The act of invitation is fundamentally respectful.
Respect for people is a core, bedrock value of Lean and Agile thinking.
Invitation is therefore fully aligned with Agile and Lean.
We feel good when we feel a sense of control, and a sense of belonging.
Control and belonging make it easy to get (and stay) engaged.
Engagement is good.
When we are invited, we are in control of what happens next. The basic responses are some variation of YES or NO. Either way, the receiver is in control of that response.
In this manner, invitation delivers a sense of control to the receiver.
When we are invited and say YES, we experience a sense of belonging (and membership) with everyone else who also says YES to that invitation.
A sense of belonging is an important aspect of well-being.
Feelings of community (membership and belonging) are associated with health and wellness.
The Story
Almost every invitation is an invite to be in the story, and be an author of that story. If I invite you to a dinner with others, you are invited into that story and also invited into writing how that story goes.
Likewise for your Agile adoption. When your Agile adoption is based on invitation, you are inviting others to be characters in the Agile-adoption story and also to be an co-author of that Agile-adoption story.
Inviting others creates engagement, the very fuel of a genuine and lasting Agile adoption.
In Light of the Foregoing…
Does engagement actually matter?
Is engagement a critical success factor in Agile adoptions? Is engagement the “secret sauce?”
Is engagement essential?
If it is, you might consider invitation over imposition of practices.
OpenSpace Agility (OSA) is one way to do this. OSA provides a starting point for bringing invitation into your Agile program.
OpenSpace Agility actually works, and it works with what you are doing now. It is used to start new Agile adoptions, and address the issues of ongoing Agile adoptions that are in trouble.
Related Links:
OpenSpace Agility testimonial videos (15 minutes each)