As more and more companies make the shift to Agile we see more QA teams stuck in the middle.  Companies decide to take the first steps to moving to Agile methodology, typically selecting a trial project or product before rolling it out company wide.  But who decides what Agile principles to implement?  What we often is see is grab bag of what is the easiest to implement or most convenient to the current company culture. This creates the “Agile-lite” environment where many teams get stuck.  We see some Agile best practices mixed in with old waterfall habits that are hard to kick.  More often than not this means that all Agile principles do not get used.  In any environment, changing methodologies presents many challenges. One of the first steps often over looked is training your team in what Agile looks like when implemented correctly (see: more than just “no documentation”).  It can be threatening to your team to switch their roles and responsibilities so make sure that they understand what they are and why they are important.  It may be helpful to draw parallels to old practices where they are replaced or improved by the new processes.  But most importantly, jump in with both feet and fully immerse your day-to-day activities in the methodology you have chosen.  You will be more successful in your implementation when you take ALL of Agile.   

Have you already migrated to Agile or are you in the process of doing so?  What have been the hardest old habits to break?  What is holding you back from implementing other parts of Agile best practices?

- Colleen Voelschow