PMcrunch

The word ‘agile’ has become popular in software development and project management circles, as the agile method produces quality product speedily in a very flexible and organic way.  Agility, however, describes much more than a method for software development and speaks right to the core of project team formation and development.  The individuals, project team, and team building process itself all need to be agile in today’s demanding environment.

Wikipedia has a definition for agility that starts out like this:

"Agility is the ability to change the body’s position, and requires a combination of balance, coordination, speed, reflexes, and strength."

So what might it mean to be an agile professional, agile project team, or agile organization?

Innovative organizations have one thing in common: work force agility.  A project team is an organization within the organization, and therefore it must be an agile project team, but also must relate in some way to the agility level of the organization.

Project management is at the center of change.  Projects are born of strategic initiatives intended to produce change.  Ever accelerating change is a fact of corporate life that makes change management more important than ever. In today’s environment, an agile work force is essential for an innovative company to stay competitive.

Here are some ways project managers can think about agility:

1. What skills are needed on the project team, and are they readily available, or do they require some training and/or development?
2. What level of agility does the organization demonstrate at this time?  What is the attitude or propensity toward agility demonstrated by the organization?
3. How does the project or program align with the organization’s status on agility?
4. What opportunities will open for the project and the organization by becoming more agile?

Agility is something to think about and work on.  It is not so much something to do, but rather something to become.  Just as an agile athlete trains to be able to adapt rapidly to anything that he or she might encounter on the field of play, professionals, teams, and organizations need to also adapt an agile mindset and skill set and BECOME agile performers.
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John Reiling, PMP
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