Don’t Try Too Hard!

 

This is probably the most important lesson I have learnt from my deep involvement in agile transformation initiatives over the last decade.

I have seen too many projects fail where the primary focus has been in implementing steps of a specific agile method--whether the environment is ready for them or not. Examples are of many types: a Daily Scrum is a great tool, but forcing folks to join a daily meeting where there is not a whole lot changing in what they do may prove counter-productive; four-week sprints are great, but don’t make much sense for a maintenance team; test-driven development is fabulous, but is a test for every getter and setter really needed?

 ... I can go on.

Successful agile projects begin with focusing on the fundamentals--and I find it helpful to refer back to the Agile Manifesto and its core principles to reinforce these fundamentals.

Agile is concerned with delivering value in an efficient and timely manner--and the different agile methods have given us many great processes and tools to achieve these goals. But most importantly, agile recognizes that the success of a project depends on the people and their level of commitment. At its core, agile is about collaboration, transparency and trust. Agile tools and processes are enablers that help facilitate teamwork and provide a roadmap for efficient execution. But they need to be…

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