Organizational Change... Not!

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What do you do if you happen to find yourself in a organization that is simply paying lip service to agile? First, don't despair. Organizations don't change overnight and it is highly unlikely that you as one person are going to change the organization. Don't feel bad about it. That's just the way it is. Second, don't lose faith. There are some things that you can do within your control to effect positive change:

  • Know your team's purpose. What value does your team create for your customer? What difference does this value creation make to your organizations bottom line? Don't know your team's purpose? Ask.
  • Be transparent. Let others know your team's goal and communicate what you're doing to help the team achieve the goal.
  • Ask for help when you need it. Your team is better when it works together.
  • Get real. If things aren't going according to your plan, fix your plan to deal with your current reality. The plan was built on what was, not what is. Whatever reality is, deal with it.
  • Be the change. We all have preferences, biases, and models of how we see the world. If any of these is not helping,  be willing to change yourself!

Who knows, with enough individuals making a positive difference, we might just get the organization to change as well.