Riding the Waves of Change and Stay Agile in Business

The "Dead Horse" theory, introduced in Philip Holt's book "The Simplicity of Lean", refers to a scenario where a person or organization continues to invest in a project or strategy that has become obsolete or is no longer working. The metaphor highlights the futility of trying to get results from a failed effort. The theory encourages proactive decision-making by encouraging individuals and organizations to look beyond their comfort zones and make necessary changes.

In the fast-paced business world, organizations face constant challenges to make effective and efficient decisions. By combining the "Dead Horse" theory with the concept of agility, organizations can create a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability, crucial for success. The theory helps organizations recognize when a project or strategy is no longer working, and take action to pivot or stop before it becomes too costly.

An example of the "Dead Horse" theory in action is Blackberry and its parent company, Research in Motion (RIM). RIM was a leading player in the smartphone market in the 90s, but as technology and customer needs to be evolved, the company continued to invest in the outdated Blackberry operating system instead of pivoting. This resulted in a decline in market share and profitability and eventually led to the company losing its dominant position in the market.

RIM's experience serves as a warning to organizations that fail to embrace change and pivot at the right moment. The "Dead Horse" theory is a reminder to be proactive in decision-making and recognize when a project or strategy is no longer viable. By pivoting or ending the project, organizations can save valuable resources and time.

The "Dead Horse" theory and agility are powerful concepts that can help organizations navigate the fast-paced business world. By recognizing when to pivot or persevere, organizations can remain competitive and save valuable resources and time.

The Theory of the Dead Horse in Scrum or The Art of Knowing when to Dismount

In an article on April 14th, 2020, "The Theory of the Dead Horse in Scrum", Sjoerd Nijland expanded on the theory and discussed the balance between agility and commitment to goals. He emphasized that commitment can lead to rigidity if it is set to "the plan" or "the destination" instead of "the goal". In business, when methods and resources appear to be failing, people are often told they are not doing it right or trying hard enough. Nijland referred to the tribal wisdom of the Indians that says, "When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount". He also highlighted the importance of determining if the horse is actually dead and the ability to inspect and adapt.?

Nijland also pointed out the biases and fallacies in business, such as the sunk-cost fallacy and the tendency to only look for evidence that something works, not how it isn't. In Scrum, he suggested seeking to validate the riskiest assumptions first and learning the most important thing first. He also listed various solutions that management might try when the horse isn't moving, such as buying a stronger whip, changing the rider, and promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

He also discussed the manifestation of the dead horse fallacy in the Scrum and Agile domain. Furthermore, he mentioned other solutions that people might try, such as having a cross-functional development team, harnessing several dead horses together, blaming the development team, and re-emphasizing the meaning of commitment. He concluded by reminding the reader of the story "The Emperor's New Clothes" and the importance of calling out dead horses.

However, the Theory of the Dead Horse in context to Scrum is really about?empowering?the team.

In Conclusion, the "Dead Horse" theory, introduced by Philip Holt in "The Simplicity of Lean" and further explored by Sjoerd Nijland in "The Theory of the Dead Horse in Scrum", encourages proactive decision-making by recognizing when a project or strategy is no longer viable and pivoting or ending it before it becomes too costly, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and adaptability crucial for success in the fast-paced business world.