Partisanship
Partisanship
Does Taking Sides Help?
Supporting Agile is like supporting Hamas, or Israel, or the Palestinians, or Ukraine, or Russia, or the USA, or China, or…
This opening might shock you, but it’s an intentional jolt to invite reflection on how we often automatically pick sides. I’ve spent years criticising Agile, but recent world events have helped my see the folly of this. In the Middle East and elsewhere, any sane person would support PEACE. (Of course, sanity seems in direly short supply, presently). Similarly we might choose to aim for better meeting folks’ NEEDS in organisational practices. Instead of partisan stances, why not focus on what really matters: achieving results that speak to the needs of everyone involved?
Why Do We Rush to Choose Sides?
Choosing a side can feel satisfying. It simplifies complex issues and gives us a team to root for. However, partisanship often blinds us to the nuances that exist in any conflict or approach. Whether it’s in international relations or ways of working, like Agile, blind allegiance and partisanship never results in beneficial outcomes.
What’s the Cost of Partisanship?
The cost is steep. Partisan views stifle creativity and close us off from alternative solutions. We become invested in the success of our chosen side or approach, disregarding other approaches that offer better results. Specifically, pro-agile or anti-agile now seems to me to be highly partisan, and a similar folly. I propose we get off the taking sides bandwagon and move towards attending to folks’ fundamental needs.
What Outcomes Do Folks Need?
Instead of wallowing in partisan mire, let’s focus on folks’ needs. These can vary, but generally include:
- Products and services that best* meet folks’ needs.
- A workplace environment, ways of working, and organisational culture that best* meet folks’ needs.
- [Further suggestions invited]
Each approach, including Agile, has its merits and drawbacks when it comes to these outcomes. By taking a needs-based stance, we can adopt a blend of approaches tailored to specific needs, rather than attempting to shoehorn everything into a one-size-fits-all approach.
How Do We Move Forward?
To move away from partisanship, we might choose to:
- Identify whose needs matter, and what those needs might be.
- Surface and reflect on shared assumptions and beliefs.
- Acknowledge our biases.
- Educate ourselves on different approaches.
- Align on desired outcomes.
This isn’t just applicable to Agile; it’s a principle we can apply universally. Whether it’s picking a side in a conflict or choosing principles and practices for organisational improvement, we might choose to free ourselves from the limitations of partisanship.
Final Thoughts
Partisanship is a tempting trap, offering the illusion of simplicity in a complex world. But it’s a trap that often leads us away from the outcomes folks need. By acknowledging this, we can pave a more effective, less divisive path forward, whether we’re discussing international relations, social change, or the best* approaches for organisational success.
*Here, may I suggest that “best” means “meets all the needs of all the folks that matter”.
Think Different