MODERNIZATION OF THINKING AND FINDING THE ORGANIZATIONAL ADAPTABILITY

-"Any Organization that designs a system will produce a design whose structure is a copy of the Organization's communication structure."-

This statement encapsulates the well-known Conway's Law, which holds significant insight. The wisdom contained within it is profound—so much so that I had overlooked it despite contemplating and reiterating this phrase for years. Occasionally, profound insights gradually reveal themselves, quietly and unexpectedly.

The insight popped to my head, is actually really, really straightforward: since communication structures are human-made, the system is inherently a reflection of human thought processes. A system cannot cultivate or evolve in isolation; rather, it is the individuals and their thought processes that shape and define its layers, functionalities, characteristics, and values. Thus, the system ultimately embodies human cognition. Consequently, any modification within the system must first be preceded by a shift in human thought.

And I find myself reflecting on this wisdom above and on two types of Organizations:

• A. Organizations that are steeped in Agile Jargon yet face ongoing challenges regarding both employee and Customer satisfaction.

• B. Organizations that are genuinely adaptive, customer-centric, thriving, and where both employees and Customers experience well-being.

I realized the distinct narratives and differences in content that separate these two Organizational stories. My revelations were almost dishearteningly simple (and often, the simplest explanations are the hardest to recognize and comprehend).

I first recognized that Organizations in category A, plagued by Customer dissatisfaction, apathetic employees, endless meetings, and chronic coordination issues, continually discuss tools, methods, sprints, backlogs, tribes, service design, JIRA, increments, and a plethora of buzzwords such as DevSecOpsFinOpsAI- stuff, and about having pizza at Friday. And then organizations in category B, which are genuinely adaptive and self-directed, whose Customers are happy and satisfied (as are their employees who are not burdened by cynicism and apathy), do not even mention "agility" or "agile" in their discussions. Instead, they speak about their Customers and the value they provide. For them, the "How" is secondary and what truly matters is the "Why."

The second narrative that distinguishes Organizations A and B pertains to metrics. When themes like "efficiency," "WIP," "story points," "burndown," and "utilization" dominate discussions around metrics, we arrive at the core reason why these Organizations seek to standardize everything: workflows, work stages, services, offerings, and even the tools, templates, and decision-making processes that are centralized in Official Forums convening at particular times throughout the year with the participation Final Decision Makers as Leaders and Directors. And this narrative is no wonder: in those Organizations, people are still working on the factory assembly line. And that 'factory assembly line' story lives on and thrives in many Organizations whose products and promises do not fit the model of specifications and standardization.

It is symptomatic how these Organizations, in order to become 'agile', they even buy their thinking in standardized packages from the shelves of the 'Agile Industry' – and this is part of the story, after all: everything must be standardized, pre-digested, even one's own thinking. What could illustrate this point better than the classic quote and its story:

• -"The Definition of Insanity: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -

  
  

There is a reason I updated this version to better align with contemporary realities and to serve perfectly as a guiding principle for every Organization frustrated and tormented by industrialized agility and nimbleness in 2025:

• -"The Agile Insanity: Insanity is buying new tools, frameworks, and certifications repeatedly, and still thinking the same way, over and over again, and expecting different outcomes." -

  
  

So, why does this original quote and its narrative fit this moment in the story?

Well, it is particularly enlightening in the context of "Agile Insanity" to note that it is often claimed that this original statement originated with Albert Einstein. However, the truth is that he never uttered this widely recognized phrase nor penned it down. So, Albert Einstein is not, in fact, the source of the "Definition of Insanity." And this belief in this quote's origin is analogous to the narrative of ready-made thinking and standardized tools, where the flow of Organizations is not disrupted by boring facts and the walls of the Head Offices just echo borrowed phrases and certified, off-the-shelf thinking. In the narrative of 'Agile Insanity' truth and logic became irrelevant, as long as the purchased product (and quotes) appears and sounds convincing, sparkles, possesses a foreign (‘must be cool then’) name, and is already acquired and used by the neighbor.

Therefore, as Organizations endeavor to adapt to the ever-changing world and its demands, it is shared thinking and impact-driven shared learning that must change first. So, it is the underlying thought processes that must evolve first. It is this new thinking that will rejuvenate Your systems, not the other way around. This approach will enable You to take ownership of Your legacy and future (and to be truly philosophical, it allows You to own Your destiny).

In today’s rapidly changing environment, the attempt to produce unpredictable solutions repeatedly while relying on an Operating Model fundamentally designed for predictable and standardized products is a formula for stagnation. This model, even in 2025, maintains function-based structures rooted in externally certified thinking, centralized decision-making, and hierarchical leadership that relies on linear thinking and practices inherited from the era of Taylorism and the assembly line of the T-Ford. When Organizations stick to these standardization- based frameworks, they just create the barriers to innovation, adaptability, and agility. This way Organizations create themselves a framework where they expect to deliver adaptable and different solutions that meet evolving Customer demands with a rigid and non-negotiable roadmap with the process designed for repeating similar tasks, similar solutions, standardized way, focusing on similar outputs. These disconnects cause inertia and ongoing demand of coordination, adjusting and rework and waiting, waiting and waiting, not only within the Organization itself, but also in its capacity and true readiness to pivot in response to market changes.

