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Power of Agile: It's a Mindset, Not Just a Skill

Do you think learning Scrum makes you capable to drive an Agile Project? No, It's not just about knowing a framework like Scrum; it's about embracing a transformative mindset.

Agile is the ability to adapt swiftly, rooted in 4 core values:

1️⃣ Individuals and Interactions Over Processes and Tools

The most important asset are the people who work, not the tools. Getting things done relies on better communication and teamwork, not just following strict processes.

Processes and tools are important, we need them to work. But even if we have the best tools, and top processes, we won't achieve as much as the team who communicate well and cooperate, even with basic tools and processes.

Why? Because work is ultimately about people. It's people creating the product, it's people who want to build it, and it's people who uses it.

2️⃣ Working Software Over Comprehensive Documentation

In the past, a lot of time was spent meticulously creating detailed documents even before starting to code. These documents went through many hands for approval, sometimes rewritten, causing long delays.

In Agile, instead of drowning in documentation, you only get what's necessary. I didn't say documentation is not needed, but it's streamlined. Documentation is created as needed and when it's required.

3️⃣ Customer Collaboration Over Contract Negotiation

In olden days, customers would describe in great detail what they wanted. We would then create a final product and ask for feedback, leading to negotiations. If we didn't deliver what the customer wanted, we have to go back and redo a lot of work, possibly even starting from scratch. This wasn't ideal.

Agile suggests that the customer stays involved throughout the entire product development process. Just like collaboration among team members is essential, so is working closely with customers.

So, the customer can provide input at any time, making sure things stay on the right track. Ultimately, the goal is to build a strong, genuine relationship between team and the customer.

Contracts are important, but creating a real connection with your customer helps gather insights and feedback for much better product development.

4️⃣ Responding to Change Over Following a Plan

In the past, changing software was expensive and hard to do, so people tried to document everything perfectly. The idea was to make sure we didn't miss anything, and the end result matched the plan exactly. But in reality, this rarely worked as intended.

Agile promotes a different approach. It involves working in short sprints, getting feedback, and improving the product in each cycle. It's a more flexible and manageable way, making it easier to fix problems.

Most of us dislike change, but Agile welcomes it as an opportunity to make significant improvements and add more value to our work.

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