Human behaviour flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge
- Plato
Agile methodologies and frameworks outline values, principles, and practices (rituals) that form the foundation of these frameworks. The Agile Manifesto [3] outlines four core values and twelve principles behind the agile movement. Each agile methodology approaches these (and other values) slightly differently and has developed specific processes/practices to foster the values [6].
Business is a human enterprise, and people develop software. Humans are naturally inclined to cooperate, but their behavior is influenced by various factors such as organizational culture, leadership, individual genetics, traits, and attitudes. Norms (institutionalized or informal) influence and govern individual behavior, facilitating cooperation among individuals to achieve a common goal.
Since behaviors are important to an organization's overall productivity, I believe we need to formally incorporate them into any agile framework. In many organizations, moving to agile is both a good time and an excellent opportunity to incorporate cultural and behavioral transformations.
Framework for Agile Methodologies
With behaviors included as one of the pillars of any agile framework, we will have the following four dimensions to explain agile methodologies:
Values
Values are sets of beliefs about good and bad, right and wrong, and many other aspects of living and interacting with others in society. Values are fundamental beliefs. Values are our guidelines for living and behavior.
Kent Beck defines values as [1]:
Principles
Principles can be described as universal rules or laws. Principles are fundamental scientific, logical, or moral/ethical "truths", arising from experience, knowledge, and (often) values, on which we base our actions and thinking [8]. Principles are guides to behavior.
Kent Beck defines principles as [1]:
Business is a human enterprise, and people develop software. Humans are naturally inclined to cooperate, but their behavior is influenced by various factors such as organizational culture, leadership, individual genetics, traits, and attitudes. Norms (institutionalized or informal) influence and govern individual behavior, facilitating cooperation among individuals to achieve a common goal.
Since behaviors are important to an organization's overall productivity, I believe we need to formally incorporate them into any agile framework. In many organizations, moving to agile is both a good time and an excellent opportunity to incorporate cultural and behavioral transformations.
Framework for Agile Methodologies
With behaviors included as one of the pillars of any agile framework, we will have the following four dimensions to explain agile methodologies:
- Values
- Principles
- Practices
- Behaviors
Values
Values are sets of beliefs about good and bad, right and wrong, and many other aspects of living and interacting with others in society. Values are fundamental beliefs. Values are our guidelines for living and behavior.
Kent Beck defines values as [1]:
Values are the root of the things we like and don’t like in a situation. Values are universal - values at work are exactly the same as values in the rest of one’s life.Examples of values:
 |
| Agile Values |
Principles
Principles can be described as universal rules or laws. Principles are fundamental scientific, logical, or moral/ethical "truths", arising from experience, knowledge, and (often) values, on which we base our actions and thinking [8]. Principles are guides to behavior.
Kent Beck defines principles as [1]:
Principles are domain-specific guidelines for life.Jim Highsmith defines principles as [2]:
Principles are the simple rules of complex human adaptive systems.
Practices
Practices are evidence of values [1].
Jim Highsmith defines practices as [2]:
Practices are how principles are acted out - practices vary from team to team but principles remain constant.
Behaviors
Values need to be anchored to guiding principles in order to have a clear understanding of the ideal behavior they want to see in their organization [7]
Individual behavior can be explained by three major sources[4]:
Cultures influence individual behaviors[4]. A company’s culture includes the collective behaviors within the organization [7].
Two types of behaviors are important in the context of enterprises: Pro-Social and Anti-Social [5].
Anti-Social/Toxic Behaviors
The following behaviors have been identified as toxic, antisocial, or anti-collaborative in an IT enterprise [5]. I have highlighted some of them (in bold) as more applicable in the context of agile software development.
Pro-Social/Collaborative Behaviors
The following behaviors have been identified as pro-social or collaborative in an IT enterprise[5]. I have highlighted some of them (in bold) as more applicable in the context of agile software development.
How Are They Related
Kent Beck [1] talks about "principles" that bridge the gap between "values" (though universal in nature, may sound too abstract) and "practices" (though important, may appear ritualistic). To extend Beck's bridge analogy further, "behaviors" are like the high-tensile-strength cables supporting a suspension bridge.
- basic human nature (via universal psychological processes)
- culture (via social roles)
- personality (via individual role identities)
Cultures influence individual behaviors[4]. A company’s culture includes the collective behaviors within the organization [7].
Two types of behaviors are important in the context of enterprises: Pro-Social and Anti-Social [5].
Anti-Social/Toxic Behaviors
The following behaviors have been identified as toxic, antisocial, or anti-collaborative in an IT enterprise [5]. I have highlighted some of them (in bold) as more applicable in the context of agile software development.
 |
| Anti-Social Behaviors |
Pro-Social/Collaborative Behaviors
The following behaviors have been identified as pro-social or collaborative in an IT enterprise[5]. I have highlighted some of them (in bold) as more applicable in the context of agile software development.
 |
| Pro-Social Behaviors |
How Are They Related
Kent Beck [1] talks about "principles" that bridge the gap between "values" (though universal in nature, may sound too abstract) and "practices" (though important, may appear ritualistic). To extend Beck's bridge analogy further, "behaviors" are like the high-tensile-strength cables supporting a suspension bridge.
References
- Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change, Kent Beck, Cynthia Andres, 2005
- Agile Project Management, Jim Highsmith, 2009
- Agile Manifesto: Values and Principles
- Culture, Context, and Behavior, David Matsumoto, 2007
- Transforming It Culture: How to Use Social Intelligence, Human Factors and Collaboration to Create an IT Department That Outperforms, Frank Wander, 2013
- Agile Principles and Values, by Jeff Sutherland, MSDN
- Some thoughts on guiding principles, values and behaviors, Mike Stoecklein
- Some Core Principles, Assumptions, and Values
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