We live in interesting times. Political, environmental and global turmoil seem to come at us relentlessly. We are just beginning to come to terms with one headline when a new tweet takes its place and grabs our attention. Uncertainty and angst seem to be the new norm. What might businesses and business leaders think about this? Is this new norm our biggest business challenge? For many, adapting to technological change has become a daily requirement.
Not quite. In a recent survey of the graduates of top international business schools, the pace of technological and digital advance was rated as the top threat facing global business leaders, surpassing the current churn of economic, political, and environmental changes. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents -- over two-thirds -- felt this was the most important threat they would face. The businesses we serve are already pressured by quarter-to-quarter profitability challenges, and the pace of technology change -- which was perceived as a global challenge -- adds fuel to the fire. These dynamics make inspect and adapt more than a slogan; they are necessary habits.
For those of us in technology, how do we address these concerns? Stephen Hawking once said "intelligence is the ability to change." Are we willing and able to change the way that we work to address these threats?
Summary
As technological change outpaces political and economic disruption, leaders must respond by choosing new ways of working. Agile and Scrum’s inspect-and-adapt practices enable teams to pivot quickly: correcting deviations within sprints, delivering working software in short cycles for rapid customer feedback, and strengthening business–technology partnership. These habits increase delivery success and responsiveness, turning technology from a cost center into a competitive advantage. Ultimately, survival depends less on ability than on the deliberate choice to adapt at speed.
The Pivot
The projects we work on can be extremely complex. In our last article, we discussed how to overcome the challenge of hidden issues through inspection. Adaptation is a critical skill that we need to be able to apply, whether we are working in a large financial institution or practicing agile for startups in a fail fast start up. Like slalom ski racers, we need to be able to adapt and pivot in agile quickly in response to changes in the landscape and new information. Scrum adaptation gives us multiple opportunities and venues for change.
- The first type of adaptation is a response to a deviation within a sprint. According to the Scrum Guide, if we "determine that one or more aspects of a process deviate....an adjustment must be made as soon as possible." This type of adaptation is an immediate response to an issue through inspection. It is far better to adapt than to let issues and problems fester.
- The second type of adaptation that we leverage in an agile cadence comes from valuing working software over comprehensive documentation, one of the four agile values. Scrum does this in sprints, which are typically anywhere from one week to four weeks. At the end of each sprint, we engage our customers in the sprint demo to show them working software. While this does not sound like a dramatic shift, the discipline of delivering working software and showing it to customers frequently is significant. Bronwyn Clere, Executive Director for Capital Planning & Delivery, at Telstra Corporation, puts it this way in the PMI's 2017 annual report:
"We are implementing features and products and using technology that were not invented 18 months ago. No longer can we afford these large monolithic programs that go on for two to three years. We know that what we set out to do at the beginning of that time is not what we will finish out doing. So, we are focusing on very rapid delivery cycles, asking ourselves: How do we mobilize a project very quickly? How do we use the right delivery techniques to work through it quickly? How do we get product into market or to customers or into the business?"
- This second type of adaptation is part of the reason why agile delivery rates for technology are higher than with other processes. We have a chance to pivot, turn, and adjust as frequently as the business requires. This stands in stark contrast to starting a project with a stack of documents and taking months to deliver. Change is now continuous in business, and we need to keep up -- or our businesses will suffer.
- Finally, and perhaps most important, a way of working that adapts to constant business change fosters business and technology collaboration and a creative relationship between the business and technology teams. The business sees delivery occurring faster and finds their needs being met, and as a result is more open and willing to partner with their technology teams. The movement from order taker to partner changes careers and drives profitability. As discussed in the Partner pattern in Leadership Patterns for Software and Technology Professionals, "instead of being a cost center and drain on the organization, these technology teams drive competitive advantage for the entire business."
A choice more important than ability
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Professor Dumbledore tells Harry, "It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices." Undoubtedly technologists have amazing abilities. However, we may need to choose to work differently. Adaptation is essential to the survival of small startup companies, as their exposure to the whims of the market cannot be ignored. Larger organizations have more time and money and can withstand some failures in technology and software delivery. It is important to keep in mind that both types of organizations are fighting for their survival.
Are we committed to fighting for the survival of the organizations we work for? If so, pivoting and adapting to their needs and the pace of change is essential for the future of both our companies and careers. Otherwise as Professor Dumbledore reminds us, our abilities will not matter -- and even worse, we may be left behind.
Q&A
Question: Why is technological change considered a bigger threat than political or economic turmoil?
Answer: In a survey of graduates from top international business schools, 68% rated the pace of technological and digital advance as the top threat to global business leaders—surpassing economic, political, and environmental churn. Leaders see rapid tech change intensifying existing pressures like quarter-to-quarter profitability, making continuous inspection and adaptation essential rather than optional.
Question: What does “inspect and adapt” mean in Agile and Scrum, and how does it work in practice?
Answer: “Inspect and adapt” is the habit of frequently examining outcomes and processes, then making immediate adjustments. In Scrum, this happens in two key ways: first, teams correct deviations within a sprint as soon as they’re detected; second, they deliver working software in short sprints and demo it to customers for rapid feedback. These tight feedback loops enable quick pivots, reduce the risk of festering issues, and align delivery with evolving needs.
Question: What are the two types of adaptation highlighted in the article?
Answer: The first is in-sprint adaptation—responding immediately when a process or outcome deviates from expectations. The second is cadence-driven adaptation—delivering working software at the end of each short sprint and using customer feedback from sprint demos to adjust priorities and direction. Together, they create frequent opportunities to pivot as business realities change.
Question: How does this Agile way of working improve the relationship between business and technology?
Short answer: By delivering value faster and more frequently, technology teams demonstrate responsiveness, which builds trust and deepens collaboration with the business. This shift moves teams from “order takers” to true partners, turning technology from a perceived cost center into a driver of competitive advantage and profitability.
Question: Why is choosing to adapt more important than existing abilities?
Answer: The article argues that survival in today’s market depends less on what teams can do and more on their decision to work differently at speed. Startups must adapt because market signals are unforgiving; larger organizations have more buffer but still face existential pressure from continuous change. Choosing Agile habits—rapid feedback, quick pivots, and tight business–tech partnership—determines whether capabilities translate into real-world success.
