Agile- A way of life!

Just came across two great quotes with respect to Agile methodology, thought of sharing with all. Before starting with the quotes lets first understand what Agile is. Agile is a methodology of doing anything(not just software development) in which we focus on the meaningful work done or the value added in the minimum time. Over the years we have become puppets of planning and preparation wherein we have lost our ability to adapt. Right from our school admissions to our first job interview, we rely on the way we should prepare rather than be what we need to be. We would love to have the questions of all exams we write, know all questions that could be shot to us in an interview etc.-All of this because we want to be predictive not adaptive. This in turn has spoiled our ability to be AGILE. But in a world that faces change in form of technology, tastes and preference, fashion and trends how can such a mindset work. In words of Charles Darwin, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." A simple example of need of Agile in daily life can be,selecting a dress or getting it stitched by a tailor. The traditional model(Waterfall) would suggest gathering the requirements from the person who needs the dress,taking the measurements, designing it, selecting appropriate material, start making it, testing if the dress ready complies with all the requirements initially gathered and then delivering the dress to the person. Now just look at the possibilities. First, what if the fashion has changed, second- what if he/she becomes fat and his measurements change, third- what if there is a better material available now. There are so many possibilities which would imply that the dress would not satisfy the person, while the question remains what to do with the dress now, what about the cost and time etc., can the dress be fixed or change at this stage? Agile way of doing it is quite different. Create a basic set of requirements for the dress-may be size/fitting, color code,etc. Then prioritize so as to get the most important requirements on top of list. Start making the dress with this first set of requirements and get it checked/tested. Now incorporate the next set of requirements with any changes required on the initially delivered dress. Now this way the final dress is made. This ensures 1. Faster Delivery of dress 2. Accommodation of Updated requirements/changes. This brings us to the first quote- "Project success is not product success" - Jeff Patton, Agile Alliance. Traditional software development process has always aimed for the success of the project rather than the product. According to a survey, most of the PM are more worried about the Schedule and Budget Overruns than the functionality of the product/solution. Agile is all set to become the order of the day, with many US Federal Govt departments deciding to Go Agile! In 2004, the Food and Drug Administration claimed a 35 percent to 50 percent cost savings could be achieved using agile versus a waterfall approach.Similarly In October 2009, President Obama signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act issuing a mandate implementing the agile model for IT acquisitions to keep up pace with the new emerging technologies. It is not only cost saving that Agile leads to but a lot of empowerment. The team of people working feel involved and therefore committed. Does it make any sense to spend almost half the time and effort in doing that part of a project which doesn't deliver any functionality. Agile manifesto therefore rightly stresses on Working software over comprehensive documentation. Agile on a personal level is more of common sense than methodology. Take for instance a situation wherein we have n no. of things in the pipeline, staring from assignments & meetings to cooking & washing clothes. Given the fact that we have very less time to complete it, we don't sit and make a plan for it. We figure out which of the tasks is most important and start with it- and this way complete the rest of the tasks. Sounds simple right! It is. Ending with the quote by Confucius-"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." There had to be something which replaces the mundane process we have been following, something which forces us to be adaptive and on our toes. If that something is Agile, than so be IT-Agile- A way of Life!