Beyond Agile Frameworks
Why the next leap in organizational agility won’t come from more rules, but from new skills.
The Balloon That Started It All
One of the most memorable BYTE magazine covers from the 1980s showed a hot-air balloon beginning its climb—symbolizing a fresh era in computing. A new vantage point. New possibilities.
That image stayed with me.
A Personal Ascent
In the 1990s, I found myself programming professionally in Smalltalk. Smalltalk wasn’t just a language— it was an invitation to think differently. Objects collaborating. Systems behaving more like living organisms than rigid machines.For those who experienced it, it felt like we had lifted off— and we never looked at software the same way again.
And the world followed. Object-orientation became mainstream. C++, Java, Python, and nearly every modern language share that lineage. That journey was a success.
The balloon had climbed higher.
Iconic BYTE Magazine Cover 1981 by Robert Frank Tinney
The Next Elevation — Agile
Meanwhile, organizations were still grounded in traditional ways of working. Software was managed like construction projects—linear, heavily planned, tightly controlled through waterfall approaches. But by the late 1990s, it became clear the landscape was changing faster than the process could handle. Experimentation began. Teams sought adaptability over prediction. And in 2001, our shared direction had a name: Agile.
Another successful lift-off. Another view gained. Agile reshaped how organizations deliver software. Continuous learning and customer collaboration became the new guiding stars.
Today, Agile is everywhere. It fundamentally changed how we work. And yet… despite the progress, something feels incomplete.
When Growth Meets Its Limits
Over time, many organizations anchored their agility to frameworks—Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, and others. Frameworks brought structure and discipline. They gave teams a shared language and a starting path. They helped the balloon rise—no question.
But eventually… something happened.
Following rules too rigidly began to replace learning. Ceremony overshadowed intention. Teams became efficient in performing the framework, but not necessarily better at improving.
The balloon reached its ceiling (again).
Not because frameworks failed— but because they were never meant to be the final destination.
They got us this far. Just like Smalltalk did. Just like Agile did.
To rise higher, we need something more.
A New Lift-Off
The next chapter isn’t about adopting another framework. It’s about developing the skills and habits of scientific thinking:
Clarifying challenges
Understanding current conditions
Defining target states
Running experiments
Learning continuously
This is the essence of the Agile Kata— a universal pattern for continuous improvement.
It doesn’t prescribe. It doesn’t constrain. It develops people so they can navigate the unknown without waiting for new rules to tell them what to do. They are the ones in the driver seat. Because in an era of AI, rules and frameworks are being challenged.
The balloon rises again— not toward a defined destination, but toward new capability.
The Destination Isn’t the Point
Every ascent leaves familiar ground behind. Some will choose to stay where they are. Others will climb a little higher. That’s okay. This is not a binary shift— not “Agile vs. not Agile,” not “framework vs. no framework.” It’s simply the next elevation.
A movement toward deliberate skill development so teams can adapt to whatever landscape they encounter next.
The future belongs to those who can explore, learn, and adjust continuously. Not because the rules told them to— but because they’ve built the ability within themselves.
In this era… new ways of thinking and practicing replaces frameworks.
Are You Ready to Join the Ascent?
This Log about Kata is the beginning of the KataLog. Here, I’ll explore how Agile Kata helps:
Leaders coach and lead more effectively
Teams improve using scientific thinking
Organizations build adaptability into their DNA
I hope you’ll join this next journey— from frameworks to habits, from prescription to possibility, from following rules to creating your own path.
The balloon is rising again.
Let’s see where it takes us.
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Kata Balloon Taking Off Again (Leaving Islands of Frameworks and Agile Processes Behind) - AI Generated
