Sometimes back, I facilitated a team with the objective to eliminate a couple of bottlenecks in the process to ensure early delivery.
To begin with, I proposed several directives for all of us to own. Upon completion of second sprint and observing only ordinary benefits, one of the team members asked, “Can we alter directive #3 so that we can get…”
He got an uncomfortable reply from me: “Trying is much better than asking for permission when you’re part of an agile project.”
The team tried it, altered the directive #3 and within couple more iterations they observed better results.
It was a learning experience for the team members. They learned that getting out of their comfort zone, doing what is right and being responsible for what you they done is much better than asking permissions.
It could have been failed as well. But that’s not much of a point here.
Point is to get out of your comfort zone and take actions. Over the course of a few sprints, team would figure out what would work and what wouldn’t.
Constraints such as directive #3, even though listed, may not always apply to a particular situation. Don’t assume that it will.
When you’re part of a true agile project, you’re limited only by your self-imposed constraints. Work on that part and organize yourself to do what is right without being afraid.
Perhaps that’s why Agile Manifesto values Individuals and Interactions more than Processes and Tools.
Now, that’s something so basic but important like hell to execute Agile Projects well.