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Agile Management: Leadership in an Agile Environment
If you have tried to implement Agile in your organization, you have probably learned a lot about development practices, teamwork, processes and tools, but too little about how to manage such an organization. Yet managerial support is often the biggest impediment to successfully adopting Agile, and limiting your Agile efforts to those of the development teams while doing the same old-style management will dramatically limit the ability of your organization to reach the next Agile level. Ángel Medinilla will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of what Agile means to an organization and the manager’s role in such an environment, i.e., how to manage, lead and motivate self-organizing teams and how to create an Agile corporate culture. Based on his background as a “veteran� Agile consultant for companies of all sizes, he delivers insights and experiences, points out possible pitfalls, presents practical approaches and possible scenarios, also including detailed suggestions for further reading. If you are a manager, team leader, evangelist, change agent (or whatever nice title) and if you want to push Agile further in your organization, then this is your book. You will read how to change the paradigm of what management is it is not about arbitrary decisions, constant supervision and progress control, and the negotiation of changing requirements. It is about motivation, self-organization, responsibility, and the exploitation of all project stakeholders� knowledge. We live in a different world than the one that most management experts of the 20 th century describe, and companies that strive for success and excellence will need a new kind of manager � Agile managers.
- GenresLeadershipNonfiction
196 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2012
9 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 19, 2017
This is the first book I have read on Agile Management and from Angel Medinilla (the author). My approach was to learn the agile approach to both project and organisational management. My background has been waterfall based hence broadening my knowledge was the aim of the game here.
I liked Agile Management as I was able to understand both the history of agile and what it means to be agile; motivation, self-organisation, structures, capacity, workload, culture, change etc. The chapters were typically longer than I’m used to but had depth of both theory and practicality.
What I really liked was the research that had gone into the book. For example, throughout the book there were many quotes from various experts in their respective fields. Each quote had an impact on me to solidify the topic that was being explained. One of those was from Drucker who said � “so much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work�. Very apt quote for the topic of agile and what the movement has been trying to achieve.
Suffice to say that this book is a great introduction into the agile world when it comes to management. If you want to learn more about agile, then there are other books that are more suitable.
Three key takeaways from the book:
1. Leadership from an evolutionary perspective is not imposed by accepted. You can’t just appointment someone as a “leader� and expect everyone to follow them.
2. When the west observed the Japanese innovation on lean management the problem was easily identified. American management and workers wanted to rule, command and control versus teach.
3. Agile structures have a simple principle: you do not assign people to projects. You assign projects to teams; period!
I liked Agile Management as I was able to understand both the history of agile and what it means to be agile; motivation, self-organisation, structures, capacity, workload, culture, change etc. The chapters were typically longer than I’m used to but had depth of both theory and practicality.
What I really liked was the research that had gone into the book. For example, throughout the book there were many quotes from various experts in their respective fields. Each quote had an impact on me to solidify the topic that was being explained. One of those was from Drucker who said � “so much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work�. Very apt quote for the topic of agile and what the movement has been trying to achieve.
Suffice to say that this book is a great introduction into the agile world when it comes to management. If you want to learn more about agile, then there are other books that are more suitable.
Three key takeaways from the book:
1. Leadership from an evolutionary perspective is not imposed by accepted. You can’t just appointment someone as a “leader� and expect everyone to follow them.
2. When the west observed the Japanese innovation on lean management the problem was easily identified. American management and workers wanted to rule, command and control versus teach.
3. Agile structures have a simple principle: you do not assign people to projects. You assign projects to teams; period!
January 3, 2024
An extensive, invaluable, and fun companion for people interested in Agile management. It can be a great starting point for individuals who are new to Agile leadership and an excellent reinforcement for those who are already familiar with the field. It can also be seen as an ideal complement to Management 3.0 literature and training. Highly recommended.
September 30, 2016
If I was a Manager new to Agile, I would have rated this book at 4 or 5 stars for it's keen insight in to how a Manager must adjust his/her approach to be effective in an Agile environment. However, I am an Agile coach so was intimately familiar with the concepts in this book.
February 14, 2014
Great overview, with lots of references. And it's funny too.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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