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The agile world is a world of mystifications and misinterpretations. One of the most dangerous is the one that makes agile frameworks dependent on mindset. The thinking goes roughly like this:
“There is no point implementing the framework if the company doesn’t have the mindset.”
When you challenge these people, they quickly resort to that well-known image — the pyramid that places values and principles at the base, with practices and tools at the top.
Where Did Agile Frameworks Come From?
Agile frameworks were not invented from scratch. They are a collection of good practices that had already been adopted by the market — especially by companies that were born in disruptive models.
The creators of the most famous frameworks had the insight to recognize that this set of practices suggested a new model of work. They also understood that this model was superior to the traditional one (waterfall) and had the potential to be adopted at scale. And, not by chance, they were clever enough to create names that spread like memes.
In other words: disruptive organizations were already born with an agile mindset — and their good practices transformed into frameworks.
The Chart in Reverse
Traditional companies, on the other hand, need to look at this chart in reverse.
They do not have an agile mindset as a default way of working. Therefore, they need to apply the frameworks with discipline in order to transform their culture. And they need to adopt multiple frameworks to do so.
It is very common to see organizations that implemented Scrum and achieved great operational performance — but left a motivational gap in their teams. In those cases, it becomes necessary to adopt other frameworks to address those issues, such as Management 3.0 and OKR. The 7 Myths About OKRs help explain why this framework, in particular, has such strong cultural impact when well applied.
The “Scrumban” and “Scrumbut” Trap
Agile frameworks are simple to understand and difficult to practice. That is why any premature flexibility can cause confusion in cultural transformation and poor delivery performance. In this context, understanding the difference between who facilitates framework adoption and who executes it is essential — as discussed in Agile Coach and Scrum Master: Different Roles.
When I visit clients’ squads and hear people say they use “scrumban” or “scrumbut,” I am certain they have no idea what they are doing.
In those contexts, the first thing to do is execute the framework correctly — to restore team productivity and the confidence of POs, project managers, and other stakeholders.
And no: “scrumbut” will not naturally evolve into something good on its own.
Further Reading
- Management 3.0: Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders — Jurgen Appelo
- The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership — J.K. Liker & G.L. Convis (Shu Ha Ri)