Changing Software Development: Learning to Become Agile

Chapter 12. New Beginnings

"Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it."

—A.A. Milne^[]

^[] See Milne (1974).

Often, people fail to change and improve simply because they're unaware of how things could be better. This doesn't stop them wanting things to be better, but the lack of a better example stops them from doing anything. The lack of a better way of doing things may be simply because we haven't taken the time to find a better way. We may be so busy doing stuff and then doing more stuff that there's no time to find a better way.

It is seldom possible to stop everything and find a better way. Instead, we need to find a way to improve things as we go. This is the reality of modern business.

The Agile manifesto and volumes of writing on Agile and Lean software development show that there is a better way. This book has tried to show how you can get from where you are today to where you want to be.