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Chances are, you’ve been hearing buzz about a new way of working – Agile. Those who use it swear by it. You’ll hear that Agile is great for collaboration and saving time.
If you’ve found yourself asking “What is Agile?” lately, you’re reading the right article.
Curious what it means to work Agile? We’ve got you covered.
Read on to learn what Agile is. You’ll also learn how teams use Agile in their project management and other work.
What Is Agile?
Imagine you wanted to plan a cross-country trip. Traditionally, you’d decide the entire route and decide on a destination.
What if instead you only planned the first two weeks’ worth of the trip? After those first two weeks, you’d decide if a different car would be better for the road. And what if you decide you want to end up somewhere different instead which has nicer weather?
The second way of working is Agile. With Agile, you work incrementally rather than towards one big end goal. Keeping this analogy in mind, you’ll see how working Agile impacts every aspect of your work.
Agile is a methodology. It was first popularized in software development. Now it’s also a favored choice for perfecting project management.
It allows your team to work quicker and adapt better to change. And it means the projects and products you create are appealing to your users.
This means you have more accountability. Your team can develop products quicker from start to finish than traditional methods.
What Is Scrum?
Are you wondering what is Agile and Scrum? A popular Agile subtype you may have heard of is called Scrum. When working with Scrum development the two-week iterations are called sprints.
Each team member is assigned a different role. The Scrummaster acts as the project manager, who keeps things moving. The Product Owner is responsible for products adhering to technical requirements.
They’ll liaise between team members and users. Then there are the team members themselves. The team can self-organize and assign themselves tasks.
What Is an Agile Project?
When a development team works Agile they create new offerings for users every two weeks. They would build this offering based on conversations and research about their users. They would then consult with the users and use the feedback in the next iteration.
What Is Agile Project Management?
In project management, working agile means you break down everything into smaller steps. Then your team prioritizes them. At each stage, you’re testing to see if your methods are working.
This means you’re not stuck with an outcome that isn’t useful or compatible. Traditional work methods like the “waterfall” approach, are top-down. Working that way would mean you have to stop and wait if someone else didn’t complete their assigned task.
Agile project management applies Agile principles to your project. Instead of traditional timelines and goals, your team will use sprints.
Every two weeks they’ll check in and reassess how the project is going.
Your team may need to consult with project management experts as you begin to work this way. In no time, though, you’ll see the following benefits:
- Better final project results
- Your team copes better with changes
- Your team is less blindsided by changes
- A better grasp of how long it takes to complete projects
- Save time on the project
Work Smarter With Agile
Agile prioritizes change over following strict plans. Working Agile means putting people over tools, documentation, or following procedures.
You don’t have to ask yourself anymore “What is Agile?” Now you know, you can start to implement these approaches. And as you do, you’ll find you have better results and a happier team.
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