Agile vs Religion

I was born into a strict religion, something I Left behind in my teenage years. The experience wasn’t great.

Over the last decade, I’ve seen something familiar yet troubling in some agile adaptations.

I decided to consider the drawbacks of religious zealots and bad agile implementations. Keep reading to look at the comparisons I’ve found through my experience of both.

Dogmatism

- Religious followers can become dogmatic about interpretations or practices, resisting new ideas and preventing growth.

- Agile practitioners have a tendency to rigidly adhere to agile practices or frameworks without adapting them to the specific needs of the org. Thus leading to ineffective implementations that doesn’t deliver on promised benefits.

Group Think

-Religious groups have a tendency to adopt groupthink, where dissenting opinions aren’t encouraged or tolerated. Reducing critical thinking.

Agile teams can also fall into groupthink, where harmony is prioritised over constructive discussion, which invariably leads to poor decision making.

Authority and Hierarchy

Religious leaders wield significant authority, and their interpretations can dominate followers’ beliefs, minimising individual thought.

- The Scrum Master or Product Owner can create a hierarchy that undermines the collaborative spirit and equal participation, running counter to the agile principles.

Exclusivity

- Certain religious communities can view non-believers or those from different faiths as outsiders. This is something I’ve personally experienced. It was not positive.

- Some agile communities can be insular, leading to the exclusion of valuable perspectives from non-agile practices or methodologies, limiting innovation.

Conflict and Division

- Throughout history, differing religious beliefs have led to avoidable conflict among countries and groups.

- Different interpretations of the agile principles (Scrum vs. Kanban vs. XP) can create factions within an org, resulting in fragmentation instead of cohesive teamwork.

Resistance to Change

- Some religious practices or beliefs may resist adaptation of modern societal changes, hindering social progress.

- Agile practitioners can resist evolving or adapting to new circumstances, sticking with outdated methods.

Misinterpretation

- There are numerous examples of texts and teachings that are misinterpreted, leading to misunderstandings and harmful practices.

- Agile principles can be misinterpreted or oversimplified, leading to a check the box mentality instead of genuine commitment to responsiveness.

Burnout

- Religious obligations can lead to burnout, as people feel pressured to constantly engage in spiritual activities.

- Agile can leave teams feeling burnt out, especially if teams are pushed for continuous delivery and relentless retrospective cycles without adequate breaks.

Admittedly, it isn’t all bad. Some positives can be drawn from religion, such as the encouragement to be a better human.