agile without a capital A and the future of work

Caveats for readers

1. I am no software developer, so what I write is not from the perspective of having used agile for complex software development. 
2. I do think that as humans, we run pretty advanced software within us, of which we ourselves are the developers. Agile is a way of being, which influences the way we develop and run that software inside us. 

Not long ago, I held the world of technology, particularly information technology as something I could hardly understand and therefore something I disliked. Terms like Agile, Scrum were alien and distant. And then, I went through a period where, after various experiences of examining my own deeply held assumptions and beliefs, I emerged with a much more lived understanding of what it means to ‘be agile’ and ‘live agile’- and how that changes the development and release of my own internal software - my thoughts, emotions and actions. Since then, agile without a capital A, has become something of a friend. 

I stumbled upon the Agile Manifesto today and I was blown by its elegance and relevance. The parlance of software development aside, I find the items in the manifesto and the relative importance of the items on the left (here in bold) over that on the right, to be a heuristic for individual and organizational success in the future of work. And every item has passed the test in my own lived experiences. I wouldn’t be venturing to write about agile otherwise.

The four items on the agile manifesto are:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools: In the conceptual age that we are in today, and in a future of work where increasing automation and technology will provide the processes and tools, individuals and interactions become the centrepiece. An example in a similar vein is Insight facilitated by Analytics. 

Working software over comprehensive documentation: If we look at the rapidly shortening shelf-life of skills and knowledge, again the future of work is one where ‘working software’ - a package of skills, mindsets and knowledge which is continuously evolving, will be in much greater demand than comprehensive repositories of static knowledge. 

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation: I take this to mean empathy and a shared purpose which binds different stakeholders, in place of hard and water-tight structures and rules of engagement. Within a shared purpose, there is much more play for innovation, responsiveness, inter-changeability of roles and meeting diverse needs. 

Responding to change over following a plan - This one holds true especially in greenfield areas where there are multiple and complex variables. 

Coming back to the analogy of one’s internal software, an agile way of being, which is built on the principles in the agile manifesto, ensures the continuous reinvention and learning needed for professional success in the VUCA future of work. To illustrate

Principles behind agile manifesto and how they apply to developing and releasing internal software

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software - the software here can be understood as our mix of skills and mindsets and professional narrative which we have to continuously update to serve the needs of the market. As an example, when was the last time you updated your Linked In profile?  
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage - we are finally waking up to the crisis of mid-career stagnation which looms large when we do not change in response to a dynamic environment and the different set of requirements that creates. Thinking and living agile means openness to new avatars, even late in development. Not only do I personally identify with this (believing that the best is yet to come), I think the deep resonance with this idea has been behind the recent viral success of this piece on late bloomers. 
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale - frequent delivery of working software is analogous to experimenting with new ideas, beliefs, assumptions and acting on them (release of software), For instance, through writing this piece, I am experimenting with my own ability to connect a less familiar term from the software development domain to the workings of the human mind. 
4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project - ok, well you may not want to meet a pesky client daily, but you get the point. To develop ‘software’ (read yourself) which satisfies the business requirements, listen to what is going on in the environment through frequent interactions and conversations with other ‘developers’ (individuals) and business people.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done - your own interests, latent desires and values are akin to the motivated individuals who will provide the firepower for your professional aspirations to materialise. Pay heed to these, and build your learning and professional paths around these. Ever thought about acting on your latent desire to get back at the system? Combine it with your great storytelling skills and you could have a very successful career in stand-up comedy!                   
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation - you are your own developer - take time out to check-in with yourself. Or as I say to myself, "of course I talk to myself. Sometimes I need expert advice!" 
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress - you are your own measure. Aside from all the markers of progress out there, measure progress by seeing who you are today vis-a-vis who you were yesterday, and not relative to the today of someone else. 
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinite- sustainable development and maintenance of your internal software requires you to pay attention to your energy - cognitive, emotional and physical. All three working in tandem, will allow you to maintain a constant pace of software development.  And breakneck speed is not the only component of agile - know that the cheetah needs almost half an hour of rest after a high-speed chase, even before it gets to eat its kill.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility - good design is at the heart of agile and good design is anchored to a strong ‘why’. Design your life and upgrade your internal software to the best version it can be to support that design.
10. Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential - this one is perhaps counter-intuitive but if one truly imbibes the essence of agile, a lot of non-essential stuff just falls away. This is also intimately linked to good design - a good design makes it easy to spot what is superfluous and unnecessary. Think Mark Zuckerberg’s and Steve Jobs’ sartorial choices!

1. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams - co-opt yourself and a few trusted others with shared values into your team. This is the design and devops team for your internal software. 
2. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly - a practice of cultivating self-awareness, supported by an agile coach (not necessarily an ‘Agile’ with a capital A  coach) and your devops teams, allows you to make tweaks in your software. 

At the end, it is vitally important to emphasise that the agile way doesn’t dispense with the items on the right (from the agile manifesto). Given that we are hurtling towards a more complex, uncertain future, prioritising items on the left, could be our best bet. Which of these agile manifesto items or principles do you resonate with the most? And which one do you want to put into practice?

I am an agile coach, using my lived experiences of adopting the agile way to facilitate leadership development and career transitions. I will be facilitating Urja - a workshop for developing cognitive and emotional agility in Nov - if you want to know more, write to me at [email protected].