Agile methods - Another perspective on the causes of resistance to adopting agile methodologies in a general scope

 

By: Daniel Soares Garcia.

​

The creation of the Agile Manifesto, or the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, as defined by its creators, was a mark, a turning point. From that point onward, it began a new development age of methodologies and frameworks aiming for valuable deliveries and the de-bureaucratization in software development processes.

​

Frameworks like SCRUM and methodologies like eXtreme Programming (XP), amongst many others, started being developed. Each one with its unique characteristics and traits in common, seeking to converge to the values and principles described in the Manifesto.

​

While I searched for content to guide me through the creation of this critical analysis about agile methods focused on the cultural/behavioral challenges on the implementation of agile methods (what has become a cliché), I have stumbled upon a video of a lecture from Dave Thomas, one of the authors of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, titled “Agile is Dead”. Seeing one of the parents of the Agile Manifest make such a claim amplified and provoked my critical spectrum about the theme, which made me (a simple Professional Scrum Master) change the course of this dissertation to a not-so-cliché path.

​

There is currently a hype, a fad, and overvaluation of the “agile”; propelling the appearance of many methodologies, certifications, and courses. A market for the sale of miraculous solutions was born, generating complexity and mischaracterizing the essence of the word agile as an adjective, as a way of doing things in an agile manner. The “agile” has become an entity, a noun, a status, mischaracterizing the values behind the implementation of the methodology.

​

We can identify that this kind of phenomenon (hype/fad), that causes trivialization, is repeated and hits not only this segment but also others, such as coaching, digital marketing, and “influencers” in the finance area.

​

Therefore, I conclude with the following question: wouldn’t this phenomenon/movement be a plausible cause that strengthens the resistance to the natural adoption of the values described in the Manifesto, starting with the first one (“Individuals and interactions over processes and tools”)? In my opinion, it would.
 

​

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

 

VEYRAT, Pierre. Um dos autores do manifesto critica as metodologias Ágil e Scrum. Venki, 2017. Available at: <https://www.venki.com.br/blog/metodologia-agil-scrum/>. Acessed: 10 August 2021.

​

THOMAS, Dave (GOTO Conferences). Agile is Dead - Pragmatic Dave Thomas - GOTO 2015. Youtube, 14 July 2015. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-BOSpxYJ9M>.
 

​