In the vast landscape of Agile development, there's a concept that often gets overlooked but is pivotal to the success of any Agile endeavour: Empiricism.
Empiricism, for those unfamiliar, is essentially the practice of inspecting and adapting. It's not just about having a clear view of what's happening (transparency), but it's about actively analysing that data and making decisions based on it. It's a bit like navigating through the Scottish Highlands; you don't just rely on the map, but you also keep a keen eye on the terrain and adjust your path accordingly.
Now, in the world of Agile, we often hear about the importance of transparency. But it's not enough just to have that clarity. You need to actively engage with the data. Think about all those reports that get generated but are never looked at. They're essentially useless. What's crucial is understanding what data you need to make different decisions.
Scrum, for instance, is rife with empiricism. It's baked into its very DNA. There are numerous inspect and adapt loops within Scrum. Take the daily stand-up, for instance. You've got your Sprint backlog, which offers a transparent view of the present. And every day, you're inspecting and adapting that backlog, continually refining your plan towards the completion of the Sprint.
Then there's the Sprint review, where you're constantly adapting the product backlog and the product goal. This allows for flexibility, ensuring that you can steer your product in different directions based on feedback. And let's not forget the retrospective, which serves as a feedback loop for the process itself. At the end of every Sprint, teams come together to reflect on what transpired during the Sprint and how they can improve in the subsequent ones.
But the power of empiricism doesn't stop there. The entire Sprint serves as another inspect and adapt loop. Stakeholders are engaged in this process at the end of every Sprint. They can evaluate the work done and decide on the next steps. This could mean investing in another Sprint, tweaking the direction slightly, or even realising that an idea, though sound in theory, doesn't quite pan out in practice.
This adaptability is crucial, especially in today's fast-paced world. Organisations with large hierarchies often find themselves at a disadvantage because decision-makers are too far removed from the actual work. They can't respond swiftly to market changes. And in this context, the 'market' could be external customers or even other departments within the organisation. As their needs evolve, products and services must adapt to remain relevant.
In essence, we might start with a clear vision of what we want a product to be. But the reality is, the landscape is constantly shifting. Whether it's the needs of the people we're creating the product for or the broader market dynamics, change is the only constant. And that's where empiricism comes in. It allows us to close those feedback loops quickly, ensuring that we're always on the right track.
NKDAgility can help you.
These are the kinds of issues that lean-agile practitioners love and most folks hate, and if you find it hard to close those feedback loops, my team at NKDAgility can help you or help you find a consultant, coach, or trainer who can.
If you have issues that are undermining the effectiveness of your value delivery, it's especially important to find help as soon as you can and not wait!
Which you can do right now. You can request a free consultation with my team or sign up for one of our upcoming professional Scrum classes. Because you don't just need agility, you need Naked Agility.