Introduction
Agility has become indispensable in a landscape defined by rapid change and constant evolution. Originally designed for software development, agile has expanded its reach, significantly impacting project management, product management, leadership, and organizational development and culture. Understanding Agile’s principles is crucial for navigating today’s dynamic business environments, often characterized by VUCA, which is an acronym that stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. These conditions highlight the necessity for flexibility and swift adaptation and becoming agile is currently one of the best solutions that organizations have.
Just as a side note: In recent years, a new acronym, BANI, has emerged to further describe contemporary challenges: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible. Organizations are increasingly adopting Agile to manage these complexities effectively.
This blog post explores in a as much as possible framework agnostic way:
the origin and emergence of agility,
it’s core values and principles,
different definitions of agility,
agility in the context of teams
the current state of agility within teams and their challenges, impact achieved and opportunities and
an overview of the most popular frameworks
The Origins of Agile
Background on Pre-2000s Software Development Challenges
Before Agile, software development faced significant challenges with rigid methodologies like the Waterfall model. Projects were typically divided into distinct phases – requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and deployment – each following the other in a linear sequence. This inflexible approach led to several issues:
Delayed Feedback: Feedback was received late in the process, often when it was too costly to implement changes.
Missed Deadlines: Projects frequently overran their schedules due to unforeseen issues emerging late in the development cycle.
Quality Issues: Testing at the end of the project lifecycle meant that bugs and issues were discovered too late to be effectively addressed.
Creation of the Agile Manifesto in 2001
In response to these challenges, a group of seventeen software developers gathered at a ski resort in Snowbird, Utah, in 2001. This meeting led to the creation of the Agile Manifesto, a groundbreaking document that articulated a new approach to software development. The manifesto emphasized:
Individuals and Interactions over processes and tools
Working Software over comprehensive documentation
Customer Collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to Change over following a plan
These values underscored a shift from rigid, process-centric methodologies to flexible, people-centric practices.
Key Figures and Initial Principles
Several key figures were instrumental in the development and popularization of Agile principles:
Kent Beck: Creator of Extreme Programming (XP), which influenced Agile practices with its focus on technical excellence and customer satisfaction.
Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber: Co-creators of Scrum, a framework that provides specific roles, events, and artifacts to implement Agile principles effectively.
Alistair Cockburn: A pioneer of the Crystal methodology, which emphasizes the importance of people and communication in software development.
To get the full list visit: agilemanifesto.org
The initial principles of Agile, outlined in the manifesto, include:
Satisfying the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
Welcoming changing requirements, even late in development.
Delivering working software frequently, with a preference for shorter timescales.
Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers.
Building projects around motivated individuals, giving them the environment and support they need, and trusting them to get the job done.
Face-to-face conversation as the most efficient and effective method of conveying information within a development team.
Working software as the primary measure of progress.
Sustainable development, maintaining a constant pace indefinitely.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential.
The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
Regular reflections on how to become more effective, then tuning and adjusting behavior accordingly.
Demystifying the Agile Manifesto
Satisfying the Customer through Early and Continuous Delivery of Valuable Software
The primary goal of Agile is to keep the customer satisfied by delivering valuable software early and continuously. This means providing small, functional pieces of the product at regular intervals, ensuring that the product meets the customer’s needs and expectations. Frequent updates allow for timely feedback and adjustments, leading to a product that aligns closely with the customer’s vision.
Example: Imagine building a website. Instead of waiting until the entire site is finished, the team first delivers the homepage. The customer reviews it, gives feedback, and the team improves it. This way, the customer sees progress and can suggest changes early on.
Welcoming Changing Requirements, Even Late in Development
Agile values flexibility and welcomes changing requirements, even if they come late in the development process. Being open to changes allows the team to adapt to new insights and evolving customer needs. This adaptability often results in a superior end product that better serves its intended purpose.
Example: If a customer decides they need a new feature added to the app they’re developing, the team adapts and incorporates the new feature, even if they are close to completing the initiative for the product.
Delivering Working Software Frequently, with a Preference for Shorter Timescales
In Agile, delivering working software frequently is crucial, with a preference for shorter timescales, such as every few weeks. Regular deliveries enable quick feedback and ensure that the product evolves in the right direction. This approach keeps the product aligned with customer needs and market demands.
Example: Instead of delivering a completed game after six months, a game development team delivers a new playable level every two weeks. This allows players to test and enjoy parts of the game sooner and give feedback on each level.
Close, Daily Cooperation Between Business People and Developers
Effective collaboration between business people and developers is a cornerstone of Agile. Daily cooperation ensures that everyone is on the same page and working towards common goals. This close interaction helps in addressing any issues promptly and keeps the initiative or project moving forward smoothly.
Example: In a small startup, the marketing team and developers meet every morning to discuss progress and align their goals. This daily interaction helps quickly resolve any issues and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Building Projects Around Motivated Individuals, Giving Them the Environment and Support They Need, and Trusting Them to Get the Job Done
Agility thrive when built around motivated individuals. Providing team members with the right environment and support is essential for success. Trusting the team to accomplish their tasks fosters a sense of ownership and accountability, leading to higher productivity and innovation.
