Everyone should just stop referring to ‘The Four Agile Values’ or ‘The Four Values of the Agile Manifesto”
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more. |
Why? Because this so-called 'The 4 Agile Values' does not exist.
Consider the following:
1. There Are 8 Values Listed in the Manifesto
If by ‘4 Values’ is meant the following:
- ‘Individuals and interactions’,
- ‘Working software’,
- ‘Customer collaboration’, and
- ‘Responding to change’
The manifesto affirms: 'there is value' to the four items on the right. So if you regard the items on the left as values, you need to regard the items on the right as values too. We value family over careers. Does that mean we don’t value careers?
The authors did not put worthless items on the right: 'Customer collaboration over cheating the customer'
They also did not say 'Individuals and interactions, etc' trump everything (see point number 3 below).
2. The 'Values' Are Merely Trade-off Preferences
If you consider the 4 values to be the 4 listed earlier, then please note that these are simply statements of relative value, not of highest value. Hence, they do not merit the definite article 'The'.
Read them as saying, “between responding to change and following a plan, we regard the former more important”. (How much more important is not indicated).
The signatories shared interesting trade-offs they have ‘come to value’, trade-offs that upend (what they consider) the normative trade-offs in software development. No suggestion is made that these are the only trade-offs they value, nor even the most important ones, but merely the tradeoffs that make their approach different.
3. The Principles List Even More, Even More Important Agile Values
The Twelve Principles call out other ideas important to the signatories (and by extension to Agile development): customer satisfaction, continuous delivery, frequent delivery, motivated individuals, support, trust, face-to-face conversation, measure of progress, working software, sustainable development, technical excellence, good design, simplicity, best architecture, best requirements, best designs, team effectiveness. Some of these arguably carry equal, arguably even more, weight to the ‘4 Agile Values’.
The first sentence of the manifesto also mentions two ideas valued by the signatories: 'doing it' and 'helping others do it'
4 The Manifesto Never Talks About 'Values'
The manifesto never uses the word 'value' as used in the phrase 'The 4 Agile Values'. In that phrase, 'Value' is a noun that means 'something intrinsically desirable'. These refer to ideas like 'emotional intelligence', or 'integrity'.
The manifesto says that the signatories have come to ‘value’ A over B. The word ‘value’ here is not the same word as the noun. This verb means ‘to consider highly’, as used in 'we value efficiency'. Valuing something does not necessarily turn that thing into a 'value': I have come to value good quality leather shoes over cheap shoes, but good quality leather shoes isn't one of my values.
The manifesto uses 'value' as a noun when it speaks of "there is value..." but this noun carries the different meaning of 'having worth' (the opposite of the word 'worthless'), like gold has value to a jeweler, but dirt does not.
In short, the manifesto never talks of 'values'.
5. Surely There Are Now More Than Four!
The verb tenses in “we are uncovering…” and “we have come to value” indicate that the list is preliminary, and describes a point-in-time state of affairs that is hoped will continue onward. It would be surprising (shocking) if they meant for it to be the final uncovered preferences for all time (or even for a few years).
Referring to 'The 4 Agile Values' after so many years is a serious indictment of the movement, for it means no new Agile-specific value trade-off have been ‘uncovered’ since 2001. (Calling them ‘The Original 4 Agile Values’ would still be wrong -- see points 1 and 2).
Fnally, referring to 'The 4 Agile Values' surrounds them with an aura of being untouchable and unchange-able.
So please stop talking about 'The 4 Agile Values', because doing so promotes misunderstanding and inhibits uncovering of new 'better ways of developing software'
