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Doing Agile Right: Transformation Without Chaos
Agile has the power to transform work--but only if it's implemented the right way.
For decades business leaders have been painfully aware of a huge They aspire to create nimble, flexible enterprises. But their day-to-day reality is silos, sluggish processes, and stalled innovation. Today, agile is hailed as the essential bridge across this chasm, with the potential to transform a company and catapult it to the head of the pack.
Not so fast. In this clear-eyed, indispensable book, Bain & Company thought leader Darrell Rigby and his colleagues Sarah Elk and Steve Berez provide a much-needed reality check. They dispel the myths and misconceptions that have accompanied agile's rise to prominence--the idea that it can reshape an organization all at once, for instance, or that it should be used in every function and for all types of work. They illustrate that agile teams can indeed be powerful, making people's jobs more rewarding and turbocharging innovation, but such results are possible only if the method is fully understood and implemented the right way.
The key, they argue, is balance. Every organization must optimize and tightly control some of its operations, and at the same time innovate. Agile, done well, enables vigorous innovation without sacrificing the efficiency and reliability essential to traditional operations. The authors break down how agile really works, show what not to do, and explain the crucial importance of scaling agile properly in order to reap its full benefit. They then lay out a road map for leading the transition to a truly agile enterprise.
Agile isn't a goal in itself; it's a means to becoming a high-performance operation. Doing Agile Right is a must-have guide for any company trying to make the transition--or trying to sustain high agility.
For decades business leaders have been painfully aware of a huge They aspire to create nimble, flexible enterprises. But their day-to-day reality is silos, sluggish processes, and stalled innovation. Today, agile is hailed as the essential bridge across this chasm, with the potential to transform a company and catapult it to the head of the pack.
Not so fast. In this clear-eyed, indispensable book, Bain & Company thought leader Darrell Rigby and his colleagues Sarah Elk and Steve Berez provide a much-needed reality check. They dispel the myths and misconceptions that have accompanied agile's rise to prominence--the idea that it can reshape an organization all at once, for instance, or that it should be used in every function and for all types of work. They illustrate that agile teams can indeed be powerful, making people's jobs more rewarding and turbocharging innovation, but such results are possible only if the method is fully understood and implemented the right way.
The key, they argue, is balance. Every organization must optimize and tightly control some of its operations, and at the same time innovate. Agile, done well, enables vigorous innovation without sacrificing the efficiency and reliability essential to traditional operations. The authors break down how agile really works, show what not to do, and explain the crucial importance of scaling agile properly in order to reap its full benefit. They then lay out a road map for leading the transition to a truly agile enterprise.
Agile isn't a goal in itself; it's a means to becoming a high-performance operation. Doing Agile Right is a must-have guide for any company trying to make the transition--or trying to sustain high agility.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2020
521 people are currently reading
1707 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
May 8, 2020
There is definitely a way of Doing Agile Right and, unfortunately, a way to do agile completely wrong. This book describes both so you can quickly see what your agile team is doing correctly and incorrectly.
Agile sounds so good. Faster results. Quick setup. Self-management. More innovative solutions. So what could go wrong? It turns out there are three major areas where agile fails.
First, depending on the goal, sometimes bureaucracy works better—especially for highly regulated tasks. You wouldn’t want the people checking food safety to be "innovative". Or your accountant, either. They have procedures for a reason.
Second, agile teams don’t work well when headed by a bureaucratic management team. They need to self-manage to be truly agile.
Third, don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Agile should be added gradually based on the company’s products and services. Agile isn’t a light switch. It's also not a copy machine. What works perfectly for one company probably will not work the same for another.
The book continues with some excellent strategies for Doing Agile Right. Overall, this is a good overview of the agile process for business decision-makers. It is written in a clear manner with many examples of real businesses that are making agile work for them. It also shies away from the overly technology-based examples of other books on the agile method. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!
Thanks to Harvard Business Review Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Agile sounds so good. Faster results. Quick setup. Self-management. More innovative solutions. So what could go wrong? It turns out there are three major areas where agile fails.
First, depending on the goal, sometimes bureaucracy works better—especially for highly regulated tasks. You wouldn’t want the people checking food safety to be "innovative". Or your accountant, either. They have procedures for a reason.
Second, agile teams don’t work well when headed by a bureaucratic management team. They need to self-manage to be truly agile.
Third, don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. Agile should be added gradually based on the company’s products and services. Agile isn’t a light switch. It's also not a copy machine. What works perfectly for one company probably will not work the same for another.
The book continues with some excellent strategies for Doing Agile Right. Overall, this is a good overview of the agile process for business decision-makers. It is written in a clear manner with many examples of real businesses that are making agile work for them. It also shies away from the overly technology-based examples of other books on the agile method. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!
Thanks to Harvard Business Review Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 10, 2020
O livro pretende orientar grandes empresas na transição, mas líderes de pequenas empresas também podem se beneficiar dos conceitos e exemplos contidos no livro. Até então, foi o livro de caráter mais geral que li sobre o tema: uma boa introdução aos conceitos e valores, relatos sobre armadilhas e dificuldades em meio ao processo de implementação e casos de sucesso.
August 8, 2021
Ok overview, happy it relieves the pressure to Do Agile everywhere, but frustrated with its message that there’s no one way to transform, and there’s a perfect balance for your org but only you can find it. Didn’t need a book to tell me that.
November 3, 2022
I almost didn't read this book. I use filters to identify books that are most likely to add value to my career. This book, on the surface, failed my two most useful filters. (More on this in a minute.) NOT reading this book would have been a mistake. Filters are NOT perfect.
Agile is the business philosophy that relies on fast-moving, self-managing teams for innovation. This book will not teach you the nuts and bolts of doing agile. It is designed to educate business leaders on the value of scaling agile effectively while maintaining a balance between innovation and bureaucracy.
