What do you do if your Agile career is met with resistance to change?

I have worked with a few traditional teams, where they didn't like Agile practices, They always highlighted that Agile ceremonies take long hours and are less productive. This is quite normal, people don't embrace changes, and they don't like to step out of their comfort zone. Therefore, it's crucial to approach these changes with empathy and patience. Instead of imposing Agile practices, engage in open dialogue to address concerns and misconceptions. Highlight the benefits of Agile, emphasizing its adaptability and focus on delivering value. Offer training and support to ease the transition, allowing teams to gradually embrace Agile principles.

Understanding why is important. Biggest reason for resistance to change is fear. Team members are hesitant to share ideas as they fear to share in group. So, providing Psychological safety is utmost important where they can collaborate, try new experiments, safety net is provided if they fall and being respected.

Expecting stakeholders to understand the agile ways of working and the value agile bring to the table is not a sudden process but a gradual process. Firstly we need to communicate to the stakeholders what great value agile had added for other domains and customers and giving them the real time examples of what was the situation before agile and after agile. Realtime examples make stakeholders trust the value agile can add in their business growth. Agile implementation should start from low scale for new customers and gradually when customer sees the live proof of business growth and outcome then they themselves will agree to have agile implemented in large organizational level. Also some hybrid models can be implemented initially too.

Understand the Resistance: Identify reasons behind resistance. Communicate Benefits: Clearly explain Agile's advantages. Education and Training: Provide resources for learning Agile. Lead by Example: Demonstrate Agile's value through actions. Involve the Team: Include team members in decision-making. Address Concerns: Listen to objections and offer solutions. Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge achievements with Agile. Provide Support: Offer coaching and assistance during transition. Iterate and Adapt: Continuously improve Agile processes. Seek Leadership Support: Involve leadership to address barriers. By following these steps, you can effectively manage resistance and promote Agile adoption

Absolutely! Education, especially when approached gently, supports a nurturing and conducive environment for learning. There are some key strategies for imbuing education with gentleness, such as Empathic Understanding, Positive Reinforcement, Paced Learning, Interactive Learning, Encouraging Curiosity, Creating a Safe Environment, Providing, Practicing Mindfulness and Reflection, Celebrating the Process, Demonstrating Respect and Kindness. Educating gently is not about diluting educational content but about enriching the way information is conveyed and absorbed. It’s about fostering a love for learning, encouraging curiosity building a foundation of knowledge that stands strong on the pillars of understanding, patience, and encouragement.

Overcoming resistance to Agile involves a combination of understanding, education, and empathy. By focusing on these areas, teams can transition more smoothly to Agile methodologies, leading to enhanced collaboration, flexibility, and ultimately, project success.

An important skill set for a Scrum Master (or a Manager) would be the storytelling ability. In my opinion that particular skill will help the SM to "Educate Gently" the team. Add an evidence-based and data-driven approach and a very healthy discussion is bound to happen.

Resistance to agile is just as similar to resistance experienced when introducing a project using waterfall methodology. It all lies in change management. Understanding resistance should be the foundation of ways to improvement and better implementation. Having an open dialogue that is non-judgmental with stakeholders and team members and always being able to acknowledge their viewpoints, opens a better conversation to address benefits of Agile. Offering training and starting small as you lead by example while addressing concerns and misconceptions leads to transparency in implementation

In my experience, the SM should be active to help the team to visualise the goal. Be it a sprint or a roadmap for the whole year. In my experience utilise the tools being used to manage a project to generate data like graphs and charts. This helps the team to see where they are heading. Generate templates, actively set culture, and help the team set the mindset to be proactive (rather than reactive). "You don't lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case." - Ken Kesey

Resistance to change often stems from a lack of perceived value in the change or a fear of losing something. By guiding individuals through the potential benefits it offers, you can foster greater acceptance and participation.

Resistance often stems from a perceived lack of value or fear of change. However, guiding individuals through the potential benefits fosters acceptance and active participation. While transitioning Scrum teams, especially those entrenched in poor Agile practices, presents challenges, the effort is worthwhile, albeit requiring patience and persuasion. Demonstrating the practical benefits of Agile effectively overcomes resistance and inspires adoption. Through transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement, we transform organizational culture and drive project success. Experiencing Agile's positive outcomes firsthand builds momentum for transition, fostering a productive, success-oriented Agile environment.

No hay mejor presentación que aquella que se escucha en el corredor del pasillo. Tus acciones hablan por su propio peso. No puedes pretender ser ágil (en su concepción de mindset más no de rapidez de entrega) si tús valores, principios y las consecuencias de tus acciones son distintas a lo que buscas aplicar o proyectar en una organización. Debemos buscar ser y no parecer, de esto mana el valor de la sinceridad, que apertura el valor de la transparencia. Basta una pizca de sinceridad para que los equipos congenien con la situación/contexto y se aperturen conversaciones que lleven a planes de acción de bien para la organización. Scrum es un buen framework para permear el mindset agil,ya que implicitamente promueve valores y principios agiles

Leading in an Agile Framework is difficult as there is no leader in an Agile team. The team is the leader. But as a Scrum coach or Scrum master, you have to play the role of Servant leader. You have to lead by example by showcasing the Agile principles and its benefits by following them meticulously. Be the change you want to see on the team. Create an example with your work ethic and the team will follow.

