Spring Cleaning for Agile

Keep the dust off your agile practice.

Late March is a strange time.  The weather is getting warmer, but the conditions alternate between sprint sunshine and winter mix, which is a depressing combination of rain, ice, and sleet which can drive a person to insanity in the space of an afternoon.  It is a time of transition and a perfect opportunity to think about spring cleaning.  

Spring cleaning is a tradition in northern climates where people throw open their windows and use the fresh air to dust and clean up the debris which settles in the house during the fall and winter months.  My mother and I would dust every surface, clean the windows inside and out, and we would wax floors and shampoo carpets.  It seems we were constantly cleaning this time of year.  

Keeping the house neat and organized was always important to my family. The world of business should also think about spring cleaning.  A business person should ask about the clutter around the organization.  As an agile coach, you should survey the chaos and inefficacy in your organization.  Ask questions and find out what is working and what needs to change.  The agile manifesto says teams and organizations should be responsive to change over following a plan.  Having a spring-cleaning mindset allows you to see what should change and then make that change happen.  

It is never fun to do housework, but once spring cleaning was complete, the house always felt shiny and new.  Doing what is necessary for your business will give you that same feeling.  So take a look around, grab a dust rag and do some spring cleaning for your agile.  

Until next time.