It is essential to understand the importance of having an agile mindset even before implementing agile methodologies. I still see many players in the market adopting “Scrum” without embracing the slightest bit of the agile minds.
Agile Mindset Before Agile Methodology
Implementing an agile methodology (often Scrum) without integrating an agile mindset often leads to mixed or even deteriorated results. I’m far from being the first to say it, and I won’t be the last, but it is essential to reiterate this point.
Variable Scope
Indeed, how many organizations claim to do “Scrum” but do not integrate the essential concept of variable scope? There are still far too many.
I particularly appreciate the Iron Triangle, which reminds us that agile methods can lead to fixed costs and deadlines. However, this cannot happen without a variable scope.
Being User-Centric
This sometimes-misunderstood agile mindset emphasizes that the goal is not to create a product imagined for the customer but to have a product created by the customer themselves. The customer should be at the center of all our efforts.
To achieve this, the customer (or their representative) must be present during the product’s creation and throughout its development.
In fact, I really like the triptych cycle proposed by the Lean Startup, which emphasizes the importance of implementing small iterations of iterative design and validating learning.
We must always be in a continual learning mode regarding the evolution of the product we are building.
I emphasize this because sometimes sprint reviews are not used to gather feedback to improve the product. However, this customer feedback is essential for the positive evolution of the product.
And if your customers don’t want to come, go to where they are. Adapting to a context that is not always straightforward is also an important element of this agile mindset that we should embrace.
Adapting Your Method
Doing Scrum without the desire to adapt it is also counterproductive. I remind you that adaptation is one of the pillars mentioned in the Scrum Guide. No method is ever perfect, and our context is different from that of neighboring teams. So let’s regularly adapt our method and our environment.
Conducting a retrospective without coming out with improvement points makes it monotonous, if not useless. This methodology has the advantage of providing teams with a key moment for continuous improvement.
Human-Centered Concerns
Implementation teams are in place because of their expertise; therefore, we must trust them and allow them to use their expertise. I still see companies appoint technical project managers who centralize decisions and reduce development teams to mere “code monkeys.”
It’s a shame not to take advantage of everyone’s expertise. These experts will lose all motivation, have lower productivity, and, worse, not evolve.
And what about the methodology?
If I haven’t mentioned all the pillars of the agile mindset, it is important to understand that they are essential to truly implement an agile methodology. While methodologies like Extreme Programming require technical excellence, the lightweight framework of Scrum can sometimes become a mere framework without any agility.
This does not mean that Scrum is not agile but that it has not been well understood. In my experience, of all the teams I meet, only a small percentage use Scrum as an agile methodology. And that is a real shame because they miss out on all that this high-quality framework has to offer.
Training in Mindset Before Methodology
In general, I always start my interventions by introducing teams to the entire mindset required to truly benefit from what Scrum can offer.
And honestly, to this day, these people are very interested and often embrace this mindset. Some even realize that agility is not a “cult” but a real asset for any organization looking to adopt it.
Which large company wouldn’t dream of being able to compete with those small startups that are entering a market waiting to evolve? Many, but few succeed.
Conclusion: Agile Mindset
Even before implementing agile methodologies, it is essential that teams and managers understand the agile mindset. This is what will enable the company to take the right direction and be better equipped to compete in an increasingly challenging market.
Be the first to comment