Earlier this week, I discussed the common misunderstandings related to the first two statements made in the Agile Manifesto — Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools, and Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation. In that discussion, I focused on how important it is to remember that the Agile Manifesto itself was written largely in response to traditional “Waterfall” methods of product design and development. There was never any intent on the part of those who created the Manifesto to shift the focus entirely to the “left side” of the spectrum — but rather to propose a spectrum that was more responsive to change and that could accelerate the delivery of value to interested stakeholders. While these original concepts have brought forth many different specific approaches, the fundamental purpose of the Manifesto remains important in understanding when, where, and how to implement such practices, and why you should do so.
Archives for March 2015
Breaking Down the Agile Manifesto — Processes & Documentation
One of the issues that Product Managers commonly face when engaging with teams who claim to be, or who want to be, “Agile” is that most people have never really take the time to actually research the origins of the Agile movement, the principles upon which it is based, or even the histories of the specific practices that have grown from these principles. All too often, teams and companies begin their way down a transition to Agile practices as blindly as a bat fluttering out of its cave into the sunlight.
The fact is, there is a long and storied history to be found, and one of the best places to start is by reviewing the Agile Manifesto, which in many ways was the first coordinated effort to coalesce a variety of different approaches under a single set of guiding principles. After a few online conversations, I thought it might be useful to present a few common misinterpretations of the Agile principles and explain why they’re incorrect. To start with today, I’m going to dig on on the first two statements in the Agile Manifesto:
- Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools
- Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation
Building Your Product Management Toolkit
One of the challenges that we have as Product Managers is managing our own career trajectories while at the same time running the products that we are tasked with keeping alive and breathing. A wise mentor once told me that we’re all consultants in this day and age, and that we should be sure that we’re gaining skills and abilities that will allow us the most flexibility in the future, should a company decide we’re no longer needed, or vice-versa.
As a Product Manager, there are some skills and abilities that transfer between companies and markets, and these are the skills that we need to focus on whenever and wherever we can, so that if or when the time comes that we bid a fond adieu to our current employer, it’s with the confidence that the next phase of our career will be that much better.