Succeeding with Agile

Manage Meaning

Individuals in a self-organizing system evolve in response to the messages they receive. Messages can be generated from within the system itself or fed into the system from outside it. Managers and leaders manage the meaning of these messages by providing context to help employees interpret the messages. Much of this context is provided in the stories, myths, and rituals that leaders repeat. Leaders select and tell stories through which they wish employees to interpret current situations.

I recall my first (and last) day with what was to have been a new client. The development director tried to impress me by saying, “Every night at 5:00 p.m., the general manager goes outside and counts the number of cars in the parking lot. He’s ...