Skip to main content

Agile, But At What Cost?

25-minute Talk

Agile promises speed and collaboration, but constant change can take a hidden toll. We often overlook burnout and boredom while chasing efficiency, risking team well-being and results

Virtual Pass session

Timetable

10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Thursday 27th

Room

Room E1 - Track 4: Talks

Agile Methodologies Collaboration & Communication Leadership

Audience

people in all leadership positions

Key-Learnings

  • Avoid “all transformation, all the time” by pacing Agile efforts so people aren’t perpetually stressed or stuck in repetitive tasks.
  • Understand both burnout (overwhelm) and boredom (under-challenge) as real threats to team engagement and delivery.
  • Use regular check-ins, transparent communication, and rotations/shadowing to address emotional and developmental needs head-on.

Helping teams stay happy and healthy while still delivering at full speed in a fast-changing world - story by the coach who's been on both sides.

Agile frameworks promise autonomy, alignment, and faster results.

But in reality, many teams undergoing transformation report feeling exhausted, lost, or disconnected. This session explores how Agile transformations can unintentionally lead to burnout on interpersonal, individual, and organizational levels.

We’ll explore:

  • What burnout looks like in Agile teams: Loss of direction, lack of feedback, emotional detachment, and the erosion of once-valued skills.

  • Why this happens: We’ll challenge the assumption that “Agile fixes everything,” and examine how unclear governance, non-stop change, and weak recognition systems contribute to disengagement.

  • What to do about it: You’ll leave with concrete, people-centered strategies to keep your team connected, valued, and motivated: including tips on pacing change, giving meaningful feedback, and rebuilding purpose at all levels.

Participants will learn how myths on delivery models and iterarive work can unintentionally harm team health and performance. More importantly, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to reduce burnout and boredom: how to spot early warning signs, restore feedback loops, reintroduce purpose, and pace transformation in a human-centered way.

Whether you’re a leader, contributor, or just someone trying to survive another reorg, this session gives you language, tools, and space to rethink how we work.

Related Sessions

Tue, Nov 25 • 10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Room E2+E3 - Track 5: Workshops

105-minute Workshop

Agile Methodologies Quality Coaching

Virtual Pass session
Wed, Nov 26 • 4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Room F2 - Track 2: Talks

25-minute Talk

Agile Methodologies Collaboration & Communication Quality Coaching

Virtual Pass session
Tue, Nov 25 • 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Room F1+F2+F3 - Plenary

45-minute Keynote

Agile Methodologies Artificial Intelligence (AI)