How to Deliver Value Faster with Agile
Agile Methodologies are not set in stone, and certain ceremonies help with reflection and improvements. There are others that, in some situations, reduce the fast pace of delivery. We also need to understand how to identify what is working and what is not working. At this point, there is no reason to measure twice and cut once. Sometimes, what to measure or cut is not visible because the team or the company needs more direction toward what’s important. We need a purpose to move forward at the organizational level. Individual contributors usually only have little to say in this manner. By focusing on individuals, there will be team improvement and company improvement. We need to start with ourselves to promote similar behavior in others. It’s important to note that providing value doesn’t mean releasing a product or feature to the public. If something is valuable but has yet to be shared, it’s not benefiting anyone. That’s why, in Agile, we strive to find ways to deliver the proper outcomes faster. This involves identifying smaller increments that can be deployed now instead of later.
Failing to deliver can hinder learning about what delights customers. Providing value is crucial for making customers happy and safe, such as by releasing a bug fix. It also allows for experimentation and learning.
Teams should use their extra time to explore opportunities and add value to the business. Although failure can be frightening, preventing losses can also stifle innovation. Practical Agile is about shifting the mindset to focus on value creation over feature development. Collaboration can remove obstacles to job performance, but it may only sometimes improve skills. The software industry needs to focus on achieving true agility.
