The agile development process is characterized by proceeding in small steps at a steady pace. The product, evolves based on what emerges. The pace of the process encourages the adoption of positive habits, which allows our brains to conserve energy.
The topic of this article is rhythmicity, which is the 13th foundation of the agile factory.
Pace concludes the previous fundamentals by introducing the concept of the rhythm of positive habits.
Agility is characterized by proceeding in small steps, modifying subsequent steps based on what emerges.
In particular, the Scrum framework, which is one of the most popular agile practices, defines certain events that are sometimes called ceremonies that occur within each step.
The duration of the sprints is defined by the team and is kept constant over time.
Events are cadenced with a constant rhythm.
These small steps, combined with retrospectives that is, reflections aimed at improving the process, the quality of work, and the well-being of people lead the team to adopt new habits.
The power of habits
The subject of habits is very important.
Every time the brain has to make a decision it consumes energy.
However, neurons do not distinguish between a minor decision and a more important and difficult decision.
When we have set a sequence and acquired a habit, the brain stops intervening in decisions and operates automatically, giving us the ability to focus on the important things.
Good habits can be seen as a positive shortcut of our brain to save energy.
There are many studies that talk about the power of habits, and how they are adopted by successful people.
Frederick Matthias Alexander, an Australian actor and author who has developed an educational process to overcome personal limitations in movement and thinking, argues that:
“People do not decide their future. They decide their habits, and those habits decide their future.”
Pace in Agile
For habits to be maintained over time, it is necessary to be constant.
Well one of the strengths of agility is the cadence of small steps at fixed time intervals, which makes this constancy possible.
In this way meeting no longer becomes an appointment to be marked in the calendar but a habit.
The team can then focus on the important things while liberating their creativity.
I still remember that in my last corporate experience as technical director and head of research and development of new machinery, I was following 16 teams in parallel.
The way we found with my teams to make it possible for me to participate in the sprint reviews was to set a fixed appointment agenda.
That way I and the people on the teams could meet regularly without the need to look at the calendar.
We had staggered the appointments of half the teams by one week to make it so that every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday the teams and I could meet at the agile events
This has gradually led all teams to be extremely punctual and agenda-driven, without the need to be prescriptive or normative.
Punctuality has become a mindset by people on the team in other meetings as well.
I still remember the pace of these appointments, which made sustainable development of 16 products in parallel.
