When change happens, you should consider your own change.

Apologies for being so quiet these last few weeks. I've been retooling in a number of ways. I'm picking up new skills and launching my fourth career pivot.

Why pivot now?

I've applied agile thinking in my work since 1999 - when the first articles and books came out. I wanted a better way of working. I was tired of "the grind" of developing software that didn't quite meet the needs of the customer. I wanted to make their work better. I wanted to make work better for my teams. Honestly, tolerating the status quo did not appeal to me.

Success followed for my teams, the companies I worked in, my consulting clients and for me. Then I discovered how remote work and agile practices could complement each other. You can disagree. That's fine. I know what works for me and the remote organizations I've coached. You can read about that here.

However, the interest in "agile" withered away in industry for several reasons. I've observed this change over the last decade. One primary reason for this fading interest and why it's rarely mentioned: those who wanted agile made the shift long ago and now have evolved beyond it. The late adopters only want the labels and play it safe. I was never a fan of labels.

Should we reimagine agile? I don't think so. I feel it's time to take those lessons with us to what's next.

I had hoped remote work would be the next thing to make work better. It improves the work lives of some folks, but not all. And the pandemic didn't help anyone consider remote work with an open mind. It has become a polarizing issue. And hybrid work causes more problems than solutions.

So I started thinking about who wants to make work better now?

What does my pivot look like?

I've worked with many people and many organizations over the years. As I reflected on the question, I realized many emerging leaders are dissatisfied with the status quo. I hear them asking questions like:

"Why can't we do ... ?"

"What prevents us from ...?"

"What could help us achieve ...?"

These leaders may not be in official leadership roles. That's ok. They have a fire burning to make a change. It could be changing their team, changing their organization, or even changing their career to spark other change. I've truly enjoyed working with this group recently.

Regardless of who they are and how they approach their current situation, they want change. They want better. It doesn't matter if they rise in a company or consult with multiple companies. They will grow and spark change. That's who I want to work with.

What's next?

I'll be sharing more in the coming weeks. For now, stay tuned to this newsletter. I'll be sharing some ideas to keep your career successful for a very long journey.

If you feel that drive for change that I mentioned above, feel free to contact me.