What’s an Agile mindset?

Technological singularity will trigger a runaway technological growth, AI, machine learning, automation, robotics are changing our civilization, the way we buy, travel, work, exercise, learn and so and so. Our companies must be ready to rapidly respond, adapt and evolve.

The “Agile mindset” concept could be easily misunderstood; It’s relevant to deeply understand it’s essence in order to apply it successfully in our working cultures and add real value to our customers. With the current social and economic conditions, and massive business changes this is definitely a must in our development team mindset. Some teams could understand the process of scrum well enough, and even get some of the agile principles, but the mindset isn’t there yet, so that’s where we should be focused on.

The agile mindset is basically described by 4 values, defined by 12 principles and manifested through several practices (such as scrum, kanban, scrumban, nexus, etc). It's a set of attitudes that includes respect, transparency, collaboration, improvement and learning cycles, embrace and harness changing requirements, and in turn, deliver amazing value for our customers.

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The 4 Agile values

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
2. Working product over comprehensive documentation.
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
4. Responding to change over following a plan.

That is, while there is value on the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

The 12 Agile principles 

1. Our highest priority  is to satisfy the customer through continuous delivery of value.
2. Welcome changing requirements.
3. Deliver frequently.
4. Business people, developers, designers, and everyone involved must work together.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals.
6. Convey information via face to face conversations.
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8. Maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence.
10. Simplicity: the art of maximizing the amount of work not done.
11. Autonomous and self organized teams.
12. Teams retrospect and tune behavior.

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Benefits of Being Agile?

• Rapidly adapt to market requirements.
• Constant introduction to disruptive technology.
• Easy collaboration.
• Be more competitive & delight customers.
• Setting up high-performance teams.
• Quick decision making.
• Empowered to take actions.
• Focus on delivering value.

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The Agile mindset is about a team of practitioners more than theorists. It is pragmatic and action-oriented more than a theoretical philosophy. Essentially, is a movement away from traditional, bureaucratic leadership (which can involve office politics and a “whoever is loudest is right” mentality). Instead, the agile mindset has teams put aside ego, and focus on what is right, instead of who is right. It goes beyond a set of beliefs and becomes a tool for diagnosis and the basis for action.

Being agile builds on the benefits of doing agile. We move beyond efficient ways of working to create a work environment, culture and mindset which supports true business agility. This means that we create psychological safety so that people feel safe to take risks, to innovate and to share themselves entirely. We want teams that deliver valuable solutions that customers love, and that love doing it.

Want to learn more about how agile can impact your business? Schedule a call with us here.