“My boss said we need to be more agile… So I googled it.” Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The word agile gets thrown around a lot, often with very little explanation. It can feel like everyone else already understands it, while you’re stuck trying to figure out if it’s a new process, a mindset, or just a buzzword. But here’s the thing: understanding agile can change the way you work, lead, and collaborate. So yes, agile is worth caring about. And no, you don’t need to panic.
Meet Jordan
Jordan is a (fictional) mid-level project manager in a busy organisation that’s trying to do… well, everything smarter and more efficiently. One Monday morning, their manager walks into the office and says:
“We really need to be more agile.”
Jordan blinks. Nods slowly. Smiles. Then immediately opens a new tab and types: what is agile, and do I need to panic?
The Interview
To make this article a little more real, we sat down with Jordan (Yes, they’re fictional, but just go with it).
Us: So, Jordan, how did you feel when your manager first brought up agile?
Jordan: Honestly? Confused. I thought agile was just a thing tech teams did. You know, scrums, sprints and sticky notes. I didn’t realise it could apply to my work too.
Us: And now?
Jordan: I started looking into it and realised it’s not just a process. It’s more like a way of working. You break work into smaller pieces, get feedback as you go, and stay open to change. It’s actually a lot more freeing than I expected.
Let’s Break It Down
So, what is agile?
If you’ve ever heard someone throw around the word “agile” and felt like they were speaking another language, you’re not alone.
Agile refers to a collection of frameworks, principles, and practices designed to help teams deliver value more quickly, collaborate more effectively, and adapt to change with confidence. It includes methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, and AgilePM v3, but the term also encapsulates a broader cultural shift in how we think about work.
It is a style of working where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organising, cross-functional teams. It promotes adaptive planning, iterative development and incremental delivery. A timeboxed, iterative approach encourages rapid and flexible systemic response to change.
And what about agility?
Agility, or business agility, is the competence of an organisation to adapt successfully to a rapidly and uncontrollably changing business environment. It is a progressive, people-centric approach to all aspects of business that is transforming how organisations operate and succeed in the modern world.
It embraces a mindset and way of working that is fast becoming essential for a world disrupted by environmental, social and economic issues.
Agility is holistic. It doesn’t belong to one team or one department. It lives in your strategy, your process, your governance, your mindset, and your people.
The terms organisational agility, corporate agility, or enterprise agility are often used interchangeably with business agility.
Here’s the simple version:
- Agile refers to a set of values, principles and frameworks designed to help teams deliver results faster, adapt to change, and work more collaboratively.
- Agility is the competence and mindset behind it all to deliver value. It’s about being flexible, open to learning, and always improving across your whole organisation in order to deliver value.
The Agile Manifesto
The Agile Manifesto is often celebrated as the starting point of modern business agility. However, the movement did not begin there. Long before the Manifesto was signed, forward-thinking approaches like DSDM, RAD, Scrum, XP, etc, were already paving the way for a more adaptive and collaborative way of working.
In 2001, a group of software developers, frustrated by long, rigid project plans that could not keep pace with change, came together to create the Agile Manifesto. Their focus was simple yet revolutionary. They prioritised:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
But here’s the twist: Agile has outgrown software. It now helps all kinds of teams, marketing, HR, operations, public sector, and you name it. It’s not just about delivering software, it’s about delivering value.
Interview: Mindset over method
Let’s go back to Jordan for a second.
Us: What’s been the biggest surprise?
Jordan: I did not expect it to change how I think. I used to see failure as something bad. Now, I see it as something useful. You learn, you adapt, you move on. It is actually really empowering. I also realise now that fear of making mistakes holds you back. If you are afraid to fail, it is hard to learn, experiment, and grow. Creating a safe environment to try things out makes all the difference. It is not about getting everything right the first time, it is about getting better every time.
This is a key point: Agile isn’t a checklist. It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about embracing a mindset of continuous improvement, curiosity, and collaboration. It is about creating safe spaces where people can learn from mistakes, adapt, and deliver even more value.
So where do you start with agile?
It can feel like stepping into a whole new world. There are dozens of frameworks, for example Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, and of course AgilePM v3… each one brings something different to the table.
Think of them like recipe books. They give you guidance and structure. But you still have to adapt them to your kitchen, your team and organisation.
If you’re in project management or closely involved with delivery teams, AgilePM v3 is a great starting point. It’s built for business projects that change and evolve, and it helps you manage both the structure and the surprises.
What about Project Managers?
In traditional approaches, the project manager is like the pilot, mapping the route and steering the plane. In agile environments, the role evolves.
Now, you’re more like a conductor, bringing different players together, and ensuring rhythm, flow, and collaboration. You’re still essential, just in a more empowering way.
There’s no final destination
Agility isn’t something you “achieve” and move on from. It’s a journey. One that keeps evolving as your organisation grows, your market shifts, and your team learns.
Frameworks like AgilePM v3 won’t give you all the answers, but they’ll give you a solid starting point. They’re stepping stones toward a more adaptive, collaborative, and resilient way of working. And who doesn’t want that?
Want to be more agile, like Jordan?
Start here:
- Explore AgilePM v3 – your go-to guide for practical, flexible agility in the real world
- Read more stories like this – case studies, articles, blogs, and insights from people on the same path
- Subscribe to our newsletter – no jargon, just helpful content delivered monthly
You just need curiosity, collaboration, and the willingness to try, learn, and adapt.
Let’s get started.