EGW Consulting and Coaching History and Philosophy

EGW Consulting and Coaching (EGW) was formed to address Business and Program challenges in a holistic, proactive and functional manner.  After years of solving a broad range of technology, management and organizational challenges Ellen Waukon believes that there is no stand alone technology or stand alone management or stand alone organizational solution,  that all three are needed to create a high functioning organization. 

The holistic approach used is called Agile Development in designing systems but I have used it in the broader sense of design to include not only technology but also management and organization.   Agile Development Manifesto was developed in the 1980’s after traditional linear development models were shown to be expensive, ineffective and outdated when implemented.  EGW has altered the Manifesto to be:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working procedures over comprehensive documentation
Client collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to changing circumstances over rigid adherence to a flawed plan

While there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more. Principles behind the Agile Manifesto

EGW follows the following  principles:

1.  Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery
of valuable management, operational and technology tools.

2.  Welcome changing requirements, even late in the process. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.

3.  Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.

4.  Business people and key EGW staff must work together and continuously throughout a project.

5.  Build projects around motivated individuals.  Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.

6.  The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a
team is face-to-face conversation.

7.  Working solutions are the primary measure of progress.

8.  Agile processes promote sustainable development.  The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

9.  Continuous attention to management, organizational and technical excellence and good design/plans enhances agility.

10.  Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.

11.  The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams with a common goal.

12.  At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly. 

  The Agile philosophy isn’t about big words, expensive solutions or sometimes even big deeds it is about the continuing process of learning and implementing, adjusting, learning and implementing.  Learning and improving is a circular process.  Training doesn’t yield results unless you use what you have learned.  Example:  Create an improvement using a new tool that is manageable by the person doing the job.  Then when that tool has been mastered add new tools and new training and repeat until the goals are met.  Ultimately this is less expensive with incremental benefits than waiting until everything is “Perfect” and finding out that your “perfect” solution doesn’t solve your current problem.