“Agile” is a word you might have come across if you work in projects, development, or any type of planning. But what does it actually mean? And why is everyone talking about “agile methods” and “agile project management”? Here, we’ll go over what it’s all about and what it means to work in an agile way. We’ll also explain why it’s worth knowing about.

So, what does agile mean?

The word “agile” essentially means being fast and flexible. When we talk about these methods or ways of working, it’s about being able to quickly adapt to changes. It also involves being flexible in how you work. Agile became popular in the workplace when a group of developers created the Agile Manifesto to find a better way to work than the old, rigid methods. They wanted to focus on collaboration, fast feedback, and consistently delivering something valuable. Rather than getting stuck in long, complicated processes.

What is agile project management?

Agile project management is an approach where work is broken down into smaller parts and done in short cycles. Instead of laying out a fixed plan at the beginning and following it strictly, the idea is to adjust the course along the way, depending on how the project develops and what the customer wants. Each “cycle,” or sprint, is a short period (often 2–4 weeks) where the team works intensively to deliver a finished part of the project.

One of the most popular methods is Scrum, where the team works in sprints and has daily meetings to track progress. Kanban is another method, where a visual board is used to keep track of what’s in progress, what’s done, and what needs to be completed.

What is agile development?

Agile development is especially common in software development. Instead of building the entire product at once and hoping everything works when it’s finished, the work is divided into small pieces that are worked on and released continuously. This allows the development team to get fast feedback from the customer or users and make improvements right away.

The advantage of this way of working is that it avoids big surprises at the end of the project, such as features not working or the customer being unhappy. Instead, you constantly have the opportunity to improve and adjust along the way.

Agile methods: Some popular tools

There are several agile methods and frameworks that help teams work more flexibly and efficiently. Here are a few of the most common:

• Scrum: Work in short sprints with a clear goal for each sprint.
• Kanban: Visualize the workflow with a board to see what’s in progress and what’s done.
• Lean: Focus on eliminating unnecessary work and maximizing value for the customer.
• Extreme Programming. A method that emphasizes close collaboration with the customer and delivering small pieces of software as often as possible.

All of these methods share the same core idea: be flexible, deliver quickly, and continuously improve the work.

Why choose an agile approach?

Working in an agile way has several advantages compared to more traditional methods:

• Flexibility: If things change, like customer needs or market conditions, you can quickly adjust and adapt.
• Faster delivery: You deliver small parts of the project continuously, rather than waiting until everything is finished. The customer gets something useful right away.
• Better collaboration: This approach encourages close collaboration between team members and customers, leading to better results.
• Less risk: By getting feedback continuously, you avoid discovering major issues only when the project is finished.

A global McKinsey survey, from October 2020, shows that companies that have adopted agile methods outperform less agile organizations in terms of speed, higher customer satisfaction. It also showed increased performance, more innovation, better employee engagement, clarified priorities, and overall greater operational efficiency.

When are agile methods right?

Agile methods work best in projects where it’s hard to plan everything in detail from the start or where conditions can change quickly. They are especially useful in development projects where the customer may not know exactly what they want from the beginning. Or where the technology evolves during the project.

However, if you have a project with very clear requirements and a fixed plan that can’t be changed, a more traditional approach might work better.

Now it’s your turn to try agile methods!

Working agile is about being fast, flexible, and ready to adapt to changes. By using these methods in project management or development, you can deliver value faster and reduce the risk of major mistakes. Whether you want to try Scrum, Kanban, or another method, this approach can help you and your team work more efficiently and deliver better results.

Curious to try an agile way of working? Start by choosing a method that suits you and your team, like Scrum or Kanban, and see how it can help you become faster and more flexible in your work!