Agile on the uptake

By Anthony Boobier

I’ve just come back from giving a presentation at AgileNZ, New Zealand’s first Agile conference. I was impressed by the large turnout given how quickly it was arranged; 140 people pushed the venue to capacity. The attendees represented a wide range of roles across a number of sectors.
The question the conference raises is, has Agile has gone mainstream? I’m not sure it’s the dominant approach to delivery, but there is a prevailing current, direction of activity and influence associated with Agile. It is certainly becoming much more prevalent and accepted as a proven approach, but that in itself has benefits and drawbacks. Agile and Lean advocates are no longer seen as a minority; there is now an increased acceptance and usage; but with that uptake comes misconceptions and the potential for incorrect implementation of Agile approaches.

Four values of Agile
At its core Agile is very simple - a set of values, principles and associated practices. Agile at its simplest is encapsulated by four values - a message I am keen to get across when teaching Agile Lean courses:

Individuals and interactions over Processes and Tools
Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation
Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation
Responding to Change over Following a Plan

The key word is ‘over’; in Agile, while we accept there is value in the items on the right, we have come to value the items on the left more. There are of course associated approaches – such as Scrum, the mostly widely used Agile framework, and Kanban, a flow based tool with its roots within Lean manufacturing. But which approach should you choose and why? You need to select those underlying practices based upon the context of your project or organisation.

Agile is defined in the dictionary as being quick, resourceful and adaptable. Who wouldn’t want to be described as that? And therein lies the problem. A lot of people call themselves ‘Agile’ or ‘Lean’ without understanding what that means; these are not buzzwords. To be Agile means to adhere to those values and principles and be highly disciplined.

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner
The PMI has introduced the PMI-ACP, an Agile certification. I was fortunate enough to be on the Beta programme (the pilot) and one of the first to achieve the PMI-ACP in New Zealand. The Agile certification helps ensure a common understanding of Agile terminology and approaches, what it is and what it is not. I would highly recommend this certification for Project Managers working in the Agile space. Like the PMP, the PMI-ACP opens the door to continuous learning and improvement.

Building expertise in Agile
Sharing knowledge and good practice is so important in the Agile as well as the general project management community. Why not take a look at the PMI-ACP exam, participate in PMI’s mentoring programme and seek an Agile mentor; read an Agile book or blog, or come along to an Agile Welly presentation? See www.meetup.com/AgileWelly/

We are a group of volunteers who have created an active Agile Lean community within Wellington through which we hope to engage with others and increase the professionalism of how Agile is implemented. ‘Professionalism’, ‘Volunteerism’, ‘Community’ and ‘Engagement’. These are the core values of the PMI and like the core values of the Agile Manifesto they should guide everything that we do.

Anthony Boobier is Principal Consultant and Agile / Lean Coach in Equinox’s Business Application and Product Development Team. He is a Certified Scrum Practitioner and one of the first internationally to achieve the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner certification (the PMI-ACP). In addition to his Agile / Lean consulting, coaching and software project management activities, Anthony is also a certified instructor in Equinox’s training business. Anthony is actively involved in Agile Welly (Wellington chapter of the Agile Professional Network) as Treasurer and event MC. He posts his Agile and Lean thoughts, ideas and learning on the Equinox blog, and you can read his posts at http://www.equinox.co.nz/agileblog

 (edited by Caroline Donovan, Director of Professional Development, PMINZ)