Stelian ROMANProject Manager| MicroSafetyCarlingford, New South Wales, Australia
Agile transformation is everywhere. Companies proudly announce their Agile journeys, touting new ceremonies, digital tools, and a fresh lexicon. But beneath the surface, many organizations fall into the trap of what’s now being called “transformation theatre”—where the appearance of change masks business-as-usual operations.
Have you experienced transformation theatre? What does real Agile mean to you?
Program Manager| HARPER SRLSanto Domingo / Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic
Yes, I’ve seen cases where Agile was adopted more as a process image than as an actual mindset shift. The ceremonies existed, the terminology changed, and the tools were implemented, but decision-making, leadership behavior, and ways of working stayed mostly the same.
Agile is implemented accurately when teams are actually allowed to adapt, speak openly about problems, collaborate naturally, and focus on solving problems instead of just “following Agile.”
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1 reply by Stelian ROMAN
May 18, 2026 6:33 PM
Stelian ROMAN
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Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa , thank you for the feedback. In my experience, teams that are ready for Agile won't need a coach to start using an Agile framework. Organisations, especially those with a rigid culture, will hire a consultant, branded as an Agile Coach, to show that they use "new Ways of Working"; Unlike Lean Six Sigma, Agile doesn't start from the shop floor by proving that a practice is more efficient. Agile starts from the very top with the delegation of authority. A (software development) team of 7 people, lost in a hundred people IT Department can't change the organisation. If the culture doesn't change, then it is just a publicity stunt.
Adding to Lissette's reply, I would look at this from a delivery and governance perspective. For me, “transformation theatre” happens when Agile is introduced at the team level but the wider organization continues to make decisions in the same slow, hierarchical, or risk-averse way.
The ceremonies may be in place, but if teams still cannot quickly escalate blockers, reprioritize based on value, or make timely decisions with the right stakeholders, then the transformation is only partly real.
Real Agile should improve transparency, responsiveness, and decision quality. A useful test for me is: after the Agile transformation, are teams able to surface risks earlier and act on them faster, or are they simply reporting the same issues in a different format? Saving Changes...
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
I have witnessed companies going through chaotic transformation processes and calling it agile. Agile is not chaos but can certainly become one if not done properly across all levels of the organization.
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1 reply by Stelian ROMAN
May 18, 2026 6:36 PM
Stelian ROMAN
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Eduard Hernandez, thank you for your comment. Agile means change, and change may lead to chaos if not understood. Change as a publicity stunt, "we need to change," is a wrong start to a painful transformation, like Agile adoption. Agile change doesn't come from outside the organisation with training and certifications; it starts with the management.
Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Excellent reflection.
I’ve seen many organizations adopt Agile ceremonies, tooling, and terminology while the broader system continues to operate through the same slow approvals, fragmented ownership, hierarchical escalation paths, and risk-averse decision patterns.
That is where transformation theatre begins:
The appearance of adaptability without the operational reality of adaptability.
For me, real Agile is not primarily about rituals.
It is about the organization’s ability to:
• Surface problems early, • Make timely and coherent decisions, • Adapt priorities based on value, • Remove blockers quickly, • Sustain alignment under change.
One important test is simple:
After the transformation, are teams actually able to respond faster and improve outcomes, or are they just reporting the same problems through new ceremonies and new vocabulary?
Real transformation starts when leadership behavior, governance, incentives, and decision flows evolve together.
Because organizations do not become Agile by performing Agile.
They become Agile when the system itself can learn, decide, and adapt coherently.
...
1 reply by Stelian ROMAN
May 18, 2026 6:43 PM
Stelian ROMAN
...
Luis Branco, thank you. "Real transformation starts when leadership behavior". Agile, something that is not taught in training courses, emerged in manufacturing in the mid-1980s as an American response to the success of Lean Six Sigma in Japan. Visionaries realised that the 21st Century will value speed to market more than quality and cost. It is sad to see how Lean Six Sigma practices and metrics, like kanban and flow, are now considered an evolution to "scaled" Agile. Standardised processes and tools like CI/CD are Agile inhibitors. When you spend a year making it work, you will be cautious about touching it.
Saving Changes...
Stelian ROMANProject Manager| MicroSafetyCarlingford, New South Wales, Australia
May 14, 2026 5:14 PM
Replying to Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa
...
Yes, I’ve seen cases where Agile was adopted more as a process image than as an actual mindset shift. The ceremonies existed, the terminology changed, and the tools were implemented, but decision-making, leadership behavior, and ways of working stayed mostly the same.
Agile is implemented accurately when teams are actually allowed to adapt, speak openly about problems, collaborate naturally, and focus on solving problems instead of just “following Agile.”
Lissette Indhira Pimentel Sosa , thank you for the feedback. In my experience, teams that are ready for Agile won't need a coach to start using an Agile framework. Organisations, especially those with a rigid culture, will hire a consultant, branded as an Agile Coach, to show that they use "new Ways of Working"; Unlike Lean Six Sigma, Agile doesn't start from the shop floor by proving that a practice is more efficient. Agile starts from the very top with the delegation of authority. A (software development) team of 7 people, lost in a hundred people IT Department can't change the organisation. If the culture doesn't change, then it is just a publicity stunt. Saving Changes...
Stelian ROMANProject Manager| MicroSafetyCarlingford, New South Wales, Australia
May 18, 2026 4:46 AM
Replying to Eduard Hernandez
...
I have witnessed companies going through chaotic transformation processes and calling it agile. Agile is not chaos but can certainly become one if not done properly across all levels of the organization.
Eduard Hernandez, thank you for your comment. Agile means change, and change may lead to chaos if not understood. Change as a publicity stunt, "we need to change," is a wrong start to a painful transformation, like Agile adoption. Agile change doesn't come from outside the organisation with training and certifications; it starts with the management. Saving Changes...
Stelian ROMANProject Manager| MicroSafetyCarlingford, New South Wales, Australia
May 18, 2026 5:28 AM
Replying to Luis Branco
...
Excellent reflection.
I’ve seen many organizations adopt Agile ceremonies, tooling, and terminology while the broader system continues to operate through the same slow approvals, fragmented ownership, hierarchical escalation paths, and risk-averse decision patterns.
That is where transformation theatre begins:
The appearance of adaptability without the operational reality of adaptability.
For me, real Agile is not primarily about rituals.
It is about the organization’s ability to:
• Surface problems early, • Make timely and coherent decisions, • Adapt priorities based on value, • Remove blockers quickly, • Sustain alignment under change.
One important test is simple:
After the transformation, are teams actually able to respond faster and improve outcomes, or are they just reporting the same problems through new ceremonies and new vocabulary?
Real transformation starts when leadership behavior, governance, incentives, and decision flows evolve together.
Because organizations do not become Agile by performing Agile.
They become Agile when the system itself can learn, decide, and adapt coherently.
Luis Branco, thank you. "Real transformation starts when leadership behavior". Agile, something that is not taught in training courses, emerged in manufacturing in the mid-1980s as an American response to the success of Lean Six Sigma in Japan. Visionaries realised that the 21st Century will value speed to market more than quality and cost. It is sad to see how Lean Six Sigma practices and metrics, like kanban and flow, are now considered an evolution to "scaled" Agile. Standardised processes and tools like CI/CD are Agile inhibitors. When you spend a year making it work, you will be cautious about touching it. Saving Changes...
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