Changing Software Development: Learning to Become Agile

8.1. Learning and Change

Learning and change are closely related: indeed, we have argued that they are the same thing. We can learn facts such as that the 'First World War started with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand on 28 June 1914'. However, what difference does this make? It's a simple fact, it happened, there's nothing I can do to change that fact, and it's very unlikely to change me.

Once we move beyond simple facts, learning occurs with change. Suppose that I learn of a new bus route that I can use for my morning journey to work. I may choose to ignore this learning, in which case have I really learnt anything? It has about as much effect on me as knowing when the Archduke was assassinated. But, if as a result of hearing about the route I take the new bus to work, then the learning has created a change. I have changed my route to work.

As a result of this change, I'm going to learn more. I'm going to learn the type of bus, the frequency of the buses and the reliability of the route. Over time, all this information builds up in my brain and I make an informed choice based on my learning.

If I choose to ignore this information, if every day I go to the bus stop and find it takes me an hour to get a bus, then I'm not changing and I'm not learning. If I ignore the information that I'm receiving, then I'm no better than a simple machine (Figure 8.1).

Learning of the new bus route and not acting, like learning the date on which the Archduke was assassinated, is simple ...