The Deficit of Humanity in Agile Practice

Agile thinking has been with us for several years. There is a lot of humanity behind Agile thinking, and this is what is great about it. But Agile, like every idea, is just that—an idea. It is not easily applicable in life and often distorted to be convenient, though not necessarily useful. People focus on practices and lose the spirit of the idea. Agile is just an example. All in all, the problem is the deficit of humanity in the business context.

Profit Maximization and Short-term Optimization

The deficit of humanity is driven by profit maximization, which leads to short-term optimization. Consequently, leaders face goals that are profit-oriented, expressed in strict timeframes, number of features, and low budgets. These forces instill fear, and they try to compel team members to achieve these profit-oriented goals. This creates a lot of pressure, leaving very little space for humanity.

Leadership Challenges in Difficult Situations

The problem is exacerbated by leaders, especially technical ones, who don’t know how to handle so-called difficult situations. When someone disagrees or complains, leaders struggle not to force them while still being effective. It is a big challenge for them to relinquish power to people. Many declare it, but very few actually do it.

Time for Non-Violent Rebellion

And it is time to rebel! It is time for a non-violent rebellion. It is time to dispel the misconception that the only way to enact change is through confrontation like “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” It is time to see that you can be honest and care for your needs while maintaining connection with others both within and outside your team, seeking ways to satisfy their needs without violence. It is time to reinstate humanity in the business world.

Will that be easy? To be honest, no. It has its price. Is it possible? Yes. It will require a lot of work, but it will be very satisfying work.

If you want to explore this yourself, just search for “non-violent communication.” If you are patient or want to see NVC in the IT world, visit here from time to time.

(Text translated and moved from original old blog automatically by AI. May contain inaccuracies.)