Agile Now: Your Quick Start Introduction to Agile

157 Pages·2021·8.411 MB·English

by  Rob Cole

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Praise for Agile Now
‘A practical look at what it means to be agile and how this isn’t just
for the techies among us. Straightforward guidance on the theory,
tools and, most importantly, the themes of mindset and culture were
handled with humour and honesty.’
Amanda Hickey, Head of Business Change
and Innovation, Solera-Autodata
‘An easy read for anyone curious about how agile can be applied to
any business environment. It’s more than enough to get anyone up to
speed and it doesn’t over complicate the subject.’
David Daiches, COO and Co-Founder, INSHUR
‘Agile is an extremely lucrative market, and this book unlocks
its secrets for just the cost of a takeaway pizza. This humorous,
easy-to-read book upskills its readers and entertains them as it
educates them on the project management method, which is all the
rage in large and small companies up and down the land. It brings its
readers from being on the outside to very much on the inside for this
much sought-after skill.’
Gerry McLaughlin, owner, www.ITContractor.com
‘Agile is perhaps the most misunderstood, misused and confusing
term in project management today but here, finally, is a book that
talks plainly and simply about agile - I especially love the ‘Go Agile
in 15 minute’ suggestions. Read it! Go agile!’
Peter Taylor, author, The Lazy Project Manager
‘As a doctor working in the NHS for 38 years, agile would benefit
doctors and managers engaged with managing the world’s largest
bureaucracy. It provides focus on clarity of thought with distinct
aims and objectives rather than process and form which can stifle
innovation and positive change.’
Professor Neil S Tolley MD FRCS DLO, Head of
Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery -Imperial
College NHS Healthcare Trust, London, UK
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‘A fast romp through the mindset and techniques of agile with plenty
of focus on people and culture to ensure success. A well rounded,
and sometimes slightly tongue-in-cheek, introduction to the core of
the components involved. Overall, a great starter for any newcomer.’
Neil Brooks, Chief Technology Officer, Tes
‘Agile is more essential than ever in the fast-paced world of
technology and rapidly becoming a must-have skill set for those
working outside of tech. This book distills the author’s deep
knowledge and experience of this area into simple language, making
agile accessible for all.’
Jon Braithwaite, CIO, UK&I Digital and Technology,
Compass Group UK and Ireland
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Agile Now
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At Pearson, we have a simple mission: to help people
make more of their lives through learning.
We combine innovative learning technology with trusted
content and educational expertise to provide engaging
and effective learning experiences that serve people
wherever and whenever they are learning.
From classroom to boardroom, our curriculum materials, digital
learning tools and testing programmes help to educate millions
of people worldwide – more than any other private enterprise.
Every day our work helps learning flourish, and
wherever learning flourishes, so do people.
To learn more, please visit us at www.pearson.com/uk
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Agile Now
Your quick start
introduction to agile
Rob Cole
Harlow, England • London • New York • Boston • San Francisco • Toronto • Sydney
Dubai • Singapore • Hong Kong • Tokyo • Seoul • Taipei • New Delhi
Cape Town • São Paulo • Mexico City • Madrid • Amsterdam • Munich • Paris • Milan
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PEARSON EDUCATION LIMITED
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KAO Park
Harlow CM17 9SR
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.pearson.com/uk

First edition published 2020 (print and electronic)
© Pearson Education Limited 2020 (print and electronic)
The right of Rob Cole to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The print publication is protected by copyright. Prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage
in a retrieval system, distribution or transmission in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, recording or otherwise, permission should be obtained from the publisher or,
where applicable, a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom should be
obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Barnard’s Inn, 86 Fetter Lane, London
EC4A 1EN.
The ePublication is protected by copyright and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred,
distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically
permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions
under which it was purchased, or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any
unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and
the publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. The use of any
trademark in this text does not vest in the author or publisher any trademark ownership
rights in such trademarks, nor does the use of such trademarks imply any affiliation with or
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Pearson Education is not responsible for the content of third-party internet sites.
ISBN: 978-1-292-23200-3 (print)
978-1-292-23201-0 (PDF)
978-1-292-23202-7 (ePub)
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for the print edition is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for the print edition is available from the Library of Congress
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
24 23 22 21 20
Cover design by Madras
Print edition typeset in 10/14 Charter ITC Pro by SPi Global
Printed by Ashford Colour Press Ltd, Gosport
NOTE THAT ANY PAGE CROSS REFERENCES REFER TO THE PRINT EDITION
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Contents
About the author ix
Publisher’s acknowledgements xi
1. Let’s get started 1
2. Work faster and better with agile 21
3. Use agile to keep improving 43
4. Use an agile mindset for a can-do attitude 61
5. Where to start – try Kanban or Scrum 77
6. More support from other agile resources 105
7. Light the fuse 123
Index 139
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About the author
Rob is an agile coach, program manager and author with a passion
for getting the best out of individuals, teams and organisations.
He has a special interest in thorny challenges, especially when there
are non-negotiable constraints.
Always hands-on, Rob works closely with his partners to
implement innovative, best-practice based solutions and to help
steer them through any choppy waters – emerging confident, fully
self-sufficient and ready for the challenges ahead.
Rob promotes building on existing internal expertise – training,
coaching and mentoring are all on offer. But he knows continuing to
delivery business value meanwhile is an essential bread-and-butter
requirement. The school of hard knocks has taught Rob that
resilience and a sense of humour are vitally important too.
Rob has helped many diverse organisations in the UK, Ireland and
the US, including Mobil Oil, ABN AMRO Bank, Sainsburys, Eircom,
Association of British Insurers (ABI), HM Revenue & Customs and
the Environment Agency, plus multiple small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs).
Rob is the co-author of Brilliant Project Management and Brilliant
Agile Project Management, both published by Pearson Business.
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