Waterfall or Agile at HOME ??

Waterfall w/o load balancer or Agile with load balancer AT HOME? 

Waterfall and Agile are two methodologies that rule the corporate world at the present moment. Yes, any mode of work, from requirements gathering to software services or products being deployed would go through two of these methodologies during its life cycle to evolve into an end product of demand. While we have both the flavors at home, and have been discussing the constant modes of evolving mind set, there was a question one day that struck us hard with the current reality – are we waterfall or agile at home? Each one of us? 

To quickly understand what each of the methodologies mean wrt software development life cycle: 

Constant changes to customer demands and needs with highest value addition within a short-fixed timeline to gather immediate feedback and fixes is referred to as an agile methodology! Agile is very common in the Information Technology arena. We compare it with the socio-antique waterfall model which is a sequential life cycle. Agile these days has been a philosophy that evolves around much more than the stages itself – an author once asked revealed that when in an agile team, we ‘feel good’, ‘are disciplined’ and ‘focus on results’.

Now knowing what waterfall and agile feels, which one would you adapt to, at your home front? 

Given the present global situation of economic and socio-economic lockdown, how well are we handling the situation at home? There has been a complete blend of work (being done from home), and work at home that gets done in parallel too, in literal terms. Children are getting to attend school from home, across the globe. We have digitally transformed, literally all modes of work and study across generations, and are collectively under the same umbrella for months now. How does waterfall and agile work for this situation? 

Spouses can equally share their work at home, be it cooking or cleaning, any number of hands are welcome to help the folks at home, even if that means it’s with or without perfection. This is indeed an agile scenario where you are attempting to muster the motivation, in and around the house. This probably is an otherwise less attempted zone. 

Make a routine as though you are coping up with the business-as-usual scenario, even though the external world has changed drastically. Don’t let it alter your own schedule. Getting used to a routine will always help the situation at home combat any tough external challenges. We still wake up, go to bed, eat and stay hydrated, at regular times as though nothing has changed. Believe me, this means a world to us right now. There is no room for chaos if a standard is followed. It need not be necessarily at the home front.

Try the balancing act of dedicating the time saved on travel during this lock down, to a complete channeling into family-time zone. This would not only give you the momentum to keep up the bond, but will also ensure you re-live and resonate with your blessings in life. We as a family try to do something unique every single day. Here are few examples that you could adapt or even adopt to:

1. Take a walk, even if we are struck with pollen, we walk up and down our deck color watching,
2. Dedicate a day for mindfulness to teach yourself and your kids to be mindful about everything and every action of theirs. Remember to lead by example here, and not preach without actual perseverance!
3. Host a virtual bingo night with your cousins or your kid’s cousins!
4. Host a family-teams connect!
5. Start a blog or a vlog (you tube is the preferred and most flexible channel that I can think of!)!
6. Recite your prayers diligently!
7. Spend some self-time to resonate with the ‘why’ of your life.
8. Forget about the what’s and how’s for a bit!
9. Be thankful for the health that you and your families are in, and extend positive thoughts and spirits to those that are in dire need of it right now across the globe.
10. Stop gossiping.
11. Invest time in creativity – be it of any sort!
12. Enter into a stop gap from forwards and posts that do not add value! Each one of these are just samples from our adaption of a hybrid methodology at home at the present moment. 

Treasure life and it’s moments. Knowing that I can do more repetively, the more easier and less challenging the task becomes. And it easily gives a leverage to get myself going on any given day! Try it out and you will reflect and resonate with me! 

Would like to listen from you now!!!! What’s your brand new opportunity to start again? Did you find that motivation needed to kick start your momentum yet ? 

Let’s create a resilient vision for ourselves! Let’s practice and spread positivity all around us! 

Remember to Reflect & Resonate!!!