Agile

Agile... the very all-encompassing word that seems to be the solution to the disruption brought about by COVID-19.

Have you experienced your line manager or supervisor bandy this word around when discussing challenges that the organisation is facing?  

"You need to be agile." "You are not agile." Examples of how our supervisors use the magic word that resolves all challenges.

What does Agile really mean? 

Do you know that "Agile is a set of 4 Values and 12 Principles"? 

Agile, values:

1. Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools

2. Working [solutions] over Comprehensive Documentation 

3. Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiations 

4. Responding to Change over Following a Plan.

Agile, succeeds on the following principles:

 1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable [solutions]. 

2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.  

3. Deliver working [solutions] frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale. 

4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project. 

5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, trust them to get the job done. 

6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.  

7. Working [solutions] is the primary measure of progress.  

8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.  

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.  

10. Simplicity - the art of maximizing the amount of work not done - is essential. 

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.  

12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behaviour accordingly. 

In summary, my understanding is that for an employee to be agile, the organisation must provide an environment where agile practices will take place. You can only be as agile as the organisation permit.

IQBusiness, you did a great job helping me understand this magic wand called Agile through your wonderful facilitators, De Waal Hoon and Preasan Naidoo.

Thank you, Tolu Opayinka for nominating me to attend this training. The greatest thanks and appreciation goes to Andrew Okai our inspirational and transformational Group CE for shining the light and showing us the way to greatness.

Someone said that the difference between the companies that would succeed or fail in the face of the current unprecedented disruption is squared on the way they make their employees feel. Thank you Letshego for being employee-centric. Watch out for the massive positive impact on our customers.

Emmanuel who tweets @enmichael and blogs at www.enmichael.ng is currently the Country Head of Human Capital at Letshego Nigeria and the Founder and Host of #HRwithEM.