The universe is complicated, nonlinear-causal, multidimensional, changing and adaptive. The only thing can contend against the “second law of thermodynamics” (chaos) is life. The living who survive and multiply are nothing but keeping evolving with feedback and adapting itself to environment, this is also named “empirical process”.
“Zen” highlights “put down differentiation” and “focused repeating” when do anything in order to master it. In western world that has another statement called “deliberating practice” or “10000 hours” but yet another version of the ancient eastern wisdoms. Scrum is also telling us to focus on complete short-term goal and keep replanning iteratively instead of pursuing just a long-term predefined plan with pain.
While we can not fully predict the side-effects when we do something. As long as we survive we continue to inspect and adapt, as described in book “Anti-fragile” the earlier failure comes the better. Agile / Scrum is about seek failure and feedback actively with courage and openness in shorter time-box to make things even stronger, just like living. Every time my scheduled trip encounter changes, I deeply experience the importance of “defer decision” and “the art of possible”. Always having possibilities is important for one to become a free man in this life.
At a time we can only put energy on one thing, “big and complex thing begins from small and simple”, said “Tao Te Ching” (Tai Ji). Scrum is a great practical framework to implement focus on one small thing and get it done ASAP with highest value within shortest time, so as not to fall into “Parkinson’s Law” (procrastination). Agile / Scrum presents similar effect to “The law of attraction”.
I started to study professional coaching since 2015 which is about helping people change and definitely requires respect and commitment. I didn’t realized coaching has something to do with IT or Scrum before. One day my teacher said in the class, “There’s no failure, there’s only not getting feedback”. Oh, that is the very core of Agile!
Aha, Agile intersects with so many well-known theories and technologies, those imply the values of Scrum, and I believe it is a representation of the essence of the world. I want to share such a good thing and benefit people to work and live in a proper way, be comfortable and be happier with confidence.
