Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

A major part of the agile methods is that we refuse to be victims.

In agile development, persons talk face to face and speak candidly. There are no bureaucratic victims.

There is no, “Look, I know doing X this way doesn’t make sense, but we are required to do so by some large, mysterious group of persons somewhere who declare these things. So let’s just push through this stupid stuff and maybe one day we will find the time to do this right.”

Instead, in Agile, someone says, “Look, I can’t find anyone who will put their name to doing X is a nonsensical way. So let’s do what we all know is the better way to do this.”

The Agile methods require courage to do what the group believes is right. The group cannot just do it the old way and blame someone else. Gosh. The absence of blame. Perhaps that is the real definition of Agile.