When executives got tired of long project timelines, unclear requirements, and missed deadlines, Agile seemed like the ultimate solution since it promised faster delivery, more flexibility, and closer alignment to business needs so the strategy could be realized quicker and with a higher ROI. Now, however, organizations are laying off Agile teams en masse, disillusioned by the lack of tangible results.
Agile failed, in short, because the problem was never about the methodology. The real issue lies much deeper within the organization as a failure to align strategy with execution from the start. Without this alignment, no implementation approach, whether Agile, Waterfall, or a hybrid, will ever be enough to solve the root problems. To truly see the benefits of Agile, or any other approach, organizations need to fix how they define and deliver their strategy.
Focusing on methodology over strategy
Most organizations attempting an Agile transformation focus heavily on the methodology itself: daily stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives, and product backlogs. While these Agile practices bring structure to initiative execution, they don’t address the deeper issue. The challenge isn’t how you execute, it’s ensuring your strategy is aligned with execution, driving the intended business outcomes.
