Frameworks and Outcomes: The Real Conversation
For years, agile conversations have been dominated by frameworks. SAFe, Scrum, LeSS, Spotify, Nexus. Each one promises structure, scale, and simplicity. But the real conversation we need to have is not about frameworks. It’s about outcomes.
Frameworks are tools. Outcomes are the goal. And in too many organisations, the tool has become more important than what it was meant to deliver.
How We Got Stuck
When agile first gained traction, frameworks provided something comforting: a playbook. Leaders wanted structure. Teams wanted guidance. Consultants wanted marketable offerings.
But the more we focused on implementing frameworks, the more we distanced ourselves from the agile mindset. We measured adoption, not impact. We rolled out ceremonies, not clarity. We trained roles, not responsibility.
Frameworks became the destination instead of the vehicle.
Frameworks Are Not the Enemy
Let’s be clear: frameworks are not the problem. They help teams speak a common language. They offer patterns for coordination. They can reduce friction when used with intention.
But the issue is when frameworks are used:
As a shortcut to transformation
As a tick-box exercise
As a shield from real change
No framework will fix broken culture. No playbook will make up for poor leadership. And no certification can replace curiosity, empathy, and adaptability.
The Outcome Lens
To shift the conversation, we need to focus on outcomes:
Value: Are we delivering something customers care about?
Speed: Are we reducing time to market?
Learning: Are we shortening the feedback loop?
Clarity: Does everyone know why we’re doing this work?
Empowerment: Are teams able to make real decisions?
Every agile initiative should be judged by these kinds of questions.
It doesn’t matter if your teams are running SAFe PI Planning or Kanban flows if your time to value is still 12 months and nobody knows what "done" looks like.
Case in Point: Outcome Misalignment
We’ve worked with organisations that have done textbook SAFe implementations. All the ceremonies, all the roles, all the artefacts.
But here’s what we saw:
Teams had no visibility into actual customer outcomes
Release trains were blocked by legacy governance
Decision-making was still top-down and slow
People were burned out from too many rituals and too little purpose
On paper, it looked agile. In reality, it was waterfall with new names.
Flip the Script
What if instead of starting with frameworks, we started with questions like:
What outcomes do we need to achieve in the next 6 months?
What’s slowing us down?
What does success look like for our customers?
What capabilities do we need to build?
And then chose tools and practices that support those answers?
That’s the approach that works. Tailored. Contextual. Outcome-led.
The Coach’s Role in the Shift
Agile coaches need to lead this change. Less about evangelising a single method. More about helping teams and leaders connect their ways of working to real business results.
Coaches should:
Translate agile practices into outcome-focused language
Run experiments that improve value delivery
Facilitate retros that drive action, not just reflection
Challenge the status quo when ceremonies become theatre
And they must be brave enough to say: “This framework isn’t helping us right now. Let’s try something different.”
Leading with Outcomes
Executives and managers also play a critical role. They need to:
Set clear, measurable outcomes at every level
Ask for results, not rituals
Fund learning, not just delivery
Reward teams for solving problems, not for sticking to process
When outcomes are clear, autonomy becomes easier. When outcomes are measured, agility becomes real.
The End of Framework Wars
We don’t need more arguments about which framework is better. We need more honest conversations about what’s working, what isn’t, and why.
Frameworks can be helpful scaffolding. But they are not the structure itself.
In the end, if your teams are:
Delivering value fast
Learning constantly
Improving continuously
Solving real problems
Then you’re doing it right. No matter what you call it.