I see a lot of people willing to go into frameworks trainings and certifications, when they do not even know about the Agile mindset.
My belief is: you don’t necessarily need these trainings and certifications. You can start where you are, with a few simple elements, in line with the Agile mindset.
What’s the Agile mindset then?
It’s about putting people first: rather than creating and relying on processes, you trust the individuals and the collective. The collective is greater than the sum of its part.
It’s about being focused and obsessed by creating more and more value for your customer’s. You think you know about their needs? Even themselves don’t really know until they interact with what you create. Don’t think you know. Explore and experiment, with them. Gather feedback and be proud of failing. Celebrate them as many learnings.
It’s about being focused on delivering something usable and useful. Counteract uncertainty by delivering small increments, often. Not only you will reduce the risk of big failures, but you will also be able to gather information from the customers’ use of the product, process, offer… you put in their hands.
It’s about adapting to change. In a complex world, you can’t predict the future. You can’t predict how the customers will react. So you must be ready to adapt, to pivot, to rethink, to rebuild, again and again, until you find what works.
How to make it work without a framework?
Go with the basics:
- Educate yourself about the mindset.
- Create the space.
- Gather skilled people and create your own team rules.
- Co-create a vision, a purpose that will drive your work.
Then, start by starting:
- Taking a first step and then keep you moving.
- Deliver frequently and ask for feedback.
- Create rapport with your customers and prospects and go talk to them. Make it for and with the people.
- Constantly inspect and adapt your actions.
- Experiment. You will learn by doing.
- Dare to fail. Even better: celebrate failures.
- Celebrate successes as well, to keep the momentum and the rewarding sense of completion.
You don’t need Scrum or SAFe or any of these. Of course, it’s reassuring, but you can go and learn by doing. This is how you will create the best Agile framework for you.
Talk to others. Align. If you feel uncomfortable or unsure, ask for help. Think purposefully. And take action.
