BOOK REVIEW
Book Title: Agile Beyond IT: How to develop agility in project management in any sector
Author: Adrian Payne
Publisher: Practical Inspiration Publishing
List Price: £29.99 softcover, £9.99 e-Book
Format: Digital, 232 pages
Publication Date: 2022
ISBN: 9781788603270
Reviewer: Brenda A Kwateng
Review Date: February 2023
Introduction
The book title was intriguing as it alluded to the examination of agile practice use in any management sector. Unfortunately, the balance of the book was more of an examination of project management that can be used in an agile manner and highlighting the pit falls and success tactics that can be used to help and organization through agile transformation.
Overview of Book’s Structure
The book transitions through four phases. The first begins with agile project management values and definition. The second phase provides insight and perspective of agile project management myths and pitfalls. The third phase how the project management toolbox can be used to create agile achievement and lastly how an organization must holistically evolve to become agile.’
The authors decision to align the “Agile Manifesto” and the “Project Management Body of Knowledge“ around core values helps really establish the premise that “Agile project management is project management…. done in an agile way”. Opening the book in this manner helped to debunk the industry “noise” that has seemling pitted agility and project management as foes.
The second phase of the book is my most cherished as it provided insights into past blunders and traits to watch for as an organization begins its agile journey.
The third phase homed in on the drivers of agile: people, processes, and tools. (PPT) The author again relates the PMBOK to agile project management, focuses on the tools needed for adaptation, and how PPT will need to change for agile [projects to work.
Lastly, the author navigates the journey to success, as all models must mature and evolve within an organization to achieve value and growth.
Highlights
The discussion of agile myths and the design of an organization for agile success were highlights for me. The discussion of myths exposed allowed me to conduct my own mental retrospective. What projects had gone well and what to look for as a new project may show signs of faulter? These ideas exposed in this manner reminded me of the importance in any agile project that the value of a retrospective is not only for the team, but also the project manager/scrum master, to be able to grow in their skill set and service to the team.
More…
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How to cite this book review: Kwateng, B. (2023). Agile Beyond IT, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XII, Issue III, March. Available online at: https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/pmwj127-Mar2023-Kwateng-Agile-Beyond-IT-book-review.pdf
About the Reviewer
Brenda Kwateng
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Brenda Kwateng’s journey in project management started in the field of construction and after 15 years transitioned into IT. In 2001, she gained her PMP certification and in 2016 began her own consulting firm. She was given the opportunity in her last employment role to embrace agile methodology and became passionate about how such an approach empowered people and the processes they conducted. In 2018 she became a SAFe Program consultant and in 2019 a PMI ACP. She now supports agile transformation and provides SAFe certification training.
Brenda can be contacted at brenda.kwateng@icscglobal.com
Editor’s note: This book review was the result of a partnership between the publisher, the PM World Journal and the PMI Silver Spring Chapter. Authors and publishers provide the books to the PMWJ editor or directly to the PMI Silver Spring Chapter, where they are offered free to PMI members to review; book reviews are published in the PM World Journal and PM World Library. PMI Silver Spring Chapter members can keep the books as well as claim PDUs for PMP recertification when their reviews are published.
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