What are Agile Methodologies?

Unlike Waterfall, which is a project management approach where one contributor or discipline, completes a specific part of a project and then throws it over the wall to the next contributor or discipline; agile focuses on cross-functional teams that openly communicate, collaborate and adapt as the project goes on.

Agile is not defined by a set of ceremonies or techniques but instead is a philosophy focused on commuting teams to tight feedback cycles and continuous improvement.

The original Agile Manifesto didn't prescribe any specific time-boxed iteration (i.e. a Sprint) or an ideal team size. It set out a set of core values that put people first:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
• Working software over comprehensive documentation.
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
• Responding to change over following a plan.

The Agile Manifesto also laid out a set of principles to follow:

Scrum is an agile project management framework that teams use to develop, deliver and sustain complex project. Some people use agile and scrum interchangeably but that is not the case.

• Scrum is about continuously shipping values to clients or customers and a framework for getting things done.
• Agile is a set of values, principles and way of thinking.

As implementing agile methodologies is far more difficult than working in scrum as it requires a change in the way individuals, teams and organizations think vs a framework that helps you think in a more agile way and practice implementing agile principles into your communication and your work.

To learn more about the key ceremonies of Scrum consult the link below.

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