The Problem with Traditional Agile Delivery: 1. Why It’s Time for a Change

I know this is going to ruffle some feathers. This is the first in a series of articles where I challenge the way we think about Agile, delivery, and leadership. Based on my own experience leading teams, driving transformation, and dealing with real-world delivery challenges, I’ve seen firsthand why "traditional" Agile delivery isn’t working at scale—and what we need to do about it.

For years, organizations have invested in Agile frameworks like Scrum, SAFe, and Kanban, expecting faster delivery, higher efficiency, and better alignment with business goals. Yet, many companies find themselves stuck in process-heavy models that don’t translate into real value.

Instead of delivering more, teams are buried in ceremonies, compliance checklists, and rigid frameworks that slow them down. Leadership expects results, not rituals—but the way Agile is implemented today often leads to frustration rather than efficiency.

Why Traditional Agile Delivery Is Broken

1️⃣ Too Many Meetings, Too Little Delivery

Stand-ups, retros, backlog refinement, planning meetings, PI planning—the list goes on. While each ceremony has a purpose, many teams spend more time discussing work than actually doing it.

🚨 My experience: I’ve seen teams where engineers spend over 50% of their time in meetings, leaving them with barely enough focused time to build anything meaningful.

2️⃣ Framework Compliance Over Business Value

Agile transformations often focus on implementing a framework rather than improving delivery. Companies are told they need SAFe, Scrum, or Kanban—but few are asked: “Is this actually making us better?”

🚨 My take: I’ve sat in executive meetings where the success of an Agile transformation was measured by “team velocity increases” rather than actual business outcomes. Velocity is not the goal—value is.

3️⃣ Fixed Planning Cycles Create Artificial Constraints

Scrum enforces sprint-based development, while SAFe structures work into Program Increments (PIs). The problem? Business priorities don’t align with two-week or three-month cycles.

🚨 What I’ve seen: Teams getting stuck in a rigid cadence where priorities shift mid-sprint, but they’re told to “stick to the plan” rather than adapt in real-time. Why should we wait for a sprint to end to deliver something valuable?

4️⃣ Passive Leadership & Execution Silos

Traditional Agile models separate strategy from execution. Product Managers define priorities, Agile Coaches reinforce the framework, and Scrum Masters facilitate—but who is actually driving delivery forward?

🚨 My frustration: I’ve watched leaders sit in meetings, tracking metrics that don’t matter, while teams struggle with dependencies, unclear priorities, and execution bottlenecks. Leadership should be actively involved in enabling delivery, not just tracking it.

How We Fix This: The Shift to Delivery-First Thinking

The problem isn’t Agile itself—it’s how it’s implemented. Delivery-First Thinking eliminates unnecessary process overhead and puts delivery at the center of how teams operate.

What Needs to Change?

✅ Fewer meetings, more focused work – Meetings should exist to remove blockers, not just check boxes.

✅ No artificial sprint deadlines – Work should be delivered when ready, not when the sprint calendar dictates.

✅ Execution-focused leadership – Delivery Leads actively remove blockers and drive delivery efficiency.

✅ Delivery success is measured by business impact, not Agile metrics – No more story points as a measure of success.

What’s Next?

This is the first in a 10-part series on transitioning from process-heavy Agile to Delivery-First Thinking.

In the next article, I’ll dive deeper into why traditional Agile roles create inefficiency and how shifting from facilitators to delivery enablers makes teams faster, leaner, and more efficient.

🚀 Let’s challenge the status quo together—because Agile should be about delivering real value, not just following a process.