Before we even begin explaining the Agile frameworks (E.g. Scrum, Kanban, XP, etc.), we need to establish an understanding of “What Agile is”.
It is important to identify that while Scrum, Kanban, or any other frameworks are Agile, the contrary is not true. In other words, Agile is not an entity, a framework, or a methodology. Instead, Agile is a collection of values and principles that encourages a certain type of behavior.
Think of Agile as a thought system.
It is a way of thinking about
- How we work as a team
- How we focus on our customer
- How we deliver value
- How we continuously improve
1. How we work as a team:
Agile is more than just a way to build great products that succeed in the market. It is about building a workplace environment with ethics that are human-based. Namely, Agile pays attention to symptoms of overburden, which will inevitably introduce re-work and dysfunctions later in the work process. Instead, emphasis is placed on respecting peoples’ own rhythm and capacity, as well as creating an environment that involves greater learning and a creative tension; thereby, driving a team’s motivation and success.
Agile makes work enjoyable again.
2. How we focus on our customer:
Agile is about delighting our customer by delivering what they need when they need it. Opposed to focusing on “Output” measured through productivity, Agile focuses on “Outcome” measured through customer satisfaction — normally expressed in terms of fulfillment of expectations. Hence, Agile encourages customer collaboration in order to achieve higher level of customer satisfaction.
3. How we deliver value:
Agile is the relentless focus on delivering value, learning quickly, and continuously improving by incorporating feedback. Inspired by the Toyota Product Development System (TPDS), the focus of Agile is to “establish customer-defined value in order to separate value-added activity from waste”. In other words, anything that is not adding value to the customer is eliminated.
4. How we continuously improve:
Agile optimizes the workflow, the information flow, and all necessary exchanges to achieve the shared business goal. Think of it as taking the brakes off of an organization and getting out of the way in order to build an internal capability of getting things done. Agile creates empowered, self-organizing teams that are composed of diversely skilled individuals — who can pull information from one another through questioning and collaboration; thereby, improving the overall feedback loop.
The main takeaway is to remember that Agile is a means to your goal. By being focused, disciplined, and adaptable, Agile can be described in four words: Stop starting. Start finishing.
This is the second part of our “Introduction to Agile” series. For Part 1, click here. Stay tuned for Part 3: The Top 3 Myths of Agile! In the mean time, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at na-office@agile42.com.
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Source: Agile Transition — What you need to know before you start
