Organizational change goes hand in hand with insecurity, chaos and agitation. That’s hardly inevitable. Going through personal growth might feel like that too sometimes. Angélique Heijligers (writer and health & wellness journalist) describes in her book Morning Medicine how rituals can help to start the day with a clear, focused mind. But also to ground yourself, to reflect and take conscious action.
Recently, I attended Angélique’s workshop, organized together with Moon Yoga Club in Bergen aan Zee. In the early morning, on the beach, we experienced the Morning Medicine Ritual ourselves. Angélique developed this ritual when she was facing dark times in her life, to wake up to something worth getting out of bed for. It healed her over time and helped to feel the quality and possibilities of the morning. In the midst of the workshop I suddenly realized: Isn’t this exactly the point of the rhythms and rituals in Agile, Scrum and SAFe?
“Rituals give you something to hold on to, a feeling of safety and faith.”
Original quote (in Dutch) from Morning Medicine by Angélique Heijligers.
In lean-agile frameworks you also see a specific rhythm of events or ceremonies. Each one has its clear goal. The Sprint Review/ System Demo facilitates a feedback loop to engage with your customer and improve your product or service. The Retrospective/ Inspect & Adapt gives a moment to reflect. Both on individual, team- and system level. In the midst of a fast changing world and a transforming organization, this rhythm of events grants some security. It provides sufficient structure to hold on to, and leaves enough room for flexibility and creativity to flow.
The SAFe framework states the cultural change is a result of executing the events. The Morning Medicine routine states the healing comes after performing the ritual completely. Either way you have to actively engage to achieve and change something. If you have the discipline to start and keep doing this, both you and the organization will evolve for sure.
Curious to know more about the Morning Medicine ritual? Buy the book here.
Essence of Change 