Frameless - empower your Agile Transformation
Agile Australia 2024
This year at Agile Australia I was fortunate to be chosen to speak, and the topic was “Frameless - empower your Agile transformation”. Amid the noisy social media debates declaring whether agile is dead or alive, I believe it’s crucial to stay focused on what really matters: helping organisations transform to more modern, engaging, and effective ways of working. Rather than getting lost in the noise, we should address the real issues that organisations face, rather than simply claiming, “Agile is dead!” as clickbait.
I’ve experienced transformative change from the inside out. In large organisations, I’ve served as a System of Work ‘owner’ in various technology leadership roles, and from the outside, I’ve catalysed change as a consultant and coach. This dual perspective fosters empathy for those ‘in the machine,’ ‘leading the machine,’ and those ‘driving the change.’ It’s been a privilege to hold these positions, and the work in the ‘ways of working coal mines’—striving for continuous improvement—never gets old.
Empowered, Frameless Transformations
In this blog, I want to talk about something I’ve seen time and time again: successful transformations are not about frameworks—they’re about leadership. In fact, I wrote a book about this topic, Empowered Agile Transformation which was the basis for my Agile Aus talk.
The kind of transformation we’re striving for—the one that’s authentic, engaging, and empowering—is often missing in organisations today. It starts at the executive leadership level. And spoiler: it’s not about implementing frameworks. These transformations are frameless.
In this blog, I’ll share some of the anti-patterns I’ve observed around large-scale framework-driven agile adoptions that often lead to failure. We’ll also explore four key patterns you can take away and apply to your transformation work.
Hopefully, there’s even an “aha moment” for you in this piece because don’t we all love those lightbulb moments?
The Hard Truth: Transformations Fail
Let’s start with something controversial: transformations fail. According to data, 70% of transformations fail. Does that number sound familiar to anyone? It’s reminiscent of the failure rate of software projects back in the 1990s—when 85% of projects failed to deliver on time, on scope, or on quality. That was the failing environment that birthed the agile movement.
Today, the success rate of agile projects has improved to 42%, and waterfall projects hover around 13%. So while agile delivery has made progress, we’re still not hitting the mark, with a 58% gap in success?! It begs the question: Are we really doing well?
With all these Agile conferences, coaches, and dedicated roles, how is it possible we’re still seeing these same dismal results? My company, like many, is dedicated to transformation. We pour our energy into bringing positive change. But for a 42% success rate? We must really love a challenge!
Time to reflect?
What about you? How is transformation really going at your organisation? Have you reflected on your transformation work? On your agile execution? Because when I first learned about that 70% Transformation failure rate, it made me pause and think.
Where are we going wrong?
Why are we still struggling to apply and achieve agility effectively 23 years after the Agile Manifesto was created?
What’s your workplace like? Are you constantly battling negative patterns? Are people embracing the benefits of agile teamwork, or are external factors working against the teams?
Maybe you spend too much time coaching issues that aren’t the agile team’s fault but are due to the surrounding environment. Could frameworks or large consulting approaches be part of the problem?
And what can we do?
What can we do about this transformation failure? The lack of engagement we often see, along with the “holy wars” about Agile—can we rescue Agile’s reputation?
The reality is, many companies are still struggling to unlock value easily due to these high failure rates. It’s what drives me to address these challenges and why I wrote a book that’s basically designed for execs, so you can hand them something that shows them, there is a better way.
Are execs really involved?
We encounter executive leaders who aren’t really embedded in the day-to-day experiences of agile teams. They're positioned above the teams, somewhat removed from the heart of the process. Often, their leadership styles run counter to the collaborative, iterative principles we expect; they demand roadmaps, strict timelines, and traditional status reports—undermining the very conditions that make agile delivery so effective.
Think about your own situation, how did you first come across agile? Think back to when that was, when you first encountered this thing called Agile and you heard it might be something to pay attention to or to use? When did you have your first “Agile aha?”
Aha moments
An AHA moment can shift a person’s perspective from sceptical to convinced and uncertain to inspired. This transformation happens through a chemical cocktail of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Initially, it’s an emotional response that hooks you in, making you more willing to examine something with your logical brain. People recount life-changing realisations that inspire their own personal transformation, and Agile was certainly that for me.
But have these execs ever truly experienced an "Aha" moment in relation to agility? How could they?
Execs Are in Charge—And In Trouble
Let’s talk about the role executives play in shaping the system of work. Who makes decisions about team structures, organisational design, and funding? It’s the executive team. Your agile squad might want to operate differently, but there’s only so much you can change from within. The real power to drive transformation sits with the execs.
Here’s the challenge, executives want the results of agility—more adaptability, earlier delivery of value, and higher-quality products. They may not use the word "Agile," but they want the outcomes. However, given that 70% of transformations fail, their scepticism is understandable.
