Is "Agile Methodology" an Oxymoron?

most important words: I admit I made a mistake. The five most important words: You did a good job. The four most important words: What is YOUR opinion? The three most important words: If you please. The two most important words: Thank You. The one most important word: We. The least important word: I." - Author Unknown

The what, why, and how of agile-lean product (system-software) development and delivery is not one persons vision alone; to become reality it needs to be a "shared" vision through negotiation and compromise between individuals, the team and the organization.

System-software development needs to be adapted to each specific situation and within context. Individuals and teams have different skill sets, levels of experience and levels of capability. Projects have different budgets, schedules, scope and risk profiles. Organizations have different value chains and target markets.

Fundamentally, agile-lean product development is an empirical and adaptive system-software development approach to be guided by a general set of values, principles and practices – a philosophy and set of norms rather than a step-by-step process or methodology.

Norms are the behavioral expectations and cues within a team or organization. This sociological term has been defined as " the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit .”

The following set of norms lays a pragmatic and adaptive foundation for the agile-lean product (system-software) development craftsperson to rally around and evolve.

• Adaptive rather than predictive
• People oriented rather than process oriented
• The Business and ITcollaborate and make decisions together quickly and effectively, reducing waste and increasing feedback loops
• Shared system-software development approach that evolves through negotiation and compromise between individuals, the team and the organization
• Focus on quality [2]
• Reduce work-in-process ²
• Deliver often ²
• Balance demand against throughput ²
• Prioritize²
• Attack sources of variability to improve predictability ²

The following values are from the 2009 Manifesto for Software Craftsmanship : 

That is, in pursuit of the items on the left we have found the items on the right to be indispensable

• Not only working software, but also well-crafted software
• Not only responding to change, but also steadily adding value
• Not only individuals and interactions, but also a community of professionals
• Not only customer collaboration, but also productive partnerships

The following values are from the 2001 Manifesto for Agile Software Development :

While there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

The following principles are from the 2001 Manifesto for Agile Software Development

• Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
• Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Being agile-lean harnesses change for the customer's competitive advantage.
• Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
• Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
• Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
• The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
• Working software is the primary measure of progress.
• Being agile-lean promotes sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
• Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
• Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not