Since few years, software companies and executives are getting sold on Big Agile Buzz for rapid development and to be first in the market race. By now there are thousands of books and articles and millions of coaches and agile experts available to show us the path of Agile software development. But!
If we go back in history, revisit the day when Manifesto of Agile was born, some geeks, software lovers met and coined below thoughts to simplify the efforts in developments, few beautiful thoughts, by developers for developers.
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
By now, almost everyone knows the Manifesto of Agile but to fully understand it and implement it we must know who were those geeks and why they introduced this Manifesto.
They were the self motivated individuals who knew what they are developing and why. They were the owner of the manifesto and I bet none of them were waiting for coaches or books to implement it. They must be crying here or in the heaven if they have to listen to the coaches or have to implement the Agile by the book.
Software companies are hiring coaches also following the books to introduce the Manifesto of Agile for development. I think the Manifesto is pretty straight forward, it doesn’t need coaching but the need is to identify the self driven individuals and teams who believes in the Manifesto and knows how to implement it. There could be hundreds of ways to implement the Manifesto which will lead to the results. Companies and executives must help and let these individuals and teams empowered the software development process, they can also make ways for others, who need guidance, to learn from them.
4 years of Agile development experience, revolting and attending several coaching and trainings for Agile and working with different mindsets, I did realized and spotted those who need to learn to be Agile and those who didn’t. And believe me, the individuals and teams who owns and self driven doesn’t need coaching and training. And yes some do need to learn to be Agile but trainings are not helping them, core Manifesto of Agile is not heard through training, all they learn is ceremonies, scrum, narrow vision, fast delivery with technical debts. And, the learning from coaching and trainings becomes their shield and excuses for long discussions, delayed deliveries, technical debts and shattered product vision. And In between these debts and low vision days, companies loses valuable individuals and teams.
Product vision is so not clear now. Earlier, with water fall model, deck of papers had a vision which individuals and teams were working towards though it wasn’t enough and flexible. But now, been Agile become an excuse for ever changing vision. Manifesto of Agile gives us the right mindset to deliver fast with flexibility but empowered individuals and teams also need to know the vision.