The mission

For the past five years, I’ve been working to help managers improve their work.

Yet, there’s one question I continually hear:” Why?”

 

After all, I’m one guy in rural Klamath Falls, Oregon. A town where the biggest parade is at the Potato Festival. (It’s true, look it up.)

Why would I care if you’re a better manager?

Or, if you feel more confident in your role?

Or, if you treat your team well?

Or, if your team works in a safe, healthy environment?

 

Why, indeed?

What I see across our industry feels wrong – and I want to change it.

I have a vision that things can be better than they are today.

Where individual contributors do the best work of their lives.

And managers joyfully collaborate, rather than control.

And executives humbly inquire, rather than insist.

And companies don’t apply mechanical design to systems of people, pretending they can be assembled together or repaired like clocks.

And we wake up and realize that writing software is more like composing a song than like assembling a car.

 

It’s scary, but many of our traditional ideas and metaphors don’t work anymore.

We need new ones that make sense for today, and the future we want.

But with so much change needed, where do I start?

If I may be so bold, it starts with you.

It starts with us.

I just wanted to remind you – because when you’re slogging through the mud, it’s easy to forget things can change.

 

Let’s build tomorrow, together.

If this is the world you want, hit reply and simply tell me “I’m in.”

That’s all – simply raise your hand and be counted.

Then take one more step: spread this simple idea.

Share this idea, or forward this email to someone, and ask them to join us.

 

There’s lots of new stuff coming in 2020, and lots to do…

But I can’t do it alone.

Are you with me?

Take care and talk soon,

Marcus