Example: A tech company provides its developers with the latest computers and software, a comfortable workspace, and trusts them to manage their own schedules. This support helps the team stay motivated and productive.
Face-to-Face Conversation as the Most Efficient and Effective Method of Conveying Information Within a Development Team
Face-to-face conversation is considered the most efficient and effective method of communication within an Agile team. It reduces misunderstandings and fosters better relationships among team members. Direct interaction ensures that information is conveyed accurately and promptly.
Example: A team working on a new mobile app holds regular in-person meetings where they can quickly discuss issues and brainstorm solutions, rather than relying on long email threads or messages.
Working Software as the Primary Measure of Progress
In Agile, the primary measure of progress is working software. This focus ensures that the team is delivering tangible, functional features rather than just completing tasks or producing documentation or working on multiple things which are at the end not finished. It keeps everyone aligned with the ultimate goal of creating a valuable product.
Example: A team working on an e-commerce site tracks their progress by the number of functional features they have developed, like a working shopping cart and a payment gateway, rather than the number of tasks completed.
Sustainable Development, Maintaining a Constant Pace Indefinitely
Sustainable development is about maintaining a consistent and manageable pace of work. This approach prevents burnout and ensures that the team can sustain their productivity over the long term. Agile promotes setting realistic workloads that can be maintained indefinitely.
Example: Instead of working long hours during crunch time, a software development team consistently works 40-hour weeks, ensuring they can maintain this pace without getting exhausted.
Continuous Attention to Technical Excellence and Good Design
Agile emphasizes continuous attention to technical excellence and good design. High-quality code and a well-designed architecture are crucial for building a robust and maintainable product. This focus on excellence ensures that the software can evolve and adapt to future needs.
Example: A team developing a new software tool regularly refactors their code to keep it clean and efficient, and they follow best practices to ensure the tool is reliable and easy to use.
Simplicity—The Art of Maximizing the Amount of Work Not Done—is Essential
Simplicity is a core principle of Agile. It involves maximizing the amount of work not done by focusing on the essential features and avoiding unnecessary complexity. A simple approach reduces potential issues and increases efficiency.
Example: When designing a new app feature, the team focuses on the core functionality that users need most, avoiding unnecessary extras that would complicate the design and development process.
The Best Architectures, Requirements, and Designs Emerge from Self-Organizing Teams
Agile believes that the best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. When teams have the autonomy to manage their work, they are more innovative and efficient. This self-organization leads to better solutions and a more dynamic development process.
Example: A software development team decides to adopt a new framework because they believe it will improve their workflow and product quality. They make this decision collectively, without waiting for approval from higher management.
Regular Reflections on How to Become More Effective, Then Tuning and Adjusting Behavior Accordingly
Regular reflection is key to continuous improvement in Agile. Teams periodically assess their performance and identify areas for enhancement. By tuning and adjusting their behavior based on these reflections, teams can become more effective and productive over time.
Example: After each sprint (a short, set period of work), the team holds a retrospective meeting to discuss what went well, what didn’t, and how they can improve in the next sprint. They then implement these improvements immediately.
Different Definitions of Agility
After the agile manifesto there were different definitions around agility put out in the wild. They range from being team focused to organizations and cultures. Here a snapshot of the most prominent ones:
Agile Software Development: The Cooperative Game | Alistair Cockburn | 2006 | Agility is the ability of an organization to rapidly adapt to market and environmental changes in productive and cost-effective ways. |
Agile Project Management with Scrum | Ken Schwaber | 2004 | Agility refers to the capability of a team to manage changes and continuously deliver valuable software. |
The Art of Agile Development | James Shore and Shane Warden | 2007 | Agility is the ability to create and respond to change in order to succeed in an uncertain and turbulent environment. |
Scaling Lean & Agile Development: Thinking and Organizational Tools for Large-Scale Scrum | Craig Larman and Bas Vodde | 2008 | Agility is the quality that allows an enterprise to embrace market and operational changes as a matter of routine. |
The Agile Mindset: Making Agile Processes Work | Gil Broza | 2012 | Agility is about collaborating efficiently to adapt quickly and deliver customer value. |
Continuous Delivery: Reliable Software Releases through Build, Test, and Deployment Automation | Jez Humble and David Farley | 2010 | Agility in software development is the ability to frequently deliver working software while rapidly adapting to feedback. |
Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit | Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck | 2003 | Agility is the ability to quickly respond to changes and deliver customer value with minimal waste. |
User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development | Mike Cohn | 2004 | Agility is the capacity of a team to effectively manage changing priorities and deliver incremental value. |
Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great | Esther Derby and Diana Larsen | 2006 | Agility involves the iterative improvement of processes to better respond to change and deliver value. |
Agile Software Development Ecosystems | James A. Highsmith III | 2002 | Agility is the ability to balance flexibility and stability in order to deliver continuous value in an unpredictable environment. |
Definition of Agility based on common ground found
Agility is the ability of an organization and/or team to rapidly and effectively respond to changes, deliver continuous value, and adapt to market and environmental conditions in a productive and cost-effective manner. This involves iterative improvement, efficient collaboration, and maintaining a balance between flexibility and stability to meet user & customer needs in an unpredictable environment.
