Agile Otter Blog

Messages from the past have a way of reaching into the future and getting your attention. This week everyone is talking "apocalypse." This is because of an ancient mayan calendar which quits tracking time on Dec 21st. The joke (I hope we all know it's a joke) is that it stops because that's when time ends. Of course, my calendars used to run out every year (before Google Calendar). The word "apocalypse," according to my sources, was a theatrical term. It referred to the moment when the curtain was pulled back and all was revealed. When I learned that, the title of the biblical book "Revelations" finally made sense, as did more of the text within. Today I'm facing my own apocalypse. An ancient message (from two years ago) has come back and presented itself to me. I like this team. They're good people, and they understand their business. They write quite a lot of code, and they get along. There is nothing to dislike, and much anyone...

Today's topic isn't so much about agile or coaching, it's about abuse and abusers and the line between the good guys and the bad guys. Decrying Abuse It's amazing how often I come a person who argues that some person in authority is unfair to them or others, and should not be allowed to behave in such a way.  Sometimes, it's not really abuse, it's just inconvenience or a different vision on what should be done and feelings were hurt. Sometimes it's about one person steamrolling others to get his or her way, which is an abuse. Other times to seize or impose control rather than to align and work together, which is unfair and unkind, and probably a kind of abuse. Sometimes it is personal and vengeful or wrathful, and is true abuse. It is a human phenomenon (well documented here ) that people will sometimes misuse their power to mistreat people, even while providing a good face to their own bosses. This "kick down, kiss up" strategy works...