Changing Software Development: Learning to Become Agile

5.6. Conclusion

Together with Chapter 3, I have now laid the foundations of the learning view of software development. At the heart of this is individual learning; team learning builds on individual learning and organizational learning builds on team learning. In describing the theory of the learning view, I have also suggested some actions that you can take to enhance learning.

Agile teams often begin with one individual who discovers the ideas of Agile or Lean development. This is not enough: the whole team needs to learn collectively how to undertake Agile development. Unfortunately, organizations sometimes react to constrain the growth of Agile teams. In the long run, the reverse is true: Agile teams need to live within Agile organizations, so Agile needs to spread if it is to prosper.

There are basically two ways to exploit the learning view for your team or organization. Firstly, take a more active approach to learning for yourself and those around you. Secondly, remove the blocks that inhibit learning. In both cases, learning can't happen without action and that action involves change.

From here on, this book focuses on change and putting learning into action. As it turns out, many of the mechanisms for enhancing learning are also the mechanisms for creating change. As action creates change, more learning will result.

First of all, though, we need to take a slight detour. We need to understand the role of computers, software and all information technology not as technology ...