What is Agile?

Many people likely understand Agile as a type of development methodology. However, this perspective carries the risk of causing one to stop thinking and simply follow a specific framework. On the other hand, defining Agile solely as a "mindset" can sometimes be used as an excuse when clashing with others.

In the book Agile for Everyone: How to Create a Customer-Centric Organization That Can Adapt to Change (Written by Matt LeMay; Translated by Ryutaro Yoshiha, Miho Nagase, Kiro Harada, and Masashi Arino; Foreword by Takuya Oikawa) (hereafter referred to as "this book"), it is explained that viewing Agile as a "movement" changes both methodology and mindset, allowing you to better understand your own responsibilities in getting work done.

From page 6 of the book: "Agile as a Methodology, Mindset, and Movement"

In the previous section, I mentioned that viewing Agile merely as a methodology carries the danger of blindly following a framework. Let's look at an excerpt from the book to understand exactly what this means.

"It would be wonderful if Agile were a revolutionary solution that could be applied to any problem modern organizations face at any time. However, simply using Agile terminology and superficially applying practices practically guarantees you will fall into the 'framework trap.' You must ask 'why.' To achieve meaningful change through Agile, people must work in groups, understand their own needs and goals, and recognize how their current way of working is hindering the achievement of those goals." (Excerpt from page 25 of the book)

To make Agile meaningful, it is crucial to establish goals and challenges and maintain an attitude of constantly questioning the status quo.

The book defines the three principles of Agile as follows:

Agile is often regarded as an operational improvement measure to increase efficiency or speed, but the truly important perspective is how we cooperate for the sake of the customer.

When reflecting on how information is shared within a team, has asynchronous communication via digital tools become your primary means of interaction? Whether it's due to the physical distance of remote work or simply a habit even when members are in the same location, many teams tend to rely heavily on these tools. While this approach may seem easy at first glance, the cumulative effect can lead to a significant waste of time and mental energy. It is vital for fragmented members to come together cross-functionally and foster an environment where they cooperate as a single, unified team.

Agile does more than just recognize the reality of an uncertain and rapidly changing world; it provides the actual framework necessary to navigate and master that uncertainty.

The most significant takeaway for me from this book is that the success of Agile depends entirely on how persistently one can keep asking the right questions. I realized that even if you break tasks into two-week sprints and hold brief daily meetings, if you avoid confronting the essence of the problems, you are merely performing the "act" of working. The book provides concrete examples of actions and signs that a team is moving in a good or bad direction, making it a very practical reference manual. If you are looking to put Agile into practice, I highly recommend giving it a read.

Reference: "Agile for Everybody: Creating a Customer-Centric Organization that Can Adapt to Change" Written by Matt LeMay; Translated by Ryutaro Yoshiba, Miho Nagase, Kiro Harada, and Masashi Arino; Foreword by Takuya Oikawa; Published by O'Reilly Japan