The Agile Transformation Conundrum

I’ve been thinking recently about what it means to go through an Agile Transformation. The usual interpretation I find is that its a Transformation to using Agile approaches (or doing Agile), or if I’m being generous to being Agile. At first glance, that seems wrong to me for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it implies that the Transformation has an end state – doing (or being) Agile. Once we are Agile we have Transformed. Yeah! I think that the transformation should be continuous, however. The Transformation is in learning how solve problems, and not learning how to implement solutions. It is learning how to Learn.

Secondly, it implies that Agile as an end state is a primarily tactical endeavour. The focus is on Agile itself, rather than on the aspirations that Agile might help achieve. I prefer to focus on how Agility can strategically help achieve aspirations.

And yet a call myself a Lean & Agile Consultant, because essentially that’s where my experience and skills lie. I don’t consider myself to be an expert in strategy development (although its an area I’m learning more and more about). That seems to be a conundrum because on the one hand I generally work with Agile Transformations, and on the other hand, my focus isn’t on Transforming to Agile.

How to resolve that conundrum? Well I could talk more about Agility Transformations to put more emphasis on strategic agility? Or I could go meta, and talk about transforming to a state where we can continually transform. A Transformability Transformation? Except I’ve just made a word up, so how about an Adaptability Transformation?

Or I could just learn to live with Agile Transformations 🙂