Can you ride a bike? Then you can work Agile!
Agile isn’t about frameworks or buzzwords
In my work as an agile coach, I try to help teams adopt an agile mindset. The core idea is relatively simple to explain. Still, especially in the early stages, I find that most teams are mainly concerned with understanding various agile frameworks and buzzwords. Unfortunately, I also see some agile colleagues dive straight into the technicalities—missing the essence of agile altogether. In this blog I aim to explain the heart of agile ways of working, without frameworks or jargon. In a language as simple as learning to ride a bike. At its core, working agile can be compared to this: our Opinity team sets off from our HQ in Rotterdam… to cycle to Paris.
Santiago Harmens
Scrum Master / Agile Coach
Main goal: reach Paris by bicycle
This is our starting point. We have one clear end goal. The challenge? We’ve never done this before. That means we can’t predict all the obstacles we’ll face along the way. Paris also feels so far away that—based on our current cycling experience—it’s difficult to give an accurate estimate of our arrival time. Our family and friends want to cheer us on at the finish line. But if we share a date now and hit the road without a plan, chances are that date will be off—leading to disappointment for them and for us. That’s why we break our main goal into smaller milestones and regularly update our supporters along the route.
You don’t just wake up in Paris — time to plan some pit stops
We know our end goal: Paris. We also know we can’t get there in a single day. That’s why we break the journey into smaller milestones—destinations we can reach in a day. It’s crucial that our team chooses these next stops ourselves. After all, we know our own strengths, our bikes, and we’re the ones pedaling. We don’t let someone else make that call for us. After each leg, we update our supporters—who grow prouder of us with every check-in. And as we approach Paris, we inform them of our expected arrival, so they can book their hotel rooms in time. That date will be more accurate than if we had only communicated once at the start (and not communicate anything in the meanwhile).
Learn by evaluating
At every stop, we evaluate. We assess with the team what’s going well—and what can be improved.
If we arrive somewhere where people speak German, we’ve clearly taken the wrong route.
If we rode over rough terrain, we’ll reevaluate the route to make sure future paths are smooth and paved—even if it means a longer ride. We adapt our plan when things don’t go as expected, like injuries or technical issues. But we also adapt when things go better than planned: our fitness improves, we get better bikes or the weather turns out to be nicer than expected. And with each day of cycling behind us, we become better at predicting what lies ahead—how long a stage might take or what obstacles we might face.
Work of an agile coach
What does an agile coach actually do? We don’t tell colleagues how to “ride their bike.” As specialists, they know very well how to do their jobs. What we do is help them figure out their “Paris”: a concrete and realistic goal that delivers value to their customers. We support them in breaking down that journey into achievable stages that can be completed in a predictable time frame. Agile coaches also bring the tools and techniques to help teams evaluate and adjust their route along the way. Yes, we use frameworks—but in essence agile is: working toward a shared goal by breaking it down into smaller steps, continuously reflecting and adapting along the way.
As agile coaches, we don’t just support teams—we guide the entire organization in adopting the agile mindset. Often, strategic and tactical goals don’t align with operational execution. This misalignment is one of the main reasons agile initiatives fail. At Opinity, we bring the experience and practical knowledge to help organizations understand what agile working really means. We then connect goals and collaboration across all layers—strategic to operational—using agile principles. Curious how we do it? Give us a call, we’re happy to explain.
