Six Principles for Complexity

A New Set of Principles for the Next Phase of Agile

What determines the success of companies like Toyota, Google, Tesla and Apple? It is their ability to deal with complexity. How they do this varies greatly, but Agile is the common denominator of their success.

Agile was born from insights which are undeniable. A way to deliver value in a volatile, uncertain and ambiguous world. A way to deal with complexity. These insights are not a choice: they are the new baseline of competitiveness, the new standard against which we measure successful companies.

… although Agile methodologies can be perceived as problematic, the world’s most valuable and fastest growing firms are demonstrating on a daily basis that Agile mindsets and principles are enjoying astonishing success…
… To almost everyone’s surprise, the Agile principles and mindsets have triumphed, generating trillions of dollars in customer value.
 — Forbes: Why The World’s Most Valuable Firms Are So Agile — 

However, the huge caveat is that Agile remains intangible. As the first sentence in the quote above makes abundantly clear: “Agile methodologies can be perceived as problematic”. The Agile insights may be undeniable, but how to effectively wield agility remains too complex a challenge for many.

The result is that too often agility is misinterpreted, leading to questionable results. Too often Agile has delivered just another set of processes, a checklist of rituals to follow, without the essential underlying understanding.

Beyond the Commandments

At the heart of this failed revolution is The Agile Manifesto. The Agile Manifesto has served us well for the past two decades, guiding our Agile endeavours. Its simplicity and clarity have provided a foundation for an amazing shift in how we think about work, collaboration, and delivery.

However, in it, the Agile Manifesto carries the seed of its own demise: the fact that both the values and the principles are formulated as commandments. They tell us to do something. Without explaining why.

Dogmatism is born out of a lack of critical thinking.

This approach seems to have, unwittingly, inspired the way we propagate agility. As a set of rules to follow. As methodologies. Witness 2-day certifications that almost guarantee you a job, or pre-packaged frameworks and Agile transformations to plug-and-play agility into your organisation.

This is a crucial fault. It has led to a focus on process over understanding. Even worse, by setting ourselves as the elite with all the answers, much like the elite envisioned by Taylorism, we have set ourselves to fail. And the irony is that we should have known better: the very foundation of Agile rests in the simple truth that complexity — dealing with unknown unknowns — requires a different approach, a people-centric approach which harnesses the hive mind to manage complexity.

The world is so full of possibilities that dogmatism is simply indecent.
— Albert Einstein —

We are at a crossroads. This first phase of Agile, what we might call the early adoption phase, has served us well in maximising awareness of what Agility is.

So much so, that the world has now caught up on our game. We have made huge amounts of money out of the Agile bubble, but we have not delivered the promised value.

People understand the rules enough now that they are ready to take charge. Agility is not dead. The market for simple “how-to” Agile consulting is dead. But the hunger for true agility is greater than ever.

In this, the next phase of Agile, we need a new set of principles that explain the why behind Agility, empowering individuals to discover the how for themselves. Principles indeed that are more faithful to an Agile way of doing things.

The Search for New Principles

One way to discover these new principles would be to examine Agility and the various Agile frameworks in detail and distil their essence.

However, were we to do this, we would end up going down the same rabbit hole of commandments, telling people how to do Agile. Sure, with our new-found wisdom, we would take pains to explain the why. These new principles would, to us, sound so terribly reasonable. But that is just it: it is the very essence of complexity that exceptions will and do happen.

Take for example that most basic of principles, Visibility. Whatever Agile approach you examine, visualising your workflow will be one of its fundamental aspects: using a board, mapping the flow of value. It is such a valuable concept that companies like Atlassian have made it into a billion-dollar business.

Visualisation — the first Kanban practice.

But out in the wild, there are teams that manage to do brilliant work without that basic principle of visibility. They manage to carry the project knowledge within their collective understanding and they thrive.

The bottom line is that Visualisation can be hugely beneficial, but it’s not a universal requirement for agility or effectiveness.

The Essence of Agility

So what to do? If we think deeply about what truly defines Agility, it is the focus on people that stands out. Framework and methodologies are simply implementations. It is the mindset and the creativity of the individuals that drive these implementations. So if we want to seek deeper, that is where our focus should lie.

