I’ve been leading a software development project for a little over a month, one of my team members and I have been communicating back and forth steadily. Via IM or verbally, e-mail or however we need to. We’re having a good time figuring out things as they come and getting things done in a very Agile way. To lay it out as the manifesto is written;
We keep ourselves and interactions over process and tools. We make sure to have working software on almost every single build that could literally be deployed, while forgoing the currently unnecessary documentation. We collaborate constantly with the customer representative and don’t worry every minute about the contract negotiation. Response to change is almost instant, as it comes along almost every day.
As we’re hustling along getting a complete vertical implementation of a project together this coworker comes to me and states, “It is great to work on a project with someone that knows what they’re doing, and not sent off in a corner to read documentation books on what was done in the past!” That statement made me so happy. This is one of the major reasons I advocate Agile!
Agile helps team members get bought into the project. The team gets involved in ways that other processes just don’t allow. The team feels enabled, empowered, or whatever one may call it to actually get the job done! Being Agile isn’t about process or tasks or work items, being Agile is a mindset, is about being interested and involved in what you’re doing for your project.
After a dirge of conversations and some frustrating efforts recently, this is the type of thing that leaves those negatives in the dust. This is the type of statement and motivation, when I see it, that makes me love what I do and love to come into the office each day!
So anyway, I had to make this post. Because today, even though I thought it would be a slightly miserable day. That one statement redeemed it and my day is now rocking!