Most people today work in bureaucracies, and most feel disengaged from their work. Every company needs bureaucratic structures and procedures to run their business. However, bureaucracies are terrible at innovating. Most large companies today have tilted too far toward bureaucracy, starving innovation. Enter agile.
Agile leaders spend less time reviewing the work of subordinates. They add value by spending time with customers, mentoring individuals, and coaching teams.
The authors proceed to cover such enterprise-level topics as the following:
~ How Agile Really Works
~ Scaling Agile
~ How Agile Do You Want to Be?
~ Agile Leadership
Doing Agile Right failed my first screen by only receiving one recommendation on my analysis of Best Business Books of 2020. In addition, its Goodreads rating fell below my baseline threshold of 4.00. Nonetheless, this book is highly recommended for any leader tasked with improving the track record of innovation success within their organization.
Access Gene Babon's reviews of books on Business Leadership and Business Strategy at Pinterest.
Agile is the business philosophy that relies on fast-moving, self-managing teams for innovation. This book will not teach you the nuts and bolts of doing agile. It is designed to educate business leaders on the value of scaling agile effectively while maintaining a balance between innovation and bureaucracy.
Most people today work in bureaucracies, and most feel disengaged from their work. Every company needs bureaucratic structures and procedures to run their business. However, bureaucracies are terrible at innovating. Most large companies today have tilted too far toward bureaucracy, starving innovation. Enter agile.
Agile leaders spend less time reviewing the work of subordinates. They add value by spending time with customers, mentoring individuals, and coaching teams.
The authors proceed to cover such enterprise-level topics as the following:
~ How Agile Really Works
~ Scaling Agile
~ How Agile Do You Want to Be?
~ Agile Leadership
Doing Agile Right failed my first screen by only receiving one recommendation on my analysis of Best Business Books of 2020. In addition, its Goodreads rating fell below my baseline threshold of 4.00. Nonetheless, this book is highly recommended for any leader tasked with improving the track record of innovation success within their organization.
Access Gene Babon's reviews of books on Business Leadership and Business Strategy at Pinterest.
August 26, 2024
I couldn't get much of use for me from this book. The target audience for this book seems to be the CEO, executive, VP or something like that of a large organization that is evaluating whether to steer a multi-hundred or multi-thousand people organization in the direction of agile. I have one team that I want to improve and I care about the mechanics of those improvements. The tactics so to speak.
This book stays at the strategy, or vague level. I see this in many books. Everything else "it depends" or "it's up to you" or "there are many ways, like <>".
This book stays at the strategy, or vague level. I see this in many books. Everything else "it depends" or "it's up to you" or "there are many ways, like <>".
October 19, 2022
In my humble opinion: This is a must-read for Agile practitioners and those who believe that SCRUM and Kanban only exist and omit the necessary existence of Lean, Nexus, Scaled Scrum, LeSS (Large Scale Scrum), etc. Because you ignore it doesn't mean that they do not exist; if your colleagues made Agile their way, it doesn't mean that Agile doesn't work. Agile as a tool depends on who uses it, where, and how.
November 5, 2020
To be reviewed in the January-February issue of Global Business and Organizational Excellence.
May 27, 2020
For those who are looking for a resource on how to properly use agile principles in achieving business results, this book is for you.
The book explains how to strike a delicate between the bureacratic realities of the organizations as well as the implementation of agile within.
The logical arrangement of the chapters makes it easy for those who are beginning to learn the principles.
Specifically the authors wanted to help the following readers:
1. Senior executives of large organizations in closing the chasm between their respective bureaucratic malaise and agile aspirations
2. Those who are beginning their agile journey in avoiding the pitfalls in using this method
3. Those who are supporting an agile team and probably those who are skeptical of this method
I also find it amusing that the authors used an anecdote in the first chapter to being forth the common experience of an agile team in its inception.
The key takeaways section alao help in summarizing the basic principles discussed.
Overall, I find that this book will be useful enough for those who are looking to do agile right.
The book explains how to strike a delicate between the bureacratic realities of the organizations as well as the implementation of agile within.
The logical arrangement of the chapters makes it easy for those who are beginning to learn the principles.
Specifically the authors wanted to help the following readers:
1. Senior executives of large organizations in closing the chasm between their respective bureaucratic malaise and agile aspirations
2. Those who are beginning their agile journey in avoiding the pitfalls in using this method
3. Those who are supporting an agile team and probably those who are skeptical of this method
I also find it amusing that the authors used an anecdote in the first chapter to being forth the common experience of an agile team in its inception.
The key takeaways section alao help in summarizing the basic principles discussed.
Overall, I find that this book will be useful enough for those who are looking to do agile right.
May 28, 2024
[en][ru]
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My 2nd book, read entirely in English. During the long and unsuccessful process of job searching in IT, I realized that I knew nothing about Agile methodology, even though it was used in the company I worked for in Moscow. Out of the 2 top books on Agile, this was the only one available at the local library. Thus began my journey into a world where, fueled by professional interest, a library deadline, and an actor's motivation (I read aloud to practice my American pronunciation), I spent every day, in between the frustrating Google Data Analytics Certification on the Coursera I despise and futile attempts to find a Data Analyst job, sitting on the balcony in sunny SF Bay Area and delving into the philosophy of Agile. Here's what I understood:
1. Agile (hereafter A.) is a business philosophy aimed at flexible (agile) development of innovations through rapid iterative cycles: plan-do-study-adjust.
2. Agility means responding to emerging challenges and opportunities, as opposed to strictly following a meticulously planned (unfeasible) roadmap.
3. At the heart of A. are always the values and desires of customers. Not (false) notions of managers about what customers want, but the actual desires of customers.
4. Sprints are not for increasing employee efficiency but for quickly obtaining feedback from customers and initiating a new cycle of improvements and refinements.
5. A. is incompatible with rigid hierarchy, dictatorship, and control – it stifles innovation. The task is to find a balance between operational (bureaucracy and maintaining business reliability and efficiency) and innovation (seeking new opportunities and responding to changes in a fast-paced world).
