You’ve probably seen it in meetings. Someone drops a spicy take, something bold, controversial, possibly career-limiting, and when questioned, they suddenly backpedal like a cornered raccoon. What just happened? You, my friend, witnessed a Motte-and-Bailey in the wild.
Here’s the breakdown:
- The Bailey is the bold, shaky claim, provocative, exciting, maybe even clickbait-y.
- The Motte is the safe, boring version, easier to defend but not what they actually meant.
The name comes from medieval castles. The bailey was the open courtyard, more valuable but vulnerable to attack. The motte was the stronghold on a hill where you’d retreat when the villagers brought pitchforks. In modern arguments, people retreat to the motte when pressed, then return to the bailey once things cool down.
When things get uncomfortable, they sprint from the bailey to the motte like someone just cut the Zoom call short to “technical difficulties.” And once the coast is clear? Back to the bailey like nothing happened.
Example? Sure.
- Bailey: “Agile is dead.”
- Pushback: “You mean the values and principles that underpin how teams deliver better products?”
- Motte: “I’m just saying we shouldn’t blindly follow ceremonies that don’t fit the context.”
See the move? You came in hot with a flamethrower, then pulled a blanket over the thermostat when it got too warm.
And it’s not just Twitter contrarians. This maneuver shows up in Agile transformations, firm-wide initiatives, and executive town halls. “We’re moving to product-based delivery” sounds bold, until you find out all they did was rename project managers to product owners and called it a day.
Why it matters in Agile
This stuff corrodes trust. If you’re constantly retreating to safer ground, people will start tuning you out, or worse, smiling while quietly routing around you.
How to avoid it
- Say what you mean. Mean what you say.
- If your bold claim can’t hold up under scrutiny, either strengthen it or stop saying it.
- Don’t act like the safe version is what you always meant. It wasn’t. We all heard you.
Bonus tip: If someone’s calling out your bailey and you retreat to the motte, don’t act like they’re the one misinterpreting you. That’s not a defense, it’s deflection.
Agile thrives on transparency and shared understanding. The motte-and-bailey move? It thrives on confusion. Don’t let it sneak into your team culture.
Heard a motte-and-bailey recently? Send it my way. I collect them like Pokémon cards and use them in retros.
Tags: agile, agile leadership, communication, fallacies, team dynamics, agile coaching, argument tactics
