This document discusses common challenges in adopting agile practices. It begins with an overview of traditional waterfall development versus agile development. Some key challenges discussed include focusing too much on processes rather than individuals, misunderstanding that agile is not about going faster but delivering value continuously, and the difficulty of reorganizing into cross-functional teams. The document emphasizes that agile relies heavily on teamwork, motivation, and new skills that take time to develop. Adopting agile also may require changes across the entire organization.

1. Common Challenges in
Adopting Agile
by Rachel Davies
About you ..
Are you:
• New to agile?
• Practicing?
• Expert?
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2. Traditional Waterfall
Phases of activity focused on a fixed-scope release.
• Divide the work up
• Resist change
• Communicate via documents
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Agile is not speeding this up
• Agile is not a case
of “do less, go faster”
• Mistake to focus on
replacing:-
– Process
– Role descriptions
– Tools
– Templates
– Training
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3. Agile Manifesto
Shared values and principles for better ways to
develop software (2001)
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Individuals and interactions
over processes and tools
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4. Working software
over comprehensive documentation
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Customer collaboration
over contract negotiation
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5. Responding to change
over following a plan
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Key Agile Principles
• Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through
early and continuous delivery of valuable software
• Welcome changing requirements, even late in
development.
• Business people and developers must work together daily
throughout the project
• The most efficient and effective method of conveying
information to and within a development team is face-to-
face conversation. Build projects around motivated
individuals. Give them the environment and support they
need, and trust them to get the job done.
www.agilemanifesto.org
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6. Agile is ..
Concurrent activity to create continuous flow of
releases.
• Develop iteratively
• Cross-functional teams
• Frequent releases
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Potential Benefits
• Deliver change more quickly (smaller
releases)
• More confidence in delivery dates (testing
done throughout)
• Improved employee retention (motivating
work)
• Better solutions (user feedback folded in)
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7. But ..
• Products may not be easy to break into
incremental releases.
• Pipeline to live may be constrained.
• Iterative development feels like rework.
• Reorganising into cross-functional teams is
challenging especially when key functions
are outsourced.
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Agile depends on Teamwork
Real-time interactions rather than process
orchestrated via artefacts.
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8. Teamwork relies on Motivation
• Make vision and
benefits clear
• Permission to try new
approach
• Empower team to
make choices about
how they work
• Build awareness and
responsibility
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New Skills Take Time
Becoming agile requires:
• Understanding principles
• Time to practice
• Coaching to avoid old habits
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9. Support across the organisation
Agile can have impact on many areas:
• Hiring policy
• Line management
• Incentives
• Operations
• Office Furniture
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Further Reading
Mike Cohn
– “Succeeding with Agile”
Rachel Davies Liz Sedley
– “Agile Coaching”
James Shore Shane Warden
– “The Art of Agile Development”
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10. Any Questions?
Get in touch
– Email: rachel@agilexp.com
– Twitter: @rachelcdavies
– Blog: http://agilecoach.typepad.com/
– Web: http://www.agilexp.com
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