project.

However, learning how to best navigate a difficult period is going to result in a more flexible and overall healthier organization. Agile isn’t a cure-all by any means, but it takes a people-first approach to project management.

This is in part why it remains such an effective means of project management, and why you want to move your teams, departments, and organization to embrace this methodology. Thankfully, we’ve got the right sort of strategies to get you on your way.

Communication

Agile is about communication first and foremost. It doesn’t necessarily matter who shows resistance to Agile, it is up to you to communicate the concept. This is a time and a space for having open and honest dialogues about the move to Agile, listening to fears and concerns, and doing your best to approach whoever you’re speaking to with empathy.

As a people-first approach, Agile champions communication, and what better way to demonstrate its efficacy? This is a time when you’ll want to create meetings, schedule interviews with stakeholders, and more to get a grip on the pulse of your organization.

The point of communication isn’t so much to shove your decisions through, but rather to overcome resistance to Agile in a reasonable matter. Empathetic listening to the fears and concerns of anyone in your organization and creating a safe space to voice these areas is going to go a long way toward accepting Agile in your organization.

Collaboration

I’ve often heard it said that Agile isn’t just an approach to project management, but rather a means of transforming an organization. If you’re building an Agile initiative, get everyone in on the ground floor. Involve those showing resistance to Agile, and allow them to help build the culture that your organization will adopt.

This is a huge step, but it is a vital one for any organization. Agile isn’t going to be an overnight process, nor is it going to be a rousing success out of the gate. However, by taking the time and getting everyone involved on the ground floor, you’re keeping your stakeholders, departments, and team members on the same page.

Further, this is demonstrating many of the key concepts behind Agile. Agile is a collaborative and communicative approach to any project, and using these very principles to guide your adoption of the methodology might just be what the doctor ordered.

Create a Safe Working Environment

Resistance to Agile can often come from a lack of perceived safety in the workplace. So, how do you move past this? Well, you create a safe environment. This is where you guarantee that your team isn’t losing their jobs or being displaced thanks to the adoption of new tools and methodologies. A safe environment is one where employees can feel encouraged to voice their fears without the threat of reprisals.

Now, by all means, dismiss the employees who prove to be problem children if needed. However, the overwhelming majority of your workforce needs to understand they are still valued parts of your team. This is a delicate needle to thread, but a vital one if you’ve got any hopes of adopting Agile at a wider level at your organization.

Safety is key to any worker’s overall success. They need to feel valued, they need to feel important within the greater workings of a business. Create this sort of environment and you might be surprised at how well the rest of your efforts proceed.

Gradually Introduce Changes

One important aspect of change management is to gradually introduce said changes. The same can be said of overcoming resistance to Agile. Introduce new concepts gradually, allow them to be absorbed and assimilated into your organization, and then move to the next stage.

Now, how you approach this is going to differ from business to business. However, I would wholeheartedly suggest starting with communication. Show your teams that you value what they say, before moving into the adoption of new processes and workflow.

Emphasize this is a people-first approach, and demonstrate it. Take your time, you might still be getting deliverables out in the old ways, but you’ll get to Agile project management soon enough. Radical change in the workplace can and will backfire on you, so a cautious and gentle approach is key.

Measure Progress, Celebrate Wins

Within Agile project management, there are sprints. These are mini-projects of sorts, attainable goals that can be accomplished within a few work days at the absolute maximum. So, my suggestion for overcoming resistance to Agile is to focus on these sprints at the start. Get your team involved, and hold Scrum meetings where your team is proud of the work they’re doing.

When sprints are finished, celebrate the wins, champion your employees, and reward them as necessary. This is all a team effort, after all. As the old saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and the same applies to emphasizing the transition to Agile.

Create a work environment where your employees are excited to get goals accomplished, and you might see Agile flourish in your business.

Education and Training Initiatives

Resistance to change can often be summarized as a lack of understanding about the change occurring. The same can be said of the resistance to Agile, and that is easy enough to overcome. This is where your organization needs to provide the materials and means for your business to get the training needed.

Agile isn’t some nebulous concept after all, it’s a set of principles laid out by the Agile Manifesto. So, exhaustively approach these, and give your team the means to explore them. Education is a great way of dispelling fear, something we see time and time again. Clear and present information and workshops are a great way to get everyone on board with the Agile methodology.

Other Useful Tools and Concepts

Looking for some other tips and tricks? Well, my dear reader, you are in the right place. There is never a bad time to learn about the importance of your Process Sigma within the context of production. Sigma levels are one of the key measurements to delivering quality goods to your customers.

Further, if you’re new to Six Sigma, it might be time to brush up on one of the core concepts behind the methodology. DMAIC is an acronym you’ll see often, and for good reason. Getting to grips with how it works when approaching process improvement is necessary for success in a Six Sigma-driven business.

Conclusion

Overcoming resistance to Agile doesn’t have to be a difficult process. With the right strategy and environment, you’ll see your team readily adopting the principles on their own. However, you need to be proactive, quick to adapt, and put people first, just as the Agile methodology describes.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Pedal to the Stock/Shutterstock.com.