I sat staring in disbelief over my bowl of steaming pho.
My son, a computer programmer, and I were having lunch in a quiet down-town restaurant. (There is not much more I love in life than having one of my special people all to myself over a meal!) Amazing topics of conversation usually surface and this day was no exception.
“We’re having such fun with a client at work, Mom. My colleague and I instigated this process which we learned about in university, but neither of us had seen implemented in the workplace. Wow – the process is so unique and the client is getting so much more than he ever dreamed possible…”
The conversation went on and as Devon explained the process, it was instantly obvious to me that what he was describing in web-design terms closely parallels the intuitive work of Transformational Presence. In his world, the “waterfall” process of linear project development is not that far off the familiar SMART goal-setting model I have subscribed to for years. We have all been inundated with this material over time: specific/ measurable/ attainable/ realistic and timely; it’s common workshop fodder. However, the new technique that his office was exploring was an “agile” method – a technique of listening and intuitively following what “wants to happen”… a creative design process that closely involves the client at every stage for feedback and potential discovery. This way of working often produces a product that is innovative and entirely inconceivable by any other method because there is intentional presence – every step of the way – to what is emerging. It encompasses the “Who do we want to be here?” with “What serves the bigger picture?” and “What is the potential in exploring this…?”
SMART goal setting starts with a finished project or accomplishment in mind and works backwards to break the work into bite-size tasks that progressively lead to the pre-conceived destination. Agile goals (or project management style) broadly speaking, allows for a process to unfold and reveal opportunities along the way; two very different processes that present very different outcomes. Is agile development more time consuming, meandering and uncertain? Perhaps. It can also be incredibly attentive, responsive and efficient. It certainly requires a tolerance for ambiguity and a mature sense of curiosity and conversation. My hunch is that agile goal-setting would encourage a willingness to embrace flexibility, alternative viewpoints and patience. And – it would provide an unparalleled sense of original thinking and novel discovery. Isn’t that what we are all seeking – in our work and in our personal lives?
I invite you to ponder what it would be like to experiment with another way of working, leading, designing; would agile goal-setting suit you?
What would it be like to start into a project with the knowledge that you didn’t need to know all the answers before you started? Who would that allow you to be? What’s possible in that kind of environment?