Agile methodology got its start not in computers, but in the post-WWII Japanese automotive industry. Since then, the iterative workflow characteristic of agile has proven itself superior to the traditional waterfall approach and is being applied more broadly beyond the technology space. Making your whole company agile will elevate the way you do business.

Waterfall vs. Agile Product Development

• With waterfall, everything happens in a straight line

• The expectation is that you'll have a deliverable at the end of each stage

• with agile, this all flips

• Teams can work in sprints on different parts of the project simultaneously

• Deliverables are not necessarily required at each point

• Agile allows for on-the-fly analysis and adjustments

A disconnect that breaks the rhythm

• The agile team centers around short-term strategies, while executives are concerned with implementing a long-term plan.

• This disconnect usually means that the business doesn’t deliver to customers with the speed and quality people need, wastes resources, and becomes less competitive. One key to getting back in sync is looking at the cadence of meetings.

Put agility at the front of your organization

• To bring agile to the fore, most companies have to covert to more product-oriented organizational models, improve IT-business interactions, redefine roles and rethink their budgets and planning models.

• Management and workers who are willing to go through these changes first need a big-picture view of what they’re doing and integrate continuous communication across the entire business.

Adopting agile on a wide scale is up to us

• responsiveness is the life's breath of business

• Agile, while not perfect for every group, can provide that responsiveness and has led to a slew of positive leadership practices since its early Deming days

• Determining whether it makes sense for your organization might be exactly what you need to jumpstart your success

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