Major Roadblocks to Agile Project Management and How to Overcome Them: Part 1

In this two-part article, we analyse the major roadblocks that organisations face while adopting Agile and how to effectively overcome them.

Sept. 24, 2024

To remain competitive in today’s hyper-digital world, organisations are going the extra mile to embed customer-centricity, increase productivity, and maximise operational efficiency. This has been a driving force behind the transition away from traditional project management methodologies, as organisations look to power their Agile transformation at full throttle.

Popular Agile methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) have several use cases – be it accelerating your application modernisation efforts, expediting your product development and release cycles, uplifting your AI capabilities, or transforming your end-to-end enterprise service management. However, successfully implementing and scaling Agile is far from a walk in the park. Most organisations struggle to find the right starting point, some get lost mid-way, and a select few make it to the finish line on time, on budget, and on strategy.

Roadblocks to Agile Project Management

With all the hype surrounding Agile, it is easy to fall into the trap of seeing it as an all-encompassing solution that will instantaneously cure all the problems derailing your project delivery. The reality is that Agile is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It takes time, investment, and collective effort to build a solid foundation, so your organisation can be set up for scalable and sustainable success.

The first few laps of driving an enterprise-wide Agile practice are often riddled with roadblocks – both expected and unexpected. Without having a clear direction, sufficient resources, collective ownership, and a conducive culture, it is easy to lose steam and get bogged down by people and process bottlenecks. By anticipating the potential roadblocks in advance, you can implement effective strategies to overcome them, bolster your change management and future-readiness, and ensure that your Agile transformation is as smooth as it can be.

Successful Agile implementations result from meticulous planning, robust cross-functional collaboration, and effective change management. While challenges are inevitable, maintaining a solution-oriented approach and prioritising user needs are what truly set successful projects apart.

Listed below are some of the biggest roadblocks that most organisations face while adopting Agile and practical tips on how to overcome them.

1. A Culture that is Resistant to Change

One of the pre-requisites for successfully adopting Agile is an internal culture that is responsive to change and driving continuous improvements. This is easier said than done, particularly in enterprise-scale environments that have years of traditional project management approaches, outdated technologies, and rigid business processes – forming the biggest barriers to digital transformation. Often, there is palpable apprehension that implementing a new methodology would create unnecessary complications and jeopardise tried and tested workflows that have been in place for a long time. The fear of the unknown often drives team members to be resistant to change and be sceptical of adopting an iterative, feedback-oriented process for delivering each phase of a project – which forms the ethos of Agile.

Your people are the most important drivers and enablers in your Agile transformation, so it is important that you address their concerns and shape a culture that embraces change and constructively challenges the status quo. Think of the gaps in your workforce (both from a skillset and mindset perspective) and set up robust training sessions and workshops to educate and empower your people in adopting Agile. Shape a psychologically safe environment where people can freely express new ideas and diverse perspectives, which are then incorporated into decision-making and the subsequent change management. Identify champions who are aligned to your cause but do not alienate sceptics – they are equally critical in building consensus and driving your message home. The way you communicate and engage different teams right from the outset sets the tone for a smooth transition from a Waterfall to an Agile delivery approach.

2. Unclear Project Goals and Agile Team Roles

Far too often, project stakeholders set up Agile teams and put all the ceremonies in motion, only to realise further down the line that they are either unclear on their primary goal for the project or lack the knowhow to achieve it. Rather than sharing one vision, different members of the team end up pulling in different directions, creating confusion and conflicts, and delaying the fulfilment of critical milestones. Subsequently, project costs and risks increase, much to the dismay of the key stakeholders and end-users involved.

Before you adopt an Agile methodology, it is important to think about:

• Why are you running this project?
• What is your primary goal for this project? What does success look like when the project is completed?
• How can implementing an Agile approach help you drive project delivery? What are the pros and cons of Agile?
• If you are implementing an Agile approach, what are the key resources you need within the team? What skills do they need to have and what are their roles in the Agile team?

Again, this is not a checklist, but a basic decision-making framework that helps you map out the WHY behind running your project and doing so using an Agile approach. Once you are crystal clear on your end goal and expected outcomes, focus on setting up an all-rounded Agile team that has the necessary skills and competencies you require. This starts with identifying an Agile Coach or Scrum Master who will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the team and track project delivery. Provide them with the autonomy to choose the remaining technical and functional members of the team. An all-star Agile team that is laser-focussed on a common goal is key to seamlessly delivering your flagship digital initiatives from start to finish and maximising your technology ROI.

3. Insufficient Investment, Capacity, and Capability of the Agile Team

One of the major factors that contribute to the failure of Agile projects is the lack of sufficient capacity and capability within the project team. Facing severe budget constraints and aggressive timelines, under-resourced teams are often stretched to the limit to deliver key milestones. This not only impacts quality of delivery but also creates demotivation, resentment, and fatigue within team members – key drivers behind low morale, employee productivity, disengagement, and attrition. An under-resourced team, both in terms of manpower and technical capability, is likely to be overwhelmed with implementation roadblocks and reach a tipping point sooner rather than later. Rather than course-correcting at the eleventh hour, it is imperative that business owners and key stakeholders realise the importance of investing in hiring, training, and retaining high-quality project resources and Agile SMEs right from the outset.

It is important to acknowledge the dearth of skilled Agile talent in the market. In fact, over 53% of organisations report needing many new types of talent, or the need to completely revise the nature of their talent base to power their transformation initiatives. When hiring new talent is difficult, it becomes even more important to invest in training and upskilling your existing workforce to equip them with knowledge of best practices in Agile through capacity-building workshops and on-the-job learning. This is key to ensuring that you have the optimum level of resources, skills, and competencies required to navigate the complexities, plan for contingencies, and successfully deliver your programme of work on time. After all, Agile is as much a people investment as it is a process investment.