6. To implement A., leadership itself must become an A-team, where their client is their company and its employees. Implementing A. should always start with the leadership.
7. Innovations always benefit the business. A-innovations work more effectively than just innovations. An Agile enterprise (A. is practiced universally and is the philosophy of the entire company and its employees) is always more effective than Agile at Scale (a mere increase in the number of A-teams, with the traditional work of all other departments).
8. The backlog is not just a list of tasks. It consists of the most prioritized customer requests and values, divided to avoid team multitasking, and constantly reviewed and can be removed from the backlog.
9. A. is always about the process, not the final result. It's about constantly meeting the needs of customers (internal and external) based on their feedback.
10. You can't just copy the A-model from companies like Spotify, Amazon, Bosch – you need to go through your own transformation journey (several years of risks, mistakes, and experiments), finding your own balance between operations and innovations.
P.S. It would be interesting to apply Agile at the state level, specifically in Russia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Моя 2-я книга, прочитанная целиком на инглише. Находясь в длительном и безуспешном процессе поиска работы в IT, я понял, что ничего не знаю об Agile-методологии, хотя она применялась в компании в Мск, где я работал. Из двух топ книг про Agile, в местной библиотеке была только она. Так началось мое путешетсвие в мир, где я, подкрепленный профессинальным интересом, библиотечным дедлайном и актерской мотивацией (читал я вслух, чтобы тренировать америкаское произношение), каждый день в перерывах между прохождением бесячей Google Data Analytics Certification на ненавистной мне Coursera и бесполезными попытками найти Data Analyst работу, сидел на балконе в солнечной SF Bay Area и осваивал философию Agile. Вот, что я для себя понял:
1. Agile (далее - А.) - это бизнес-философия, нацеленная на гибкую разработку инноваций путем быстрого итеративного прохождения цикла: plan-do-study-adjust.
2. Гибкость заключается в реакции на возникающие сложности и возможности, в противовес строгому следованию тщательно спланированного (невыполнимого) плана.
3. В центре А. всегда ценности и желания клиентов. Не (ложные) представления менеджеров о том, ЧТО хотят клиенты, а именно непосредственно желания клинетов.
4. Спринты нужны не для повышения эффективности работников, а для скорейшего получения обратной связи от клиентов и запуска нового цикла улучшений и доработок.
5. В А. неприменима жестая иерархия, диктат и контроль - это душит инновации. Задача найти баланс между операционной (бюрократия и поддержание наджности и эффективности бизнеса) и инновационной (поиск новых возможностей и ответ на изменения в быстроменяющемся мире) составляющими.
6. Чтобы внедрить А., руководство само должно стать А-командой, для котор��й клиентом будет - их компания и ее сотрудники. Начинать внедрение А. надо всегда с руководства.
7. Инновации всегда идут на пользу бизнесу. А-инновации работают эффективнее, чем просто инновации. Аgile enterprise (А. практикуется повсеместно и является философией всей компании и ее сотрудников) вегда эффективнее, чем Agile at Scale (тупое увеличение количества А-команд, при традиционной работе всех остальных отделов).
8. Бэклог - это не просто список задач. Это наиболее приоритетные клиентские запросы и ценности, которые разделены так, чтобы исключить мультизадачность команд, а также постоянно подвергаются пересмотру и спокойно могут удалиться из бэклога.
9. А. - это всегда про процесс, а не про конечный результат. Это про постоянное удовлетворение потребностей клиентов (внутренних и внешних), основываясь на обратной связи от них же.
10. Нельзя тупо скопировать А-модель у других компаний типа Spotify, Amazon, Bosch - нужно проделать собственный путь трансформации (несколько лет рисков, ошибок и экспериментов), найдя свой баланс между операционкой и инновациями.
P.S.: * Интересно было бы применить Agile на уровне госудраства, а конкретно в России.
* Часто встречаемые неизвестные мне слова: impediments - препятствия, seldom - редко.
-------
My 2nd book, read entirely in English. During the long and unsuccessful process of job searching in IT, I realized that I knew nothing about Agile methodology, even though it was used in the company I worked for in Moscow. Out of the 2 top books on Agile, this was the only one available at the local library. Thus began my journey into a world where, fueled by professional interest, a library deadline, and an actor's motivation (I read aloud to practice my American pronunciation), I spent every day, in between the frustrating Google Data Analytics Certification on the Coursera I despise and futile attempts to find a Data Analyst job, sitting on the balcony in sunny SF Bay Area and delving into the philosophy of Agile. Here's what I understood:
1. Agile (hereafter A.) is a business philosophy aimed at flexible (agile) development of innovations through rapid iterative cycles: plan-do-study-adjust.
2. Agility means responding to emerging challenges and opportunities, as opposed to strictly following a meticulously planned (unfeasible) roadmap.
3. At the heart of A. are always the values and desires of customers. Not (false) notions of managers about what customers want, but the actual desires of customers.
4. Sprints are not for increasing employee efficiency but for quickly obtaining feedback from customers and initiating a new cycle of improvements and refinements.
5. A. is incompatible with rigid hierarchy, dictatorship, and control – it stifles innovation. The task is to find a balance between operational (bureaucracy and maintaining business reliability and efficiency) and innovation (seeking new opportunities and responding to changes in a fast-paced world).
6. To implement A., leadership itself must become an A-team, where their client is their company and its employees. Implementing A. should always start with the leadership.
7. Innovations always benefit the business. A-innovations work more effectively than just innovations. An Agile enterprise (A. is practiced universally and is the philosophy of the entire company and its employees) is always more effective than Agile at Scale (a mere increase in the number of A-teams, with the traditional work of all other departments).
8. The backlog is not just a list of tasks. It consists of the most prioritized customer requests and values, divided to avoid team multitasking, and constantly reviewed and can be removed from the backlog.
9. A. is always about the process, not the final result. It's about constantly meeting the needs of customers (internal and external) based on their feedback.
