I can’t sleep tonight. My mind is racing. I’m getting to what I really want to do.

I’ve been training people in Agile methods and Scrum for quite a few years now. I’ve seen change happen, I’ve seen people regaining enjoyment at their work, I’ve seen people crank out almost error free code faster than ever before, I’ve seen people conquer problems that seem quite impossible. But none of that is enough.

It is not enough because none of that is creating a sustainable change in their environment. The organizations where these things happen still keep promoting a different environment, an environment where old formalities of management reign, where command-and-control and task-oriented mindset reduces people to doing their work instead of solving problems in collaboration with others. These organizations rule the business scene of today.

Or actually, they don’t. But because they are so many and the different companies are so few, no-one really sees that they don’t. Being different and better is a business advantage so great that many companies want to keep it that way. But there is hope that a change is coming.

And that’s what I really want to do.

No Agile transformation will stick without change in the corporate management style. Every low-level success will eventually be stiffled out or will fade as the people involved will leave in a hope of finding a better place to work, a place where they would be appreciated. This is one reason why e.g. so many top-notch IT professionals join Reaktor, because there they are.

I really want to help companies, and particularly their management boards, to tap into the real thing – the innovation and dedication of their people in creating value. In doing so, I’m willing to not use the work “Agile” because so many C-level people incorrectly assume “Agile” is just for development work. I don’t want to create unsolicited hopes for people unless I can also help the management start transforming the whole organization to support those people’s work.

There is actually no secret to this all. I mean, there is no secret because the roots of this change are displayed all over the internet and published in many books. It all is merely ignored by the majority of business management.

What I really want to do is change that. I want to be part of the movement that is trying to wake up the business management layer from its Sleeping Beauty dream (because the ideas are a hundred years old and based on managing unskilled labor). Does that make me a prince? Maybe not :).

I don’t yet know how I will achieve what I really want to do. I know the key things in how the organizations should change, and I know how to effect the change in lower levels of the organization. What I don’t yet know is how to catch the ear of the C-level people so that they would listen. Am I not charging enough money? Or am I lacking the charisma of Jari Sarasvuo? Or was he merely charging enough money?

Sillyness aside, if there are senior executives who are not satisfied with the results they are getting from their leadership and are seeking ways in which they can make the world better for their employees and their customers (and of course, their investors), drop me a note and let’s explore a better future together. I’m sure I have a lot to learn from them as well.