Remote Work + Agile = Bliss 🤩
Remote and agile do not have to be compared on a one-dimensional sliding scale, where you sacrifice some of one to have more of the other.
Remote <——————————————> Agile
The opposite is true. They should be considered two complementary dimensions, where more of one enables more of the other.
If you look at the four quadrants below (bottom-up and left to right):
1️⃣ Not Remote & Not Agile – How traditional organizations think. Everyone micromanaged in the same location 👎
2️⃣ Not Remote & Agile – How traditional Agilists think. We need to have co-located teams for maximum agility.
3️⃣ Remote & Not Agile – How traditional companies tried to do remote. It doesn’t work. Now enforcing RTO.
4️⃣ Remote & Agile – How high-performing teams work best. Bliss ⭐️
Remote enables Agile & Agile enables Remote.
⭐️ Remote and distributed teams are inherently autonomous
⭐️ Remote allows for long periods of undistracted deep work
⭐️ Agile encourages T-shaped team members to handle asynchronous work
⭐️ Agile encourages self-organizing teams that do not require direct management
Some Agilists might argue that teams collaborate best when members are in close proximity to each other.
However, this has changed with the advancement of both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration tools.
Empowered by these improved tools, the benefits of a distraction-free environment far outweigh any gains of co-location.
Not to mention all of the other benefits of remote work 💻
