Why You’ll Fail to Find the Core of Successful Agility at Scale

Attempting to pinpoint the definitive core or heart of successful agility at scale is a pursuit destined for frustration, primarily because agility at scale doesn’t have a fixed, rigid core like traditional business models. It is not defined by a set of steadfast principles, processes, or practices, but rather by the philosophy of adaptability, innovation, and continuous learning. This is a dynamic, ever-evolving core, that flexes and transforms in response to the unique challenges, context, and objectives of each company.

Fluidity

Successful agility at scale resists being confined to a static definition or description, thriving instead on its ability to morph and flow to suit changing circumstances. Consequently, if you’re trying to find a single, immutable core that defines successful agility at scale, you’ll invariably come up short. Instead, embrace the fluidity and ambiguity at its heart; it’s this flexibility that sets successful agility at scale apart, and allows it to drive true innovation and agility in big companies. Indeed, it’s this very fluidity that’s necessary for it to succeed.

Business agility, often merely referred to as ‘agility,’ is the ability of an organisation to adapt quickly, efficiently, and effectively to change. Successful enterprise-wide agility at scale presents a particular challenge due to the inherent complexity of scaling agility to fit big companies. Any successful approach may alarm traditional practitioners, managers and executives due to its relative lack of prescribed practices, principles, and processes. In this model, “we don’t have to know everything – or anything – from day one,” might be its core mantra, which can be unsettling, even intimidating, but also liberating and empowering.

Summary

In conclusion, those seeking a fixed, universally applicable core or a rigid roadmap to successful agility at scale will not find one (SAFe is a great example of this failure). Rather, the journey to successful agility at scale, is unique to each organisation, shaped by its distinct challenges, culture, context, and goals. If you approach agility at scale with the expectation of a linear, predictable progression, you might find yourself disoriented. The pathway to successful agility is marked by unexpected twists and turns, trial-and-error, and a need for continuous learning and adaptation. The essence of agility at scale lies not in rigid structures or principles, but in the flexibility to adapt and innovate. It is about giving up the quest for assuredness and authority, and instead welcoming self-organisation and subsidiarity as catalysts for innovation and growth. This paradigm shift can be challenging but liberating, and it is the essence of successfully adoptiong agility at scale. Embrace the fluidity at its core, and unlock the true potential of agility in your company.