Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Becoming Agile

Moving from a disciplined software development approach to an "agile" software development approach is difficult, but not impossible!

Here are some things to keep in mind:
  • Understand the current process before you try to change it
  • Look at the whole process
  • Don't think of any new method or tool as a silver bullet
  • Remember to set boundaries
  • Start small
  • Existing processes may only need to be streamlined and not replaced completely but...
  • Sometimes you just need to completely stop doing what you have been doing and try something totally different
  • Shifting people out of their comfort zone carries a risk, but it can also be very rewarding both for the team and the individual
  • Give people the freedom to learn from each other and self-organize
  • Involve your customer at every step for buy-in
  • Keep an open mind
  • Adopt and adapt
  • Mentor and teach
  • Review and improve

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