What is Agile? with Sam Falco

Agile Coaches' Corner

Description:

This week, Dan Neumann shares the most downloaded episode from the Agile Coaches’ Corner podcast called What is Agile? where Sam Falco and Dan unpack the true meaning of Agile. You can’t miss it!

Key Takeaways:

• Why was it necessary for the Agile Manifesto to be declared? What is the history behind it?

• It was created in reaction to what was happening in the software industry in 2001 (predominantly waterfall and other predictive methods with lousy track records for delivering on time).

• In response to “scope creep” (AKA changes or uncontrolled growth in a project’s scope at any point after a project begins).

• Because it is tough to predict what you need to do when you’re trying to solve a new problem every time.

• Out of necessity (as any work that requires creativity and a high degree of uncertainty about the outcome you’re trying to achieve [such as software development] is difficult without a set of principles and values).

• Because every problem is unique with software development.

• In the Harvard Business Review in 1986, an article was published titled “The New New Development Game” that outlined the need for a new way of working where teams could be given objectives instead of tasks, and they work together as a unit to accomplish their work.

• The “relay race” method was clearly not working, and agility offered a better model, better compared to playing rugby.

• “Agile wasn’t: ‘Let’s get together and think about a new way of doing things.’ It was: … ‘Hey, we’re doing some things. It seems to be getting better results than the industry as a whole. What are we doing that’s common across the different methods?’” — Dan Neumann

• What is the Agile Manifesto?

• Those that came up with the Agile Manifesto didn’t put it together to justify their existence; they put it together because they recognized the success they were having through its methodology and wanted to figure out the commonalities.

• It’s the thing we point to when someone says, “What is agile?”

• If you ask if something is Agile, you can reference the manifesto’s values and principles.

• What is Agile?

• It’s creating a competitive advantage and being the disruptive force.

• Delivering working software as your primary measure of success.

• A collection of values and principles as laid out in the Agile Manifesto.

• It is the ability to respond to change and demand deliberately, not just react.

• Controlling risk:

• Building stuff that people actually want and will use.

• Solve the problem that the customer has called for and not gold-plating everything.

• Agile practices are simply that; practices — they’re good in some circumstances and not good in others.

• Are you changing just to change or are you harnessing change for competitive advantage? Is change happening to you or are you creating the change?

• Change is not just about keeping up with your competition but making your competition keep up with you.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, by Jocko Willink

The New New Product Development Game, by Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro Nonaka | Harvard Business Review (January 1986)

Agile Software Development Ecosystems: Problems, Practices, and Principles, by James A. Highsmith

The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures: Simple Rules to Unleash A Culture of Innovation, by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless

LiberatingStructures.com

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