Think about it. Taylorism was focused on processes and optimising workflows. Efficiency. Viewing an organisation as a machine. The approach was and is effective. It is an approach we have been refining for 200 years. Agile has simply built on these ideas.

No, the core innovation of Agile lies in harnessing the power of individuals. Agile is fundamentally about empowering employees, harnessing their mental powers by making them true partners in the enterprise. This shift in focus — from process to people — is the true evolution Agile offers. Everything else is an integration of existing knowledge.

The “death of Agile” refers not to the demise of its core values, but to the decline of a process-centric interpretation that neglects this fundamental principle. Including and perhaps mainly in how we have strived to implement Agility.

Six Principles for Complexity: The New Agile Principles

With all this in mind, and without further ado, I propose the following principles for the next phase of our Agile journey.

1. Own the Problem and the Solution

Agile addresses complexity, where uncertainty reigns. There simply is no clear-cut solution to your problems. What is worse, the moment you apply a solution without understanding it, you surrender control and become a spectator.

The first principle is to understand and fully accept that the only person who can decide what the solution might be is the person who is closest to the problem — you. Embrace this responsibility.

2. Be a Learner

Effective problem-solving requires knowledge. The only way to take responsibility for your problems is by having the necessary knowledge at hand. And the only way you can do this is by becoming a scholar. Continuously learning.

Knowledge is power. The more you know, the better you can understand your problem and the more solutions you will be able to come up with. The better you will be able to spar with others. The better you can take responsibility for your problems.

Innovation rests on the shoulders of those who came before you.

3. Be Critical

Knowledge is merely information. To wield knowledge effectively you need wisdom.

Wisdom comes from scepticism, from asking questions, being aware of assumptions, deep analysis, seeking diverse perspectives and engaging in thoughtful discussion. Strive to understand the context and the limitations of the knowledge you have. Strive to discover the gaps in your knowledge.

Being critical is the only way to discern what the value and applicability is of any knowledge.

4. Be Creative

Complexity means continuously facing novel problems that demand original solutions. That can only happen with creativity. Experimentation.

Accept that! Realise that that is the job!

Again, you may stand on the shoulders of geniuses and most of what you create may be derivative, but in the context of your particular problem, the solution will always be an act of creation, something unique.

5. Be Humble

Wielding the previous principles effectively will do awesome things for your self-confidence. Solving problems will become a game you love to play.

But beware! Arrogance is fatal. The only way to remain effective is by embracing humility and always accepting that whatever you come up with may and probably will fail, and can always be improved.

Humility is the foundation of continuous improvement. It leads to the need to experiment and validate, a need to second-guess yourself, a quest to make absolutely sure your solutions truly work.

6. Be a Teacher

Last of all, be a teacher. This may sound weird, but the truth is that teaching solidifies understanding. Teaching, whether through your teams, through writing, presentations, or mentorship, forces you to articulate your thoughts clearly, and forces you to structure your knowledge and identify gaps in your understanding.

This is the true sign of mastery of your profession.

Conclusion

There you have it, six principles for complexity and for the next phase of agility. Practice these wherever you can — at work, at home, in your hobbies, make them part of your muscle memory.

Note that I phrase the principles as applying to you at a personal level. I do this because people are the fundamental building blocks of the Agile approach. But realise that the principles can just as easily apply to a team as a whole, or even an organisation.

In a similar way to the Scrum Values, these principles clarify your role in no uncertain terms, whether you are an individual or a team or a group, paving the way to true Agility.

In fact, these principles, applied consistently in all aspects of life, will not only enhance your agility and effectiveness but also cultivate leadership and personal growth.

The growth mindset is a term coined by Carol Dweck, and for me, it stands for everything Agile is all about.

Agile, at its core, reflects our human drive for growth. Effectiveness is a side-product of this. By embracing these principles, we become active participants in this evolution, shaping a future where individuals are empowered to solve complex problems and contribute meaningfully to the world around them. Full partners.

Indeed, Agility is not just a methodology — it’s a mindset that prepares us for the future. By embracing these principles, we move beyond rigid frameworks and into a world where adaptability and critical thinking shape how we tackle complexity.

Agility is not a framework, something static. It is a mindset, an ability to thrive in chaos. And the future belongs to those who embrace it.