Light Bulb Moments
Tough But Valuable Lessons
Kevin Torf, Inventtrex
Agile has many values but by far the most important to me was learning about people. After struggling for some time to introduce the disciplines and mechanics involved, it became very evident where the company’s strengths and weaknesses were. I believe Agile helped the company, employees, and me better understand these attributes. Although difficult at first, Agile’s openness, delegation of individual responsibility and accountability was a powerful tool in driving productivity once all parties had bought into the methodology. Although this effort is by far the most challenging, I found it the foundation of building productive teams.
At first my effort was more focused on the mechanics and the importance of keeping strict disciplines, but over time I learned that the secret is in the commitment of each individual and being able to determine very quickly which individuals are committed and part of the team and those that aren’t. This is a tough lesson to learn and can quickly put you at odds with different people in the organization, but the long term benefit by far outweighs the disruption and challenge it can pose.
It is through this understating that I believe companies can become more productive, increase quality and find a delicate balance of meeting their goals, at the same time building an environment that is rewarding, challenging and enjoyable to work in.
Like most things in life nothing happens immediately and changing or introducing any new concept into an environment has its challenges regardless of the methodology. Agile is no different, and once you get your teams focusing on what is important—developing product—and less on the politics and mechanics you will truly start to see the benefit being Agile can bring.
Agile has changed my personal perspective, on not only how I manage my employer responsibilities but on how I handle and manage other things in my life, allowing me to be more effective and efficient in everything I do.
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