About Agile Project Management
PMI Delaware Valley Chapter
Jack be nimble.
Jack be iterative.
Adaptive and collaborative too.
Agile as an Option
An acumen in project management places you in demand. But when it comes to the practice of project management, you have choices. Agile is an umbrella discipline encompassing a range of iterative project management frameworks and methodologies, including Scrum, Lean, Six Sigma, Kanban, and many others.
Whereas traditional project management draws on the foundation of the Waterfall approach, Agile is an iterative approach that helps teams deliver value in rapid and adjustable increments.
Agile is less about managing the project lifecycle and more about advancing solutions and value through flexibility and iterations, allowing you to adjust to changing conditions on the fly. Business outcomes and nimble teamwork are at its core. As result, Agile approaches empower stakeholders and team members to discern threats and opportunities, test throughout the project lifecycle, and make adjustments on the fly.
Is Agile right for me?
Choosing the project management discipline and certification that is right for you is dependent on several factors. Certain industries lend themselves to the Agile mindset. Companies and organizations often have preferences or standards.
And your own experience and professional development goals must play a part in this decision as well. Do the homework. Connect with those in your industry or reach out to employers of interest.
A Range of Subdisciplines
If Agile fits your needs, your next decision involves the subdiscipline(s) within Agile that best aligns with your goals. You have a range of options to choose from, including Scrum, Kanban, Hybrid, Bimodal, Lean, Extreme Programming (XP), Feature-Driven Development (FDD) Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM), Crystal, and more. Once again: do your homework.
PMI’s Disciplined Agile
For those inclined to a nimble, rapidly adaptable and scalable approach to business processes and decision-making, PMI’s Disciplined Agile is worth exploring. The DA mantra: true business agility comes from freedom, not frameworks. As such, Disciplined Agile is a sophisticated tool kit, integrating the best-practice strategies of Agile, Lean, Scrum, Kanban, SAFe®,and many other notable sources. Practitioners are quick to adapt, have a nose for aligning processes with organizational objectives, and drawing from a deep chest of tools.
Disciplined Agile is a newish—2015—and exciting doctrine. Among its guiding principles: choice is good; context counts; and be awesome. If this daring variety of thinking appeals to you, we encourage you to dive in and learn more.
