Agile for Exploration, Lean for Optimization in Daily Life [Part 1 of 2]
We’ll take a look at how these complementing mindsets can be applied to help you navigate daily life.
Lean and agile are two mindsets or philosophies. They are not the same thing, but they are similar and related in several ways, such as focusing on value delivery, continuous improvement, and incremental approach.
We’ll take a look at how these complementing mindsets can be applied to help you navigate daily life: for exploration, and for optimization.
We Need Both Exploration and Optimization,
Both Agile and Lean
What I called “exploration and optimization” is another way to name the explore-exploit continuum. This concept refers to the trade-off between exploration and exploitation in situations where a decision (or a series of decisions) must be made.
Exploration refers to the process of gathering new information and trying new options to determine their value, while exploitation refers to using the information one already has, working in proven ways they’ve been working, with a focus on optimizing and scaling for benefits. Simply put: Should we explore new ways, or double down on the familiar ones?
Strategyzer founders and business innovation thought leaders popularized this concept in their book Invincible Company. Although these concepts are antagonistic, the best organizations manage to have both cultures under the same roof, managing the entire continuum, from exploring new businesses to exploiting existing ones.
Much like the “invincible companies”, to do better in life, we should have both explore and exploit mindsets and switch between them.
Agile for Exploration in Daily Life
Agile refers to a set of values, principles, and practices that focus among others on flexibility, focusing on value and simplicity, and iterative delivery. Which makes it a great methodology for exploration.
Published in 2001, maybe the most famous document describing the values and principles of agile is Agile Manifesto (Manifesto for Agile Software Development).
Don’t let the name and origin fool you. These principles and values go far beyond software. In terms of industry, nowadays, agile is everywhere, from pharma to education to banking. But also beyond work, I believe these principles are positive and powerful when applied to our life.
Below are some of the 12 principles from Agile Manifesto, and how I see them applied to exploration and experimentation in the daily, personal life.
Note that some are a bit ‘tweaked’ to fit this new context versus the software development domain :)
Welcome changing requirements
Instead of rigidly sticking to a predetermined plan, we should embrace change and be flexible in adapting to the new context. Welcome change and view it as an opportunity for growth and learning.
Practically speaking, in terms of exploration, if you are experimenting but something changed, don’t be afraid to regroup, adjust and start over if necessary, rather than just sticking to old, now invalid, plans.
Deliver (…) frequently, (…) with a preference to the shorter timescale
Strive to deliver tangible results and progress on a regular basis. Whether you’re working on something, or experimenting, break it down into smaller milestones and aim to achieve them within shorter timeframes. This iterative approach allows you to gather feedback faster, learn and improve.
Practically speaking, in terms of exploration, don’t run long experiments and continue doing things one or the other way for months without sanity checks and results as soon as possible.
Working [solution] is the primary measure of progress.
The ultimate measure of progress lies in the actual outcomes you produce. Focus on delivering value rather than just busywork.
Practically speaking, in terms of exploration, don’t overengineer experiments and focus instead on learning most with the least effort. Experiments for the sake of experimenting are not the point, learning is the goal.
Agile processes promote sustainable development. [You] should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.
Think of experimentation (and other life areas) as a lifestyle and philosophy, not a fast sprint with short deadlines. The real goal is long-term, sustainable growth which is never achieved by burning yourself out.
Practically speaking, in terms of exploration, start with manageable experiments, focus on maintaining a good balance overall, and prioritize your well-being. Don’t go out and run dozens of parallel, demanding experiments and introduce a large amount of stress to your life.
Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.
Avoid unnecessary complexity and prioritize simplicity in your daily life. We should strive to find solutions that minimize unnecessary work and maximize the value. Embrace the art of simplification to maximize productivity and focus on what truly matters. Many times, it takes more time and energy to properly simplify, so the famous quote “I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one” is applicable here.
Much like with working solution being a measure of progress, when it comes to exploration in practice, don’t overengineer your experiments and aim for simpler options.
At regular intervals, the [you should reflect] on how to become more effective, then tune and adjust your behavior accordingly.
Remember to periodically take a step back and reflect on your actions and approaches. Embrace a growth mindset and be open to adjusting your behavior, strategies, and techniques based on the insights gained from the reflection.
I mentioned learning is the goal of exploration and experimentation – but improvement is the goal of learning. Continuous improvement is key to personal and professional growth, and you can’t improve without self-reflection.
NB: Please don’t hold it against me that I ‘butchered’ Agile manifesto principles – it’s just a personal way, or mental model of sorts, that works for me when applying these principles to daily life :)
Coming up: Lean for Optimization
In the next post, we’ll discuss how lean mindset can help you optimize your daily life.