Agile was simply supposed to focus upon and take care of the challenges with the waterfall model for software development.
How much it has really succeeded in that, in a true sense, is still an open debate and is essentially based on which side of the agile camp you are a part of.
However, it needs to be carefully noted and understood that the Waterfall concept is a very fundamental one which talks about solving any business problem including software development through a sequence of logical steps.
These steps typically include:
- Correctly and completely understanding the problem (R for Requirements)
- Selecting approach for the proposed solution (D for Design)
- Implementing the solution as per selected approach (C for Coding)
- Validating that the implemented solution does indeed address the problem (T for Testing).
The above workflow in software parlance is nothing but the software development life cycle (SDLC).
The steps as encapsulated in the term RDCT are nothing but the various phases of the SDLC.
The above principles have always been there.
Right from the very beginning
Software or no software.
In fact, agile is not original or new but is essentially the Waterfall concept re-arranged differently.
Conceptually speaking, in agile, one would execute several, short-duration waterfalls, one after the other.
Reducing release cycle time, or time-boxing, or introducing rituals and practices like backlog, retrospective, daily stand-up, in agile doesn’t anyway change the core of the Waterfall concept.
Agile was meant to be just another way for developing software.
Just another methodology.
And it should have stayed that way.
Over time, it has purposefully been transformed by interested parties into an organizational and personal transformation tool.
Who are these interested parties?
These are those folks who earn their pay-check as agile trainers, consultants, auditors, etc.
They have created the myth and more than that the funny notion that agile transformation is the only need these days for both organizations as well as individuals.
The idea behind agile transformation and even agile methodology is not really an original one.
Methodologies like scrum and extreme programming did bring certain new rituals and practices.
However, following these new rituals and practices wouldn’t make you agile as also not following them wouldn’t make you not agile.
For understanding and uncovering the reality behind the myth, one needs to understand the broader landscape of philosophies and theories related to general and strategic management at the organization level and personal development and growth at the individual level.
All these philosophies and theories have always professed that “change is the only constant”.
Change management is important for anyone.
Be it an organization or an individual.
For personal development and growth and change management at the individual-level, one need not look much beyond the ideas narrated and popularized by people like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, et al.
The personal development philosophies and theories are very well defined and widely available since last several decades.
Formally speaking, their origin can be traced back to the 1910 classic book “The Science of Getting Rich” by Wallace Wattles.
This book propounded that if you make certain changes in your habits and thought processes you will eventually mould yourself into a person worthy of great wealth.
For general and strategic management and change management at the organization-level, one need not look much beyond the ideas such as organizational change management (OCM) and business process management (BPM).
The concepts and practices related to OCM and BPM are very well defined and widely available since last several decades.
In addition, several highly successful CEOs have written books on their own personal experience with organizational transformations.
Here are some examples:
- “My years with General Motors” by Alfred P. Sloan - 1963
- “Talking Straight” by Lee Iacocca - 1988
- “Pour Your Heart into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time” by Howard Schultz - 1997
- “Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy” by Bill Gates - 1999
- “Jack: Straight from the Gut” by “Jack Welch, John A. Byrne, Mike Barnicle - 2001
- “Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround” by Louis V. Gerstner - 2002
Those who are proponents of agile at organization-level use the term “agile transformation”.
How is that any different from the philosophies and theories related to general and strategic management and change management at the organizational level?
Those who are proponents of agile at individual-level use the term “personal agility”.
How is that any different from the philosophies and theories related to personal development and growth at the individual level?
It is simply and mostly a copy and paste job.
There is really nothing new.
It should be kept in the mind that coining a new term is not equivalent to coining a new concept.
Using agile for anything and everything is a common practice followed by those who earn their pay-check as agile trainers, consultants, auditors.
They have no choice indeed.
They need to pay their bills.
And for that they need to able to sell their stuff and wares!
For any sales you need a fulcrum.
And agile has turned into and become that fulcrum.
Here are some examples of terms, slogans, catch-words and one-liners which are used by those who earn their livelihood from agile by leveraging agile as the fulcrum to make the sale:
- Personal agility – what about personal development and growth?
- Agile transformation – ever heard of OCM and BPM?
- Remote agility – is working from home or working remotely anything new?
- Distributed agile – how else would you work if not in a distributed model in a globally integrated economy?
- Be agile and stay ahead – was “who moved my cheese” not important earlier?
- The agile way for dummies - what is it about the agile way that was already not there?
- Being agile made easy – why would you want to focus on made easy and not being agile whatever that means?
Nonetheless, the fact of the matter is, agile term is quite popular in certain organizations especially those involved in IT services delivery and software product development.
When one comes to think of it, for both organizations and individuals the focus should always remain on the core issues and concerns.
The core issues and concerns at the individual level are related to personal development and growth and change management.
And the core issues and concerns at the organization level are related to general and strategic management and change management.
Given the above backdrop, it can be argued that a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.
And calling it with any other name would not have any material effect.
That way, it is fine to say that we will use the term agile transformation.
There is no harm in that.
The problem arises when those who earn their pay-check as agile trainers, consultants, auditors try to build the impression that agile is new, unique, different.
It is not.
Not at all.
Using the term agile or any other term XYZ is alright.
The key thing is this.
Does agile or XYZ help organizations and individuals change for the better?
If yes, then that is exactly what should be.
Names are transient and come and go.
Fundamental concepts and principles remain forever.
Today it is agile transformation.
Tomorrow it will be XYZ transformation.
Today there are those people who earn their pay-check as agile trainers, consultants, auditors.
And tomorrow these same people will earn their pay-check as XYZ trainers, consultants, auditors.
Agile serves as the fulcrum for such people for selling organizational and personal transformation offerings.
However, in the real sense, agile is not the real fulcrum for organizations and individuals.
The real fulcrum is the fact that there are core and fundamental concerns and concepts related to personal development and growth, general and strategic management and change management which will always be there, and which will remain relevant forever.
