“Life is a journey, not a destination.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson is often credited with the quote above, and it’s great when we apply it to our lives, but in business, we tend to think in terms of success/failure. So, we took some liberties!
Living your best life is very much up to you, your beliefs, culture, upbringing, and so on.
The application of agility is not hugely different; it’s in-part how we behave and work. Agile is not just a manifesto, its a mindset, supported by a manifesto, or principles promises and guidelines. By extension, we also need come to terms that the Agile Manifesto is actually created by and for Software Developers, back in 2001. This approach to software development was only years later tried to be applied to all sorts of agile practices. Of course there a some good points in the Agile Manifesto for Software Development that we can apply, although its long in the tooth. The Agile Manifesto for Software Development hasn’t changed since 2001, that is not applying agile.
In terms of Agility in practice, whether personally or professionally, we will never reach the final summit; it is a constant work in progress. Every day is a matter of continuous improvement, learning from our mistakes with our team and making better choices.
Thus, no human can tell you how you must live, and no person should say to you how to “be agile”, this is nonsense.
Every Journey needs a map!
Let’s face it, rarely is a journey a straight road without obstacles. More likely, it can be like climbing a steep mountain obscured by traps, impediments, and tripping hazards. Making such a journey alone can be frustrating and scary. We could all use a guide! It’s not only comforting but will be safer, less hazardous, and much more enjoyable. Chances of success are higher when we have an experienced guide helping us along the way.
