Introduction Link to heading
Agile coaching and traditional project management are two different ways of managing projects and supporting teams. Agile coaching is a professional development practice that helps teams improve their processes and become more agile. Traditional project management is a method of planning, organizing, and managing resources to complete specific project goals.
Differences Link to heading
There are several key differences between agile coaching and traditional project management. Agile coaching focuses on helping teams improve their processes and become more agile, while traditional project management focuses on delivering specific project outcomes within a specific timeframe and budget. Agile coaching is more flexible and adaptable, while traditional project management is more structured and plan-driven. The goals of agile coaching are to increase a team’s ability to deliver value and adapt to change, while the goals of traditional project management are to complete projects on time, within budget, and to required quality standards.
Which To Choose? Link to heading
When deciding between agile coaching and traditional project management, consider the team’s familiarity with agile principles and the goals of the project.
Agile coaching is often more suitable for teams that are already familiar with agile principles, while traditional project management may be more appropriate for more traditional organizations or projects. It’s also important to choose the right approach for the specific needs and goals of the team or organization.
On the other hand, traditional project management may be more appropriate for more traditional organizations or projects, where the focus is on delivering specific project outcomes within a specific timeframe and budget. Traditional project managers can use tools and techniques such as Gantt charts and project management software to plan and track the progress of the project, and make adjustments as needed to ensure that the project stays on track and meets its goals.
Examples Link to heading
For example, a software development team may benefit from using agile coaching in order to help them become better at releasing features on an ongoing basis. They benefit from shorter release cycles, so they can react faster to customer feedback and adjust their product releases. Doing this in a waterfall or project management way can be done, but it is much less “agile”.
In contrast, a construction project might be more suitable for traditional project management, as the focus is on delivering specific project outcomes within a specific timeframe and budget. Think about big construction projects. They typically involve many different stakeholders, with long lead times for permits, etc. In theory they can be done in a an agile way too, but really “old school” project management is more suited for this.