5 tips to work in agile mode

Working in agile mode is first and foremost a plan with a view to continuous improvement, empiricism and especially team spirit. This method applies at all levels, as much in the organization of a vacation with friends, as in the realization of a project or a product. The following tips are not exhaustive but reflect an approach of the agile method.

(Behind this catchy and vague title lies a philosophy and a state of mind borrowed from the agile manifesto. Throughout this article, we’ll approach with ease the "agile" mindset to work as a team on your various works.)

1 – Travailler en collaboration

The priority here is to bring together individualities to achieve a group dynamic. You have to rethink your way of working and have a more global vision ! Indeed, the idea is not to be against each other but to be complementary. Confidence is essential in order to be able to share the different tasks. The workload’s distribution benefit is to achieve an efficient and self-organized team. Everyone has a part to play in the team

Comment mettre en place cette dynamique ? Grâce au dialogue, une notion importante dans le mode agile, mais également grâce à Minecraft 4 Scrum. Un jeu coopératif qui met en situation une équipe vers un objectif commun.

2 – Prioriser en mode agile

Working in agile mode means teamwork, but to be efficient, you have to prioritize the tasks that need to be accomplished. Before reaching the final result, there are a plethora of things to do, hence the usefulness of moving forward step by step! Having to accomplish a task that is too large or covers several others can make the goal unclear and lead to a loss of motivation.

Everyone knows that a lack of motivation leads to a loss of efficiency and even in quality. A vicious circle, which can be avoided by segmenting tasks. To do this, it is wise to use tools such as sticky notes to index each task. There is also Kanban which uses the idea of sticky notes associated with a visual management which makes the different tasks accessible and visible to all.

3 – Se fixer des repères

Time management seems to be flexible, but how can we know our progress? How can we actually know what we have left to do? In order to do this, we must turn to a visual-management system with tangible milestones.

A management system that fits in with the division of tasks and that can be guided by these three categories:

• Things to do (To do)

• Actionnable phase (In progress)

• Things done (Done) 

A follow-up that may seem simple and insignificant but is necessary to see forward and remain proactive. Moreover, this method motivates and brings satisfaction through the vision of what has already been accomplished.

4 – Repenser ses objectifs de manière agile

Not to be off topic, or to treat the subject in a comprehensive manner is sometimes complicated. Naturally we tend to focus on one point of view, your point of view. It is the team’s job, no matter how agile it is, to question itself. Sometimes questioning will lead you to rethink your goals, to start over, don't be afraid to do so.

Chaque tâche à réaliser a pour but de vous forger et d’engendrer un apprentissage par l’expérience. Un empirisme et une itération qui vont vous servir lorsqu’un autre projet se présentera à vous. Ne vous inquiétez pas pour réaliser cette introspection il y a le daily-meeting ou réunion du jour, et la rétrospective. Une réunion avec pour sujet : ce qui s’est bien déroulé la veille et les missions du jour !

The retrospective is later and comes at the end of a sprint, when the goals are achieved. The main idea is to improve the next step or section of work and to discuss the next steps to be taken.

5 – Diminuer sa charge mentale grâce au mode agile

Remote work and distance have shown their vices through dropouts, decreased motivation and mental overload. The lack of concrete, tangible work, exacerbated by a lack of social interaction, ends with "41% of French people who say they do not feel involved in their work". The beginnings of the agile method exposed through these tips, allow to lower the bad stress and the mental load. Indeed, the agile mode advocates social relations and the interests towards a common objective, which units and stimulates the group!

In the end, that's what being agile is all about, cooperating and collaborating within a group, and with a good relationship and a common objective to end with the finished product.