I
have worked with several teams in the past half a decade, across the globe.
There has been confusion among many professionals centring on the fact of
calling Agile as a specific ‘Methodology’.
So, the question is, if you can’t call Agile a Methodology, what is it actually?
Googling
the definition of the term provides you with the following results:
agile
adjective
able
to move quickly and easily.
“Ruth
was as agile as a monkey”
nimble
Relating
to or denoting a method of project management, used especially for software
development, that is characterized by the division of tasks into short phases
of work and frequent reassessment and adaptation of plans.
What is the explanation for ‘simple
yet fast’?
In
order to know the answer clearly, you can watch True History of Agile. The
video clip clearly tells that agile coach training is practically a strong,
balanced philosophy. It is about a continuous process of learning, and evolving
your mindset. In the context of developing a software product, Agile is, in
essence, the capacity to quickly respond efficiently to changes more rapidly,
maintaining simplicity.
Nowadays,
without simplifying their business and intent of continuous learning, several
organisations call themselves Agile.
Even
today, when I interact with various executives, who claim they are agile, I
find out that there is inefficiency in the implementation of the right
principles within the framework. Moreover, these executives don’t deliver consistently.
They don’t aim to iterate focusing on incremental solutions. There is no
continuous improvement in the framework. Particularly, teams are not
self-managing. They are also not empowered. Worse, the heavyweight and commonly
used methodologies today have no resemblance with the agile principles and
concepts described clearly in Agile Manifesto.
Many
among us, who are experienced, can identify what authentic agile is, and what
is not. Yet, it seems difficult to define it. Agile is beyond the ‘four value
statements’, or the 12 principles, mentioned in the Agile Manifesto.
For me, Agile is:
Expertise
to respond faster with simplicity, improving continuously by expanding the
overall solution space and adding value in the context of the teams and organization
involved in the creation of such solution sets for our customers that are
valuable.
What
is your experience in this regard?
