Is your team bogged down by process?

The Agile Manifesto never prescribed a rigid process. Yet, many teams still find themselves participating in empty rituals. Whether daily stand-ups, sprint planning, or retrospectives, these events lose meaning if they aren't driving real outcomes.

The issue isn't with the methodology, it's when it becomes a mechanical exercise rather than an intentional practice. If daily stand-ups become mere 'to-do' lists, sprint planning devolves into debates over points, or retrospectives lead to complaints that go nowhere, you've lost sight of agile's core intent.

Genuine agile practice prioritizes:

• Outcome over output: Delivering customer value beats completing busy work.
• Empowered decision-making: Teams need autonomy to adapt and question, not just follow scripts.
• Continuous improvement: If your practices aren't driving actual improvement, fix or ditch them.
• Rejecting pseudo-agile: Drop hollow rituals and focus on delivering real results.

Bottom line: Agile events exist to serve the team, not the other way around.

For example, here's our CEO, Nick Muldoon, explaining how we tailored the daily stand-up (or "daily huddle") to help the team stay connected during the COVID lockdown:

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We've put together a list of good articles and discussions that explore how you can reclaim agile ceremonies and make them genuinely effective.

Dive in.

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Essential Reads on Agile Ceremonies

The Agile Manifesto with Jon Kern

~47 min webinar
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A candid conversation with Jon Kern, co-author of the Agile Manifesto for Software Development, on agile ceremonies and what they mean for the world of agile working today.

Watch recording >

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Your ultimate guide to the four stages of agile ceremonies

~10 min read‍

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The why behind each agile ceremony and how to avoid ritual traps.

Read more >

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Best practices and pitfalls to avoid in your daily scrum

~7 min read
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Keep daily stand-ups focused, effective, and meaningful.

Check it out >

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The Agile Grapevine

Industry Pulse & Community Buzz

🧐 Has Agile Lost Its Meaning?

Has process gotten in the way of teams realising the benefits and given agile a bad name? Join the discussion on Atlassian Community.

Join the discussion >

💬 "Tired of agile becoming a bureaucratic mess"

Redditors vent about agile processes turning into bureaucratic rituals.

Join the discussion >

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Your turn.‍

Identify one agile event your team could improve or eliminate this sprint, and start there.

Catch you next time!