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The Shadow on the Wall: Navigating Incompetence in Systems

December 1, 2023

Many teams, like yours and mine, grapple with the complexities of delivering modern software. It's not always about the individuals or the teams, but rather the system that governs them. When we find ourselves questioning the decisions or actions of our colleagues, it's essential to remember that most of the time, they aren't acting out of spite. Instead, they're responding to the measurements and incentives set by the system.

The age-old example of developers being measured by the number of lines of code they write is a testament to this flawed system. Such measurements lead to unintended behaviours, like adding unnecessary lines of code or overly optimizing code for the sake of metrics. It's not the culture that's at fault; it's the shadow cast by these measurements. To truly bring about change, we must shift our focus from the shadow to the light source - the system.

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Change requests in traditional project management serve as another example. While they might protect both parties in a factory setting, they're counterproductive in agile environments where flexibility and adaptability are paramount. We need to move away from this rigid mindset and embrace a system that supports change and innovation.

NKDAgility can help!

These are the kinds of issues that lean-agile practitioners are passionate about.

If you find it hard to navigate the complexities of your organisation's system or struggle to implement effective agile practices, my team at NKDAgility can assist.

Don't let systemic challenges undermine your value delivery. Seek help sooner rather than later. Right now, you can request a free consultation with my team or enrol in one of our upcoming professional Scrum classes.

Because you don't just need agility, you need Naked Agility.


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