10. You can't just copy the A-model from companies like Spotify, Amazon, Bosch – you need to go through your own transformation journey (several years of risks, mistakes, and experiments), finding your own balance between operations and innovations.
P.S. It would be interesting to apply Agile at the state level, specifically in Russia.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Моя 2-я книга, прочитанная целиком на инглише. Находясь в длительном и безуспешном процессе поиска работы в IT, я понял, что ничего не знаю об Agile-методологии, хотя она применялась в компании в Мск, где я работал. Из двух топ книг про Agile, в местной библиотеке была только она. Так началось мое путешетсвие в мир, где я, подкрепленный профессинальным интересом, библиотечным дедлайном и актерской мотивацией (читал я вслух, чтобы тренировать америкаское произношение), каждый день в перерывах между прохождением бесячей Google Data Analytics Certification на ненавистной мне Coursera и бесполезными попытками найти Data Analyst работу, сидел на балконе в солнечной SF Bay Area и осваивал философию Agile. Вот, что я для себя понял:
1. Agile (далее - А.) - это бизнес-философия, нацеленная на гибкую разработку инноваций путем быстрого итеративного прохождения цикла: plan-do-study-adjust.
2. Гибкость заключается в реакции на возникающие сложности и возможности, в противовес строгому следованию тщательно спланированного (невыполнимого) плана.
3. В центре А. всегда ценности и желания клиентов. Не (ложные) представления менеджеров о том, ЧТО хотят клиенты, а именно непосредственно желания клинетов.
4. Спринты нужны не для повышения эффективности работников, а для скорейшего получения обратной связи от клиентов и запуска нового цикла улучшений и доработок.
5. В А. неприменима жестая иерархия, диктат и контроль - это душит инновации. Задача найти баланс между операционной (бюрократия и поддержание наджности и эффективности бизнеса) и инновационной (поиск новых возможностей и ответ на изменения в быстроменяющемся мире) составляющими.
6. Чтобы внедрить А., руководство само должно стать А-командой, для котор��й клиентом будет - их компания и ее сотрудники. Начинать внедрение А. надо всегда с руководства.
7. Инновации всегда идут на пользу бизнесу. А-инновации работают эффективнее, чем просто инновации. Аgile enterprise (А. практикуется повсеместно и является философией всей компании и ее сотрудников) вегда эффективнее, чем Agile at Scale (тупое увеличение количества А-команд, при традиционной работе всех остальных отделов).
8. Бэклог - это не просто список задач. Это наиболее приоритетные клиентские запросы и ценности, которые разделены так, чтобы исключить мультизадачность команд, а также постоянно подвергаются пересмотру и спокойно могут удалиться из бэклога.
9. А. - это всегда про процесс, а не про конечный результат. Это про постоянное удовлетворение потребностей клиентов (внутренних и внешних), основываясь на обратной связи от них же.
10. Нельзя тупо скопировать А-модель у других компаний типа Spotify, Amazon, Bosch - нужно проделать собственный путь трансформации (несколько лет рисков, ошибок и экспериментов), найдя свой баланс между операционкой и инновациями.
P.S.: * Интересно было бы применить Agile на уровне госудраства, а конкретно в России.
* Часто встречаемые неизвестные мне слова: impediments - препятствия, seldom - редко.
September 22, 2022
A good overview. Not particularly useful for me but I could see it being useful for others.
December 1, 2021
This book came as a recommendation from a mentor as a sort of challenge to think outside the traditional corporate box. I was working in a new, partially defined role at the time and ready to grow into something new, so we talked about making connections to solve specific problems, understanding that some problems required teams of people to come together in ways their roles and responsibilities might not be built for. I'd heard the word "agile" throughout our company before, more so after a reorganization of our department, though it still wasn't clear what it meant. After reading this book, coming to learn that it's more than just a mindset, I better understood not only that our team wasn't actually working in an actual "agile" manner yet, but that we ought to be.
I haven't read enough to compare and contrast all the literature on agile work, but I imagine this is one of the best books available. Concise, clear, honest (about setting expectations and the failures of agile), and flush with great examples -- including Spotify: the supposed leader of agile, and Amazon: the leader of just about everything -- this book gives a clear picture of what it means. While agile means something different to every team and company and should be customized to every situation, it lays out clear guidelines and tips on how to get started. In fact, it even includes a sample Agile Manifesto that Bain uses as a starting template for clients to give the reader a sense of how to think about your mission before you set out. It's the kind of book you can jump around through as needed, and if you're a leader trying to jumpstart agile at your company, it's a book you can come back to time and again as a reliable reference. Also, because agile is often synonymous with coding and software companies, which use similar principles in very specific ways, this book smartly shows its application to the workplace in general, and not just software development.
Of course, in the end, it did leave too many questions for it to feel like a "perfect book," such as how to convince an organization to adopt agile practices. Doing so requires large shifts and finances and resources that the authors view as inherently and apparently valuable, but that won't be the case for a lot of decision makers. Try asking your boss at a Fortune 500 company, "Can I take these ten people away from their full-time jobs and be given thousands of dollars to fix this thing that desperately needs fixing?" While the answer should be yes, the actual response may be more like, "Why would we create ten-plus other problems to fix this one? Why can't our current teams figure this out on their own, or do it in addition to their everyday jobs?" I'd also have liked a couple firsthand testimonials. The stories they have are fantastic in showing the process at work, but I kind of wanted to hear from the people who stumbled before they succeeded, and how they navigated things like challenging workplace cultures, office politics, resource realignments, etc. Lastly, this felt like the type of book that needs to be linked out to other resources, like online videos, forms, blogs, surveys, and more to keep the conversation going. While I personally understand and see the value in agile work, I'd still consider myself a novice and lack the fortitude to try to apply it myelf. Granted, I'm not a leader with the authority to do it, but even if I were, I'd feel like it'd be too much of a risk. Maybe I'm being a demanding, nitpicky reader, but with as bold of a premise as this book offers, it lands in the good-not-great category, useful-but-not-worldchanging. Still, companies would be better off if more employees read it and understood the value of agility.
