The Agile Way

What makes Agile, Agile? Do you have to be working in a certain way to be considered an Agile team? What does it look like transitioning to an Agile team?

First let’s step back and look at a method on the opposite side of the spectrum. It may be easier to explain Agile, by explaining what it is not. The waterfall method is an approach that takes a long list of requirements and sets a hard deadline much later in time for these requirements to be met. After these requirements are met, the product finally makes it to the user. Sometimes the user is satisfied, sometimes the user is displeased.

While the product is being developed, the user blindly waits around “behind a wall” until the requirements and deadlines are met. In a perfect world, the technology team would work off of the given requirements and engineer a perfect product for the user. But as you know, unfortunately we’re never in a perfect world. Here are a few examples of what could go wrong…

·      There was miscommunication or a misunderstanding on the requirements of the product.

·      After development has finished, the user identifies their use cases have changed and now the product needs to be tweaked.

·      After use of the product, the user realizes that the product has no affect on accomplishing their goal and is a complete waste. (Hopefully not the case)

Although it may seem like waterfall is a poor approach, there are some good use cases for it. It creates a strict, clear plan forward and creates a definitive end goal with knowledge of what date to expect the product to be completed. So, if there are good use cases for the waterfall methodology, does that means there isn’t just one way to develop a product?

Correct, that is exactly what Agile is about, pulling styles and approaches from different places to help your team work at the most efficient rate. Every team works well differently and every product needs to be constructed in its own way.

So to answer the question,

“Do you have to be working in a certain way to be considered an Agile team?

No. There is no official checklist that says if you meet all of these conditions, then you are undoubtedly an Agile team.

What matters is that your team focuses on “guidelines” provided and offered by the Agile community. To be more specific, the Agile methodology was first brought to life from the group of individuals that created the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Their overall belief states…

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

Instead of losing sleep over what tools to use and what processes to follow, focus on communication within the team and cross teams. Keep in constant communication with your users and teammates, because a gap in knowledge sharing creates opportunity for error.

Instead of dreading to create extensive detailed documentation, focus on creating readable working software.

Instead of fighting back and forth between customers over contract deadlines, focus on communicating with the customer and keeping them in the loop every step of the way.

Instead of following a strict predictive plan, focus on being ready to adapt to change for the better. Never look too far ahead, because the world is rapidly changing and so will your product.