An enquiry for being agile using the appreciative inquiry. : Appreciative Inquiry

Abstract: Agile has been a methodology practiced with a significant scope, around the globe. The subject has been dealt with globally for some time now, producing a large databank of literature explaining its different tools and techniques, along with its usage. Ironically, the success rates of projects that have implemented Agile have been low, as they tend to face several challenges during the implementation process. The purpose of this paper is to explore and analyse knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards change activities and Agile practices. To reach this objective, I will explore and analyse the understanding of the Agile mindset and investigate the potential contribution of positive psychology (AI) to address Agile adoption challenges within organizations and teams. The data collection process includes interviews with eight domain experts from India, Sweden and the Netherlands to essentially get an insight into their understanding and approach towards Agile, Appreciate Inquiry (AI) and Change management practices. The thematic analysis approach has been used to connect the findings with theory and detect themes. By ‘themes’ we mean: why we need Agile; the challenges and solutions for Agile; appreciative inquiry contribution towards Agile; and change as business-as-usual. The interviews and analysis yielded interesting insights; for instance, it showed that the informants often suffered from challenges due to various reasons, like understanding of this ‘unique’ methodology, one’s mindset and lack of leadership support.