Agile is not synonymous with Un-preparedness

Many a times, in name of agile, I have heard that

1. Planning isn't necessary, as we need to work on what comes our way.
2. Control of work is to be eliminated as members will pick the next story once they finish their current load,
3. Clients are free to submit the changes they want and move it to iterations or extend the schedules of Sprints,
4. Technology and architecture (code in software/IT) can be modified at later time and redone as the requirements evolve anytime during the course of the project.
5. Team members can come and go and will only be retained for the part they need to spend their timeand many similar stories...
6. These are perceptions that are difficult to change and are needless to be associated, just because the word "agile" loosely means "flexibility".

In fact to be agile, it requires a great amount of preparedness. Each stakeholder (Client, Sponsor, Reviewers, Consultants, Vendors, Developers, Designers, Testers, Support staff) all require to posses in themselves:

1. Attitude, Alertness, Adaptiveness, Swiftness, Resourcefulness, Decisiveness on the job
2. Abilities to present, praise, practice, preach and be with passion through to the job sign-off
3. Accept self-introspection, Admit faults in open, Assess the future state continuously
4. Channelize the learning, Champion a cause, Customize their skills

It will be great to see results from agile implemented as a people practice and the team transforming their project and results experience rather than the other way around.