The amount of feedback I received on my last column has shown me how moving the topic is. Thank you very much for that! Most of the feedback dealt with the question of the starting point - the momentum of change. I would like to dedicate a few more thoughts to this today.
Yes, a system like that, in the sense of a definable entity such as a company, a group, a team, etc. - it’s not 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, as a system, you have a lot to do 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 all you really want to do is stay as you are.
Now such a system per se does not have the drive to change. New things and innovation don’t have an easy time of it. It becomes even more difficult when things are going well both internally and externally. Then the inertia is high and the motivation to move on is low. And this inertia is usually stronger than an “towards” motivation.
And we are currently caught in this trap. If we look at the world like this, we are doing well. Few unemployed, successful industries and medium-sized companies, great prosperity, perhaps 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 that this stability and perceived security is very fragile. And although the impacts are getting louder and closer, they are still so far away that there is no broad-based movement. But the economic areas that generate stability and prosperity can quickly come to an end. A look at the world’s start-up hotspots gives an impression of what is possible in the future.
So how do you get started now? Anyone waiting for a government funding program to disruptively change their own business will be waiting a long time. The political system is not interested in change. The pitiful digitalization initiatives in the authorities themselves are proof of this.
Large corporations are also finding it difficult. Those that have recognized this are happy to outsource these initiatives to sub-units, digital hubs and the like. This is the right move, 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?
In my experience, one solution is to establish a working attitude of wanting to want, i.e. to increase self-drive and self-responsibility so that it becomes a need to drive change.
An attitude or mindset does not fall from the sky, it takes time and patience to establish it. What’s more, we can’t force it in, push it in or prescribe it - it comes from within people and teams. And it is based on our needs, values, beliefs and filters. Changing an attitude therefore requires, above all, personal development.
What does all this have to do with software development? I am convinced: a lot!
Software development therefore has the ideal prerequisites to become a nucleus for change. To resolutely continue on the path to digitalization and develop people further.
And perhaps you would also like to focus on putting more energy into wanting to in your team and company these days - you will be surprised what happens!