Those of you in IT probably are already familiar with Agile - a software development methodology intended to yield beneficial outcomes in chunks so that time, resources, and dollars are not wasted on work that never comes to fruition. But now organizations outside of IT are jumping on the Agile bandwagon to do all sorts of things: developing training offerings, creating marketing campaigns, implementing HR processes... the list goes on.

Agile teams learn how to time-box their work to produce outcome-oriented deliverables. Agile principles promote the concept that all work must contribute to demonstrable business benefit.  Continuous stakeholder involvement and feedback on visible work products support the goal of faster time to value. 

From an organization development perspective, these principles promote:

• great team dynamics

• strong line of sight to business strategy

• clear accountability

• empowered teams and self-directed management

• high visibility of individual contributions

• frequent recognition and celebration of team accomplishments

• recurring reflection and continuous improvement 

Traditional methods of project management helped teams assess progress against the plan, but Agile methods turned that around to help teams plan the work that can be accomplished.  Agile isn't for everyone, but if you are willing to re-think current paradigms, experimenting with Agile can help you build a stronger, more effective organization.