Agile Didn’t Kill Project Management—It Transformed It

The debate between Waterfall and Agile is often oversimplified as a battle over project management. The truth? Agile didn’t eliminate project management—it evolved it.

🔹 Risk management is still crucial but handled iteratively instead of as a one-time event.

🔹 Stakeholder communication happens via Sprint Reviews, demos, and backlog transparency, not status reports.

🔹 Scope, schedule, and budget are managed dynamically through prioritization and empirical feedback.

🔹Improvement is handled continuously instead of a one-time lessons learned or post-mortem.

Agile shifts project management from fixed plans to adaptive execution:

✅ From predictive planning → to continuous adaptation

✅ From managing tasks → to managing flow & value

✅ From command & control → to leadership & enablement

Project management still plays a vital role in Agile 😱, but it must align with outcome-driven execution, shorter feedback loops, and iterative delivery. Organizations that try to force-fit traditional project management into Agile environments (I.e. ❌Hybrid) struggle because they cling to rigid control rather than embracing adaptability.

The best Agile organizations blend project management ‘knowledge area’ expertise with product thinking and continuous delivery 🧘‍♀️. It’s not about Agile vs. Project Management—it’s about evolving project management to thrive in an Agile world.

What do you think? Are companies still trying to fit Agile into a traditional project management ‘mindset’? 🚀

#mikefisherinc #agility #agile #transformation