I haven't read enough to compare and contrast all the literature on agile work, but I imagine this is one of the best books available. Concise, clear, honest (about setting expectations and the failures of agile), and flush with great examples -- including Spotify: the supposed leader of agile, and Amazon: the leader of just about everything -- this book gives a clear picture of what it means. While agile means something different to every team and company and should be customized to every situation, it lays out clear guidelines and tips on how to get started. In fact, it even includes a sample Agile Manifesto that Bain uses as a starting template for clients to give the reader a sense of how to think about your mission before you set out. It's the kind of book you can jump around through as needed, and if you're a leader trying to jumpstart agile at your company, it's a book you can come back to time and again as a reliable reference. Also, because agile is often synonymous with coding and software companies, which use similar principles in very specific ways, this book smartly shows its application to the workplace in general, and not just software development.
Of course, in the end, it did leave too many questions for it to feel like a "perfect book," such as how to convince an organization to adopt agile practices. Doing so requires large shifts and finances and resources that the authors view as inherently and apparently valuable, but that won't be the case for a lot of decision makers. Try asking your boss at a Fortune 500 company, "Can I take these ten people away from their full-time jobs and be given thousands of dollars to fix this thing that desperately needs fixing?" While the answer should be yes, the actual response may be more like, "Why would we create ten-plus other problems to fix this one? Why can't our current teams figure this out on their own, or do it in addition to their everyday jobs?" I'd also have liked a couple firsthand testimonials. The stories they have are fantastic in showing the process at work, but I kind of wanted to hear from the people who stumbled before they succeeded, and how they navigated things like challenging workplace cultures, office politics, resource realignments, etc. Lastly, this felt like the type of book that needs to be linked out to other resources, like online videos, forms, blogs, surveys, and more to keep the conversation going. While I personally understand and see the value in agile work, I'd still consider myself a novice and lack the fortitude to try to apply it myelf. Granted, I'm not a leader with the authority to do it, but even if I were, I'd feel like it'd be too much of a risk. Maybe I'm being a demanding, nitpicky reader, but with as bold of a premise as this book offers, it lands in the good-not-great category, useful-but-not-worldchanging. Still, companies would be better off if more employees read it and understood the value of agility.
August 1, 2023
Cuốn này được đặc biệt khuyên đọc cho các tổ chức muốn áp dụng hoặc chuyển đổi AGILE, được đánh giá là tốt hơn rất nhiều so với vô vàn các khoa học AGILE ngoài kia. 3 chuyên gia về AGILE Darrell K. Rigby, Sarah Elk, và Steve Berez đã chia sẻ kiến thức và kinh nghiệm thực tế của họ để giúp độc giả hiểu rõ về bản chất của Agile, cách triển khai nó đúng đắn và tránh những sai lầm phổ biến.
1. Hiểu về Agile: Những nguyên tắc cốt lõi của Agile, lý do tại sao nó lại trở nên phổ biến và cách phân biệt Agile "giả" và Agile "thật".
2. Áp dụng Agile: Hướng dẫn cụ thể về cách triển khai Agile trong các tổ chức, bao gồm việc thích nghi với mô hình Agile, chọn lựa phương pháp, xây dựng đội ngũ và đo lường kết quả.
3. Mở rộng Agile: Cách mở rộng Agile ra khỏi đội ngũ phát triển sản phẩm và áp dụng nó trong các lĩnh vực khác như quản lý, nhân sự và chiến lược kinh doanh.
Sơ qua về kinh nghiệm của 3 tác giả:
• Darrell Rigby - Giám đốc điều hành tại Bain & Company, chuyên gia tư vấn hàng đầu về quản trị doanh nghiệp.
• Jeff Sutherland - Đồng sáng lập phương pháp Scrum. Ông giúp hơn 20 đội Scrum thành công trong 17 năm qua.
• Hirotaka Takeuchi - Giáo sư tại Trường Quản trị Kinh doanh Harvard và Đại học Hitotsubashi. Tiên phong trong nghiên cứu về các phương pháp linh hoạt sản xuất.
Trong cuốn sách, các tác giả chia sẻ chi tiết 5 giai đoạn thực hiện agile thành công dựa trên kinh nghiệm của họ tại nhiều tổ chức lớn. Họ cũng minh họa với nhiều case studies thú vị, bao gồm ING, Ericsson và Intel.
Agile has the power to transform work--but only if it's implemented the right way. For decades business leaders have been painfully aware of a huge chasm: They aspire to create nimble, flexible enterprises. But their day-to-day reality is silos, sluggish processes, and stalled innovation. Today, agile is hailed as the essential bridge across this chasm, with the potential to transform a company and catapult it to the head of the pack. Not so fast. In this clear-eyed, indispensable book, Bain & Company thought leader Darrell Rigby and his colleagues Sarah Elk and Steve Berez provide a much-needed reality check. They dispel the myths and misconceptions that have accompanied agile's rise to prominence--the idea that it can reshape an organization all at once, for instance, or that it should be used in every function and for all types of work. They illustrate that agile teams can indeed be powerful, making people's jobs more rewarding and turbocharging innovation, but such results are possible only if the method is fully understood and implemented the right way. The key, they argue, is balance. Every organization must optimize and tightly control some of its operations, and at the same time innovate. Agile, done well, enables vigorous innovation without sacrificing the efficiency and reliability essential to traditional operations. The authors break down how agile really works, show what not to do, and explain the crucial importance of scaling agile properly in order to reap its full benefit. They then lay out a road map for leading the transition to a truly agile enterprise. Agile isn't a goal in itself; it's a means to becoming a high-performance operation. "Doing Agile Right" is a must-have guide for any company trying to make the transition--or trying to sustain high agility.
