Agile Mindset Key for Success
This is the start of a series where I’ll talk about Agile and Project Governance. Over my 20 years in IT, working in consulting companies, I’ve worked on many projects with different customers, each bringing its own challenges. Adapting to new workstyles, client needs, and market shifts has been a continuous journey for me. Flexibility has been key, and I credit my Lean-Agile mindset for making this adventure smoother.
Since I began my career, Agile has been a major part of how I tackle projects. From my experiences, I’m convinced that sticking to Agile principles is crucial. I’m passionate about promoting agility in the workplace and constantly striving to get better at it.
In these articles, I want to share what I’ve learned. Remember, this is just my perspective, based on what I’ve seen and experienced. Feel free to take what you find helpful and ignore the rest. I welcome challenges to my ideas and am eager to engage with differing viewpoints. Let’s work together to make our projects even better.
So, this first post will cover some fundamental concepts that I believe are essential to understand before digging deeper into the subject. I’ve noticed on numerous occasions that these basic concepts are often misunderstood or misinterpreted. While this article won’t go into exhaustive explanations of Agile or its associated frameworks like Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, XP, etc., I do feel it’s important to start from the beginning.
What Exactly is Agile?
Agile is the ability to create and respond to change. It is a way of dealing with, and ultimately succeeding in an uncertain and turbulent environment.
Agile is a Way of Working and a mindset that influences how we choose to think and act.
Agile is a product development approach (it is not a methodology). It is a collection of values and principles, under the Agile Manifesto, about software development (Agile Manifesto in 2001).
Agile Software Development
Agile software development is a way of working together on projects. It’s based on the values and principles outlined in the Agile Manifesto. When you’re developing software, it’s helpful to follow these values and principles to figure out the best approach for your situation. They serve as a guide for decision-making, tailored to your unique circumstances.
What makes Agile different from other methods is its focus on the people involved and how they collaborate. Teams work together flexibly, adapting their methods as needed.
Under the umbrella of agile there are different ways teams can collaborate, all with the same Agile mindset and principles in mind. One popular method is called Scrum (Scrum Guide), commonly used in software development.
What Agile is Not.
One important thing we need to consider is while agile certainly offers valuable concepts, it was never intended to serve as a project management framework or methodology. Agile, as mentioned above, is an approach driven by values and principles under it.
In future articles, we’ll discuss how to implement governance in agile environments. But for now, it’s important to recognize that agile isn’t a project management framework
If not Agile, then Waterfall?
Effective practices aren’t exclusive to Agile, nor were they invented by Agile. Agile enthusiasts tend to label any method other than Agile as “Waterfall.” This is a big oversimplification and misunderstanding of project management frameworks. Many well-executed (non-Agile) projects have employed the following practices for decades:
· Teams have different skills, and decision-makers are part of the team.
· Talk face-to-face about important things.
· Use simple pictures that are easy to make and change.
· Talk every day about what we’re doing.
· Try things out and show them early.
· Show our work to the people who will use it, and listen to what they say.
The practices outlined above are vital for preventing errors and complications in projects. This not only speeds up the process but also ensures that our final output aligns effectively with our customers’ genuine needs and expectations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, in today’s fast-changing world, the agile mindset is vital for success.
It’s more than just using tools; it’s about how we think about work and adapting to new challenges. Being agile helps businesses stay competitive by quickly adjusting to changes and customer needs. It’s all about being flexible, working together, and focusing on what customers want.
By embracing agility, companies can stay resilient and ahead of the game. So what are you waiting for? Start adopting the agile mindset today!
Within Version 1, we’ve already initiated:
Cultivating collaboration and fostering a one-team culture. Providing feedback and exchanging ideas for enhancing customer engagement.
Improve and innovate: asses processes, identify areas for improvement and explore new ways to add value to our customers.
As we learn more about agile and project governance in the next articles, remember how important it is to have an agile mindset for success in our ever-changing world.
About the Author
Vanesa Alvarez is a Delivery Manager at Version 1.
