Life lie (Excuses)

Are there lies you tell yourself to face work each day?

“If you take the life lie from an average man, you take away his happiness as well” — The Wild Duck Act V, Henrik Ibsen

Developers often feel powerless in their workplace. At agile conferences I’ve heard:

  • it’s the nature of the business
  • it’s not my responsibility
  • I don’t have the authority
  • I do what I’m told

Yes, we have to pick our battles and yes we can’t always win. Fear is a hard thing. But it seems obvious that a way of working doesn’t mean anything unless we use it to change what we do.

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About Ken Judy

I am an executive leader, software developer, father and husband trying to do more good than harm. I am an agile practitioner. I say this fully aware I say nothing. Sold as a tool to solve problems, agile is more a set of principles that encourage us to confront problems. Broad adoption of the jargon has not resulted in wide embrace of these principles. I strive to create material and human good by respecting co-workers, telling truth to employers, improving my skills, and caring for the people affected by the software I help build.