The enduring relevance of the Agile Manifesto: Uncovering
And the rest was history…
The best part of twenty years ago, a rag-tag group of self proclaimed “organizational anarchists” got together and penned the agile manifesto. They set out to influence the way the software industry thinks and operates…
In that they succeeded.
What they perhaps didn’t intend or expect is the far greater reaching, multi-disciplined, industry-agnostic movement with so much momentum that it may very well change the face of work as we know it.
With something of this nature and magnitude, there comes the issue of interpretation. The collective mass of practitioners and subjugates has increased exponentially, and as a result, there has been a degree of inevitable drift and dilution.
With that in mind I want us to go back. Way back to the start. To the Agile Manifesto itself.
When I first think of the Agile Manifesto, I think of that (terrible… there, I said it) website, the four value “pairs” in juxtaposition… the twelve accompanying principles (that are a little harder to recite). What I didn’t think much about — until a recent epiphany — was the opening line…
“We are uncovering better ways…”
That’s what it says, but I swear there are segments of the community that behave as though it says this instead:
“We uncovered the best way…”
“We uncovered the most perfect way…”
“We uncovered the one true way…”
Some of us act like Agile is done. A fait accompli. Immutable, written in stone.
Check again.
Two decades later…
Uncovering. Better. Ways.
This was no grand paleontological discovery. Agile isn’t a set of once-buried fossils we must preserve in a museum for the rest of time.
“Uncovering”, in this instance, is quite obviously something else entirely. This is about an ongoing revelation, that looking at things differently in an attempt to improve is the best way forward. There is no agile canon. But there is an impressive foundation.
Look at the credentials of these people!
“Representatives from Extreme Programming, SCRUM, DSDM, Adaptive Software Development, Crystal, Feature-Driven Development, Pragmatic Programming, and others sympathetic to the need for an alternative to documentation driven, heavyweight software development processes.”
The new ways they wrote about when they formed the manifesto — In 2001 — ALREADY existed. They came about through experimentation, creativity… experience… through the very pillars of the manifesto they described.
Back then, these were the new ways.
But we can’t really call them new anymore.
So is the document still relevant? What was the point?
Why… A manifesto?
A manifesto, is defined as an “outline of intentions, motivations and/or views”… an attempt to answer the question: “What do I believe?”
Manifestos come in many forms: Artistic, philosophical, political, religious, corporate… personal. They have been composed by all sorts… from the inspired and passionate, to the demented and twisted. Presidents, anarchists, socialists, scientists… radicals… bombers… supremacists… its a mixed bag!
Despite the spectrum of causes, the central consistent truth, is that when you read a manifesto, somebody is offering you a glimpse at a point in time from a particular vantage point. They invite you in, to see their perspectives, to “try on” their beliefs. Martin Luther King, Albert Einstein, Karl Marx, Andre Breton, John F Kennedy… these people and their unique perspectives changed the very way we do life (Even the far fetched and controversial).
(I’m acutely aware that I just elevated the Agile Manifesto alongside the “I have a dream speech”… But stay with me!)
An angle worth considering
The Agile manifesto offered us a fundamentally different way to look at our work. You see, “Agile” is not a thing… not a noun... not a “package” to install.
It is a lens.
It is a perspective.
It is a movement.
It is a litmus test.
It is an approach.
If you look at your workplace (and maybe even the world) through the lens of the agile manifesto… you may see things differently. With a new found sense of inspiration, from that beginners mindset, what you will be faced with is opportunity.
You may notice that some of your current attempts at agility miss the mark — and be able to tweak and adjust, in order to be more intentional about it.
You may see gaps, begging for a discussion.
You may defend the ways of the past less. Be less likely to say “oh that won’t work here”. Be more open to just trying something.
You may come to value and actively seek the perspectives of those whom are least likely to share them.
You may hear undertones of pain, fear, mistrust or concern in a conversation with a colleague, and with empathy, imagine a world where that problem can be addressed. You may work to collectively unpick long running company dysfunction.
You may start to see your own blind spots and failings. You may feel better able to express yourself, be vulnerable, accept your imperfection, and get some help.
You may find yourself positioned to change your organization so that everybody knows that it is safe to do any and all of the above.
How will you uncover entirely new ways of working? What a mandate!
Don’t get me wrong, the tried and true frameworks still have their place — as an exercise in drawing out creativity, triggering awareness and sparking inspiration in those new to this mode of operation. But they are a means… not the end goal.
The Japanese have a word for this
(Of course they do, bless them).
Kata (型 or 形) literally means “form”. In martial arts, it can be described as “a detailed choreographed pattern of movements made to be practiced alone… within groups and in unison when training.” This series of kicks and punches, often without an opponent, is an important step on the way to mastery. All levels of proficiency practice their kata — “The goal is to internalize the movements and techniques… so they can be executed and adapted under different circumstances, without thought or hesitation. A novice’s actions will look uneven and difficult, while a master’s appear simple and smooth.”
This is why we have Scrum, XP, DSDM and the rest. They are our Agile kata.
What this means is, the challenge remains! The hope that perhaps we can find even better, more effective ways together — maybe there are even more effective agile katas to be discovered. But we can’t get there without first being willing to be a novice.
(I bet that triggered some and maybe excited others.)
The issue of privilege
This isn’t politics. This isn’t just another project-management methodology.
