You can call me Al but don’t call it Agile
So much stuff being written about the Agile methodology for delivering projects, but what is clearly striking me is that the PM and BA orthodoxy are merely swapping one set of rigid processes (waterfall) for another in Agile. Leopards cannot change their spots.
Come on people, Agile and processes do not really mix. The rules and “dos and don’ts” just seem to be more and more reasons for those that love rules and processes to push them into what was an exciting chance to do things differently.
Echoing my own earlier post on a related subject, no process has ever produced anything. To produce something in a project you need PEOPLE! I can only hope that the next craze will be one about how we manage people to do what’s needed.
See the people arguing about the pros and cons of this or that process do so not because of the process but what they have personally invested. It could be that you run a training seminar on how to do Agile (how crazy is that, that people need to be trained how to do their job, which is deliver!) or a seminar in some other methodology, and therefore money and or pride muddy the water. It could be that you are an advocate of Agile, and you do so for a whole host of reasons but none to do with the Agile process. Similarly you could be the manager or customer pressing for delivery, but the issue here is nothing to do with Agile but rather the series of disappointments that people have caused you or one of a hundred other reasons. The key though is to understand the people.
Too often the drawback to successful change to one or the other is therefore in the minds of the people and the security of the blankets they hold. Therefore to comfort themselves coming from a rigid waterfall regime they bring as many rules and processes they come. We the become less and less agile and still nothing gets delivered.
If a leopard can’t change its spots, change the animal
syou make a interesting point about when leopard can’t change its spots, you change the animal; is this a point of view you have about personal life too? perhaps if someone lets you down time and time and time again, is it the kindest thing t call time on what’s got too broken to fix??
*** i don’t ever share e-mail info however you can publish my question if you want to give an answer; i’m interested in what you may say; thank you
dumb but getting wiser
June 20, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Hmmm, I’m always wary of drawing analogies between corporate and private life but there are plenty of “life coaches” out there who would advocate changing friends.
I’m more of the opinion that we use all we have at the right time and place; you don’t use a spanner to open an orange. Therefor you’d call certain people at certain times and not at others.
rgboulter
June 23, 2010 at 8:47 pm
spanners and oranges are new on me; in corporate or private, how does it help deal with people who are rubbishing your values while pretending theysupport them???
dumb but getting wiser
June 25, 2010 at 6:58 am
Ok – now tell me who the heck you are because I know the mail originates at Friends Provident
And everything is neutral. Acts and actions cannot be good or evil. We think they are. The act is just the act.
rgboulter
June 25, 2010 at 10:40 pm