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23
MAY

Agile in Everyday Life

23 MAY 2010 | Posted in agile a-z | Author Ross Jackson | 4 Comments

In a recent team discussion, the idea came up that Agile isn't merely a methodology and set of processes for running projects at a business level, its fundamental principles can be applied to almost any activity.

Some of us weren't so convinced at the time, but having thought about it at home, I realise that this is actually true. As an example, I found myself planning a family holiday recently. I wanted to ensure we got enough cultural things in, whilst at the same time having a good relaxing break. I went online to research suitable areas and the types of things that were available to do, ensuring that I got my key priorities sorted out first, before looking for the other requirements to be fulfilled (thus adding incremental value).

Once I'd got everything sorted, though, it turned out that a wedding invite had recently arrived, thus scuppering my plans for the chosen dates, but allowing me to be responsive to the changing situation, and simply recalibrate everything for later in the year. Whilst it could be argued this process wasn't actually entirely effective, it was certainly Agile!

Comments

We have a magnetic board in our house that our kids use stickies to move across as homework and shores get done each day.  Need a DoD next :-)

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Part of the impetus for the "Agile for Lawyers" came from exactly this understanding.we can really evolve the concept of 'Agility' by allowing it to blossom wherever seeds fall. Agile was not created in a vacuum,-- it came from free-range concepts, so the recipes are endless. Outside of software development, there's a tremendous amount of work to do, and we're really trying to continue the atmosphere of open sharing!

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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mike Cottmeyer, Agile Lawyer. Agile Lawyer said: RT @mcottmeyer: Interesting Post... Agile in Everyday Life http://bit.ly/dvrfCG [...]

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Picking up on these comments, the applicability of Agile in areas outside software development is something we very much agree with (and indeed is the underlying principle of our Strategic Change work).

We very much believe that the principles of assessing value and incremental development can be applied to many areas of business, and indeed life.

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MAY
Trust

While I was working with one of my clients a few years a go, I was given a book to read by the CEO.  "The Speed of Trust".  I read the book with a healthy dose of scepticism having read many management books in the past.  But this book resonated with the core principles of Agile for me.

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