Knowledge of an Agile Leader to enhance efficiency

An Agile leader plays a major role in the performance and output efficiency. Migrating to Agile does not only mean change of process. It means a big change in culture and mind-set, and that is mostly the tough part. People become comfortable with their existing processes. Also, it is very difficult for them to transition to a process that accepts and embraces change. Following an Agile process also means that some people will become redundant, because efficiency increases which leads to increase in productivity with less resources. Again, all the managers are trained in agile to control ownership and dictate terms. Agile believes in delegating responsibilities, which can again cause resentment among managers. For all these reasons, an Agile leaders needs to be proactive, and should follow the following parameters:

1. Foster an Agile culture: Agile practices such as high customer interaction, collaborative design and value driven delivery should be encouraged very early during the transition phase itself, so that it becomes a habit by the time 3 to 4 months pass. Then it gets internalized and becomes part of the team culture.
2. Hire a good Agile Coach: A good Agile coach guides, motivates and helps a team stay away from pitfalls. The past experience and track record of the Coach should be carefully evaluated and once chosen, he/she should be given 3 – 4 months to make an impact, because implementing Agile Processes take time.
3. Avoid a cookie cutter approach: Business scenarios are very dynamic now-a-days, with customers becoming more and more demanding and smart. Some experts are of the opinion that one flavour of Agile is a panacea for all the hurdles. But this is not a good approach, as it greatly restricts the processes’ impact, and also makes Agile less flexible. It also goes against the Agile principle of providing maximum value to the customer as the highest priority. The Agile Coach should evaluate all the factors within and outside the organization/team, and then recommend any one flavour of Agile, or a mix of different flavours. Customization is embraced in Agile and it should not matter which flavour is followed.
4. Equation with other managers: Here, the Coach or the Scrum Master should have the respect of all the stakeholders through his/her performance and people management skills, as the line managers do not directly report to the Coach. So, here it’s more about collaboration and trusting and respecting one another.

If the above mentioned parameters are followed, the Agile leader can successfully help his/her teams transition in Agile.

To know more click on:  http://www.scrumstudy.com/blog/

Can you mix different Agile Frameworks and be successful?

Agile process tools such as Scrum, Lean Kanban, Extreme Programming XP and others bring their own characteristics and advantages to the table. For example, Kanban focuses on improving whichever methodology is being used rather than providing its own framework, while Scrum provides a definite framework with essential artifacts. The focus of the Agile method is to deliver value rather than fixate on the method itself. Therefore, organizations can customize several Agile framework methodologies to suit their needs, enabling them to deliver maximum value.

Organizations can take into account factors such as organizational structure, business goals, expertise level and the size of the team when mixing Agile frameworks. The underlying idea is to complete the sentence: “My client will be benefit the most if _________ is used.”

Methodologies should only be mixed after extensive discussions are held among Agile coaches and other stakeholders in the project. Most often organizations modify Agile methodologies to an extent when there is no element of Agile evident in the new version. When the project fails, the organization places the blame on Agile methodologies.

When mixing methodologies, it should be kept in mind that Agile methods cannot be mixed with Waterfall or traditional methods. Waterfall methodologies are most useful on linear projects that do not have any unpredictability, whereas Agile projects are typically unpredictable and are subject to constant change.

To know more : http://www.scrumstudy.com/blog/can-you-mix-different-agile-frameworks-and-be-successful/