There is a evolutionary ‘survival of the fittest’ concept that comes to mind when we think about the Agile Methodology.
Management is on the hook for setting a date for delivering something and making sure it happens. Commonly tied to the Waterfall Methodology.
Execution teams are like the end of a funnel, where they have to sort out all the requests being thrown their way.
The two Methodologies can work together, but like any relationship, you have to put in a fair amount of effort to make it function.
Communication is critical.
The execution team needs to understand the value drivers for all requests to prioritize appropriately. The business needs to understand and represent the position of the execution team.
Transparency is required on both sides.
End of the day, it’s a team effort. Working together to have a shared point of view will help frame context around any situation.
Everyone must be comfortable with the process and have confidence in the core idea that the strongest / most impactful work will take primary focus.
It takes time. You have to be cautious of political pressure to ensure that associated benefit and value is the core driver. But, when all the teams begin to click, the best work will come through to survive and thrive.