AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT & TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY

Abstract

The lack of guidance for project managers of agile development projects has been a gaping hole in the software development community over the past several years. The contrast between the world of agile software development and traditional project management has left many managers wondering what their role should be. By viewing the agile development team as a complex adaptive system and the manager as an integral part of that system, we have begun to develop a framework for managers. This framework of practices is meant to overlay the practices of existing agile methodologies such as XP, and provide clear guidelines for the visionary leadership of projects that use them. These six practices of agile project management do not provide a sure-fire recipe for success. Building and nurturing a successful team is much more like cooking chili than baking a cake – it requires creativity, flexibility, and attentiveness to the unique qualities and interactions of the ingredients. However, we believe that by following these basic practices and adapting them to your own style over time, managers will not only find that they add tremendous value to projects but also that they will enjoy not only the achievement of success but the journey along the way.