Sweating the Big Stuff and the Small Stuff

In a recent Meta-cast, Josh and I explored small stuff versus big stuff based on what we heard in late 2023 in the Agile community. Here are a few quotes that provide some context—

Don’t sweat the Small Stuff, and it’s all Small Stuff!

What about the big stuff?

Focus on the Big picture

If you want to do Big Things, don’t let the Small Stuff get to you.

Sweat the Small Stuff before it becomes the Big Stuff

Do the Small Stuff Well and the Big Stuff will follow along.

People seem to debate what I consider to be the small stuff. It’s like clickbait rules and folks are putting simple diversions out there (small stuff) to create debate and generate churn. For example—

• Scrum Guide debates

• Promoting Agile 2

• Tools (Jira)

• Gaining more and more certifications

• Frameworks

• Tactics (stories, points)

• What to measure (EBM, Flow, etc.)

• Scaling

• Business Agility

It seems to generate loads of passionate debate among many other topics. And that’s wonderful, but there are bigger fish to fry in the agile ocean. At least IMHO, for example—

• Gaining more DEI in our agile conference events

• Growing as a human being

• More support for Women in Agile (voices, speakers, authors, etc.)

• A focus on Agile Coaching over Professional/Life Coaching in Agile contexts

• Bringing an Ethical focus to Agile Coaching

• Support the Reimagining Agile initiative sponsored by the Agile Alliance

• Support Joanne Stone’s and Scott Seivwright’s sustainability initiatives

• Putting the Agile Industrial Complex (certifications, $$$, Big 5 consulting firms) in their place.

• Staying grateful for and paying your privilege forward…

I suggest we all work on The Art of Discerning what Really Matters in our personal and professional lives. I love the Christina Applegate quote, so I thought I’d share it to close things out.

Stay agile, my friends,

Bob.