Inclusive Agile Manifesto

Based on the “agile manifesto” concept for software development, a diverse team jointly develops an “inclusive agile manifesto” for its own industry branch. The team should include members from as many different diversity groups, departments, and hierarchy levels as possible. The workshop for creating the manifesto can take place, for example, as part of a team event lasting several days. It is also possible to hold it as an online event. When generating ideas, the participants should consider diversity aspects and the prerequisites for agile collaboration. The moderator ensures a focused and creative flow of discussion. The result should be made available as an internal document and put into an appealing visual form at the workplace (e.g., a poster, a screen saver on the company computers, printed on coffee mugs, etc.).

Seventeen experienced IT people wrote the “agile manifesto” for software development in a workshop in 2001. The result was a ranking of specific core values intended to serve as a guide for working in software development. Even though the agile manifesto has received broad international recognition, it is striking that it was written by a very homogeneous group and largely ignored diversity. Here – especially with complex problems – including heterogeneous perspectives promises even more innovation. By creating an “inclusive agile manifesto”, companies can integrate their employees into their business activities and values and foster the development of a shared value system and a “we” feeling in a workforce of diverse yet shared backgrounds.

• agilemanifesto.org/iso/en/manifesto.html