Interactions and Individuals

The first value discussed in the Agile Manifesto is “Agile values interactions and individuals over processes and tools.” When I was a project manager in the 1990s and early 2000s processes and tools were vital. There was a stream of events that led to every executive reviewing the budget and scope of the project at different stages. These processes sought to control risk and budget but did nothing to help move the project forward. In fact, they were designed to stop a project from continuing if it were going off the rails. What would often happen though when a project was not proceeding according to plan, is more money and time would be allocated and the project would go on, eventually completing behind schedule and over budget.

By valuing individuals and interactions, agile processes seek to eliminate the tendency created by processes to through things over the fence and wait for what happens next. And tools are not only agnostic to the framework, they may change as the work progresses if the team finds value in switching.

One of the great advantages of agile processes is that they allow requirements to evolve over time as information is acquired from what has been accomplished. Interactions between individuals throughout development is key to making that work.