Comments on: What’s in a Word? http://www.managingagile.com/individuals-interactions/whats-in-a-word/ practical | agile | management Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:40:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Carlo Kruger http://www.managingagile.com/individuals-interactions/whats-in-a-word/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Carlo Kruger Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:34:41 +0000 http://www.managingagile.com/?p=636#comment-37 I think you're flat out wrong about this one Charl. I think bureaucracy, like communism is a good idea which runs aground on the implementation issues that are a product of human nature. This occurred to me when I re-read the Wikipedia entry on Parkinson's Law. Specifically, Parkinson describes how as a result of human nature, bureaucracy are doomed to collapse under their own weight as they grow. Self-interest is that basic fact of human nature, and I don't think you can abstract out this aspect. You have to take it into consideration in the design of your solution, and better even, use it as a lynchpin of the solution if you hope to succeed. I'm fairly Darwinian in that respect, in that I believe that self-interest is built into us at a genetic level. Our ability to transcend it is rare and uneven. I think you’re flat out wrong about this one Charl. I think bureaucracy, like communism is a good idea which runs aground on the implementation issues that are a product of human nature.

This occurred to me when I re-read the Wikipedia entry on Parkinson’s Law. Specifically, Parkinson describes how as a result of human nature, bureaucracy are doomed to collapse under their own weight as they grow.

Self-interest is that basic fact of human nature, and I don’t think you can abstract out this aspect. You have to take it into consideration in the design of your solution, and better even, use it as a lynchpin of the solution if you hope to succeed.

I’m fairly Darwinian in that respect, in that I believe that self-interest is built into us at a genetic level. Our ability to transcend it is rare and uneven.

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