As usual you are spot on. I just completed a half-day tutorial on “Beginner’s Mind–Keeping Your Agile Adoption Fresh” at the Agile Development Practices (ADP) Conference in Orlando. In the tutorial it was strikingly sad how the 40 or so participants shared so many similar pains in rolling out Agile in their organizations. Think of it. Here they are, paid by their companies to come to an Agile Development Practices conference, and yet in story after story of Agile adoption, people lamented: “Well, my company just won’t do/allow/accept (fill in the blank).” At a conference, in a tutorial about Agile adoption, and every one of the conversations revolved around organizational push back. No-one was actually saying, “Oh, Wow! I didn’t think of that. Thank yo! That will be so very welcome in my company!”

Don’t get me wrong. There are wonderful moments of reflection and conviction. I run this tutorial more as a guided tour for the participants to figure out what the “snarling dog” is in their Agile adoption and whether they are willing to run toward it. By the end of this tutorial (I’ve offered it before), I am always in awe of the result. Despite all the barriers they face, participants are still willing to stand up and tell every one in the class their commitment for change when they return from Orlando.

Call them crazy or insane, but these stalwart souls are our only hope. I have hope.

Thanks again,
Jean