We must want to want 

 30 October 2020

The amount of feedback to my last column has shown me how much the topic moves. Many thanks for that! Most of the feedback dealt with the question of the starting point - the momentum of change. I would like to devote a few thoughts to this today.

From system maintenance

Yes, such a system, in the sense of a definable entity such as a company, a group, a team, etc., does not have it easy. You get together, form a stable framework and then the trouble starts. Individuals want to break out, are changed by other systems, impulses and impacts come from outside. And so you have a lot to do as a system to remain stable in order to save energy.

And we experience this every day. A new employee in the team, a changed instruction here, a new tool there and a dynamic market out there. And actually, you just want to stay the way you are.

Now, such a system per se does not have the drive to change. New things and innovation don't have it easy. It becomes even more difficult when things are going well both internally and externally. Then inertia is high and the motivation to move away is low. And this inertia is usually stronger than a "towards" motivation.

And that's the trap we're in right now. If we look at the world like this, we're doing just fine. Few unemployed, successful industries and medium-sized companies, great prosperity, maybe a bit of complaining at a high level, but actually everything is fine.
So why change? Exactly - the pain is not great enough.

The fatal thing is: this stability and perceived security is very fragile. And the impacts are getting louder and closer, but they are still so far away that it does not generate any movement on a broad basis. But the economic areas that generate stability and prosperity can quickly be over. A look at the world's startup hotspots here gives a sense of what's possible in the future.

get things moving

So how to get started now? If you're waiting for a government incentive program to disruptively change your business, you'll have a long wait. The political system is not interested in change. The miserable digitization initiatives in the government agencies themselves already testify to that.
Even the large corporations are having a hard time with it. Those that have recognized this are happy to outsource these initiatives to sub-units, digital hubs and the like. This is the right step, because change and innovation like to grow on a small scale: in teams, projects and with each individual. But the challenge remains: How do I get what has been created back into the system? Because even if lateral thinking and change are called for, the system still resists it.
So the question is: How do we create a framework that makes the momentum of change stronger than the efforts to keep everything stable?

Attitude: Want to want

In my experience, one solution is to establish an attitude of wanting to work, i.e., to increase self-drive and self-responsibility so that it becomes a need to drive change.
An attitude or mindset doesn't fall from the sky; it takes time and patience to establish it. What's more, we can't just pour it in, push it in, pretend it's there - it emerges from within the people and the teams. And it is based on our needs, values, beliefs and filters. Thus, in order to change an attitude, personal development is needed first and foremost.

Personality and software development

What does all this have to do with software development? I am convinced: a lot!

  1. Software has become the most important factor in value creation in companies. Whether data, interfaces, applications, etc. Amazon, Uber, Airbnb live from software as a platform, transportation companies from navigation and utilization algorithms, etc... and this trend continues to grow.
  2. In software development, we created a basis early on with agile methods to take care of the development of the people in the teams. Whether boards, retros, dailies, iterations, fun elements - at the core, it is always about strengthening self-organization, promoting courage and communication, and inviting people to think and participate - and to strengthen the will to want.

Software development thus has the ideal prerequisites to become a nucleus for change. To resolutely continue on the path to Digitalization and to further develop people.

And maybe you also want to focus on putting more energy into wanting in your team and company these days - you will be surprised what happens!