Agile Principle #4: Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
Common Issues that Lead Organizations Astray
- Business People and Developers speak different languages, metaphorically or literally, making daily collaboration difficult and cumbersome.
- A lack of co-location makes it difficult to come together daily.
- Office space is not conducive to collaboration creating physical silos.
- Offices and teams are globally distributed, introducing time-zone and online collaboration issues.
- Cultures lacking trust and respect cause breakdowns between the organizations.
Solutions that Lead Organizations Back on Course
- Introduce/Empower the Scrum Master role - Scrum Masters are expert facilitators and collaborators. They can seamlessly liaise between all aspects of an organization.
- Find opportunities for Business People and Developers observe each other working to help each side understand the challenges the other faces.
- When possible, co-locate all individuals involved with the work ensuring daily availability.
- Tear down the barriers! Move desks, tables, walls, etc. into a collaborative formation that brings everyone together in one easily accessible place.
- Be conscious and sensitive to time zone constraints and find a "golden window" of time when all individuals can come together for at least one hour a day.
- Be the change… Start by making collaboration a priority and finding time daily to be available so that a culture built on trust can begin to form.
Click here to download CapTech's 12 Principles of Agile Poster
Blog Series: Did you Pack the 12 Agile Principles on Your Agile Journey?
- Part 1: Deliver Value
- Part 2: Changing Requirements
- Part 3: Deliver Frequently
- Part 4: Work Together
- Part 5: Motivated Individuals