Agile methodologies have become very famous in recent years, but what exactly are they and how to apply agile methodologies properly?
Let’s start at the beginning, agile methodologies are a set of tasks and procedures to manage projects of any kind but especially business projects.
They emerged in 2001 when the CEOs of different software companies in Utah (USA) got together, pooled the best procedures of each company and created the “Agile Manifiesto”.
What are the advantages of agile methodologies and which are the most used?
- They focus on people: Tools, processes and productivity are important but never more important than people. Betting on motivated employees and optimal environments are fundamental to improve results.
- Responsibility and autonomy: With these methodologies, team communication flows and all parties work towards the same goal.
- Adaptation: Thanks to revisions, changes do not catch the team off guard. Also, by always keeping the “deadline” in mind everything is easier.
- Prioritization: With the whole team involved, hierarchies are avoided and decisions are easily made, prioritizing objectives.
- Fast feedback. Giving feedback quickly and accurately saves time and increases the level of satisfaction.
In many occasions “Agile” is much more than a methodology, it is a philosophy of organization in companies and although there are different models and all of them have to comply with the Agile Manifesto, there are 3 that stand out above the rest:
- Scrum: This method was born from rugby. Yes, from rugby. It consists of working with “sprints” that last a week. In each revision, the previous phase is improved, adjusting errors as much as possible.
- Ágile Kanban:Its effectiveness is based on knowing at what stage each activity is, so you can easily prioritize and see what state they are in.
- Lean:This methodology tries to minimize waste. The idea is to continuously validate each learning process, thus avoiding false work.
The best thing about all these methodologies is that you can combine them and see which one adapts better to your company depending on the moment you are in. At the end of the day, the goal is to have the best results, avoid empty tasks and not waste work.
The world has changed and so has the way we work. At LOOM we adapt to more agile and effective work environments for entrepreneurs, startups and large corporations, growing as people and as professionals.
Do you want to know when to apply an agile methodology and when not to? Don’t miss this interview with Ana Morcillo, Innovation Consultant and Talent Development specialist.