I repeat myself, sorry about this, I just think this is so important to highlight: standardized, efficiency-focused, predictable Operating Models are ideal for routine tasks and established products and services (and this makes sense: routines are efficient when the demand remains the same). But when the world is changing and demands are shifting from predefined services and predefined products to the demand for more and more reliance on the idea of unpredictable outcomes, created and built parallel with the learning and understanding of customers' desires and needs, then the idea of standardizations starts to fall and fail.

The whole nature of standardization and standardized thinking creates a situation where all changes become difficult. And this outcome naturally is not coincidental, it's 100% logical: that is the whole idea of standardization! The whole idea and the whole power of Standardization and establishing non-negotiable operating procedures and fully predictable products and services is to achieve stability, repeatability, and efficiency: when something is Standardized, it is meant to be similar now, tomorrow, and for eternity. And it works really well and really efficiently in the context of predictability!

Sad part of this story of standardization is that this mindset and thinking simply do not work in an environment of constant change. And when working within a static framework, it actually discourages experimentation with unknowns (due to systems and thinking being built on the idea of no changes) and the static nature of thinking disables Organizations' capability to meet the challenges posed by the dynamic and fast-evolving nature of Customers' needs and desires.

In my opinion, the most severe effect of the standardized, efficiency-driven Operating Model is how it destroys both the creativity and adaptable thinking of each individual inside the standardized system. When the world is changing, this self-caused destruction of creativity and adaptability creates a situation where Organizations become unable to meet the challenges posed by today's dynamic market. When the ways of working, thinking, and solutions are standardized, Organizations even take the accountability and responsibility away from the Teams and its peoples who create the solutions and services (this is simple: You can’t be accountable and responsible for something You cannot affect and what You cannot change or develop further immediately when needed).

And it is just sad how centralized planning, demands for standardization, and the narrative of efficiency disable flexibility and adaptability. Still, the answer to changing demands seems to be buying Standardized and Certificated Thinking from the shop, just as a sourcing decision, and then building more governance, more instructions, more communications channles, more documentation, and more focusing on standardizing everything. The contrast between a rigid Operating Model and changing market impulses is so huge and these two are completely different paradigms: adaptability requires the involvement and engagement of each employee's thinking and creativity, and this demands descaling and starting the Era of True Trust. This constant change demands thinking and values, where humans are valued as equals, capable of thinking and growing, and not just seen as hands, resources, and capacity.

So, basically: the idea of Standardization and function- based organization structures are the reasons for the ongoing reactive coordination, sitting in the meetings talking about doing work (and not doing that), high level of things needs to be clarified after the work has started and resulting of significant inefficiency. And employees begin to feel the burden of these constraints, which can significantly undermine their well-being and motivation. Meanwhile, the Customer experience deteriorates, as clients are left with solutions that fail to address their evolving needs.

In contrast, embracing a modern approach focused on adaptability and agile thinking has the potential to transform this narrative. Organizations that prioritize flexibility in their operating models are better equipped to leverage technology and human creativity, enabling them to respond dynamically to Customer feedback and shifting market conditions. By fostering a culture that values shared thinking, shared learning, shared leadership, and Customer intimacy, businesses can empower their personnel to think creatively and develop solutions that are not only impactful but also relevant within the future landscape.

When Organization starts to follow these principles, as the baseline, as a basic values, with their own ingredients, not as recipe, not as ready-made paradigm for thinking and not as bought, standardized thinking, Organization really can have an opportunity to flourish (and it’s a content what matters, principles are just empty promises without content at reality):

I might say something a bit fluffy and pink and something from the vocabulary of Unicorns, but I will say it anyway: I think the future belongs to those whose are willing to relinquish outdated values, the old hierarchical view of individuals, and rigid practices while embracing the potential of human thought and creativity as the foundation for Organizations. This shift of narrative embraces shared thinking, shared leadership, and genuine responsiveness to Customer needs and desires. By cultivating an environment that celebrates zero distance to Customers and adaptability, while leveraging technology as an Enabler (rather than as a Master), Organizations can break free from the limiting effects of rigidity and the legacy of Taylorism.

This transformation enhances employee well-being and elevates Customer experience, ensuring every interaction and act are meaningful and tailored to each individual needs. Through this process, each Organization can establish a cycle of shared learning and growth alongside Customers, propelling Organizations forward and equipping us all to tackle tomorrow's challenges with confidence, clarity, and a smile on our faces.

So, trust Yourself and initiate a Modernization of Your thinking. Release the constraints. Liberate Your people. Dare to think. And have faith in Your own thought processes.

This is where it all begins. So, just go there, it is quite near, trust me (it is in Your head).