Agility in the Context of Teams
Agile teams are designed to be small, self-organizing, and cross-functional, enabling them to work efficiently and adaptively. These teams typically operate in iterative cycles or continuous flow, allowing them to deliver work incrementally and respond quickly to changes.
Key Roles in Agile Teams across methods and frameworks:
Team Facilitator: The Team Facilitator acts as a guide, ensuring that the team adheres to Agile practices. They help remove any impediments that might slow the team’s progress and ensure smooth communication and process flow. Examples of team facilitators include Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches or Service Delivery Manager who facilitate Agile processes and ensures that a smooth flow is created to deliver the work.
Product Lead: The Product Lead represents the customer’s interests, prioritizing the work backlog to ensure the team works on the most valuable tasks. They act as a bridge between the customer and the team members, ensuring that the final product meets user needs.
Team Members: Composed of professionals from various disciplines, the team members work together to deliver incremental improvements. They are responsible for turning the backlog items into working product features within the workflow.
Benefits of Agility within Teams
Agile practices offer several advantages that enhance team performance and outcomes:
Increased Productivity: Agile teams focus on short-term, achievable goals, which boosts efficiency and keeps the team motivated. The iterative nature of cycles or continuous flow allows for regular accomplishments, maintaining a high level of productivity.
Enhanced Collaboration: Regular meetings and an emphasis on open communication foster a collaborative environment. Team members work closely, share knowledge, and support each other, leading to better teamwork and cohesion.
Flexibility: Agile teams can quickly adapt to changes and feedback, whether it comes from the customer or the market. This flexibility ensures that the product evolves to meet user needs and expectations more effectively.
Current Challenges
Despite its benefits, Agile implementation comes with its own set of challenges, which are shown in different studies and we also know from practical insights.
Resistance to Change: Teams accustomed to traditional methodologies may resist adopting Agile practices. This resistance can stem from a lack of understanding or comfort with established routines.
Skill Gaps: Effective Agile teams require members to be trained in Agile methodologies. A lack of experience and training can hinder the team’s effectiveness and slow down the transition to Agile practices.
Maintaining Agile Culture: As teams grow, maintaining a consistent Agile culture can be challenging. Ensuring that Agile principles are followed uniformly across larger teams or entire organizations requires continuous effort and commitment.
Prioritization and Product Management: Balancing the backlog and ensuring that the highest value items are worked on first can be difficult. Conflicting stakeholder interests and changing priorities can complicate product management and make it challenging to maintain focus on delivering customer value.
Best Practices
Several methods and best practices help Agile teams operate efficiently and maintain high standards of work:
Daily Planning Sessions: Short, daily meetings where team members discuss what needs to be achieved in the next 24 hours. These sessions promote transparency and quick resolution of issues. In Scrum they are normally clalled Daily Scrums or Stand-Ups, in Kanban you can find it under Team Kanban Meeting.
Inspect & Adapt Sessions: Regular meetings at the end of each cycle or project phase where the team reflects on what went well and what could be improved. These sessions cover both the product itself and the team’s ways of working, ideally in separate sessions. This practice fosters a culture of continuous improvement. Examples for such Sessions are: Retrospectives, Reviews, Show & Tell, Operations Review and more.
Continuous Product Discovery and Delivery: Agile teams engage in continuous product discovery and delivery, ensuring that any issues are caught and resolved early. This practice reduces the risk of working on non-value added things and reduce significant defects that helps maintain high quality.
Cross-Functional Work: Team members from different disciplines work together, helping each other to complete tasks. This approach promotes knowledge sharing, improves work quality, and reduces errors. Benefits include enhanced problem-solving, increased innovation, and a more flexible team.
Popular Frameworks and Methods used on a Team level
Frameworks / Methods | Description |
Scrum | Scrum is a framework for Agile project management that emphasizes iterative progress through time-boxed sprints. Teams work in short cycles to deliver functional product increments, with roles such as Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Team Members facilitating the process. |
Kanban | Kanban is a visual workflow management method that uses a Kanban board to visualize work items, limit work-in-progress, and optimize flow. It focuses on continuous delivery without specific time-boxed iterations. |
Extreme Programming (XP) | XP is a software development methodology that aims to improve software quality and responsiveness to changing customer requirements. Practices such as pair programming, test-driven development, and continuous integration are key components of XP. |
Lean | Lean focuses on eliminating waste, optimizing processes, and delivering value to the customer. It emphasizes continuous improvement and respect for people, often incorporating practices such as value stream mapping and just-in-time development. |
Crystal | Crystal is a family of methodologies that focuses on people, interaction, community, skills, and talents. It is designed to be adaptable and considers the size and criticality of the project. |
Looking for Part 2?
What is Agile | The Ultimative Guide Part 2 – Scrum will focus still on the team level going into the details of the most popular frameworks and methods starting with Scrum and exploring in a framework and method agnostic way, what they all have in common.
Are you on the search for agile trainings?
Check out our Academy! There you can find training around agility and more!
Comments