What Does It Mean to Be “Agile”?

Agility in Today’s World

These days, “Agile” gets thrown around everywhere. It’s in job descriptions, LinkedIn posts, and corporate mission statements. If we had a dollar for every time a company claimed they were “going Agile” while still running projects like it’s 1999, we’d all be retired.

But what do people mean when they refer to Agile software development or product management? And where did the term come from?

To answer that, we have to rewind to 2001, when a group of 17 software developers gathered in Snowbird, Utah, to ski, relax, and discuss the commonalities between their different software development practices. People from several practices participated, including developers from Scrum, DSDM, Feature-Driven Development, Extreme Programming, and others. That meeting led to creation of the Agile Manifesto, a symbol of unity between diversity, as this group of independent thinkers often competed with one another from different perspectives relative to software development practices.

The Agile Manifesto was signed by all participants who came to be known as “The Agile Alliance.”

The Birth of the Agile Manifesto

The Agile Manifesto consists of four core values and twelve supporting principles. These values highlight a shift away from traditional development practices that, over time, proved too rigid for the evolving nature of software and product work.

The four Agile values are deceptively simple:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

Importantly, the Agile Manifesto doesn’t suggest the items on the right have no value—it simply emphasizes that the items on the left matter more.

Translation? People matter more than process. Flexibility is key. And no matter how polished your project plan is, it won’t help much if reality takes a sharp left turn.

The 12 Agile Principles:

In addition to the four core values, the Agile Manifesto introduced 12 guiding principles—shared and agreed upon by a diverse group of developers with differing viewpoints, but a common vision for a better way to work.

• Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.
• Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.
• Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
• Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
• Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
• The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development
  team is face-to-face conversation.
• Working software is the primary measure of progress.
• Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
• Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.
• Simplicity–the art of maximizing the amount of work not done–is essential.
• The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
• At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

These values and principles weren’t designed to be a rigid rulebook—they were meant to be a compass. They also were not meant to be plucked out individually and used to weaponize the concept of Agility. (Justifying poorly vetted work items and conflicting priorities because, ” We’re agile!”

Just like cross-functional Agile teams, the Agile Principles are cross-functional and work together.

The Agile Manifesto reminds us that agility is less about following a framework and more about how we think, collaborate, and adapt. Whether you’re building software, managing teams, or navigating everyday life, these principles offer timeless guidance for working with purpose, clarity, and heart.

Agile in the Real World

Agile may have started in software, but its principles reach far beyond tech. Whether you’re managing a product, running a business, or just trying to keep life organized, Agile reminds us to:

• Iterate, inspect, and adapt.
  Make progress, get feedback, and adjust as you go. It’s easy to overthink or strive for perfection—but often times, progress is enough. Agile helps us move forward without getting stuck in the weeds.
• Focus on what matters.
  Whatever you’re working on—hitting a deadline, planning a trip, or making time for loved ones—Agile teaches us to prioritize value. It’s not about checking boxes; it’s about making your time, energy, and effort count.
• Work better together.
  Collaboration can be messy, but it’s also powerful. Even the best individual efforts are enriched by diverse perspectives. When collaboration is intentional, the results are smarter, stronger, and more human.

The world is too unpredictable for rigid, long-term plans that never change. Agile gives us a way to work smarter—not harder—and to embrace change instead of fearing it.

Living in a World of Change

The Agile Manifesto may have been born in software, but its heartbeat is human. It’s about how we adapt, how we communicate, and how we stay focused on what matters most—even when everything changes around us. Whether you’re guiding a team, managing a project, or organizing your own daily chaos, Agile offers more than a process—it offers perspective.

At Agile LifeWorks, we help people and teams bring these principles to life.
If you’re ready to turn Agile theory into meaningful, real-world practice, check out our training and coaching offerings. Because agility isn’t just for tech—it’s for anyone ready to work with purpose, flexibility, and flow.

Want to bring Agile thinking into your team—or your life? Let’s make it happen.