Michael Wong - Corporate Agility: Insights on Agile Practices for Adaptive, Collaborative, Rapid, and Transparent Enterprises

MICHAEL WONG

Copyright 2021 by Michael Wong. All rights reserved.

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Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

Photography by Michael Will, Matthew D. Hodges, John Andrada-www.jandradaphotography.com, and professional headshots provided by each contributor.

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ISBN 9781119652267 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781119652281 (ePDF)

ISBN 9781119652212 (ePub)

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To all the genuinely people-centric corporations that endeavor to uplift the human experience while delivering on the opportunities of capitalism.

To my parents, Ron and Tesi, who successfully navigated our family through the challenges and joys of middle-class America.

And to my Sorin, Melina, Lennon, and Maryn, thank you for your love, support, and sacrifices while Daddy focused on this project.

DayBlink Team, February 7, 2020

Aloha! When Wiley first approached me to collaborate on a book, I was a bit apprehensive. The time required to research, plan, and write a thoughtful and novel book would be challenging, to say the least. It wasn't until we landed on a subject that was both timely and broadly applicable to my corporate clients that I agreed to join them on this challenging and rewarding journey. From my time growing up in Hawai'i to founding my own company, DayBlink Consulting, I've experienced my fair share of ups and downs. Through them all, I've learned and lived a core value which was taught to me at a young age keep people at the forefront, whether it's family, team members, or customers. That's why, when I first came across Agile, I knew it was a special way of working and one I needed to champion, to help others understand the ideas that gave so much to me.

If you've picked up this book, you're most likely already familiar with how Agile frameworks, toolkits, and practices have transformed parts of the business world. What was once just an approach to software development, Agile has become an increasingly viable and present methodology employed by some of the largest, most successful corporations and organizations worldwide, including Microsoft, AT&T, Google, Spotify, IBM, 3M, and more. Whether you want to increase revenue, innovate technology, engage your workforce, or be able to thrive under uncertainty and rapid change, Agile approaches all challenges head on with one common theme: to get things done rapidly. Whatever your aim may be, corporate agility may be a prudent path to pursue.

Still, many leaders will fail to see its potential. According to a global survey by CA Technologies, despite increased awareness of Agile methods at the corporate level, executives still acknowledge them primarily as solutions related to software development and IT. This sentiment is due in part to a misunderstanding or misrepresentation of Agile: to many, it is an overused word that comes with its share of baggage. Despite this notion, I'm sure at some point, someone has tried to sell you Agile, pushing something that sounded too good to be true. Though passionate and with good intention, some of these Agile zealots undermine what being agile has to offer. They preach the processes and frameworks which, without a true understanding of the timeless truths embedded in the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto, will result in just doing Agile for the sake of Agile.

For those truly wanting to learn, ike loa, and pursue corporate agility, this book seeks to dispel the aforementioned confusion about Agile. When utilized with forethought, deliberation, and careful consideration, Agile can be used to successfully navigate through the constant disruptions and changes that corporations face. For over twenty years, I've worked as a strategic management consultant advising hundreds of companies to develop their strategies, implement new programs, and deliver market value. In this time I've found that what clients really want, what humans inherently seek, is clarity and results. I don't want to just demystify Agile I want people to understand and internalize these timeless truths, in a pragmatic way, so they can use them to realize their goals. With the lessons in this book, you'll explore how Agile can be applied within and across the corporation to achieve your goals and desired results.

To demystify Agile, first understand its origins. Ideas similar to the values and principles of Agile first appeared in the 1970s. In the 1990s, startups and smaller organizations began utilizing these ideas, helping them execute faster than top-down, hierarchical models ever did. It wasn't until the new millennium, however, that a group of seventeen software developers, holed up in a snowy resort in Utah, came to define Agile in a more comprehensive, unified way. As a group, they published the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, popularly known as the Agile Manifesto.