Mình mua sách gốc cuốn này tại BOOKEE, bạn cần mua thì có thể tham khảo ở đây: https://bookee.store/doing-agile-righ...
1. Hiểu về Agile: Những nguyên tắc cốt lõi của Agile, lý do tại sao nó lại trở nên phổ biến và cách phân biệt Agile "giả" và Agile "thật".
2. Áp dụng Agile: Hướng dẫn cụ thể về cách triển khai Agile trong các tổ chức, bao gồm việc thích nghi với mô hình Agile, chọn lựa phương pháp, xây dựng đội ngũ và đo lường kết quả.
3. Mở rộng Agile: Cách mở rộng Agile ra khỏi đội ngũ phát triển sản phẩm và áp dụng nó trong các lĩnh vực khác như quản lý, nhân sự và chiến lược kinh doanh.
Sơ qua về kinh nghiệm của 3 tác giả:
• Darrell Rigby - Giám đốc điều hành tại Bain & Company, chuyên gia tư vấn hàng đầu về quản trị doanh nghiệp.
• Jeff Sutherland - Đồng sáng lập phương pháp Scrum. Ông giúp hơn 20 đội Scrum thành công trong 17 năm qua.
• Hirotaka Takeuchi - Giáo sư tại Trường Quản trị Kinh doanh Harvard và Đại học Hitotsubashi. Tiên phong trong nghiên cứu về các phương pháp linh hoạt sản xuất.
Trong cuốn sách, các tác giả chia sẻ chi tiết 5 giai đoạn thực hiện agile thành công dựa trên kinh nghiệm của họ tại nhiều tổ chức lớn. Họ cũng minh họa với nhiều case studies thú vị, bao gồm ING, Ericsson và Intel.
Agile has the power to transform work--but only if it's implemented the right way. For decades business leaders have been painfully aware of a huge chasm: They aspire to create nimble, flexible enterprises. But their day-to-day reality is silos, sluggish processes, and stalled innovation. Today, agile is hailed as the essential bridge across this chasm, with the potential to transform a company and catapult it to the head of the pack. Not so fast. In this clear-eyed, indispensable book, Bain & Company thought leader Darrell Rigby and his colleagues Sarah Elk and Steve Berez provide a much-needed reality check. They dispel the myths and misconceptions that have accompanied agile's rise to prominence--the idea that it can reshape an organization all at once, for instance, or that it should be used in every function and for all types of work. They illustrate that agile teams can indeed be powerful, making people's jobs more rewarding and turbocharging innovation, but such results are possible only if the method is fully understood and implemented the right way. The key, they argue, is balance. Every organization must optimize and tightly control some of its operations, and at the same time innovate. Agile, done well, enables vigorous innovation without sacrificing the efficiency and reliability essential to traditional operations. The authors break down how agile really works, show what not to do, and explain the crucial importance of scaling agile properly in order to reap its full benefit. They then lay out a road map for leading the transition to a truly agile enterprise. Agile isn't a goal in itself; it's a means to becoming a high-performance operation. "Doing Agile Right" is a must-have guide for any company trying to make the transition--or trying to sustain high agility.
Mình mua sách gốc cuốn này tại BOOKEE, bạn cần mua thì có thể tham khảo ở đây: https://bookee.store/doing-agile-righ...
July 8, 2020
Doing Agile Right: Transformation Without Chaos started a little rocky for me. However, it quickly redeemed itself by providing excellent and practical insights and advice for implementing and integrating Agile practices within and across an organization.
The key takeaways that spoke the most to me were:
1) Organizations benefit by implementing Agile practices in the manner and scope that brings the most value. (e.g., Agile isn't a fad, and a rip-and-replace implementation is bound to fail.)
2) The most successful Agile organizations are the ones who have figured out how to efficiently and effectively integrate the old "command and control" (aka bureaucracy) method of management with Agile methods.
3) Implementing successful Agile practices is unique for each organization, or it should be. Trying to copy another organization's Agile practices is a good way not to get Agile right.
4) Agile practices must be practiced at the C-suite to scale Agile within an organization well.
5) It's all about creating value for the customer. Yes, this is a basic tenant for Agile, but Darrell Rigby presented this concept in a way that made it hit home for me.
I appreciated that authors acknowledge that there are many Agile frameworks available and that most organizations succeed by utilizing some customized combination of these frameworks.
I think a sentence in the book blurb summarizes the benefits best:
I recommend this book to anyone interested in scaling Agile practices within their organization.
The key takeaways that spoke the most to me were:
1) Organizations benefit by implementing Agile practices in the manner and scope that brings the most value. (e.g., Agile isn't a fad, and a rip-and-replace implementation is bound to fail.)
2) The most successful Agile organizations are the ones who have figured out how to efficiently and effectively integrate the old "command and control" (aka bureaucracy) method of management with Agile methods.
3) Implementing successful Agile practices is unique for each organization, or it should be. Trying to copy another organization's Agile practices is a good way not to get Agile right.
4) Agile practices must be practiced at the C-suite to scale Agile within an organization well.
5) It's all about creating value for the customer. Yes, this is a basic tenant for Agile, but Darrell Rigby presented this concept in a way that made it hit home for me.
I appreciated that authors acknowledge that there are many Agile frameworks available and that most organizations succeed by utilizing some customized combination of these frameworks.
I think a sentence in the book blurb summarizes the benefits best:
"Agile, done well, frees and facilitates vigorous innovation without sacrificing the efficiency and reliability essential to traditional operations."
I recommend this book to anyone interested in scaling Agile practices within their organization.
March 12, 2021
a really great book to consider if you are in the agile transformation space, either as a coach, scrum master or manager / executive.
the big take-aways I took from the book:
1. agile is about innovation, both in terms of creating new products or services and how teams work. as a side note, some folks I work with think that agile is about cutting costs ... it's not; not directly.
