Agile projects are like any other, in that they need a communication plan. But you will want to adapt your approach to suit the fact you are working in an Agile way and also the particular agile methodology you have chosen.
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How to Adapt Your Project Communications to an Agile Environment
Traditional project communication planning focuses on developing a long-term strategy and a set of clear processes. The result is usually a detailed written communication plan and regular project reporting.
Agile methods focus on small increments, iterative refinement, and adapting to circumstances. Everything we do needs to be quick, flexible, and as simple as possible. Agile teams are learning and adapting constantly, so it’s not appropriate to try to anticipate all future communication needs.
And, since the Agile Manifesto emphasizes interactions, collaboration, response to change, and less documentation, these are keys to agile project communication.
Another guide to the kind of adaptations you’ll need is the set of 12 Agile Principles that followed the Agile Manifesto.
Show, Don’t Tell
Perhaps the most important ideas are ‘show, don’t tell’ – making progress visible, and being concise and to the point. Agile Principle 7 says:
‘Working software is the primary measure of progress.’
So, perhaps the most important communication process is the demonstration of work done that happens at the end of a sprint or iteration. Scrum calls this a Sprint Review. But this must not be the only point of communication between the development team and the users. Principle 4 says:
‘Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.’
And then, number 6 tells us that:
‘The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.’
So, we would expect to see frequent, in-person communication, rather than written reports. You will also find that your morning stand-up meeting is an important form of Agile communication, so check out our video.
When you cannot be physically face-to-face, use virtual tools like video calls like Zoom, Webex, and Teams, along with collaboration platforms like Slack, Trello, and Jira.
Above all here, is the need for openness, frankness, and transparency. Team members should feel comfortable raising concerns, discussing challenges, and proposing new ideas without fear of blame. This honesty is critical for solving problems early and efficiently.
And, talking about problems, communication processes must be able to adapt. This can mean switching quickly from a structured status meeting to a collaborative problem-solving session, if the team needs to.
Formal Reports
If you do choose to prepare a formal report, remember Principle 10:
‘Simplicity – the art of maximizing the amount of work not done – is essential.’
Keep reports short and easy to assimilate. And the ‘show, don’t tell’ principle suggests that graphs and tables are better than narrative. Agile communication must respect that people are mostly too busy to read a lot of detail. So, consider what they really want to know, and summarise it so they can understand the important information easily and quickly.
When you write, write for people. Write the way you speak, using simple, everyday language.
Better still, if you are tracking progress graphically, build a display board where everyone can see the information when they need it, rather than pushing it to them when it suits you. Tools like Kanban boards or burn-down charts can help with this.
The need for simplicity does not mean that detail is not important to some people, some of the time. Good agile communication summarises, and then points readers to the detail, if they want to seek it out. Give people a choice about if, and when, they go and get the details.
What to Communicate
Go back to Principle 7 when deciding what information to prioritize. The work that has been delivered and the current work in progress are what stakeholders most need to be aware of.
Recommended Videos and Articles to Help with Agile Project Management
Carefully curated recommendations for you:
- Agile Project Management: What is it and Why is it so Important?
- What is the Agile Manifesto? | Video
- Agile Principles: The 12 Keys to Adaptive Project Management
- How to do a Basic Agile Project | Video
- How to Do Risk Management in Agile Projects | Video
- How to Hold a Daily Stand-up Meeting | Video
Recommended Videos and Articles to Help with Project Communications
Carefully curated recommendations for you:
- How to Get Project Communications Management Right… Every Time
- How to Build a Great Project Communications Plan | Video
- Project Communications 101 – the Basics of Project Communication Management
What Kit does a Project Manager Need?
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