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The learning pattern Shu-Ha-Ri—originally from the Japanese martial art aikido—has been adapted to apply to agile adoption, with the three levels sometimes interpreted as imitate, assimilate, and innovate. However, it is easy to oversimplify Shu-Ha-Ri, which can slow or halt your agile adoption. Agile is not just another process—it requires changes to our mindsets. Here's how to approach this as a cycle of learning.

We hire for programming language skills or framework experience, but these are the kinds of things that any developer should be able to pick up quickly. David Bernstein says we should be hiring based on talent instead, and mentoring developers to write code that can be maintained and extended more easily. These critical skills are best learned on the job, which is why mentoring is so valuable.

With traditional software development methods, you are betting that end-of-lifecycle testing will let your team correct all risks, but experience has taught us that this seldom happens. With agile, you are incrementally reducing risk with every iteration and release you do, mitigating risks as you go. This article examines each of the value statements from the Agile Manifesto to illustrate how agile ultimately helps us reduce product risk.

Cultural norms can hamper successful agile transformation. Many of these habits and customs are started and perpetuated by senior leadership, but that’s not always the only source of resistance. Often, ingrained behaviors and thinking can occur within the team, including business partners, that also can hinder agility. Five of these barriers are explored here, as well as mindset antidotes to help get the team on the road to agile success.

Nikki Henry, founder and CEO of Ladies Leading Ladies, talks about where to find great millennial employees to hire and how to keep them motivated. Nikki says millennials are very passionate and purpose-focused, and treating them as individuals will help keep them at your company for the long term. She shares tips for attracting, retaining, and working effectively with the millennial workforce.

Brian Hicks, managing consultant at Coveros, chats with TechWell community manager Owen Gotimer about the Agile Manifesto principle of supporting motivated individuals: "Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done." Continue the conversation with Brian and Owen on the TechWell Hub.