The yearly State of Agile report is back now in its 16th edition, and once again it provides some fascinating insights.
The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) continues to dominate the market, growing in adoption year-on-year. Time to Market – more specifically – accelerating it, is cited as the leading benefit associated with agile ways of working. And, once again, lack of engagement from leadership is perceived as the biggest barrier/blocker to agility.
Read on to see what else is uncovered…
Hybrid Working
2022 is the first full year we started to get back in person more regularly en-masse. Back in offices and back in classrooms – but only partially. Hybrid /remote working is now in the mix, as we balance a virtual world with traditional ways of working. This undoubtedly has had an effect on people, productivity & perceptions.
Why Agile?
Delivery! That seems to be the common theme behind the perceived benefits of agile ways of working. I guess it should be no surprise, considering where the agile movement came from. Agile continues to prove itself as the gold standard approach to software development. Having said that, 68% of respondents said they’re using agile not only in IT/software but also company-wide to drive digital/agile transformation.
On the other side of the equation: People. It’s great to see the recognition that agile helps teams fire on all cylinders. Both allowing them to deliver value frequently to customers/stakeholders, while also functioning positively internally. That’s the key to a high-performing team, right?
Which frameworks?
In terms of a more general approach, Scrum again leads the way, with a huge 87% of respondents leveraging it. When looking at the enterprise or at a ‘scaled’ approach to agile, there is one standout method: the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). Once again, SAFe has grown in market adoption. There seems to be no stopping it. Another point to note is a real standout year for Scrum@Scale, after multiple years of a slow decline in popularity.
What’s challenging?
Leaders are enablers. As we know, without leadership buy-in & influence, we’re always going to be operating in a bubble and brushing up against limitations.
Company culture is listed as the leading “cause of unsuccessful delivery with Agile”. It seems that agile practices often clash with the status quo. Again, no surprise. It simply reaffirms the benefit of agile coaches/consultants, agile champions across the business & ongoing education, and alignment.
Conclusion
What can we learn? Well, once again people is a prevalent theme. People within organizations not embracing agile as much as we’d like (culture). People in leadership positions not being onboard fully as much as we’d like. People being the reason we want to leverage the benefits of agile ways of working – consistent value to the end user.
We need to continue educating, supporting & coaching. There’s no doubt we’re making progress year-on-year. We, of all people, should know that adopting positive change is a gradual process.
Until next year! Let us know your thoughts on the report in the comments below?