2. companies / enterprises need to be very clear about goals and expectations. if they don't have clear and embraced visions and strategies, becoming agile won't matter much.
3. planning, budgeting and how employees are assessed need to be 'updated' and aligned with an agile transformation. otherwise interests (politics) will smother agility.
for my part, I've been recommending the book to as many people as possible. the folks who wrote this book seem to have a lot of great insights and large database of agile transformations and what to embrace and what to avoid. seeing my division trying to transform - I am seeing a lot of problems going on, which the book describes and suggests solutions to.
the big take-aways I took from the book:
1. agile is about innovation, both in terms of creating new products or services and how teams work. as a side note, some folks I work with think that agile is about cutting costs ... it's not; not directly.
2. companies / enterprises need to be very clear about goals and expectations. if they don't have clear and embraced visions and strategies, becoming agile won't matter much.
3. planning, budgeting and how employees are assessed need to be 'updated' and aligned with an agile transformation. otherwise interests (politics) will smother agility.
for my part, I've been recommending the book to as many people as possible. the folks who wrote this book seem to have a lot of great insights and large database of agile transformations and what to embrace and what to avoid. seeing my division trying to transform - I am seeing a lot of problems going on, which the book describes and suggests solutions to.
June 15, 2020
The book explains my views almost exactly, the primary difference is that this is much better worded, structured, and researched than mine. I'll now use this book as one of my primary reference materials and as a recommendation for business leaders. In fact, if you're a business leader (or aspire to be one) and you want to increase results, have happier teams and members, and increase innovation, then consider whether an agile enterprise/organization makes sense for your situation. To clarify, I'm not talking about doing some scrum or having a few agile teams in IT or Engineering, this is about an organization itself being agile, eventually.
I often see agile used for a plethora of meaning because we generally disagree on the definition. This book does a great job of explaining agile adoptions (having a few teams), scaling agile (doing adoption bigger, at scale), and creating an agile organization. Check it out.
I often see agile used for a plethora of meaning because we generally disagree on the definition. This book does a great job of explaining agile adoptions (having a few teams), scaling agile (doing adoption bigger, at scale), and creating an agile organization. Check it out.
April 23, 2020
I got a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. This book talks introduces Agile methodology and goes into details about how do you scale agile from being used in a project or to build a product to the building an Agile enterprise.
What I liked about the book:
- The flow of the book was good. Even with someone with minimal understanding of how Agile teams work could read and benefit from the book.
- The authors use case studies and examples when trying to explain how agile works and then go into the details of why it works. So, one can understand the basic fundamentals that work.
What could have been different:
- I would have liked the book a bit more if they had spend a bit more time to talk about the mechanics of why Agile works and what shifts in mindsets and skillsets does an organisation need in order to get set on the path of becoming an Agile Enterprise.
What I liked about the book:
- The flow of the book was good. Even with someone with minimal understanding of how Agile teams work could read and benefit from the book.
- The authors use case studies and examples when trying to explain how agile works and then go into the details of why it works. So, one can understand the basic fundamentals that work.
What could have been different:
- I would have liked the book a bit more if they had spend a bit more time to talk about the mechanics of why Agile works and what shifts in mindsets and skillsets does an organisation need in order to get set on the path of becoming an Agile Enterprise.
November 24, 2020
After finishing this book, I’m not sure I describe succinctly to someone who hasn’t read it exactly how to “do agile right”. However, I think that’s less so because the book is disorganized and more so because “doing agile right” means applying certain principles in an organization in a way that must account for all the idiosyncrasies of an organization.
Furthermore, I’m reading this through the lens of a large food manufacturing company with a long and complex supply chain, meaning rapid iteration and innovation is decidedly less quick than in, for example, a software company.
The end notes at each chapter are a good list, and the principles of agile leadership chapter was particularly helpful in articulating the role a leader could play in instituting agile practices... I’m going to give it a go!
Furthermore, I’m reading this through the lens of a large food manufacturing company with a long and complex supply chain, meaning rapid iteration and innovation is decidedly less quick than in, for example, a software company.
The end notes at each chapter are a good list, and the principles of agile leadership chapter was particularly helpful in articulating the role a leader could play in instituting agile practices... I’m going to give it a go!
August 7, 2023
Because of the variations in agile practice and the acknowledgement that any adoption must be customized and tailored to each organization's structure and needs, "Doing Agile Right" never quite gets into detailed specifics on the "how," and many recommendations just seem like common-sense approaches to business. The best takeaway of the book is the balanced, reasonable recommendation to implement agile practices only in degrees and in areas where it makes sense -- not as a revolutionary call to cast off all hierarchy or management, or a mandate for self-organizing teams in every company or in every department/level within an organization. The best of the book is focused on case studies and example scenarios where these innovation-focused agile subgroups were more effective and benefitted the company as a whole because of adopting agile practices.
February 7, 2021
“Agile was designed to create innovative solutions when what to deliver and how to deliver it are vague and unpredictable” which is a great description of where we find ourselves during this COVID-19 pandemic.
This book takes a very balanced look at Agile implementations in very successful companies. It’s balanced in the way that it doesn’t paint a whimsical picture of perfect companies and environments. It explains both the good and the bad.
It allows the reader time to reflect and think about the examples used. It allows for own interpretation and does try and market and sell the idea that Agile is the silver bullet that fixes everything. It even goes as far to acknowledge that companies do have a limited lifespan irrespective of Agile.
This book takes a very balanced look at Agile implementations in very successful companies. It’s balanced in the way that it doesn’t paint a whimsical picture of perfect companies and environments. It explains both the good and the bad.
It allows the reader time to reflect and think about the examples used. It allows for own interpretation and does try and market and sell the idea that Agile is the silver bullet that fixes everything. It even goes as far to acknowledge that companies do have a limited lifespan irrespective of Agile.
