Going Beyond the Beginning

Movements are finicky.  There is always a balance of retaining the original fire that drove the change but also looking forward to see the greatness that could be as the movement gains traction and fresh perspectives.

Over the past several days I have seen some people tweet or comment about “how xyz isn’t what was intended when the manifesto was signed,” or one of my favorites, “I don’t remember massages at Snowbird.”  While I have a tremendous amount of respect for these “founding fathers,” Agile is not a government of rules or a republic, We Are Agile – the people, the decisions to think outside of the norm, and continuous ability to consume change!  I believe in honoring the past and in remembering our history, but I also believe that the beginning was just that – a beginning!

Outside of agile, I have been involved in other movements that always look back to the “firsts.” These firsts are looked upon not only as absolutely amazing and empowered people [that they are/were], but in some ways “the finals” as well.  They were the last ones allowed to do awesome things or say amazing things or even have any new insights.  And anyone who adds, subtracts, or has a different viewpoint are considered apostate – even if they still focus on the core values and principles – and are pushed into some corner reserved for the rebellious and stupid kids.

Today, at Agile2016, there was a new idea spoken about called Modern Agile.  This set of principles or strategies  take the amazingness of the Agile Manifesto and slightly shift them for modern era.  You see, we have accomplished a lot using the tools and practices of the Agile Manifesto and team/organizational change agents like Scrum, etc.  But we can do better.  We can think greater.  We can Inspire!!!!!  It is completely understood that Modern Agile seeks to inspire, but it is not the only movement that is pushing us to think ahead, to focus on developing a vision for the future, and encouraging us to move “beyond” the beginning.

So whether it is Modern Agile or other “streams” of agile, it is time to stop just implementing agile – it is time to start developing the future of good work, empowered employees and customers, innovative practices, and more!