This blog post is on Agile values. Four Agile values explained with examples in this post. The Agile Manifesto is a collection of values and principles behind those values for Agile software development and Agile software testing. View my Agile Values and Agile Values Vs Principles below or read on.

Agile methodology aims to develop software in an efficient and flexible way. The first of core Agile values is individuals and interactions over processes and tools. So an Agile team may have regular face-to-face meetings with the product owner and the client to show the working software and gather feedback. The Agile team may work in pairs for more knowledge sharing.

Next in Agile core values is working software over comprehensive documentation. Now in Agile development, the team values the item on the right also, which is documentation but the Agile team values the item on the left more. So focusing on working software as one of the values of Agile, the team may deliver working software incrementally on a regular basis, like every two weeks, without worrying about detailed documentation. In addition, the team may use automated testing to get feedback about software quality.

The next in four values of Agile is customer collaboration over contract negotiation. In Agile project management, the team collaborates with the product owner or the client directly to get the requirements and share updates about the working software instead of using a detailed contract containing the project scope. This collaboration helps create a culture of trust in the Agile project. Question: a customer is too busy to provide feedback during a project and just wants everything to be as specified in the purchase order. Which Agile value does this violate? The answer is customer collaboration over contract negotiation. By not providing feedback, the customer is not collaborating. Due to this, the team may fail to deliver the correct software because everything cannot be spelled out in the contract, that is referred to in the purchase order. 

The last in Agile four values is responding to change over following a plan. This value of Agile makes a team welcome change. The team may use Agile practices instead of following a fixed plan. The team may also conduct retrospectives, which are meetings to analyze their Sprint and adapt their processes accordingly. Question: after the Agile team began the development, the client wants to change the scope of the project so the team decides to use Agile practices like user stories, backlogs and sprints to manage and prioritize the project requirements. Which Agile value is the team observing? The answer is responding to change over following a plan. These Agile practices will allow the team to respond to change better.

After four core values of Agile, you should also know about 12 Agile principles. The Agile Manifesto principles are detailed guidelines for the Agile values. The difference or Agile values vs principles is that the principles give guidelines on how to actually observe the Agile values in the project. Here is my summary of 12 Agile principles. Customer satisfaction is the highest priority. The team should achieve customer satisfaction by continuous delivery of value in working software. Also the team should welcome changing requirements. The team should reflect at regular intervals and change the processes to become even more effective. The team should have soft skills like collaboration, motivation and the team should be empowered. Face-to-face communication is the most effective way to exchange information within the team. The team should focus on technical excellence and simplicity in the software

Want to learn systematically and with more examples? View my Agile values video. Thank you 🙏