İt is clear in the theory but in practice any kind of cultural shifts may take a long period of time. Moreover, it should be clearly defined the reasons and motivation of making it happen by anyone inside team or it should be somehow connected with shared values inside the team at least.

Sometimes you can form a community of practice from likeminded people. Those are great ways to share successes and failures and implement organisational learning. Also remember that you can reach out to people outside your own working place. Networking and staying connected widely will make everyone stronger.

Identify allies and stakeholders who are open to change and willing to support your Agile initiatives. Build relationships with key influencers, decision-makers, and champions within the organization. Collaborate with them to build momentum and garner support for Agile adoption.

Identify influential individuals within the organization who can support the adoption of agile methodologies. Collaborate with them to address concerns, gather feedback, and champion the benefits of agile across different teams and departments.

In my experience, the more people you get on board the better. Obviously more ‘senior’ people matter more. But not in the long run - career wise they will move on. And so will you.

Pelas minhas experiências esse caminho é um dos mais efetivos. Sugerindo uma mudança pequena em algum contexto abre brechas para mudanças maiores, você consegue mover isso rápido e ver resultados rápidos também. Sem contar que mudanças pequenas não são tão arriscadas, o que reduz o medo e a desconfiança na mudança. Isso retro alimenta o processo e assim você tem argumentos e apoio para mover mudanças maiores.

Lembre-se da estratégia de "comer pelas beiradas", escolhendo primeiro projetos mais simples, rápidos, e que possam dar oportunidades não só de se utilizar as técnicas do mundo Agil, mas que proporcione o time caminhar refletindo cada passo, vivendo a jornada com calma, entendendo o motivo de cada coisa.

Suggest running small-scale agile pilots or experiments to test its viability and effectiveness in specific projects or teams. Gather data and feedback from these pilots to demonstrate tangible benefits and address any challenges or misconceptions.

100% Proposing experiments that are incremental steps along a path in the direction you would like the team (or organization) to move towards is a great way to both give and get faster feedback, reinforce what you are trying to teach, and give you more proof that "yes, this does work" and allows you to have more weight behind "let's try it and see."

Start small by proposing pilot projects or initiatives to showcase the benefits of Agile in a controlled environment. Select projects that align with organizational goals and have the potential for quick wins. Use the pilot to demonstrate tangible results, gather feedback, and iterate on your approach.

Offer support and resources to help individuals and teams transition to Agile ways of working. Provide training, coaching, and mentoring to build skills and confidence in Agile practices. Address any concerns or challenges proactively and offer assistance to overcome barriers to change.

Through patience, empathy, and persistence, I'd work towards building a shared vision of Agile principles and practices, ultimately fostering a more adaptive and resilient team.

Creating a supportive environment as a Scrum Master involves fostering open communication, promoting trust and respect, empowering team members, facilitating collaboration, providing continuous support, celebrating achievements, and leading by example. By encouraging team members to express themselves openly, building trust through transparency and reliability, empowering them to take ownership of their work, facilitating collaboration and teamwork, offering ongoing support and guidance, celebrating achievements, and leading by example, a Scrum Master can create an environment where team members feel empowered, motivated, and valued. This supportive environment is essential for overcoming resistance and driving success in Agile adoption.

To facilitate the transition to Agile methodologies, it's essential to offer comprehensive support and resources to individuals and teams. This includes providing training, coaching, and mentoring to help them develop the necessary skills and confidence in Agile practices.

At the age of 58 and 34 years into my IT career as a developer, I was introduced to Agile. At the age of 60, I found myself on the sidewalk of a company I had given 22 years to. My grasp of and understanding of Agile helped me move forward, however ... being lowercase agile propelled my career in ways I never imagined.

Mostly people are resistant to change because they don't want to get out of the comfort zone or don't have the idea of full picture. As a scrum master, you need to train your team to not get attached to the product but the process and if it's in benefit of the customer and the team, we should be flexible to accept the change. However, we definitely need guidelines for accepting the change - till when and to what extent.

Facing resistance to change in an Agile career can be challenging, but it presents an opportunity for growth and improvement. Begin by understanding the sources of resistance; often, it stems from fear of the unknown or from those who have had negative experiences in the past. Communication is key—you have engage people to listen to their concerns and provide evidence-based benefits of Agile practices. Gradually introduce Agile concepts through training sessions and workshops, allowing everyone to see incremental benefits. Finally, celebrate small wins and overcome resistance 1% each day to build confidence and showcase the value of Agile ways of working. When you start creating a NEW impact, you are most wanted everywhere.

When Agile works well, celebrate! Show everyone how much better things are with Agile and keep up the good work. Agile is always changing, so keep learning and improving. Be open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

From my experience, assigning the right people in the right place to ensure the transition process occurred in all expected areas is also important. Failing to do that might result in confusion and unfairness between teams. In the short term, the team that is not applying the changes properly looks better in performance because the other team is still learning and adapting to the transition process. In the long term, the team that is not applying well becomes the team that might need help because the changes in agile method is unavoidable.