Patient agility: Is agile working dying?

When things get critical, companies fall back into old patterns - micromanagement instead of self-organization, control instead of trust. But why is that? Schemes from emergency medicine can be used to diagnose where agile working methods are actually ailing: Can the team still communicate freely, are there bottlenecks in the flow, or has it simply been overloaded with too many methods? The metaphor of the patient agility shows that healing takes time - and sometimes means more omission than addition.

Podcast Episode: Patient agility: Is agile working dying?

I spoke to Miriam Sasse about why so many companies are falling back into old command-and-control patterns and whether agility can still be saved. Miriam uses schemes from emergency medicine to diagnose where exactly agile teams and organizations are ailing: Can they still breathe freely? Is communication flowing? Or are they choking on too many methods at once? We talk about allergies to the word “agile”, trauma management in software development and why some companies urgently need rehab instead of more OKRs.

“Many people are already saying, oh go away with agile.” - Miriam Sasse

Dr. Miriam Sasse holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and is a certified coach. She supports organizations in their agile and digital transformation efforts, with a focus on deep-tech teams and game design. As a TEDx speaker and author, she explores the future of leadership and organizational design. She teaches at universities and leads the GPM OWL regional group.

Highlights der Episode

• Agility is not dead - many companies only fall back into old control patterns during crises.
• Traffic light scheme from the emergency services: First check whether you are still breathing - can you still speak freely?
• Don’t always add more methods - sometimes you just have to leave out meetings and processes.
• ABCDE scheme for trauma: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Environment - prioritize treatment, not everything at the same time.
• Recovery takes time - one measure at a time, not ten new tools at once.

Agility at the limit: How companies can save agile working

The end of agility? Frustration and regression

Agility now sounds like an empty buzzword to many. Anyone who still uses the word “agile” in some companies needs courage. All too often, frustration is palpable: it seems as if there is hardly anything left of the promise of fast and flexible working. Employees and managers report that agility is not working properly. Instead of moving forward, everything feels too difficult, too complex.

The following often happens in companies: Under pressure, for example due to a poor economic situation, the desire for security becomes great. People fall back on old patterns because they know them. Micromanagement, control and traditional announcements creep back in. The agile mindset that was actually aimed for is put on pause again. This becomes most obvious when managers suddenly set guidelines as if there were no longer an agile team.

What is going wrong here? Symptoms of ailing agility

The biggest weakness of many agile initiatives is that it has never become part of the corporate culture. Many teams introduce new methods because it is modern. One agile framework follows the next, coaches are hired, books are read, workshops are attended. Nevertheless, the actual goal - rapid adaptability through autonomous teams - often remains unachieved.

It turns out that in companies that work in a truly agile way, this is hardly noticeable. The way of working is taken for granted, an integral part of everyday life. In others, however, especially in older organizations, agility often remains a foreign body. When problems and stress arise, these teams fall back on what they have always done - because they lack a deep understanding and genuine trust in agile working.

Rescue in sight: the emergency medicine methods

Miriam Sasse and her colleague Peter Schnell have found an unusual way to fix agility. They use methods from emergency medicine to systematically check: Where is the problem? And where do we need to start first?

Two schemes are particularly helpful here: “traffic lights” and “ABCDE”. Both are actually used by paramedics - but they can also be used for teams.

Traffic light scheme: Allergies, medication, medical history

• Allergies - Is there a real resistance to the word “agile” in your team or company? Then perhaps an overdose of changes or failed methods has already accumulated.

• Medication - Which “methods” were introduced last? Too often, several approaches are implemented at the same time without looking at what works.

• Past history - What crises, previous illnesses or setbacks have already occurred? Is the team already struggling?

• Events - What triggers have currently caused stress?

• Last energy - Who is still driving the topic of agility? Where does commitment come from and how much “power” is left?

These questions alone help to understand the state of a team more precisely and avoid rash further measures.

ABCDE scheme: step by step to the right diagnosis

• Airway - Can everyone speak openly? Is there honest, safe feedback, especially in meetings? Silence or fear are warning signs.

• Breathing - Do regular sprints, retrospectives or other cycles still take place? Are there clear rhythms?

• Circulation - Who communicates with whom? Are there clear decision paths? No coordination means: danger for the team.

• Disability - What real obstacles are blocking the team? Methods, values or norms that don’t fit?

• Environment - Does the company match the team spirit? Are there safe spaces or is everything prevented from the outside?

Less is more: Not yet another method

Companies often want to solve problems by trying yet another new approach. But too many changes can be overwhelming. Better: introduce one measure at a time, observe, and give it time. As in medicine, patience works wonders - healing takes time, even for agility.

The most important way to save agility is honesty. Open discussions about problems and the willingness to take a break from time to time help more than ever new methods. With good questions and small steps, teams can breathe again. Step by step, real, living agility can return.