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Topics: Agile, Disciplined Agile
The True Agile Approach
Network:1
Abhijit Ghorpade
Edison, NJ, USA
So what is Agile? Based on the industry experience that I have been exposed to so far, here's what I gathered on how different teams are trying to implement projects using Agile
1. A hybrid of waterfall and agile - but using the terminologies of Agile.
2. Using the prescribed rituals (stand-ups, Sprint planning, retro etc.) but just checking the box (for the sake of it)
3. An approach that is not product focussed but just focused on velocity and points - Instead of delivering a functional skateboard or a bicycle, the deliverable is a half baked car.
4. The basic required eco-system - a) Mature team b) Accessible product owner c) commitment to the scoped/planned points for the Sprint - Either all or some are missing - causing projects/products to fail.
Here's my simple approach on Agile where I was lucky enough to be a part of and what we were able to follow / achieve -
1. Architecture - ensures a good enough architecture has been thought through (so we don't pay for design gaps during Sprints) - so dedicate the first Sprint or 2 for just ensuring a solidified architecture and design.
2. Stories - Have smaller stories rather than a big one. This ensures delivery and tangibility to enable measurement of progress
3. Scope commitment - Ensure the scoped stories are committed and only exceptions can truly remove/add scope. It shouldn't be a practice every Sprint to remove/add scope.
4. Product focus - Ensure the incremental view of Product is clear enough. So the Sprints are planned and deliver incremental product as opposed to just story points. Have a functional approach (a basic feature is good enough and then build on top of it. Rather than trying to build the entire functionality horizontally and one gets to see a workable feature only after several Sprints - that makes it a mini-waterfall).
5. Reachable product owner - as needed for quick reviews/feedback and clarifications. These little touch-points bring a lot of value to the product.
6. Team - The team is a bit courageous - Meaning - they voice over concerns if any. No idealism is assumed. Informal touch-points amongst team members is encouraged.
Rest - ceremonies and rituals are very well known - But just ensure the true value each Sprint brings to the table - that's the true measure!
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Network:3067
Kiron Bondale
(Semi) Retired trainer, writer & speaker, World Class Productivity Inc.
Welland, ONTARIO, Canada
Abhijit -

These are good practices, but are Scrum-centric. You can also be agile based on a continuous flow basis rather than iteration based and events such as standups or product reviews can happen JIT rather than on a fixed cadence.

Kiron
...
1 reply by Abhijit Ghorpade
Dec 23, 2022 3:12 PM
Abhijit Ghorpade
...
Agreed Kiron. I was trying to make it look more generic than make it scrum centric. But, maybe the terms I am using make it sound that way. But the idea of what I am trying to convey is to truly adopt a product focus methodology (and yes, not necessarily via the prescribed ceremonies - JIT or anything that works).
Network:1
Abhijit Ghorpade
Edison, NJ, USA
Dec 23, 2022 2:56 PM
Replying to Kiron Bondale
...
Abhijit -

These are good practices, but are Scrum-centric. You can also be agile based on a continuous flow basis rather than iteration based and events such as standups or product reviews can happen JIT rather than on a fixed cadence.

Kiron
Agreed Kiron. I was trying to make it look more generic than make it scrum centric. But, maybe the terms I am using make it sound that way. But the idea of what I am trying to convey is to truly adopt a product focus methodology (and yes, not necessarily via the prescribed ceremonies - JIT or anything that works).
Network:5
AHMED MOHAMED ABDELAZIZ ATTIA
Jeddah, 2, Saudi Arabia
very nice
Network:2396
Sergio Luis Conte
Helping to create solutions for everyone, Worldwide based Organizations
Buenos Aires, Argentina
If you like to know what agile is my recommendation is going to the basement searching for the papers created into the place where everything started: USA DoD/NSF Agility Forum in the Raleigh University in 1990. Agile was born in manufacturing field, not in software field. Time after the concept was taken by software. Agile was born as an alternative of Lean. Lean and Agile are different things in the essence. And Agile, like Lean, is not about a life cycle or method, is an approach, a way of thinking and behave based on deliver value to customers and quality. Because is an approach is based on systemic theory then is a matter of architecture.
Network:154679
Stéphane Parent
Self Employed / Semi-retired, Leader Maker
, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, Canada
While I agree that smaller stories are easier to manage and deliver, you must resist breaking them down into tasks.

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