A gazillion of articles (a good chunk of it actually very useful and meaningful) has already been written about what it means to be agile. My two cents:
Most such introductions into the world of agile start with some dictionary definition copied straight from the OED or Webster or some other authority. So I will not copy those definitions yet again. I will just lay out what agility means to me.
Things around us are in constant flux. Change is the fundamental attribute of the universe around and inside us. Beings, in order to sustain their own existence have to adapt to their constantly and unavoidably changing environment. The ability to respond to the changes around us in an appropriate, timely and efficient manner is, in my dictionary, called agility. Such timely, appropriate and efficient response to change requires a combination of skills. Some, but not all, that are required are:
- Intelligence: the recognition and correct interpretation of the change
- Balance: the purpose of adaptation is to reestablish a new balance point that accommodates the factors that changed
- Coordination: multiple things may have to be altered in order to respond to the change requiring coordination across them
- Speed: timely response is key in avoiding the fate of the dinosaurs
- Determination and Endurance: the change may require prolonged actions necessitating the determination of the mind and the endurance of the body
The application of these skills is not limited to the physical world. The same skills are required when change hits an company, a business unit, a project, any process or initiative.
I am hoping to bring into focus each of the required skills and their application in various contexts. My hope is that I will not be the only one including practical examples from experience but that people reading these entries will also add their own life experiences.
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