Unraveling Agile — Tune Out the Noise, Get Things Done

Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

I often find myself on the receiving end of statements and questions about Agile. “Can Agile work with timelines?”, “We’re not doing Agile the right way”, or the age-old “Agile is superior to Waterfall”. With over a decade in the industry, having waded through countless workshops, mentorships, and consultations, and having instructed on Agile and project management, I’ve seen and heard a truckload of misinformation. The space is rife with trends, fads, and sales pitches dressed as wisdom, each claiming to know the “true” essence of Agile. So, I felt the need to distill this down further, to three immutable practices. But first, let’s debunk some myths and clarify what Agile is not. For those wanting a deep dive into the myriad tools and concepts, I’ve included a link to a cheat sheet for further reading.

Agile is not about Jira, Trello, Kanban, or sprints. It doesn’t revolve around story points, timelines, or standups. All these are just sophistication layered on top of the core principles. They’re tools designed to cater to the unique needs of individual organizations. For someone to say you’re doing Agile “wrong” because you’re using or not using a specific tool is as absurd as claiming someone isn’t a genuine carpenter because they wield a hammer. Such declarations, even with added context, are empty of substance.

This article aims to provide a no-BS definition of Agile. Like any industry, the deeper you delve, the more nuances you uncover. But for the sake of clarity, there are three immutable properties that define Agile. Without these, you simply don’t have an Agile team.

Straying from these core tenets, Agile devolves into a smokescreen for managerial shortcomings. It lets flawed leadership hide behind the veil of “process”, often leading to micromanagement and confusion. To then declare, “This is how we do Agile,” is like stating, “This is how we play soccer without a ball.”

1. Empowered Contributors

Team members in Agile settings are empowered to make decisions and act without always seeking management approval, allowing for swifter, more efficient outcomes.

2. Parallel Work Streams

Agile endorses simultaneous task handling, preventing delays from becoming cascading bottlenecks and promoting proactive adjustments based on real-time insights.

3. Minimal Compartmentalization

Agile teams are comprehensive, housing all the expertise required to drive results. Members move beyond traditional role confines, concentrating not on job titles but on the most effective way to complete the task at hand.