Being vs. Doing Agile

In the world of agile, there is a fundamental distinction that is often overlooked: the difference between "Doing Agile" (Doing Agile) and "Being Agile" (Being Agile).

"Doing Agile" refers to the superficial adoption of Agile practices, tools and ceremonies (such as using Scrum or Kanban) without necessarily changing the underlying culture or mindset.

In contrast, "Being Agile" implies a deeper transformation, an internalization of agile values and principles that guide behavior, decision making and thinking.

While "Doing Agile" can deliver incremental improvements, the true transformational potential of agility is unlocked by "Being Agile."

It's the difference between following a recipe and truly understanding the art of cooking.

The Duality: Mindset vs. Practice

This distinction represents a key duality:

Doing Agile (Practical): it is associated with the left side of the brain, logic and tasks.

It involves implementing frameworks (Scrum, Kanban, XP), using specific tools, performing ceremonies (stand-ups, retrospectives) and following defined processes. It is the external and visible application of agility.

Being Agile (Mindset): It is associated with the right side of the brain, the emotional and social. It is about adopting the agile mindset, living the values (such as those of the Agile Manifesto) and adhering to agile principles on a daily basis.

It is the internalization of the agile philosophy, which influences how you collaborate, respond to change and focus on value.

Both aspects are important, but without "Being Agile", "Doing Agile" often becomes just window dressing without sustainable benefits.

"Being Agile": Internalizing Values and Principles.

"Being Agile" means embodying the Agile mindset. This involves:

Agile Thinking: adopting a mental approach based on adaptation, continuous learning and flexible response to change. It requires leaving behind the rigidity of exhaustive predictive planning when the context is uncertain.

Core Values: Consistently live agile values such as transparency, collaboration, trust and respect for people.

Prioritize individuals and their interactions, functional value delivery, customer collaboration, and responsiveness to change.

Guiding Principles: Use the twelve principles of the Agile Manifesto as a guide for daily decision making.

Key Competencies: Develop behaviors aligned with Lean-Agile leadership and competencies such as facilitation, teaching, mentoring and coaching.

It requires courage, commitment and openness. It is a way of being and acting that permeates the entire culture of the team or organization.

"Doing Agility": Applying Processes and Tools.

"Doing Agile" refers to the concrete implementation of the practices and processes associated with agile frameworks. This includes:

Frameworks: Using specific methodologies such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, Safe, etc..

Practices and Ceremonies: Conducting events such as Sprints, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, Retrospectives, using Kanban Boards, etc..

Tools: Employ agile project management software (Jira, Trello, Asana), collaboration tools, etc..

Coaching Process: Apply a structured process to help individuals, teams and organizations in the adoption and adaptation of agility, seeking to improve and accelerate their results.

Empirical Approach: Use inspection and adaptation as key mechanisms for process control (empiricism).

Flow Management: Optimize workflow, often inspired by Lean principles, minimizing waste.

While "Doing Agile" provides the structure, its effectiveness depends largely on whether it is backed by a true "Be Agile" mindset.

Summary

There is a fundamental distinction between "Doing Agile" (Doing Agile) and "Being Agile" (Being Agile). "Doing Agile" is the superficial adoption of practices and tools.

In contrast, "Being Agile" implies a deeper transformation. It is the internalization of Agile values and principles that guide behavior and mindset.

While "Doing Agile" can deliver improvements, the true transformational potential is unlocked by "Being Agile." Without "Being Agile," "Doing Agile" is a facade.