October 10, 2023
"Doing Agile Right" offers a concise roadmap for organizations seeking to navigate the Agile landscape effectively. Scaled Agile Frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, and Nexus) are dissected, aiding readers in choosing the most suitable approach. The authors emphasize a tailored, flexible approach that aligns with organizational needs. Practical insights and real-world case studies drive home the importance of Agile principles. From team dynamics to leadership strategies, the book holistically covers key aspects. However, a deeper exploration of implementation challenges and advanced techniques would enhance its value. Overall, a valuable guide for those striving to embrace Agile methodologies effectively.
March 6, 2020
I read a lot of books on ways of working, and agility, and this is one of the better ones. A book that should be widely read, especially by those executives, and leaders who are considering “going agile”.
As a lot of people know, “agile” is not something you buy off the shelf, and give it to your teams so they can go faster.
It is a mindset that had to be adopted by the whole organisation. The system needs to change in the same way as the teams.
And if leaders think they can continue in their old “command and control” ways, whilst expecting teams to embrace agility, they are in for a rude awakening.
#doingagileright #netgalley
As a lot of people know, “agile” is not something you buy off the shelf, and give it to your teams so they can go faster.
It is a mindset that had to be adopted by the whole organisation. The system needs to change in the same way as the teams.
And if leaders think they can continue in their old “command and control” ways, whilst expecting teams to embrace agility, they are in for a rude awakening.
#doingagileright #netgalley
July 14, 2022
The book read like a marketing paper that could be found on Bain & Co's website. Even though the book runs almost 200 pages, I don't think it has much more substance than found in an article you'd find on the consulting company's website. Unlike many other jargon filled consultant books, this one doesn't even come with that many interesting anecdotes of successful companies. Instead there are made up composite stories and paragraphs filled with vague buzz words. For example, the concluding chapter synthesizes the authors advice to "Learn to Love Agile Teams", "Master Agile at Scale", "Use Agile Innovation to Get There", and "Make It Fun". What great insights...
August 5, 2023
Honestly, this book was not that bad. I didn’t technically finish the last 2 chapters because I didn’t feel like it and the class ends Monday so eff it. But, I did actually enjoy the book in the sense that it’s not a traditional text book so it was easier to read and it had good narratives. I wish they would have continued the story from chapter 1 throughout the book, I really feel like the authors missed the mark ok that one. I’m not sure how I feel about agile, but I’m glad I now know more about it! I would recommend this if you’re interested in learning more about an agile enterprise or leadership style.
May 26, 2020
This book was Stevo's Business Book of the Week for the week of 5/24, as selected by Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet and Stevo's Novel Ideas. Agile has the power to transform work--but only if it's implemented the right way.
Find more Business Books of the week on my Goodreads Listopia page at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9..., and find many more recommended books on my Amazon Influencer page at https://www.amazon.com/shop/stevo4747 or by searching for me on Google.
Find more Business Books of the week on my Goodreads Listopia page at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9..., and find many more recommended books on my Amazon Influencer page at https://www.amazon.com/shop/stevo4747 or by searching for me on Google.
July 20, 2020
Good book on implementing agile in organizations, especially large ones. I especially liked the suggestions on how to make the agile and operations team work together. Also, a good intro to agile leadership even if one is already familiar with agile software development principles. I did miss however more examples on how and when to NOT do agile - the book is obviously championing agile, and it does warn of falling into the fad trap, however I wished for more failure stories as well, not only success stories. Isn’t the willingness to share failures part of the agile principles anyway?
July 22, 2020
A good book to spread Agile. For agilists, there is practically nothing new, perhaps the list of studies that supported the conclusions with their evidence.
As the great proposal of the authors, already published in HBR May – June 2020 ("The agile C-suite"), is the formation of an agile team at C-level, perhaps it is a catalyst for changes in companies: the agilists in the trenches could find support at the top of the company in combating excessive bureaucracy.
It is a good gift/reading for an Executive Director or VP, for example. The book would be able to foster good conversation.
As the great proposal of the authors, already published in HBR May – June 2020 ("The agile C-suite"), is the formation of an agile team at C-level, perhaps it is a catalyst for changes in companies: the agilists in the trenches could find support at the top of the company in combating excessive bureaucracy.
It is a good gift/reading for an Executive Director or VP, for example. The book would be able to foster good conversation.
July 31, 2021
I bought this book really hoping to understand a little bit about *how* to do agile. I understand there are different frameworks and that each business has to choose and customize how they do agile in a way that works did them. This book didn’t provide any of those insights. Instead it talked about the value of agile to a business, gave some very long winded, boring , and unclear stories that did little to support its claims, and was written in a way that made it very hard to read. Disappointed.
March 16, 2024
Not much to say about this book overall. It was an interesting and persuasive discussion of the application of Agile methodologies across a number of industries. Because it spanned a number of different types of industries, It read as a bit generic and high-level and so I think if you are looking for more practical advice and context on the variations of agile, you are best to go into other literature. However, I think it provides a really useful introduction if you are somewhat new to the management principles around agile and the change management process.
May 15, 2020
This what the right book at the right moment as I am preparing a course on Agile for line manager and it was a great resource in helping me to deliver the needed information on how doing it right and the possibile pitfalls.
I liked the case studies and I liked how well the author explains the concepts.
It's a must read if you want to work with Agile in your organisation.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I liked the case studies and I liked how well the author explains the concepts.
It's a must read if you want to work with Agile in your organisation.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
October 6, 2020
Excellent book to understand Agile and their culture in the company and of course the book focus to company that want to be Agile.
Reading the book you can have a lot insights and if you do read with another person (business partner or work colleague) will increase your understanding and also can try to apply what they are saying in the book or even your insights. However the author make really clear, that the company want to the move to Agile, must start at the top of hierarchy (CEO, VPs..).
Reading the book you can have a lot insights and if you do read with another person (business partner or work colleague) will increase your understanding and also can try to apply what they are saying in the book or even your insights. However the author make really clear, that the company want to the move to Agile, must start at the top of hierarchy (CEO, VPs..).
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