Successfully Agile

Afonso Metello

Picking it up where I left it, Agile isn’t just about software development and scrum. In two words, Agile is about Change…and Empowerment!

Things change:  markets change, customers change – your competition changes! The million euro (do pardon me – I’m an european) one-out-of-two-questions is: can you handle it? can you adapt to it? survive it? The one I like best: can you thrive through and benefit from it? – Well, as an Agile Enterprise you should say “Yes I can!” – How (two-out-of-two)?  That’s right, through Empowerment!  Better yet: co-worker (I dislike the word employee) Empowerment!

Why do you think Agile Project Management is completely reshaping the way we look at software development?  In my opinion (please do argue if you disagree) the revolution happening right now on the trenches (keep going guys and gals) is due to the “I’m told what but I decide how” empowerment factor. It isn’t that much about neither the trendy techs (except maybe for the Agile Platform) nor the low-expectation-management-in-order-to-always-overachieve: it’s about a person being given a task with complete empowerment to actually fulfill it. This is life-changing: motivation rises, productivity rises, the customer is happy and you my friend – became successfully agile!

Now keep picturing this empowerment concept and frame it at an Enterprise level. Wow…getting dizzy, are we? Breathe deeply! Imagine all the people (sorry about that John) working in a company that’s more like a community and less like a corporation. Imagine that that company has teams of skills and not departments. Imagine Co-Workers Empowered to actually make decisions on how they perform their tasks and ready to take risks, make errors and learn from it!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to Agile Enterprise, a really interesting vision on extending Agility to business organizations. Competition beware!