Break the Dilemma of Adopting Agile in a Waterfall Environment
Exploring the integration of agile mindsets into waterfall practices in organizations with multi-layered hierarchies and rigid regulations
Waterfall and Agile are two vastly different worlds of project management. The Waterfall approach follows a linear process, starting with the gathering of requirements and then continuing to the rollout phase after each stage is completed. On the other hand, the Agile approach is based on iterative development cycles which focus on delivering incremental pieces of a project ahead of customers. It is not necessary to define strict initial requirements; instead, there is an evolving wish list of product ideas that will be prioritized, created, and delivered in short sprints over time.
In recent years, Agile has quickly become the methodology of choice for digital transformation projects across various industries. Companies such as Google and Airbnb have all enjoyed great success due to this fast-track approach. Statistics show that over 70% of companies plan to adopt Agile in 2022 — significantly higher than any other method. This popularity can be attributed to its numerous advantages — improved visibility over deliverables, a higher success rate for projects, and increased profits for businesses.
The promise of quality offered by a purely agile approach seems alluring, but it may not be suitable for every project.
Large companies in certain regions must adhere to auditing and regulating practices with fixed requirements and timelines; while construction firms often find it difficult to be highly agile and deliver unfinished architecture to customers at an early stage. Monopolistic companies from different sectors may also be unwilling to transition to a new approach when traditional guidelines and experienced personnel exist following years of executing projects via a waterfall process.
Though many businesses view waterfall as the preferred process, this does not mean they need to abandon all ideas related to agility. Waterfall alone is often insufficient for achieving excellence. We can learn from the values and principles of an agile method and incorporate its spirit into the waterfall to embrace an efficient and productive working culture that will increase stakeholders’ satisfaction and bolster customer interaction.
There are common roadblocks while managing waterfall projects. Here are some of them you may face:
1. Insufficient transparency with clients: Clients can only review deliverables towards the end of the project.
2. Minimal collaboration between various functional teams: Team members have limited visibility of project responsibilities and progress.
3. Slow pace of learning within the team: Teams internally have few opportunities to digest, reflect on, and share feedback about their performance.
You may notice that all issues we have encountered are around people. This is a common drawback to the waterfall model and can be counteracted by adopting an agile approach. Here is one of the manifestoes of agile software development:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
We should always strive to build relationships and communicate effectively to ensure everyone is driven toward achieving the same objective. This sounds ideal, let us explore more concrete aspects.
Involve clients in an iterative cycle
It may take over a year to convert lengthy requirements into deliverables. The risks of project failure can be manifold. To mitigate this risk, we should begin with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to get our requirements validated and approve them with minimal effort. If there are too many inexperienced developments for the new projects, it is advisable to identify milestone-driven dependencies to break down the project milestones into multiple achievable steps or accomplish them phase by phase. Customer feedback can be continuously captured throughout the project. This will thus ensure a smoother process of product delivery during the development lifecycle.
Break the silo between functional teams
Most agile teams are comprised of T-shaped professionals: personnel with both specialty and cross-functional competencies. This is the result of sharing knowledge over time, paired with comprehensive training. As a result, team members have a clearer understanding of each other’s duties, thus driving the effectiveness of the whole squad.
Conversely, in waterfall projects, each team is assigned distinct job roles and responsibilities from the beginning. While this strategy can be useful for tackling complex project scopes that require big resources to complete each part, it’s essential to promote collaboration for technical problem-solving scenarios that necessitate swarming for collective brainstorming. Flowduck and Microsoft Teams are examples of useful tools for facilitating informal/organized chats through different channels.
Bring a transparent and open-minded culture into the team
Team leaders often have greater authority within waterfall projects, but it’s important to avoid micromanagement. This means not only delegating the tasks but also steering away from nitpicking on smaller errors made by juniors. Instead, act as a mentor and coach rather than an instructor. Encouraging trust and empowerment among team members can foster creativity, innovation, and productivity in the workplace.
Meet as a group regularly (such as once a month) to reflect upon each milestone of a project. Utilizing programs like Slido or Polly will also aid team interaction through features such as anonymous Q&A so that members feel comfortable conveying their honest opinions without fear of judgment. These activities offer a more decentralized approach to working, enabling the removal of any potential roadblocks along the way.
Takeaway
Organizations with decades of experience in waterfall projects tend to have a vertical hierarchy structure, with multiple levels of leadership. The transition to an agile mindset and the choices of management approaches will determine how successful the organization can be. Although change can be challenging, the key lies in focusing on agility as a value and principle; by ‘being agile’ over ‘doing agile’, real progress can be made. Organizations can move towards agility without having to completely overhaul their system — the path to success lies in gradually introducing and continuing to make small changes.
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