Frameworks and Fixed Mindsets

"Hmmm...but that's not best practice. The manual says to do it this way."

"The transformation wasn't a success because you are doing it wrong."

"That's not Agile."

"Framework X doesn't work in our context."

Fixed Mindset

Fixed mindset, an idea popularized by Carol Dweck in her book Mindset, is a frame of mind where our abilities are fixed at birth. We are who we are, and we can't change it. Translated to organizations or frameworks mean the framework is as good as it is going to be. It's your job to execute it. If it fails, it's because you didn't do it right.

Growth Mindset

Growth mindset believes what is given to us is a starting point, a launchpad toward new ideas. Failure is an opportunity for learning and growth. People with a growth mindset tend to create their own destiny instead of being ruled by it. Translated to organizations or frameworks, we are always learning, always changing, and always challenging the status quo.

Frameworks Are Not the Goal

The goal is not to implement a framework. Our goal is to deliver something amazing into the world that will help our businesses and our customers. What does it benefit your organization if you implement Scrum or SAFe by the book and go out of business?

Today's problems are the result of yesterday's solutions.

There are a million great ideas out there. People are trying new things all the time. If you stick to one framework (fixed mindset), or one idea, you will never know the benefits of thought diversity in the field.

The problem with 'best practices' is that people assume they are THE 'best' practice. Thought leaders who created frameworks are people like you and me. They experimented and came up with good ideas (and some bad ones). Some combined old ideas together to make something that worked for their context. Others adopted it because it was better than what they were currently doing.

There is no magic. No secret sauce. No person coming down from the mountain with ten commandments to be followed. The people who created the frameworks are people. Pure and simple. They experimented and found something that works.

The world is changing and we need to change with it. Let's solve today's problems that have sprung from yesterday's solutions. And let's share them out into the world so that others can experiment and learn from them.

That's how innovation happens.