This is an invitation. An invitation not to settle, and to continuously inspect and adapt the very way we conduct our work.
It can actually feel like sanctioned (and sometimes unsanctioned) anarchy.
And it is a rare privilege.
I am acutely aware, ESPECIALLY as I write this, that there are people in our immediate circles who cannot relate to this kind of discourse when it comes to work.
I accept this privilege as my reality today. But I hope to my core that this is not the case for too much longer. I really believe that we have the potential to transform the landscape of work as we know it. The Cynefin framework shows us that some aspects of our toolkit would need to change in certain circumstances, to allow for the solving of different types of problems, but the deepest values and principles of Agile more ubiquitous broader human-kind than we give them credit.
Being an active, invested, passionate agile practitioner is not something to be taken lightly.
But it is categorically privileged, and we have to remain cognizant of that.
Rebasing
Fortunately, a great portion of the software industry has caught on to the bits of agility that are more corporately accepted. True “conscious agility” may be a ways off yet, and other, less product focused industries have a long way to go.
They grind away day-to-day. They are micromanaged. They subside, survive… and hold in contempt, or hate, every minute of what they do.
At this point, the “Waterfall vs Agile” comparison is at best, simplistic, but at worst… irrelevant. It is like comparing a semi-trailer to Tai Chi…. how can they even fit in the same category?
Where we repeatedly get stuck now (if John Cutler’s blogs are anything to go by) is a cycle of cognitive biases & logical fallacies that result in the same anti-patterns repeating time and time again. (see: “Bets, boards & missions”, or the rest of his blog is littered with gold.)
The challenge we face now is exploring how can we collectively upgrade our firmware. Give organizations and teams better and better places to start. Help individuals feel inspired, valued and safe to explore. Allow those stepping into the industry — or any industry for that matter — to be better prepared, and excited by the possibility.
So where would you start? Can you start to share what have you learnt? Have you thought about how would you explain this conceptually to your mum or your nan? (Every time I try, I end up with some version of a blog like this…)
For the love of all that is good, can you see this isn’t about “scrum vs kanban” anymore.
It is about…
Transcendent meta-Agility (🤣)
(It made me laugh to write that)
… something far greater.
We have an opportunity to engage our beginners minds and curiously go into the world to uncover our own better ways.
Whether we create something entirely fresh and new, iterate on the tried and true, or re-purpose something previously unrelated… there is space for it all.
This approach may not be for everybody. If you don’t want to get to the sixth and seventh level of “why?”, I get it (that’s a BA joke for those that are still reading).
But personally, I dream that vocation & occupation would overlap to such a degree that the distinction is rendered unnecessary…and I want that dream to come true, for myself, for those around me, and for my children.
And honestly, in a way… hope that in the near future we no longer need to speak of it as “Agile”. That having a specific term for it is irrelevant as we all work to help each other.
Getting there…
So now what?
Go back.
The basics, the values & principles… it is ALL there. As is the Heart of Agile, and Modern Agile.
Try something different. Try asking someone you’ve never asked before what they would like to try, and then really listen.
And then… instead of saying “that could never work here”… Take it for a spin.
See if it moves you.
If it does, if it is towards the things in the manifesto, you probably just took an Agile baby-step.
Then take another.
Some things are agile.
Some things are agile for a season, until they are no longer.
Sometimes we borrow and imitate, and it has to be good enough for now.
That’s ok.
But always know, there is no “definitive” agile. No directors cut. No list of what is in or out.
It ain’t finished yet.
Instead, therein lies a challenge… A conundrum… How will you step up to the plate, and , to be involved with uncovering better ways yourself?
Join the movement
The beautiful thing is that while we had our heads in our broken pipelines, this… thing… has already spread well beyond the borders of the software industry — to the point where Atlassian can hardly keep up with the demand!
As a result we are reaping the fruit of rampant cross-pollination from every field… Manufacturing, design, science, anthropology, marketing, self-help, teaching… The list goes on & the inspiration is nearly endless.
Agile becomes about humanity bringing the breadth and depth of our understanding and wisdom, and witnessing what happens when we dare apply it to the way we work.
Funnily enough, and beautifully so, this can have an overflowing effect to the rest of our lives.
As we take better care, as we stress less, and ask ourselves hard questions… We’re finding what really matters to us, what our values are, and daring to imagine a more sustainable way to do life.
We’re recognizing that it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that there is more to life than spending forty-plus hours a week doing something inane just to pay the bills.
Instead, we all get to be students again. We have the opportunity to observe, to seek interesting and innovative ways to come at problems. We are changing our very society, chipping away at centuries of accumulated cultural sediment, calcification and oxidization.
Building better software. Growing and nurturing people better. Solving new problems and learning throughout the journey. Believing that we can have better jobs and better lives.
This stuff is wild.
Idealism aside… dare we dream?
Dare we stick out our necks… in the name of human thriving?
Be organizational anarchists like the original alliance.
Cease the glorification of “grit ’n’ grind”. Wholeheartedly and gratefully embrace the idea that this is something we GET to do, explore new possibilities together as you make the lives of the people around you better.
We are redefining the very nature of work, and in the long run, the results will speak for themselves. Remain curious & inspired. Cultivate your creativity, take others on the journey with you.
Lets define and realize the future of work.
