Main Takeaway from Agile Manifesto
It’s fairly easy to understand the Manifesto for Agile Software Development (Agile Manifesto) from its values. They are short, simple, and to the point. Although in reality, there are common misconceptions, such as the one where Agile is viewed as not requiring any documentation, it doesn’t need that much effort to understand them. The closing remark also emphasizes how each of them should be treated: “That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.” (Beck et al., 2001)
The principles behind the manifesto are as obvious as the values. We can see how each principle gives more details on what the values actually mean. Since those principles stand firm behind the manifesto, they can be considered as guidance on implementing the manifesto. An analogy I often use is that the manifesto acts as the foundation, while the principles act as the boundaries (Syafrudin, 2022) that prevent any Agile implementation from becoming chaotic.
So, what’s the takeaway then?
The main takeaway in this case is not any of the values or the principles, though “simplicity” can be considered a good candidate. The main takeaway from the Agile Manifesto lies in the first sentence of the manifesto itself: “We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.” (Beck et al., 2001) That statement can be considered “hidden” because the values took all the spotlight, but that makes it even more important to be acknowledged.
There are 2 parts worth highlighting: “better ways” and “developing software”. “Better ways” signals that the manifesto and the principles behind it emphasize on finding the best way of working. In 2001, an instance of “better ways” was formulated as the manifesto and the principles behind it. “Developing software” signifies that the manifesto was created in the context of software development. That context should be clear from the name (or title) of the manifesto but seems to diminish with time, particularly since Agile was adopted to other fields outside software development or information technology (IT), such as manufacturing (Žužek et al., 2020).
While the manifesto arguably remained relevant even after more than 2 decades of its birth, it is worth emphasizing that it remains limited as an attempt to find a better way to develop software. That means the manifesto is open to changes for other values or principles that merit a better way of work than the existing ones. That also means that any Agile implementation should not be treated as immutable because the main purpose of being Agile is not about being Agile, but about being able to work in a better way.
So, what’s the takeaway again? It’s context.
Context, in this case, is of high importance. The manifesto itself was created in the context of software development. However, does it cover all the factors such as team size, team distribution setup, project scale, project type, or organization type? Those factors might impact the choice of values and principles that are considered important. Moreover, when Agile is taken out of the context of software development or IT, those factors may vary more significantly. The contextualization process might involve something as simple as changing software-related terms to generic terms such as “software” to “product” or something more significant such as the addition or removal of certain values or principles.
Essentially, “better ways of developing software” emphasize that the Agile Manifesto is a reflection of what the creators considered at that time as the best way to develop software. It is limited in time and industry. Tomorrow, in different sectors, the best way to develop software might be different from 2 decades ago. Tomorrow, in different sectors, for different products or endeavors, the best way to work might be totally different from 2 decades ago. Our context greatly influenced our best way of working. Feel free to adopt the values and principles of the manifesto but go beyond them to discover a better way that works for you. Take it from the manifesto.
REFERENCES
- Beck, K., Beedle, M., van Bennekum, A., Cockburn, A., Cunningham, W., Fowler, M., Grenning, J., Highsmith, J., Hunt, A., Jeffries, R., Kern, J., Marick, B., Martin, R. C., Mellor, S., Schwaber, K., Sutherland, J., & Thomas, D. (2001). Manifesto for Agile Software Development. https://agilemanifesto.org/
- Syafrudin, A. (Director). (2022, June 24). Apa Perbedaan Agile dan Scrum? [Video recording]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k23UmpXJjS0
- Žužek, T., Gosar, Ž., Kušar, J., & Berlec, T. (2020). Adopting agile project management practices in non-software SMEs: A case study of a Slovenian medium-sized manufacturing company. Sustainability, 12(21), 9245. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219245
