Myth #1: Agile = Scrum
What’s the first thing you think
of when you hear the word agile? For many of us it’s a daily stand up meeting. Or
maybe it’s creating a backlog of user stories that get delivered in a two-week
sprint. Fact is, these are all elements of Scrum, a popular project management
methodology used by many agile teams. Scrum is a framework for developing and
managing work, while agile is an umbrella term for approaches like Scrum that
share a common set of principles. Scrum is just one of many methodologies that
build on agile principles (others include Lean, Kanban, Test-Driven Development
and Xtreme Programming). Simply “doing Scrum” doesn’t mean you’re practicing
agile management.
Myth #2: Anything can be changed anytime
Adopting Agile does not imply
that anything can be changed anytime. It also does not imply that changes can
be done without impact analysis or without planning.
Adopting agile only means we
accept that fact that changes are part of life. We are open to changes and we
are skilled to handle changes in efficient way. We still need to time the changes , we still need to plan and we still need to do impact analysis.
Myth #3: Agile Doesn’t
Believe in Documentation
It’s true that the Agile
Manifesto values “working software over comprehensive documentation” However,
this doesn’t mean documentation has no place in agile processes.
Documentation is done only when
it adds value to the project or business.
Big and lengthy documents are
replaced by minimum viable information that needs to be capture. Also there is
a big stress on how documents can be prepared in collaborative way, shared
easily and can be continually improved.
Myth #4: Agile Development Does not scale
In general, software development
itself has scaling issues. This is clearly not a methodology-specific problem.
Large Scope
implies greater probability for failure
Greater the team
size, the greater the communication risk and complexity.
Agile development simply accepts
these realities and recommends smaller projects, shorter delivery time frames
and smaller teams.
This does not mean organizations
should avoid solving large problems. Agile simply suggests that there is a
different approach to solving the same problems. Agile methods promote taking
large projects and breaking them down into a coordinated series of smaller
projects staffed by smaller, cross-functional teams. The various teams’ work is
integrated at least every iteration in order to reduce risk and ensure
functional and technical compatibility. There are clearly other processes that
need to be instituted in order to facilitate communication, integration,
architectural design and standards and decision-making amongst the teams
Myth #5: Agile Doesn’t
Need Project Managers
Agile project involves as much
planning as any other project and for that project managers are required.
The only difference is that agile
project managers won’t be telling people what to do or when to do it. That’s
because agile methodologies value self-managing teams—whose success relies on
collaboration, localized decision making, regular communication and tools for
visualizing and sharing work in process.
Myth #6: Agile Only Works for Developers/Software
Agile is a change in mindset. It
about changing the way you thinking. Agile is about breaking down work into
smaller steps having independent value. This can be adopted in any domain.
This can be adopted as way of life.
Myth #7: Agile Will Fix All Our Problems
A single methodology cannot fix
all the problems. It helps in improving your way of working.
