10 Agile Best Practices

The Purpose of Agile Methodology

Agile methodology was born in 2001 when 17 software developers met in Utah to find a better way to manage projects in fast-changing environments. They created the Agile Manifesto, which emphasized flexibility, collaboration, continuous improvement, and delivering results quickly — moving away from the rigid, linear “waterfall” approach that often slowed down projects. This approach to agile project management helps teams deliver value faster, respond to new information, and keep projects on track.

According to McKinsey, “agility is catching fire.” Let’s explore why this approach is so popular with teams looking to stay adaptable. In this guide, we’ll dive into agile best practices, helping you make the most of a more agile leadership and agile methodologies designed for today’s fast-paced world.

10 Agile Best Practices

Here’s a guide to the 10 best practices for implementing Agile methodology effectively in your business. Each recommendation comes with actionable steps to make the transition smoother and the agile methods and practices more impactful.

1. Start with a Clear Vision

Agile thrives on flexibility, but your agile team still needs a guiding star. Define a clear project vision and objectives to ensure everyone understands the purpose behind the work.

• Define Goals: What problem are you solving? Who benefits from the solution? Outline these clearly before beginning.
• Communicate the Vision: Share the vision with stakeholders, team members, and clients to build alignment and excitement.
• Check Alignment Regularly: Revisit the vision at sprint reviews to ensure the project remains on course.

2. Build Cross-Functional Teams

Agile relies on teams that can independently deliver value, which means breaking down silos and ensuring diverse skills within team members of the group.

• Include All Key Roles: From developers to designers, testers, and product owners, ensure everyone needed for the project is part of the team.
• Encourage Collaboration: Use tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack for seamless communication and platforms like OnePlan for resource and project visibility.
• Empower Teams: Give teams the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems without unnecessary bureaucracy.

3. Choose the Right Agile Framework

Agile isn’t one-size-fits-all. Whether you choose Scrum, Kanban, or SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), pick the framework that aligns best with your goals. The type of Agile framework you use will depend on your team and industry. Each one has unique strengths that can benefit your project goals and software development teams, process and needs.

Scrum
Scrum is a popular agile development methodology, guiding 87% of agile organizations. It revolves around three roles—Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team—working in short sprints to achieve focused goals. This agile approach also emphasizes accountability, regular check-ins, and flexibility, helping development teams stay aligned and adapt quickly.

Kanban
Kanban uses visual boards to track progress and prioritize tasks across multiple teams. By limiting Work in Progress (WIP) to match team capacity, Kanban ensures smooth, continuous delivery of progress without bottlenecks. This agile method suits teams needing clear visibility and a steady, manageable flow.

Hybrid and Lean Approaches
Hybrid methods blend Waterfall and Agile, offering structure and flexibility for projects with continuous integration of both hardware and software development elements. This lean and focused approach to iterative development focuses on eliminating waste and helps companies streamline processes to enhance productivity, especially when it comes to software development.

4. Prioritize Backlog Management

A well-maintained backlog ensures that teams work on tasks that deliver the most value and customer satisfaction.

• Groom the Backlog Regularly: Refine and update the backlog frequently to keep it relevant.
• Use Prioritization Techniques: Adopt methods like MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) or value vs. effort scoring.
• Collaborate on Priorities: Involve stakeholders to ensure alignment with business needs.

5. Secure Stakeholder Support

Without support from key stakeholders and management, agile teams may face obstacles like limited resources, resistance to change, and unclear priorities. It’s important to align everyone on the purpose, goals, and priorities of implementing an an agile software development framework. Without strong buy-in, Agile can quickly fall apart. Teams may lack the resources they need, leaders might prioritize conflicting goals, and changes can face pushback or delays. Instead of creating a smooth, adaptable workflow, Agile becomes just another frustrating process that doesn’t have the support to succeed.

Show stakeholders the value in agile with tools that give them visibility and real-time insights into projects and portfolio health.

6. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Agile is as much about improving the process as it is about delivering results. Use retrospectives and metrics to keep growing. Conduct regular reviews and retrospectives to evaluate what’s working and what needs adjustment. Use these sessions to gather insights, celebrate wins, and refine your Agile practices, ensuring that the process remains effective and aligned with team goals.

