Agile Doesn’t Need an Update, but Here Are the Two Ideas I Like the Most
Ok, we’ve mastered Agile. What’s next? — Said no one ever.
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The Agile Manifesto hasn’t been updated (and isn’t going to be), so naturally, some will try to get traction for a new version or their own refined set of principles. It’s not a bad thing. It’s just that these usually aren’t different enough to persuade a large group of people when there is already so much content out there.
1. Diversity
The Agile values and principles state that people are important, promoting wellbeing, collaboration across disciplines, and the need for trust and freedom to make decisions. These ideas were cutting edge in the workplace in the early 2000s, and they are still challenging today.
The prioritization of people we see in the original Agile artifacts sets a good foundation, but with what we know today about the impact of diverse teams, the world is ready to take on a principle that specifically addresses diversity. I don’t know if this should be cultural diversity or racial diversity only… Should an update include neurodiversity as well?
2. Software
From Marketing to Human Resources, Agile has helped teams of all kinds and in all industries. That’s because, at some level, the problems Agile aimed to solve in software were many of the same problems others were experiencing. Broadening Agile (or whatever comes next) would simply make official what is already happening in the real world.
Agile Manifesto and principles remain highly relevant, easy to benefit from, and practically impossible to master. An Agile Manifesto alternative will need to be revolutionary to get much attention.
