1. Predictability Through Cadence and Consistency
Predictable outcomes require consistent deliverables and adherence to cadence. Are we truly maximizing the value of stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives? Without following empirical processes like Scrum to embrace transparency, inspection, and adaptation, achieving agility is a distant dream.
Processes vs. Agility: Friend or Foe?
Processes! Processes! Processes: Should We Show Them the Door or Throw Them Out the Window?
Every individual connected to Agile resonates with the first Value statement from the Agile Manifesto: valuing “Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools.” But does this imply that we can discard processes entirely—show them the door or kick them out of the window?
Even organizations that fully embrace Agile ways of working often face challenges like unpredictable deliveries, fragmented communication, lack of accountability, and quality issues. But isn’t Agile supposed to address these very problems? What’s the missing piece that keeps us puzzled?
Why Processes Matter in Agile Success
2. Collaboration Over Fragmented Communication
Fragmented communication arises when collaboration is sidelined. Processes designed to enhance team interactions ensure alignment, avoid delays, and strengthen the teamwork essential for success. Ignoring such processes can damage the intricate fabric of an Agile team.
3. Accountability and Extreme Ownership
Lack of accountability stems from mistrust, fear of conflict, and low commitment. Agile thrives on guiding processes that clarify accountabilities and foster extreme ownership. Without these, Agile practices crumble under the weight of uncertainty.
4. Inbuilt Quality for Long-Term Success
Quality degradation rears its head when teams overlook results and fail to adopt peer reviews and shared ownership. Processes that embed quality at every stage ensure long-term success—reminding us that quality can’t be inspected into a product after the fact.
Processes: Enablers, Not Constraints
So why do many organizations, despite inspiration from pioneers like Toyota and thought leaders like Deming, continue to struggle? Often, it’s because processes are misunderstood as rigid constraints rather than enablers of success. Throwing out processes is like discarding the sails of a ship and expecting to navigate the ocean effortlessly.
Next time someone argues that processes don’t align with Agile, challenge that assumption. Processes, when designed and implemented correctly, enable agility and make it sustainable.
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