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Agile is nothing but the ability to move quickly and efficiently in an uncertain environment (being Iterative & Incremental).
In simple words, Agile is a mindset towards change
With the Agile mindset in place the agile values and principles provides guidance on how to create and respond to change and how to deal with uncertainty.
Building self organizing teams is one of the most important part of being agile, but the challenge is coaching and guiding teams to self manage, solving problems on their own, it needs consistent coaching and guidance from the managers/leaders.
If your team can identify and manage the day to day work and complete within timelines and solve the day to day problems, your projects will be doing wonders.
Self organizing team has all the skills necessary to deliver the Increment (Done)
Majority of the businesses are attempting to instill this attitude in its employees, encouraging them and be open towards change and self organizing. But it needs a paradigm culture shift.
Here is a simple example to show the number of searches done about agile
The Agile manifesto
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
While the items on the right are important as part of project, but agile manifesto values the items on the left which is highlighted in blue
12 Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto
Below are the guiding practices that support teams in implementing and executing with agility.
- Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
- Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
- Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
- Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
- Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
- The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation. (Covid has definitely proved we can run projects successfully working at home but the value working with teams face to face is not comparable)
- Working software is the primary measure of progress.
- Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
- Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
- Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
- The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
- At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
Key Roles in Agile Product Development
- Product Owner
- Development Team Members
- Scrum Master
- Stakeholders
- Agile Mentor or Coach
Agile Artifacts
- Vision Statement
- Product Roadmap
- Product backlog
- Release Plan
- Sprint Backlog
- Increment
If you click on the subway map, it will lead you to the Agile Subway Map website, where you can look up the definitions for each term.
If you are new to this you may notice a lot of jargons and verbiages which are quite difficult to understand. It is very common.
If you don’t understand any of the above, just don’t worry. In a nutshell what is agile is well presented in this 11 minute short video by Cynthia Kahn.
Apply Agile Practices in Your Life and Be Happier | Cynthia Kahn | TEDxBartonSpringsWomen
Useful links:
- https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/agile-glossary/
- https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/12-principles-behind-the-agile-manifesto/
- https://www.agilealliance.org/agile101/agile-glossary/
- https://www.dummies.com/careers/project-management/agile-project-management-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/
Conclusion
Today Agile has become the go to framework or the buzzword across many organizations as it maximizes value to the customers and the individuals delivering the value.
More importantly, it empowers team members to work creatively and effectively.
So Agile is a mindset towards change
Have you tried to build agile in your processes or teams, what are the challenges did you face while you tried to initiate this mindset. please leave your comments below.