7. Communication Cheat Sheet for Leaders: Stand-up’s and Sprint Cycles

Agile thrives on openness and collaboration. Keep everyone in the loop at all times. Use these short meetings to align team members on progress, blockers, and next steps. Use tools like Kanban boards or OnePlan’s project visualization features to display progress in real-time. Here are some outlines for your “stand-up” meeting and “sprint cycle.”

Daily Stand-Up Outline

Purpose: A short meeting (usually 15 minutes) to align the entire team, discuss progress, the team performance, and address any blockers.
Time: Keep it brief—15 minutes is standard.
Participants: Whole team (including Scrum Master, if applicable).
Format: Each team member answers three key questions:
What did I accomplish yesterday?
What will I work on today?
Are there any obstacles or blockers?
Tips for Success:
Stand up to keep it quick and focused.
Stick to the agenda—no diving into detailed discussions (save those for after the stand-up).
Document key points if necessary, but keep it lightweight.

Sprint Cycle Outline
Purpose: A sprint in software development is a set period where specific work is completed and reviewed, typically lasting 1-4 weeks.
Sprint Structure:

8. Use Agile Tools to Streamline Processes

Leverage technology to simplify workflows, improve collaboration, and track progress.

• Project Management Tools: Use tools like OnePlan to manage sprints, resources, and portfolios.
• Collaboration Platforms: Invest in software like Teams or Slack for real-time communication.
• Analytics and Reporting: Use Power BI or OnePlan Analytics for data-driven decision-making.

9. Train Your Teams

Agile requires new ways of thinking and working, so invest in training to help teams adopt the methodology effectively.

• Provide Formal Training: Offer workshops or certifications in Agile and specific frameworks like Scrum.
• Mentorship Programs: Pair experienced Agile practitioners with newer team members.
• Encourage Self-Learning: Share blogs, videos, and books on Agile best practices to inspire continuous growth.

10. Start Small, Then Scale

When implementing Agile, don’t attempt a company-wide rollout immediately. Start with a pilot team or project. Choose one project to test Agile practices, adjusting as needed. Once you see success with smaller teams, scale the agile approach across the organization. Collect lessons learned from the pilot to refine your implementation strategy.

Scaling Agile for Enterprise-Level Teams
For leaders aiming to see the impact of agile practices at a larger scale, it can be helpful to implement a tool that promotes visibility across the entire portfolio. OnePlan helps enterprise leaders bring the power of Agile to large-scale projects with the visibility and governance they need. With real-time portfolio and resource management, financial planning, and AI-driven insights, you’ll enjoy full integration with Microsoft tools and Azure DevOps. With everything in one place, leaders gain a clear view of projects and can make agile decisions that keep teams aligned and on track with business goals.

Benefits of Agile Teams

Here are a few key benefits of implementing agile processes in project management.

1. Flexibility and Adaptability
   Agile allows teams to adapt to changes quickly. Instead of sticking rigidly to a plan, teams can adjust priorities as new information or requirements emerge, making it ideal for dynamic projects.
2. Faster Delivery of Value
   By breaking work into smaller chunks, agile teams deliver parts of the project more frequently. This means clients or stakeholders see results sooner and can provide feedback early on.
3. Improved Collaboration
   Agile emphasizes teamwork and frequent communication, helping everyone stay aligned and engaged. Regular check-ins and easy-to-mange workflows keep everyone on the same page and foster a supportive team environment, making it easier to deliver value quickly.
4. Reduced Risk
   By delivering smaller, usable parts of the project at a time, agile minimizes the risk of major project failures. Adjustments happen as the project progresses, so there’s less chance of costly mistakes piling up.
5. Enhanced Team Morale
   Agile empowers team members by encouraging open communication and giving them more control over their work. This leads to higher morale and more motivated teams who feel valued and engaged.

Your Agile Journey Awaits

Agile isn’t just about processes—it’s about unleashing your team’s potential to innovate, adapt, and deliver faster. By following these best practices, you can build a foundation for success and collaboration. With tools like OnePlan, you can elevate Agile even further, connecting strategy to execution with real-time visibility and smarter decision-making.