“We had started to make fire trucks that look like spaceships, building systems that no customer could truly appreciate. We had to clean that up.”

Mads Nipper

For some reason I always look at Lego for inspiration when I need to give structure to what goes on in my mind. For me this quote summarises the perpetual tendency to deform simple, elegant solutions into useless monstrosities, spending millions along the way.

I started developing software on a ZX Spectrum and no matter the years of management and consulting, that mindset of a developer is how I look at the world. The list of frameworks I have endured over the years is endless and what they all have in common, is the hours spent by organizations and teams not delivering value. Even worse, the frameworks have become resource hogs, draining organizations of time and money in the attempt to improve. So what’s the problem?

Frameworks, the imposed approach

Regardless whether the framework is called SDM, Prince2 or one of the current frameworks such as SAFe or DAD, they are pitched to the organization and imposed on the teams. Leadership has had little training and consultants are brought in to achieve a lightning change into product and software development. And then there is the failure to achieve the goals of the change. Why?

The framework became the goal

In the rush to improve organizations to achieve their goals more efficiently, the frameworks tend to become the holy grail. Process and procedures are forced upon teams and control mechanisms are put in place to provide management with progress overviews. Failure to meet targets leads to changing the consultants, changing the framework or both and to no avail. Why?

Failure to address culture

Culture, the hardest component of an organization to change. It is not the framework or methodology that makes a team successful. It is the culture and mindset in the organization that leads to success. Change needs to come from culture and a mindset, not a framework. So where do frameworks fit?

The use(fulness) of frameworks

Changing culture and mindset takes time, it also needs tangible tools to help you on the way. Following the ShuHaRi concept, frameworks can be useful as a tool in the journey of change. The most valuable element in change, being lessons learned or retrospectives, can be found in any modern framework. Use frameworks wisely, use them to support the change you wish to achieve but beware, don’t let using the framework become the goal.

If you would like to know more or need help, feel free to reach out.

For those interested in flow, another oriental way of thinking might also be good to read up on.

Shu-Ha-Ri.

Shu – In this beginning stage the student follows the teachings of one master precisely. He concentrates on how to do the task, without worrying too much about the underlying theory. If there are multiple variations on how to do the task, he concentrates on just the one way his master teaches him.

Ha – At this point the student begins to branch out. With the basic practices working he now starts to learn the underlying principles and theory behind the technique. He also starts learning from other masters and integrates that learning into his practice.

Ri – Now the student isn’t learning from other people, but from his own practice. He creates his own approaches and adapts what he’s learned to his own particular circumstances.

Applied to yourself it helps you recognise how Agile you are, applied to others, It helps you coach them in their maturity drive at the right level.