The Agile methodology is an iterative approach that allows us to manage projects in effective ways. Although in its conception it was focused on software development, its principles were quickly adopted by other types of projects and business endeavors in general.

Starting with the principles of continuous improvement and adaptation, the Agile methodology allows us at Dura Digital to deliver value to our clients incrementally, and to manage change by adjusting and learning from fluid business scenarios to deliver the solutions that work best for our clients.

Now, with remote employees like our teams at Dura Digital, it is a must for us to adapt some of the tools that Agile provides so that online work continues to be as effective as if we were working at the same office, and to avoid the team dynamic exhaustion that virtual work can sometimes cause. Constant online meetings can be exhausting and they could become a burden instead of a way for the team to collaborate and be as productive as possible.

At Dura Digital we are always experimenting on how to best work together and apply Agile methodologies, especially when collaborating with team members that are located in different countries. Here are some of the things we are doing at Dura Digital to do our best work as a remote and agile team:

Adapting Agile “ceremonies”: we try to reduce meetings as much as possible, especially in situations when a simple message can provide the same outcome without having to have yet another meeting. As an example, for our daily standups, we leverage tools like Slack to share with the team what we are aiming to accomplish in our day, and raise any roadblocks that could prevent us from reaching our goals. Only in some very specific situations do we jump in a meeting to address any misalignment or help with a problem. The one Agile activity that we always conduct through a virtual meeting is our weekly retrospective as those are incredible opportunities for us to exchange ideas on what we could have done differently, what we want to keep doing, and to celebrate our successes.

Experimenting with tools to do our best work: working remotely prevents us from stopping by the desk of a colleague to discuss an idea, or leverage a physical board to brainstorm. But there are excellent tools available that enable us to do our best work, which translates into value to our clients. Teams, Slack, Miro, Figma, Monday.com are just a few of the ones we are currently using… we are always on the lookout for what other ones we can experiment with and leverage to do our best work.

Having “camera on” calls: we encourage our team to have their camera on when we do have to meet over a video call as a team, and also when meeting with our clients. We place significant value on our interactions, and seeing each other, not just listening to each other, is a great way to stay connected and better collaborate. Paying attention to non-verbal communication becomes critical for any Agile and remote team and with time and experience we are able to quickly realize if a team member needs support or guidance. Sometimes it is just not possible to have your camera on (allergies anyone?), but we do encourage our teams to be as present as possible.

Responding to change: at Dura Digital we understand that the world is not a static place. We lean on various types of plans such as product roadmaps, strategic plans, and project plans, but we create these to be dynamic. This allows our teams to pivot when our clients need change with very little friction for everyone involved.

Trusting our team, always: one of our core values at Dura Digital is to BE TRUSTED. We give our teams the environment, tools, guidance and support they need to do their best work, and we trust them to work hard and deliver value to our clients. That is the core of who we are as a team, and is one of the main reasons why we can successfully tackle tough problems in an Agile way, while working remotely, and do the best work for our clients.

For us at Dura Digital, an Agile approach to digital transformation combined with the best remote team equals increased value to our customers. We are always adapting, applying our creativity, and adjusting how we work to optimize collaboration to best serve organizations worldwide. We would love to chat with you and your teams about how our approach could benefit your organization. Contact us to discuss your business and digital needs and how we would tackle them.