Crystal Methods Methodology

Posted by on 3/22/13 in Methodologies

Alistair Cockburn developed the Crystal Methods approach. His focus is on the people, interaction, community, skills, talents, and communications with the belief that these are what have the first-order effect on performance. Process, he says, is important, but secondary.

Cockburn's philosophy translate into a recognition that each team has a different set of talents and skills and therefore each team should use a process uniquely tailored to it. And it means that the process should be minimized -- barely significant.

The use of the word "crystal" refers to the various facets of a gemstone -- each a different face on an underlying core. The underlying core represents values and principles, while each facet represents a specific set of elements such as techniques, roles, tools, and standards. Cockburn also differentiates between methodology, techniques, and policies. A methodology is a set of elements (practices, tools); techniques are skill areas such as developing use cases; and policies dictate organizational "musts".

References
Jim Highsmith, Agile Software Development Ecosystems

Other Methodologies

For a high-level look at project management in general, check out my introduction to project management fundamentals.

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