Everyday Agile #2 Welcome Change

There are 12 Agile Principles, and I dedicate one post to each of them. When quoting the principle, I am replacing "software" with "solutions" to include areas outside of software development.

Agile Principle #2: Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.

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It took me a long time to fully embrace this principle. About five years ago, if you needed me to change a previously agreed plan, I would often REFUSE to do it. I would argue that time and resources had already been invested to make it happen and that it's impossible to change something that late in the game. Now I know that I really meant to say that it was inconvenient for me and that I felt embarrassed to contact other people involved and ask them to do something different than discussed.

The next step for me was to ACCEPT that changing plans is normal, because both the customer (the person on the receiving end of my action) and the service provider (me) learn new things as we progress in the plan. Oftentimes, circumstances are different from when we started and sticking to the plan just wouldn't make any sense.

Finally, I arrived at a point where I WELCOME change. It′s a positive sign that my customers share their new insights and concerns with me. Changing plans means that I learned something new in the process. And the inconvenience of additional communication and adjustment work is by far outweighed by the value of the final product or service.

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Last week, my partner and I went for a long weekend to Munich/Germany. We took an early flight, so we had to get up at 4 AM. We didn't sleep on the plane, of course. On the upside, we were in Munich around 10 AM and had a full day to explore the sights. My plan was to make the most out of our first day: Take a stroll downtown, find a place for lunch, go to a museum or see the sights, depending on the weather. Check into our hotel around 6 PM and have dinner. With this plan in mind, I asked my partner during lunch where he wanted to go in the afternoon. Without hesitation, his answer was: To the hotel, to take a nap. During a split second, I wanted to contest: But that wasn't the plan, do you want to waste an afternoon of our trip sleeping? Then I realized that it was the right thing to do. We were both tired, and it would have been a suffering to push through in the afternoon. So, I called the hotel to inform them of our earlier arrival, we had our nap, woke up refreshed and were ready for the evening and the rest of the weekend.

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Following this principle also makes it easier for me to overcome my embarrassment when I am the customer and want to change something between the initial order and the beginning of production. For the remodeling of my apartment, I need a pair of sliding doors. When I first contacted the company that produces and installs them, I asked for one fixed and one moving door, because the current set-up doesn't require for one of the doors to open. They sent me the offer based on my requirement and we scheduled a visit for their technician to take the final measurements. In the meantime, I talked with friends about the project, and they alerted me that I might change the set-up of that area in the future, and it could be a disadvantage not being able to open both doors. I also learned that it is possible to take the handle off one of the moving doors, so it takes up less space and can be used as a moving door simply by re-installing the handle. With my new knowledge and the confidence that the company wants to deliver a product that provides the best value for their customers, I asked the technician to change the order to two moving doors. He agreed that it was a good idea, took the measurements accordingly, adjusted the order, and I am now looking forward to a product that will serve my current and future needs.

In this example, we hadn't passed the point of no return of the process, when change is impossible or extremely costly. As a customer, we often don't know when this point has been reached, therefore clear communication is crucial. A significant advantage of being open for change throughout the process is that it makes the decision-making process in the beginning much easier and quicker. We accept that we don't have all information when we start and are ready to adjust as our knowledge grows.

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Did you experience something similar lately, in a positive or negative way? If you are familiar with the Agile Principles, do you recognize Principle #2 in my examples? I am curious to hear from you.

Did you miss the first article of this series? Here it is:

#1 CUSTOMER VALUE