A great drum to beat...
Before the weekend, I received a very generous email from Stephan H. Haeckel. In it he dropped one *gem* of a quote. This quote is so precious that to comment on it further simply detracts from the simplicity of its message. All I have to say about this quote is just how profoundly well it supports the very foundation of how to make Agile CMMI work:
A prerequisite for adaptability in the face of unpredictable change is responding effectively to what IS happening, rather than executing efficiently a plan for what was predicted TO happen. This means that strategy has to change from a “plan of action” to a “structure for action” – which in turn implies fundamental reformations in structure and governance.
posted by Hillel @ 11:29
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2 Comments:
In "Reining in IT", http://www.ddj.com/dept/architect/184415475 , I overview strategies for taking a more agile approach to IT governance. The command-and-control nonsense which is far too often prevalent within the CMM/CMMI community simply isn't appropriate, nor needed, for agile projects. Less paperwork, fewer reviews, and more collaboration is the order of the day. For many organizations this is a dramatic change, and many people will find it difficult to adapt.
- Scott
I think Scott's comment underscores the basic difference between agile and lean approaches (CMMI being a lean approach) - the organizational changes necessary to create an agile environment are primarily cultural changes rather than methodological changes.
Mechanical / methodological / procedural details are very similar between agile and lean processes. Change at that level is easier for traditional organizations to absorb than cultural changes, such as the genuine mindset shift from a command-and-control management style to an enabled management style.
The mechanical similarities between agile and lean may be the reason why so many lean processes are described by their proponents as "agile". I would include CMMI, MSF Agile, and Agile Unified Process in this general category, for instance.
In contrast, a process like Scrum or a methodology like Crystal Clear or XP explicitly requires a cultural change to the agile mentality. The specific practices applied on a project are secondary to the cultural aspects of agile work.
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