“We have to have people work on multiple teams.”
“We can’t afford to have a dedicated Scrum Master.”
“Everything is a number one priority—we need it all!”
“We have to have a signed document prior to moving forward.”
“We have to measure utilization.”
I have heard these and several similar statements frequently in my time as an Agile trainer and coach for various organizations and teams. While I truly empathize with the sentiments expressed in each of them, they’re not entirely true.
Are You Making Choices Subconsciously?
While some of these reactions are due to outside stimuli, most of these are the result of choices that an organization has made either consciously or subconsciously. This means they’re made out of stubbornness or the lack of consideration for how the result will impact the organization.
The statements I hear so often from above are better stated as follows:
- “We have chosen to have people work on multiple teams.”
- “We have chosen to not have a dedicated Scrum Master.”
- “We have chosen to not prioritize our work.”
- “We have chosen to have a signed document prior to moving forward.”
- “We have chosen to focus on utilization.”
An Organization’s Culture Is the Sum of Its Habits
Habits are a culmination of the choices that an organization and its leaders have made over time. While it might be more comfortable to make it sound like you have no choice, the truth is that you do. You, your team, division, company or organization is a sum of the individual choices you make.
Do you want to change your organization or stay where you are? Do you want your habits to get in the way of positive organizational growth?
Becoming comfortable in your stagnation is a surefire way to limit your organization’s potential.
It’s Time to Choose. Learn More About Agile Today.
If your team, division, company and organization as a whole is a sum of your choices, what do you choose? To move toward true Agility or to make another excuse?
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