Ready to cut you down. To cut you down.
"Individuals and interactions over processes and tools"
It's such a simple concept, really - and if it needed explaining at all, the authors themselves wrote: "while there is value in the items on the right (processes and tools), we value the items on the left (individuals and interactions) more".
However, if anything, the processes and tools that surround how we build software have grown over time, often at the expense of individuals and to the detriment of interactions.
I believe that the manifesto is fundamentally right - we should be valuing 'individuals and interactions' (or 'people and communication' if you prefer).
However, fear of weakness, of saying 'I don't know', especially in what has been a male-dominated profession has led us to use these processes and tools as a form of defence, as a fig leaves to cover our lack of certainty and our vulnerability.
"How's the sprint going?"
"Look at this burndown chart and see for yourself!"
Not that measurement in itself is a bad thing - far from it. It just that oftentimes, it gives a false sense of confidence.
I haven't got all the answers but I won't pretend that I do.
From playing team sports all my life and studying psychology, I have a huge interest in what it takes to build and sustain a high-performing team.
If you share this interest, please feel free to explore the articles that I have written on the site and get in touch.