The only type of project management I was taught in the various project management courses I took throughout my career was the waterfall approach. A long list of steps and processes, with timelines, milestones and never-ending interdependencies, followed by a near-complete disregard of the project plan almost as soon as the project started.
After all, no plan survives contact with the enemy…or real life for that matter.
But not being able to follow a plan creates risks for the project, teams and stakeholders. So I would continue to try to get a handle on the plan—no matter how futile it seemed.
And then I was introduced to Agile. I discovered it years after it had already been exceptionally popular in software development circles. And while I haven’t fully adopted Agile, I find its flexibility, focus on sprints and simplicity refreshing.
There’s been a lot written on Agile that’s readily available online, so I won’t repeat all that. Instead, here are three key ways Agile helped me help my clients:
Agreeing with my clients upfront on key requirements and focusing on delivering those first. This incremental approach to delivery allows for feedback throughout the process and minimizes misalignment of objectives.
Embracing changes in requirements as a natural outcome of collaborative work. Yes, changing requirements means changing timelines and scope. But if we’re communicating often and embracing an incremental approach to delivery, an open feedback loop increases client satisfaction and results in a better solution.
A continuous improvement mindset through periodic (weekly) retrospectives. This enables the team to reflect on how to become more effective, building in attention to technical excellence and consistently exceeding customer expectations.
A good resource for learning about Agile is the Badass Agile podcast by Chris Williams.