The agile mind

Don’t you love it when different parts of your life start to produce convergent ideas?So: at the 'Getting published' seminars at NSW Writers Centre, author Bem Le Hunt described some experiments she and writing colleagues had undertaken in the world of digital self-publishing. She advised writers be open to change and adaptation. We can learn from our colleagues in the IT world, she said, who have adopted new ‘agile’ methodologies for producing technical solutions.These little ears pricked up: I’ve worked in IT environments and loved them and I’ve often thought that there’s much to be admired in the rigour of their processes. Heck, I even went and got certified in PRINCE2, for heaven's sake.Cue the convergence: at a business lunch with a very fine ex-colleague of mine, the ‘agile’ business came up again. My friend enthused about how much he had come to admire ‘agile’ processes and how, essentially, it was all based on stories. Now, for those who know more about this than me, here comes the disclaimer: I know hardly anything about this. I plan to learn more. But here’s what I gleaned from the conversation — correct me if I'm wrong:

• An agile process is user centred.
• Goals are established along the way not at the start through ongoing examination of user and business requirements.
• Decisions are verified ongoingly.
• Work packages are small so the margin for error is small too.
• The high level business requirements and user needs are articulated in ‘epics’ which are then broken into ‘stories’.

Let’s pause to consider how much there is to like about that. First a ‘narrative’ framework of building knowledge, not a systemic and rigid one. Second, no real distance between the user, the maker and the product. Third, a goal that is reached incrementally, sensibly and in verified steps.Is anyone else thinking: this could make a really good creative tool somehow?