Dispelling the Mystique of Agile for Practical Use

The use of agile methodology reaps rewards.

Agile is a term that has gained a lot of attention over the last few years – and rightfully so. Whether it is used in the context of agile software development, agile project management, agile marketing or agile you-name-it, its list of benefits continues to grow. However, at its heart, this methodology delivers value more quickly and in a way that is meaningful to members. But what is agile really?

Rather than get a history lesson on the origins of agile, it is more important to understand what agile is at its core. Agile is embracing the uncertainty of the future by concentrating on smaller units of work that deliver value early, in close cooperation with the member or internal customer. Rather than engaging in a long-term project, marketing campaign or process improvement, agile divides those long-term endeavors into smaller units of work that are usable. Those smaller, usable units are made available to members or internal customers to solicit feedback on whether they are useful enough to spend future resources on further work.