Who remembers the movie with Burt Reynolds called “Smokey and the Bandit”? The song in the movie was written by Jerry Reed and later covered by Canada’s own “Road Hammers”. The movie is about a bet to transport beer from Atlanta to Texarkana, in under 28 hours. How often have we been on projects that appear to have the same unrealistic constraints, then throw in the need to learn a new way of doing something.
Learning new ways of doing things on the fly, under fast moving conditions, is challenging. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to pick something up quickly, sometimes with success, other times not so much. Adopting new thinking and allowing others with the skill and knowledge to guide us requires courage and trust. Most of us have formed patterns and comfort zones which have worked for us in the past; however, those old ways may be less than effective with current projects.
Agile is a method being adopted within many software environments, yet it’s really a way of delivering value as quickly as possible with less detail. The Minimal Viable Product speaks to this point.
When Natalie Portman took a break from Hollywood to attend Harvard, she was asked whether it was because she loved studying. She responded: “I don’t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.” Not everyone feels that way, however. Some of us simply don’t enjoy the learning process.
Some of the barriers to learning are:
- resistance to change
- feeling overwhelmed
- simple short-term solutions
- poor leadership
- environment and culture
No one likes being pushed into learning something new. Too often we interpret change as an attack and protect ourselves through resistance. I’ve learned that resistance arises from a lack of knowledge. On the other hand, recognizing that growth happens daily is a good thing because it strengthens our skills and confidence to let go of insecurities and embrace opportunities to try something new. That mindset equips us to adapt and move forward making improvements in what and how we do things.
Business Analysis textbooks describe learning as “Being able to quickly absorb new information and modify or adapt existing knowledge.”
When we lose something, we go through several stages of grief. The same is true for change.
Stage 1: DENIAL
Nice ideas, but they would not apply to my project or how I work.
Stage 2: ANGER
No, I won’t change. You cannot make me use stupid user stories.
Stage 3: BARGAINING
Okay, how about if I have six-month iterations?
Stage 4: DEPRESSION
This is not working, nothing makes sense.
Stage 5: ACCEPTANCE
It was difficult, but I can now see how it helps.
The BABOK (Business Analysis Book Of Knowledge); globally recognized standard for the practice of business analysis, describes change as, “a process for managing attitudes about, perceptions of, and participation in the change related to a solution.” It also states, “the ability to effectively realize value, through activities, tools, and techniques, addressing the human side of change.”