Take III: The Law of the Network

Information is power. We have all heard that phrase. Even worse: we have all endured it.

Information does not flow freely in most of the teams (or organizations) that I know. Only the boss manages “all the data”. Sometimes he doesn’t. People have “bits of reality”, and they appear with partial insights and powerful intrigue. Everything “I don’t know” becomes theory, gossip and rumor. This leads to bad temper, heavy atmosphere and awful results.

How is this reflected? My favorite example (and the most frequent in companies): endless meetings where we pretend we are communicating, but in fact we don’t. We share everything we consider as highly regarded, those actions that make us shine. We hide disharmonious behaviors, those that make us look bad. Problems, doubts, conflicts remain hidden under the carpet, even though we know well that they will appear into the surface, that they will eventually blow and affect the entire team.

Are you familiar with this (lack of) communication model? Is this part of the mindset of your company/ team? Please give it a thought. And go beyond, and explore the game you are playing.

Where is this born from? Sometimes what is hidden is the individual logic. That unhelpful way of thinking that overshadows our day: I keep the information to retain control. Probably some of you reading this article strongly reject the idea of letting power go, and believe that you are blessed by the benefit of being an information-holder.

Others would say that transparency is impossible to attain, that sensitive information exists and it must be kept in secret. Almost all information will be put into a bag, labeled “Confidential”. The team will be told that the issue is not the lack of willingness to share: the problem is the delicate character of the data. Others will mention that, simply, “that’s the way human beings are”.

So, the question is... Why are we talking about this? Let us go back.  Adaptation to changes requires an agile mindset. An agile mindset requires to place the client at the center. Placing the client at the center requires a new team setting. And teams must accomplish “the law of the network”. What does this law produce, for us? It contributes by telling us that trust, transparency and openness are the basis over which every agile team builds the day.

Here are the details:

• Autonomy without information or transparency is not autonomy: it is playing the game of autonomy. Having “all” the information is a sine-qua-non condition for the effectiveness of free decision making.
• A team without trust is not a team: it is a simulation of a team. Trust (and the possibility to show we are vulnerable) is the basis of every flesh and bone team.
• Trust, transparency and autonomy is a magic threesome for the team’s well being and doing.

Do you agree with this? I must add my last clarification: in agile organizations this mindset is replicated and grows. It covers the whole extension of the company. Agile organizations work in a network, and as a network. Ideas are born and shaped at any spot of this network: nobody would even think that the world operates top down, and that good ideas only appear and flourish at the peak of the organization. We are all contributors no matter our area, position, seniority, or...

Hence we treat people as adults (and give them all the information they need): we trust their capacity and we appreciate the value of their insight, wherever they are. We create an atmosphere where good ideas thrive (no matter where they came from).

To wrap it up, I mention something that people think it is a minor agile mindset law, but for me it is paramount. These are the reasons:

• Its accomplishment (or not) tells us a lot about the health of the team or organization.
• Anyone can start working on it tomorrow: it does not need to be approved by the Board of Directors, it does not requiere special budgeting...it is a matter of chip!

Changing the chip is not easy. But I trust that many of my readers are longing to get down to business. Then I ask you: Is there a network in your team? And in your organization? What can you do to help the transparent and open information flow in your team?