Agile programming – what is that and how am I going to program my family? No silly. This is about using this programming methodology to find ways to better organize your family.
The Essence of Agile Programming
Agile programming, as described by Wikipedia, revolves around flexible, collaborative methods where solutions and requirements evolve through the cooperative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams.
It’s a strategy that champions adaptive planning, evolutionary development, prompt delivery, continual improvement, and encourages a nimble response to change.
Agile’s Family Application: A Personal Journey
My husband, an engineer well-versed in agile methodologies, and I have successfully adapted these principles to our family meetings.
This approach was particularly beneficial when our child needed to catch up on classwork, demonstrating agile’s versatility beyond software development.
Discovering Agile for Families Through Bruce Feiler
Bruce Feiler’s TED Talk offers a comprehensive introduction to applying agile programming within the family structure.
Feiler highlights practices derived from agile methodologies that promote flexibility, a flow of ideas from the bottom up, continuous feedback, and personal accountability. Notably, it even involves children in deciding their consequences.
Key Takeaways from Agile Programming for Families
Feiler’s insights reveal how adopting agile principles can alleviate stress and foster closer family bonds while preparing children for real-world challenges.
He suggests organizing family meetings in the spirit of agile’s small, focused groups, emphasizing weekly reviews and daily feedback to address and solve issues collectively.
The Agile Family Meeting: A Case Study
Initiating these agile-inspired family meetings with his five-year-old twins, Feiler found that keeping meetings concise (under 20 minutes) was most effective.
This approach underscores the importance of flexibility, accountability, and breaking tasks into manageable segments to enhance family life.
Empowering Children Through Agile Principles
Agile for families encourages involving children in their upbringing, allowing them to set their goals and learn from both successes and failures. This empowerment leads to increased control over their lives and fosters independence.
Crafting a Family Mission Statement
Feiler advocates for defining a family’s mission and values through a family mission statement. This practice helps focus on strengths and successes, celebrating what the family does well.
The Path to a Happier Family
Feiler’s book, “The Secrets of Happy Families,” offers further guidance on applying agile principles to create more joyful, organized, and fulfilling family dynamics. The secret, he suggests, is in the willingness to try and adapt.
Our Agile Family Journey
Embracing agile programming for family management has transformed how we conduct our family meetings, making them more productive, inclusive, and less stressful.
By adopting agile’s flexible, iterative approach, we’ve found a powerful tool for fostering understanding, cooperation, and happiness within our family.
Kids that plan their own goals, take more control over their lives. Let kids succeed and FAIL on their own terms.
Tell Your Story
Define your mission and your core values. Create a family mission statement. What’s important to your family and your family’s values.
- Spend less time on what you did wrong – focus on what you did right.
- Family mission statement identifies what you do right.
- Put the family mission statement on the wall.
- Tell your story – where did your family come from.. Explain family history and legacy.
Read Bruce Feiler’s book – The Secrets of Happy Families – Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More available at Amazon
