Embracing change
Embracing Agile had me make some big changes, some fundamental changes. As a programmer, my role model changed from the lone genius with OCD to a gregarious social animal (but still hoping for just a touch of OCD). As a tester, I stopped thinking of myself as a dispassionate judge and began to consider myself an involved insider.
For the work-obsessed, such changes are more than just new roles: they’re changes in self-conception. I think it neither unfair nor insulting to observe that some people avoid Agile projects because they prefer not to change anything that close to their core identity.
Such big changes aren’t restricted to programmers and testers. Consider the team manager redesignated Scrum Master: she’s no longer The Boss.
People talk a lot about “the Agile Enterprise.” What big changes, fundamental changes, changes in self-conception would such a thing bring to the CxO? Will it? If not, why not?
March 5th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Very interesting blog entry, Brian. Its funny, but I was having the exact same discussion with someone today, about how a project manager’s role changes significantly from being the Big Boss to more of a coaching and reporting role. Its a difficult thing to explain to a room full of PMs that you’re teaching about agile…
I also agree completely about how you describe your change. I was a head-down geek for many years until Agile changed me into this touchy-feely being you see before you :)
– bab