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Feb. 22, 2024

Agility as a Mindset

I am a huge fan of agile! 
 
Agile is an organizational approach to managing software which was conceived 23 years ago by a group of software developers as an alternative to deliver products faster and adapt to change quickly.

Instead of taking many months and even years for a product to see the light, why not release sooner and let customers tell you what to improve as you go along. 

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development is THE guide which conveys the values and principles of agile for a team. If you want to hear about the origins of agile and the ski trip to Utah where all the signatories of the manifesto conceived it, listen to these interviews. 



Aside from using agility as the base of frameworks used to guide the work (i.e. Scrum, Safe and others), it is essential to remember that agility is a mindset. 

Here are some of my favorite agile principles described in the manifesto 

 “Deliver working software frequently.” 

Even if you are not a developer, you can focus on creating something of VALUE each day. 

Do you have a big project to complete? Break it into small tasks. As you get ready for a day of work, focus on a particular task. It may seem like you are making slow progress. But by committing to create and complete something each day, you’ll get immediate results and make great progress in the long term instead of leaving multiple things incomplete. 

 “Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.” 

Keeping yourself busy does not mean you are being productive. To be agile, you have to think “do I really need to do this” or “is there a more efficient way to do this task?” 

 “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.” 

As an individual, you must seek continuous improvement. Make a commitment to be better every day. Get the feedback of other people and make an effort to get better in your skillset. 

 “The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.” 

While many tech professionals may be working remotely or have interactions via chat, you must find ways to communicate with others face to face, even if it means via a virtual meeting with the camera on. This is a great way to get IMMEDIATE feedback on a product or clarification on a project. Communication is key to help us empathize and understand each other. 
Embracing this agile mindset is a great way to adopt change.  

 Are you familiar with the Agile Manifesto? What is your favorite principle?