Agile PM Tools & Techniques
While there are many benefits of adopting Agile project development, transitioning to a new way of managing projects can be challenging. The 2019 State of Agile report found that the most common setbacks companies face when implementing Agile methodology are:
Many of the struggles businesses face in implementing Agile are the same as those of any broad organizational change undertaking. In other words, the setbacks are often not Agile-specific but rather the result of poor organizational change management.
When implementing Agile in waterfall environment, proper change management can mean the difference between successful adoption and failure.
Respondents of the 2019 State of Agile survey provided these five tips for how to implement Agile in an organization:
Your Agile implementation plan should follow the guidelines and structure of any organizational change implementation plan. For instance, before implementing Agile, leadership needs to start inspiring employees to change by presenting a compelling vision for the future. This includes communicating the advantages of Agile methodology over a waterfall model and how Agile will benefit your people and your business.
Communication is key – before, during, and after implementation of any large change, the management team should be consistently communicating what, when, and why changes are happening and what they mean for employees. It’s also important to communicate what will be staying the same.
For instance, if both waterfall and Agile methodologies will be used by the organization to suit the different project and customer/business needs, then it’s important for everyone to understand which methodology will be used and when.
Strong management support can help usher in change, but it’s also vital that training and coaching are provided to all impacted employees. Bringing in Agile experts to help teach your teams how to apply the Agile methodology properly will help them make a smooth transition. Plus, it ensures consistent processes and practices throughout the organization.
What if waterfall methodologies are too entrenched and the culture of your company doesn’t align well with Agile values? This can create a general resistance to change that’s not easy to overcome. In this case, management may need to focus on enforcing Agile practices.
It’s also important to capture project data and metrics. If you can show Agile vs. waterfall statistics and prove that Agile results in greater project performance, it can help win over hesitant stakeholders.
Due to the growing popularity of the Agile methodology, a lot of books on the subject have been published over the last few years. There are currently over 3,000 Agile books listed on Amazon.com.
Here are the five best Agile project management books:
The “Agile Project Management QuickStart Guide” is one of the best Agile books for people who are brand new to the subject. This book provides a great overview of what Agile is, how to use it, how to figure out which framework is best for your project, and more. It also comes with free lifetime access to guides, checklists, and cheat sheets that can help you plan and execute your first Agile project.
“Head First Agile” is a complete guide to Agile, including the most popular Agile frameworks such as Scrum, XP, Lean, and Kanban. If you’re studying for your
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP®) exam, this book guarantees 100% coverage of the exam subject matter. One of the reasons this is one of the best Agile project management books is its unique format. Head First Agile is not text heavy – rather, it focuses on multi-sensory learning and cognitive theory to help you grasp new concepts faster.
This book is short, brief, and to the point. It’s a pocket-sized guide that you can carry around with you and refer to on the go. “Scrum: a Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction” is a great way to familiarize yourself with the Scrum framework in under an hour. If you’ve just been thrown into a scrum project and you’re brand new to Agile, this book can help keep you from feeling lost.
“Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time” is considered one of the premier books about scrum. It also happens to be created by one of scrum’s founders. This book covers both why Scrum is beneficial and how to embrace the framework. It delves deeper into Scrum than many beginner books, providing both an overview and an implementation guide.
Most Agile methodology books focus on providing an introduction to beginners. What makes this book stand out is its focus on teaching you how to coach others on Agile. It covers all of the important Agile coach’s roles, including teacher, mentor, problem-solver, conflict navigator, and performance coach. If you’re looking for a resource to help you build a self-organized, high-performing team, this may be just what you need.
While most recognized Agile certification programs (such as the PMI-ACP mentioned earlier) do come at a cost, there are two free Agile certification options currently available.
This course is for anyone wanting to learn more about the basics of Scrum. It also results in a free Scrum certification once you’ve successfully completed the 40-question, multiple-choice exam.
This is a free online course that provides a brief overview of Agile and Scrum. At the end of the 30-minute course, you’ll receive a digital course completion certificate.