The Beginners Guide to Agile Values and Principles

The Beginners Guide to Agile Values and Principles

Has your team ever felt overwhelmed by the rigidity of conventional project management methods?

Agile methodology might be the breath of fresh air you need.

Originating from the software development world, Agile offers a flexible, iterative approach that values people, collaboration, and adaptability.

In Agile, the values hold center stage, steering the way teams work and businesses succeed. Agile values bring a different approach to project management, making it a preferred approach for many modern teams.

In this article, we’ll introduce you to these powerful values and the principles associated with Agile methodology and their transformative potential.

What Is the Agile Manifesto in Project Management?

Agile methodology, a term synonymous with adaptability and speed, didn’t just appear overnight. Its roots trace back to the software development industry in the early 2000s.

At the time, developers grappled with the limitations of the traditional waterfall methodology, which was linear and inflexible, often leading to late, over-budget projects or didn’t meet the customer’s needs.

Tired of battling these constraints, seventeen software professionals met in 2001 at a ski resort in Snowbird, Utah. Their mission was simple: find a better way to manage software development. The result of this meeting was the Agile Manifesto. This groundbreaking document would steer the course of project management in a new direction.

The Agile Manifesto presented a clear and concise philosophy, emphasizing a different approach to software development. Instead of focusing on rigid processes and documentation, the manifesto highlighted four key values:

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan

These values did not reject the importance of the elements on the right (processes, documentation, contracts, and plans). Instead, they suggested that the items on the left (individuals, working software, collaboration, and adaptability) held more value and should be prioritized.

This redefined focus was groundbreaking, shifting the emphasis from simply ‘doing’ the project to collaborating, adapting, and producing valuable outcomes. The Agile Manifesto had effectively set the stage for a more flexible, interactive approach to managing projects – an approach we now recognize as Agile.

What Are the Four Values of the Agile Manifesto?

Agile may have originally been developed by and for software developers, but its application can benefit a much wider range of industries. In fact, any team that deals with project management may find a benefit from using Agile methodology.

Here is a deeper look at each of the values and some examples of how they can be applied to projects:

Value 1: Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools

First on the list is valuing individuals and interactions over processes and tools. This value emphasizes the importance of human communication and collaboration.

While processes and tools are still important, the Agile methodology believes that the real magic happens through human interaction.

Example 1:

A software development team that values individuals and interactions might have daily stand-up meetings where each member shares what they’re working on, any blockers they’re facing, and their plan for the day. These meetings foster transparency, encourage collaboration, and help address any issues promptly.

Example 2: 

Another example is a project manager who prefers face-to-face conversations over written instructions. They believe this approach enables more effective communication, allows for immediate clarification of doubts, and helps build stronger team relationships.

Value 2: Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation

Agile values working software over comprehensive documentation. It does not mean that documentation is unnecessary. Instead, Agile teams believe in focusing more on delivering a functioning product than spending a significant amount of time documenting every detail.

Example 1: 

An Agile team might adopt a “just enough” documentation approach. This could mean writing enough to communicate essential information effectively without creating excessive documentation that may not add value or be read.

Example 2: 

Another example is a software development team that prioritizes creating a minimum viable product (MVP) to gather customer feedback early in the project. This feedback is then used to improve the product in subsequent iterations, providing more value than extensive documentation.

Value 3: Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation

The third Agile value places customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Instead of focusing only on the terms of the contract, Agile values the collaborative relationship with the customer to achieve the best possible outcome.

Example 1: 

An Agile team may include customers in regular reviews or feedback sessions to discuss progress and gather input. This continuous feedback loop helps the team develop a product that meets the customer’s needs.

Example 2: 

A project manager may also establish an open line of communication with the customer throughout the project. This ensures that any changes or issues can be discussed and addressed promptly, creating a collaborative rather than a combative relationship.

Value 4: Responding to Change over Following a Plan

Agile values the ability to respond to change over rigidly adhering to a plan. While planning is essential, Agile teams understand that change is inevitable and should be welcomed.

Example 1: 

If new market research shows that a feature initially deemed necessary is no longer valuable to customers, an Agile team would embrace this change and adapt their plans to focus on delivering higher value features.

Example 2: 

Another example is an Agile team that utilizes short development cycles or “sprints.” These sprints allow for frequent reassessments of priorities, making it easier to adjust the project’s direction based on changes in requirements, technology, or market conditions.

What Are the Principles of the Agile Manifesto?

The Agile Manifesto doesn’t just end with the values. It outlines 12 principles that provide a roadmap for implementing Agile in practice. These principles serve as the pillars supporting Agile values, helping to transform these ideals into concrete actions. They’re like the compass guiding every Agile team’s journey, ensuring they stay true to the Agile philosophy.

Here are the 12 principles of Agile:

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
   • This principle emphasizes the importance of customer satisfaction. Agile teams aim to deliver valuable, usable software in small, frequent increments, so customers can benefit from the product sooner rather than later.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
   • Instead of resisting changes, Agile encourages embracing them, recognizing that changes often bring new value or improvements. Even if these changes are proposed late in development, they’re seen as opportunities for the customer’s benefit.
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
   • Agile teams focus on the frequent delivery of functional software. This approach allows regular feedback, quicker iterations, and more opportunities to catch and correct issues.
4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
   • This principle underscores the importance of collaboration between the business stakeholders and the development team. Daily interaction fosters understanding, clear communication, and more successful product outcomes.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
   • Agile values individuals and their motivation. It promotes a supportive environment where teams have the autonomy and resources to work effectively.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
   • Agile favors direct communication. While this doesn’t necessarily mean physical face-to-face in today’s digital world, it does mean using the most interactive, clear, and immediate communication possible.
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
   • Progress in Agile is measured by functioning software. Rather than focusing on plans or documents, Agile emphasizes tangible results and value to the customer.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
   • This principle supports the idea of work-life balance and avoiding burnout. Agile encourages a sustainable pace of work that can be maintained over an indefinite period.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
   • Quality is not sacrificed for speed in Agile. Attention to technical excellence and good design practices is vital to maintain agility and adaptability.
10. Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
    • Agile emphasizes doing what’s necessary and valuable and eliminating unnecessary work. Simplicity streamlines processes and increases efficiency.
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
    • Agile teams are self-organizing, believing that the team collectively has the best understanding of how to get the work done. This encourages team ownership, accountability, and better decision making.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
    • Continuous improvement is at the heart of Agile. Regular retrospectives allow teams to learn from successes and failures and continuously adapt and improve their processes and practices.

The connection between the Agile principles and values lies in the principles’ emphasis on customer satisfaction, team collaboration, responsiveness to change, and functioning results – all elements mirrored in the Agile values.

For instance, the principle of welcoming changing requirements aligns with the value of responding to change over following a plan, illustrating how Agile values are brought to life through these guiding principles.