Executives might say, “I keep hearing how great Agile is, but my limited exposure hasn’t convinced me.” When large frameworks fail to add any benefits to the organisation, when they see the amount of work and waste that is needed to implement these behemoths, and they feel so little improvement, who can blame their scepticism?
Are Leaders 10–20 Years Out of Date?
Many executives today built their careers decades ago—long before the agile movement gained traction. Their early experiences of delivery likely mirrored the 80%+ failure rate of software projects at that time. They haven’t been immersed in an agile team; they haven’t felt the joy of delivering iterative, high-value work.
At best, they might have observed a Big Room Planning session from afar, but that’s hardly enough to provoke their own "Aha" moment with Agile.
This lack of first-hand experience often leads executives to approach transformation in entirely the wrong way. They turn to consultancies, expecting a big solution—because that’s how they’ve always solved big problems.
The 350-Page Blueprint Trap
Consultancies over promise massive transformations, handing over a 350-page slide deck with a prescribed formula for success. They promote their armies of certified scrum masters and paint a picture of transformation happening in 18 months. It’s a neat package that appeals to executives because it promises certainty.
But these frameworks won’t adapt to your organisation’s unique needs. The message that certification and adherence to a framework equals transformation is not only misleading—it’s dangerous.
If all you do is follow a generic, pre-packaged blueprint, at best you’ll achieve mediocrity, matching the lowest common denominator of your competitors. At worst, you’ll cannibalise your competitive advantage entirely. Will we all march our businesses off a cliff, in a neat quarterly cadence?
The Problem with Frameworks
Frameworks often start with the assumption that scaling from an agile team model is the best approach. That may have been a good enough leap ten years ago, when scaling up from agile teams was the hot topic. But you can scale using that model all you like, and it still won’t fix the real issue. These frameworks often leave executives untouched. They endorse the transformation, they sign off on the process confident that someone is installing agility, but they don’t change anything about their own behaviours or leadership approach.
And that, right there, is why so many transformations fail.
“Old ways won’t open new doors. “
Four Patterns for Success
What can we do to improve outcomes for the companies you help and the executives you’re coaching? I’ll share four key patterns I’ve learned over time. Let's start with the first:
1. Unlocking "Aha" Moments
We’ve already discussed the power of “Aha” moments, but I have learned that you can’t force these moments on people by simply telling them what you believe the answer is. So, how do you create an environment where those moments of realisation are more likely to happen?
I was working with a team of product and technology leaders, helping them co-design new ways of working to accelerate value delivery. One leader kept talking about the need for “proper Scrum” and Scrum Master roles. I was puzzled—Scrum wasn’t the issue here. His assessment stemmed from a previous experience of his where Scrum had worked, so in his mind Scrum would provide the answers.
In reality, the problem wasn’t Scrum at all. There were many multifaceted issues. I didn’t believe the answer lay in Scrum, so I shifted the conversation. We moved forward using Team Topologies as our guide.
Team Topologies is more than a book, it’s a movement, an approach, and it nestles within a way of thinking that, in many ways, reminds me of the original power of agile. We engaged as a group in the approaches of Team Topologies, learning the language together, applying it to the teams. I noticed how certain concepts were appealing to the leadership team.
They used phrases like “the teams should have end-to-end ownership,” so I echoed that language. We focused on giving the team full responsibility and designed smaller focussed teams around that. I realised that what was happening was leaders having their own Aha moments. Through Team Topologies they had a language and some tools to support changes we needed, it fulfilled their needs and solved local problems in the teams.
To support these realisations, you need to listen deeply. I spent several hours with leaders understanding their perspective and concerns. If you believe in the power of Aha moments, then I recommend investing time in listening and noticing, to unlock those moments for them.
2. A Flexible Set of Tools
Relying too heavily on any single tool or framework is a mistake. Each situation is unique, and welding yourself to one set of solutions won’t give you enough flexibility to adapt to the local context.
Here are some of the tools and approaches I’ve found particularly helpful:
Team Topologies: Already mentioned, it has been a game changer, especially when rethinking team structures and addressing architecture challenges. This approach has been invaluable in cutting through common issues.
Event Storming: Perfect for complex areas or where established processes are creating bottlenecks. It’s collaborative and brings clarity to tricky situations.
Lean: Lean principles resonate well with leadership, as they’re not software-dependent. I talk about Lean Wastes, Value Stream Mapping, flow efficiency, Poka-Yoke (mistake-proofing), visual working, Kanban, and Plan-Do-Check-Act, the ‘learning loop’ of Lean. Leaders often feel more comfortable with Lean, and when leaders buy in to Lean, then agile teams are a good companion and can be supported in that model.
Spotify Models: Although not truly a model, I don’t mind using the concepts of Tribes, Squads, Guilds, and Chapters. They’re easily adaptable and can help guide organisational change.
