Adopting Agile: What Works and Doesn't Work?

Gil Broza specializes in increasing organizational agility and team performance with minimal risk and thrashing. Dozens of companies seeking transformations, makeovers or improvements have relied on his pragmatic, modern and respectful support for customizing agile in their contexts. His book "The Agile Mind-Set" helps practitioners go beyond process and adopt a true agile approach to work. His book "The Human Side of Agile" is a practical book on leading agile teams to greatness. These days, several of the world's largest organizations are having him train hundreds of their managers in technology and business (up to VP level) on practical agile leadership. Get Gil's popular 20-session mini-program "Something Happened on the Way to Agile" free at OnTheWayToAgile.com.

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If you adopt the agile approach, it will affect every aspect of your work. Learning it will be challenging for you, your team and your organization. The learning process will take months or even years; during this time, you still need to produce results. After 20 years of agile’s existence, do we know of a reliable, effective way of learning it?

What About the Shu-Ha-Ri Approach?
This is a popular question at agile conferences, where thought leaders and teachers mingle with practitioners. A particular answer I hear at every conference is called Shu-Ha-Ri. This model of developing mastery describes a simple sequence:

• In stage 1 (Shu), the student follows the teacher precisely. The student focuses on execution, not on theory, principles or explanations.
• In stage 2 (Ha), the student learns the theory and abstractions behind the moves, and learns from more teachers. The student then integrates this knowledge into practice.
• In stage 3 (Ri), the student is now a natural, adapting rules to context and making specific decisions.

You might recognize this sequence from martial arts, where this model was first identified. Or, if you play a musical instrument and your learning journey started with formal lessons, you probably followed Shu-Ha-Ri. This is also how you’ve …

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