What are out principles?

[Michael Montcalm]

Hi All, 

I've been chewing over the original dozen principles, looking for ways of dissociating them from software projects and making them more generic. I've also been looking at condensing the number of principles (combining ones that are nearly the same), as well as connecting them with the values in the other thread. I've put the original agile principles for ease of reference.

Here's what I have so far:

Original Principles

We follow these principles:

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
   
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.
   
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
   
4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
   
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
   
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
   
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
   
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
   
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
   
10. Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.
    
11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
    
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
    

Changes Made

The principles section was changed in order to condense some very similar principles into what would be considered their parent principle. Additionally, the principles were made less specific to software. Terms like solution take the place of software, as these principles should be applicable to any project ending in a product or service.

Specific deletions include: 

• Dissolving point 3 into points 1 and 2.
  
• Dissolving point 11 into point 5.
  
• Removal of “late in development.” If we are continually delivering, there is no “late” that exists. PSPI should exist when each story is completed.
  
• Removal of the term “Agile” to reduce the buzzword count.
  

New Principles

Principle means fundamental, as in beliefs or truths or understandings.

We follow these beliefs:

1. We believe in valuable solutions delivered early and continuously.
   
1. Values #2, #3, #4
2. We believe in welcoming changing requirements, at all times. 
   
1. Values #1, #3, #4
3. We believe in Business people and workers collaborating throughout the project.
   
1. Value #1
4. We believe in building projects around motivated individuals, giving them the environment and support they need, and trusting them to get the job done.
   
1. Value #6
5. We believe in conveying information with efficient and effective methods.
   
1. Value #1
6. We believe in measuring progress based on customer delight.
   
1. Value #3
7. We believe in sustaining the pace of development. Everyone involved in a project should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
   
1. Values #2, #4, #5
8. We believe in enhancing flexibility through continuous attention to technical excellence and good design.
   
1. Values #2, #6
9. We believe in simplicity; maximizing the amount of work not done.
   
1. Values #5
10. We believe in regularly reflecting on how to become more effective and adjusting behaviour accordingly.
    
1. Values #5, #6

Please feel free to give any feedback. 

[Michael Montcalm]

Annnd I realize I've made a typo in the port title >.<

Dave, can you edit this as group owner to say "our" instead?

[Michael Montcalm]

*Post* title. =P

My fingers have gotten too fat for my own keyboard!

[Dave Rooney]

Hi folks,

I've been on vacation, so sorry for the lack of participation.

Mike, I like all this but I want to make one thing clear - I'm OK with the original Agile Manifesto's Values and Principles as stated.  They represent a statement against what was perceived to be the biggest problem in software system delivery at the time.  In many cases, including one "with which you're very familiar" (wink wink), the original Manifesto still applies.

My aim isn't to replace the original manifesto, but rather to make a similar statement against the problem we deal with in 2012.  I'd like to see more teeth around working in deep collaboration with the business or product management people, and more substance around "technical excellence".

More to come!

Dave...

[Michael Montcalm]

Hi All,

So aside from what I'd almost dub "agile quackery" (people who go and do a two day course, think they know it all and immediately go into teaching of some kind), what do you believe to be the biggest problems we deal with in 2012?

My reason for the rewrite posts was because I see a heavy dependence on buzz words. Specifically I see a heavy dependence on buzz words that are specific to methods/processes that could be used with lean, could be used with agile and could be used with scrum. I was attempting to make the philosophy side of the manifesto more generic and as decoupled from the implementation specific buzz words that are floating around.

Cheers,

~Mike