What does it mean to be Agile?
by Hector HurtadoAgile methodologies are streamlined iterative software cycles, eliminating any steps not critical to the completion of a project. The discarded steps are commonly referred to as waste.
Reducing waste naturally shortens cycles, yet the time gained can be used to deliver faster, make time for unplanned changes, or both. In fact, Agility does not implicitly mean faster delivery or more productivity: it is rather an acknowledgement that not all requirements and decisions can be made up front, and so change should be an accepted part of any software project rather than the frowned upon exception.
The Agile manifesto is a set of 4 values and 12 principles aimed at collaboration, delivery, and adaptation. Concise in its form, it serves as inspiration for Agile methodologies, of which there are many – the most popular being Extreme Programming, Lean, and Scrum.
What is deemed waste, and in which quantity, varies from one methodology to another. Additional practices segregate methodologies further, but the values and principles remain.
To better understand what it means to be Agile, let us consider two scenarios of large companies I have interacted with in my professional career. Their work ethics and environment will certainly feel familiar, thus providing me with a solid introduction to Getting Things Done and Agile methodologies.
| Company 1 | Company 2 |
|---|---|
| Values aristocracy and degrees | values meritocracy and field experience |
| forces rigid processes and documentation at all levels and times, down to its employees | expects steering and follow-up documentation from managers only |
| ratio managers/employees: 0.3 and above | ratio managers/employees: about 0.1 |
communication highly praised: “a full calendar is proof of work being done”
|
communication on a diet: “an empty calendar is proof of getting things done”
|
| poor investment in staff training | strong investment in staff training |
| numerous holidays, loose dress code | little holidays, strict dress code |
Food for thoughts: which company is more communicative? Which company is more productive? Which company has happier employees?
In other words, how can we apply the principles behind the manifesto and become more Agile?
COMMUNICATION: say more with less
While communication is essential, you should consider how much, how often, and how long. There comes a point where the work needs to be done, and “all words no facts” will get you nowhere.
Formal meetings eat up your time. Just consider how much time is spent from the moment you plan a meeting until the meeting and all its corollary tasks end – that is, presentation and meeting minutes included. In fact, formal meetings take so much time that it has been turned into a joke! Could you really not say more with less, sharing ideas fast, standing up by the coffee machine or having a quick morning status?
A colleague enters the room: Hi there, do you have five minutes for me?
At company 1: oh, sorry I have no time now… Tell you what, schedule a meeting!
At company 2: sure, what do you need?
Do you really not have five minutes? Not even thirty seconds to assess if you can help now or indeed postpone? An opportunity for effective communication is sadly wasted. Liven up your communication is a first simple step to do more, faster.
DOCUMENTATION: avoid the Kafka’s syndrom
Documentation, or written communication, helps everyone know they are on the same page, pun intended. While there is no doubt civilizations have advanced in leaps and bounds with the advent of writing, too much documentation kills what matters and gets you nowhere. We all have one bad bureaucratic experience that would make Kafka laugh. Why perpetuate this?
“Those who are able to adapt and change in accord with the enemy to achieve victory are called divine” ~ Sun Tzu, The Art of War
While it is important to plan ahead, it is even more important to adapt to circumstances. Writing too much documentation in advance is a loss when the time comes for change. Consider how to describe your minimal set of requirements in the least documents possible. Company 2, with a simple steering project document and post documentation is at a clear advantage to face adversity.
“If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter” ~ Cicero
Lenghty documentation takes time to author and time to read. Be succint in your documents by dealing shortly with the necessary points. This helps reducing confusion among your readers and minimizes the risk of rewriting in case of changes. Like Cicero, you may spend a bit more time writing great documents, but with less documents to write and more clarity at stake, all parties involved will benefit.
LEVEL THE GROUND: empower your team with sense of ownership
In line with bureaucracy, too many levels of managements lenghten workflows and validation processes. Instead, why not believe in your staff’s abilities to deliver the best they can? Why hiring people that you implicitly mistrust? All employees have an ego to satisfy, so the best way to generate love for work is to trust your staff and give them responsibility in their chosen field. Senior employees will appreciate the vote of confidence, while juniors will take the challenge to match your expectations.
Manager at company 1: I want to be informed of all communication regarding the project, put me in copy of all e-mails. Do not take any decision without consulting with me first – as I myself have to report to my manager and so forth upto the reviewing committee.
Manager at company 2: this is your area, I believe you will choose the best options through experience or research. If you need me, we’ll have a chat. Otherwise go ahead and decide, I trust you.
Saving costs and time with less management empowers everyone, even the managers. By claiming expertise, an application, or a business process, individuals or their teams get higher value and are appreciative of the trust granted.
INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM: stimulate individuals and energize work
If your company applies the first three suggestions, it is already well ahead of its game. This last suggestion is merely an extension of the previous one, that is helping your staff grow by facilitating education and a good working environment. Investing in training is an important step in making your staff more self-sufficient and valuable. Yet, training alone does not help retain said staff within the company. This second part is achieved by creating a pleasant work environment. From a simple appreciation of work well done, to team activities or a more casual dress code, a lot can be done in this direction, and often, all it takes is to ask your staff directly!
In our examples, company 2 highly increases the value of individuals by investing strongly in training, yet it does not grant much time to rest from a work well done, nor does it create a more relaxed atmosphere with a casual dress code. Company 1 generates more happiness with lots of holidays and casual clothing, but does not empower individuals with more expertise and responsibility, thus perpetuating their myth of necessary controls and validation by ways of management. In terms of happiness, company 1 is ahead, but in terms of productivity, company 2 takes the upper hand. There is no clear winner on this one.
Conclusion
Agile methodologies are not for everyone, even less for every work environment. At the very least, it demands a small group of individuals dedicated to a project and committed to see it through while working as a team. While you can present and educate upper management on the benefits of being Agile, you cannot force Agile processes on the team itself. People are usually reluctant to change and, if your team members are not ready for this new mindset, consider examining and streamlining your current processes first, without adhering to a particular methodology. You should soon see an improvement in productivity, and the results might energize your team to scrutinize Agile methods further.
Embrace Agile!