PMI-ACP Practice Questions #9
An organization currently using traditional methods wants to transition to agile to adopt a more customer-centric mindset. An initial assessment reveals the culture is not yet ready for agile practices. The agile practitioner spends three months influencing, educating, and training the organization.
What should the agile practitioner do next?
A. Perform a follow-up culture assessment and analyze the results.
B. Ask management to mandate agile adoption now that people have been trained.
C. Begin implementing a few agile practices, such as daily scrums, across the organization.
D. Conduct pilot projects using agile ways of working and support their implementation.
Analysis
The scenario describes an organization transitioning from traditional methods to Agile, aiming to become more customer-centric. An initial culture assessment indicated the organization was not yet ready, and the Agile practitioner spent three months influencing, educating, and training people. Now, the question is what to do next.
Agile transformations take time and cannot be forced through mandates or by implementing random Agile practices across the organization. The best approach is to gradually introduce Agile ways of working through real-world applications, ensuring that teams experience Agile in practice rather than just theory. Running a pilot project is a proven transformation strategy, allowing organizations to test Agile adoption in a controlled setting, learn from it, and scale Agile practices effectively.
Analysis of Options
A: Perform a follow-up culture assessment and analyze the results.
While assessing culture is important, doing another assessment immediately after three months of training and education may not yield significant changes. Culture shifts take time and require practical implementation, not just training. Without actually trying Agile practices in real-world scenarios, there is little value in re-assessing culture at this stage. This is not the best next step.
B: Ask management to mandate Agile adoption now that people have been trained.
Forcing Agile adoption contradicts Agile principles. Agile is about empowerment, collaboration, and adaptability, not top-down enforcement. Even if people have been trained, they need to experience Agile ways of working firsthand and adopt it organically. A mandate creates resistance rather than fostering a cultural shift. This option is not aligned with an Agile transformation approach.
C: Begin implementing a few Agile practices, such as daily scrums, across the organization.
This option focuses on isolated Agile practices rather than holistic adoption. Implementing Scrum ceremonies like daily standups without the supporting Agile mindset can lead to confusion, as teams may not understand the purpose behind the practices. Agile should not be adopted in a fragmented way across the organization but rather tested in a controlled setting before broader implementation. This is not the ideal approach.
D: Conduct pilot projects using Agile ways of working and support their implementation.
This is the best choice because it follows a structured Agile transformation approach. Instead of rolling out Agile across the entire organization, a pilot project allows a small group to apply Agile practices, learn from real experiences, and refine the approach before scaling up. This aligns with proven change management frameworks like Kotter’s 8-step process, where small wins help drive larger organizational transformation. This approach ensures teams see Agile in action, making adoption smoother and more effective.
Conclusion
The correct answer is Option D: Conduct pilot projects using Agile ways of working and support their implementation.
This approach aligns with Agile transformation strategies, ensuring that Agile is introduced in a way that teams can experience, adapt to, and improve upon before scaling it across the organization. Running a pilot project validates Agile practices in a controlled environment, builds credibility, and encourages organic adoption.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Leadership | Empower Teams |
Topics Covered:
- Facilitating Agile transformation through pilot projects.
- Encouraging experiential learning and incremental adoption.
- Promoting team empowerment and self-organization.
- Supporting cultural shift through practical Agile application.
- Aligning Agile adoption with organizational readiness.
If you’re preparing for the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® Exam, we highly recommend enrolling in our PMI-ACP® Exam Prep Program. Designed to provide a comprehensive Agile learning experience, this program not only helps you ace the PMI-ACP® exam but also enhances your Agile mindset, leadership skills, and ability to deliver value-driven projects. Ensure exam success and career growth with our expert-led, structured preparation program tailored for Agile professionals.