You need flexibility to meet people where they are and to adapt to their current way of thinking.
The IKEA Principle: This is not so much a tool but is something I apply often: People are more likely to embrace something they’ve helped build themselves. The IKEA principle is about how IKEA democratises stylish home furnishings by making them affordable and easy to assemble. Similarly, in organisational redesign, if people feel involved in the process, if it’s easy, accessible, and they are creating it with you, they’re more likely to take ownership of the change. We have to co-create solutions with people, not impose rigid frameworks on them.
And it’s not necessarily about labelling everything and teaching people all of YOUR toolsets. Just because you know the origins of Lean doesn’t mean everyone else needs that level of understanding to be able to wield the concepts. Your role as an expert is to guide them, not overwhelm them with jargon.
3. Leaders Get Knowledge "Just in Time"
I have different strategies for spreading knowledge and learning to wider populations, but I’ve learned that leaders need to go first. In the past, I’ve made the mistake of starting with educating teams, hoping leaders would just ‘catch on’ — but they don’t. They’re far too busy with their own concerns, and this can risk perpetuating a duality of models that doesn’t work: teams operating as agile squads while leaders continue to lead as they always have, without making any adjustments.
Leaders Learn Just in Time
What’s worked better for me is providing leaders with knowledge “just in time.” There’s a balance between giving enough information upfront to make a workshop effective and overwhelming them, so my aim is to make it tight and targeted.
To get this right, you need to know what knowledge the leaders already have, which requires spending time with them and understanding their challenges. Then, give them just enough information, in a non-condescending way, to set yourself up for a successful workshop experience.
How I Do It?
When I plan a workshop, I schedule an extra 30 minutes at the start for learning—but I don’t label it as learning. It’s still part of the workshop. If your audience of leaders won’t give you that extra time, create a video. Videos can deliver theory and reasoning about the topic, giving you space to get your logic out there without interruptions.
This approach ensures that you have either the extra learning time built into the workshop or at least some video collateral to set the stage.
I also design the icebreaker around the topic at hand. Use it as an opportunity to introduce concepts, and double down on learning. These setups can later be referenced during the workshop itself.
Why This Works
This “just in time” knowledge strategy works because it brings everyone up to speed without putting leaders in vulnerable positions. Leaders rarely admit they don’t know something, especially in front of peers, it’s competitive in the world of leadership! This approach allows them to learn without fear of looking ignorant, levelling the playing field and enabling meaningful participation.
Without this, leaders aren’t fully experiencing the change, and without experiential learning, they can’t truly support new ways of working.
4. Frameless - Go beyond certifications & frameworks
Finally, let’s talk about the lure of certification schemes and rigid frameworks. The real value comes from experience, research, and working with genuine experts who can apply patterns in a flexible way. The frameworks are often just a thin veneer, and what actually works is experience-based, locally adapted approaches.
You’ve probably seen it yourself—people may have every certification under the sun, but when you have a one-on-one conversation, they’re not even using the frameworks they’re certified in. The framework got them into the conversation, but the real work was done with experience and expertise.
In fact, when you look at successful transformations, you’ll find it’s because of expert coaching, facilitation, and networks of experienced people working together, not the big consultancy approaches. The best solutions are always ultra-light and adaptable. So I advice those shopping for updated ways of working to look for experienced individuals, over a large consultancy.
Four Patterns in Summary
So, to recap, here are the four patterns:
Unlocking "Aha" Moments
A Flexible Set of Tools
Just-in-Time Knowledge for Leaders
Keep it Frameless
There’s a lot more in the book—18 chapters, to be exact—but these four patterns can help you make an immediate impact.
Wrapping Up
To return to the start of this conversation, I am passionate about a more empowered and authentic way of transformation. It’s more accessible and effective than large-scale consulting and framework-driven approaches, and it yields better results.
Please, steal these patterns and more from my book. Use them to show executives that there’s another way—a way that’s cost-neutral or even free. Let’s stop paying for a 30% success rate and a 70% chance of failure.
If we can start spreading empowered, authentic approaches, we can prevent these sham transformations and rescue Agile from the heavy, framework-driven consultancy model. Maybe then, agile teams can perform better and enjoy the process more, just like in the early days.
My final thought for you: I’ve realised I need to get better at engaging with executive leadership. I hope I’ve given you some tools to help you in your own conversations.
Together, we can show executives that transformation isn’t something to fear—they aren’t losing control of their organisations. Instead, they’re tapping into how people want to work, how they can be engaged, and how they can enjoy their jobs, all while achieving better outcomes.
The Book: Empowered Agile Transformation - Beyond the Framework is available on Amazon. Book a session with Alex and have a chat about Transformation here. Or get in touch: alex@rebootco.com.au