It's been 20 years since the original Agile Manifesto was released, yet Waterfall mixed with Agile persists in every software company globally. It's time to face this reality and learn to manage it well - an approach we call “Integrated Agile.”
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
That is, we recognize that Waterfall and Agile is a polarity to manage, not a problem to solve.
Foundational Principles
Waterfall and Agile can be used to manage ongoing and unsolvable problems, but neither approach is a solution on its own.
Both Waterfall and Agile have desirable upsides and undesirable downsides.
The relationship between Waterfall and Agile is a paradox. They are mutually inclusive and interdependent opposites where one can't exist without the other and the more we have of one, the less we have of the other.
Dynamics Management Principles
The dynamics between Waterfall and Agile are predictable and manageable.
Time spent in the upsides of Waterfall and Agile is maximized by (1) watching for early warning signs that indicate we're experiencing the downsides of over-applying values from the current approach and (2) switching perspectives to reintegrate values from the marginalized approach.
Over-applying the values from either Waterfall or Agile undermines the greater purpose and leads to the downside of the favoured approach.
Attempting to eradicate either approach is impossible, unnecessarily marginalizes people and leads to costly resistance.
Attempting to get the upsides of both Waterfall and Agile at the same time leads to the downsides of both.
Self-Management Principles
Either/or thinking is supplanted by both/and thinking allowing us to better manage the dynamics between Waterfall and Agile.
Leaders go first by taking on the perspectives of others and inviting them to do the same.
Resistance is turned into collaboration by respecting, using, and celebrating differences.
Slides from the video presentation can be downloaded here.
Erkan Kadir
Brock Argue