Over the past 25 to 30 years, agile innovation methods have greatly increased success rates in software development, improved quality and speed to market, and boosted the motivation and productivity of IT teams. Now those methods are spreading across a broad range of industries and functions and even reaching into the C-suite. But many executives don’t understand how to promote and benefit from agile; often they manage in ways that run counter to its principles and practices, undermining the effectiveness of agile teams in their organizations.
From their work studying and advising companies that have successfully employed agile methods, the authors have discerned six crucial practices for capitalizing on agile’s potential: (1) Learn how agile really works; (2) understand when it is appropriate; (3) start small and let passionate evangelists spread the word; (4) allow teams that have mastered the process to customize their practices; (5) practice agile at the top; and (6) destroy corporate barriers to agile behaviors. They expand on each, providing executives with a practical guide for accelerating innovation and profitable growth.
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.
Leaders don’t really understand agile. As a result, they unwittingly continue to employ conventional management practices that undermine agile projects.
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.
A version of this article appeared in the May 2016 issue (pp.40–48, 50) of Harvard Business Review.Darrell Rigby is a partner in the Boston office of Bain & Company. He heads the firm’s global agile enterprise practice. He is the author of Winning in Turbulence and a coauthor of Doing Agile Right: Transformation Without Chaos (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020).
Jeff Sutherland is a cocreator of the scrum form of agile innovation and the CEO of Scrum Inc., a consulting and training firm.
Hirotaka Takeuchi is a professor in the strategy unit of Harvard Business School.
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