Inverted U Curve and Agile Development

A wise approach when we want to adopt a new methodology, technology or simply a new practice in a project team, is to identify and compare in advance the advantages and disadvantages of its use. Every time such analysis shall be carried out taking into account the context in which it will be adopted. "Which are the benefits of implementing the practice X in my team?", "What are the main risks for my project in the conditions of implementing the methodology Y?", "Which is the learning curve of the technology Z and how will it impact the deadlines?" - these are just a few examples of questions we ask ourselves (together with our team) prior to making a decision. The unexpected trap of this process is that we usually try to fully benefit from the advantages of the methodology/technology/practice we implement and most of the time we exaggerate in this respect. The Yerkes-Dodson law (known also as "Inversed U Curve theory") gives an interesting perspective in approaching all these practices.

Youtube: Software Project Management | S2E01 | Inverted U Curve and Agile Development