Can you relate to Chaturvarna system while working with agile?

Disclaimer:

There is always a confusion between Varna (mind-set) referred to in Vedas and Jati (community) that shapes Indian society and it has always created much negativity. However, below write up has nothing to do with caste system. It is all about Varna (i.e. mind-set).

If you want to know little bit more about 4 Varna then you may refer to brief explanation at end of this article.

Sharing my experience:

While working with various teams in various organizations, I came across variety of scrum’s implementations and I could not stop myself from relating what I observed to the chaturvarna concept in Vedas, and I realized that these concepts are so true! So I just thought of sharing it with you….

I mostly came across people who were using agile either because either they were told to do so or they were forced to do so since everybody seems to be moving in that direction! This category of people, I would relate to the “Shudra Varna” – basically they just mimic others without understanding the real intent. And a huge community will fall in this particular category 🙂

Then I came across a set of people who are only interested in selling agile. And there are many who also want a quick certification, stamp in their signatures or resumes! So, basically these trader mind-set people are using (or abusing) the agile guidelines to get things that they desire (basically, quick money!). E.g. pay INR 25000 and you are a certified scrum master or pay INR 22000 and you are SAFe Agilist, or attend 3 days course and become certified agile coach 🙂

This category of people, I would relate to the “Vaishya (trader) Varna”

Then there is a bunch of people who use these agile guidelines to impose their thoughts on others – at times the employed agile coaches or even senior management (who have the legitimate power) will belong to this category! They consider these rules as tools of power to dominate and control. You will hear these people saying “agile says daily stand up MUST end in 15 mins” or “Agile is all about going faster and all about flexibility to changes” or “you MUST increase your velocity by 10%” and something similar 🙂

This category of people I would relate to the “Kshatriya (Master) varna”

And finally, very very rarely you will find someone who understands the thought behind the agile manifesto or “rules” and so appreciates many reasons why a rule is followed and why another rule is not. For a “Brahmin mind-set” (i.e. seer) rules are merely functional, they are never right or wrong, and like all actions they have consequences. (Again, I am not referring to any caste – just clarifying :-)) For these people, rules are not tools of power to dominate. For them, rules are merely instruments that can help maintain an equilibrium.

Any person from any geography, any community, any caste or creed, who demonstrates these characteristics is considered to be of “Brahmin Varna” (not caste – please don’t confuse!)

Finally, I think, any process symbolizes a bow. The people who would follow the process represent the shaft and the rules of process represent the string. Too lose, the bow is useless, too tight, the shaft would break! I think, that is why scrum guide is only 16 pages and agile manifesto is only a few pages! But you need “seers” who can see through it expand their minds 🙂

Unfortunately, my experience so far is that even senior management (with legitimate powers) is really belonging to “Shudra Varna” (just mimic, don’t care about true intent) and hence I have hardly seen an organization where agile is “really working”. Although, in every agile day, gathering or meet-up events, there will be a lot of “traders” talking about only the goody goody stuff 🙂

I don’t know what your experience has been, but this is what I have come across and I somehow I was able to relate it to 4 types of human mind-sets mentioned in Vedas and how humans should work on their mind-sets. Question is, where do we stand in this ladder, at present? Even though we are a “Shudra Varna” level as of now, how can we climb this ladder, expand our mind and eventually reach “Seer Varna” (state of mind)? Do we reflect upon these questions every time we face a difficult situation (retrospectives :-))?…Do you think of these questions every time you finish a scrum training? Or we are just “traders”, finished the training class, got paid, done J Should this constant reflection help us deliver projects better?

 

Brief explanation of 4 Varna:

Please note that I am not an expert in Vedas. This is based on my limited knowledge.

Whether priest or warrior or farmer, trader, man or woman, everyone must expand their minds, rise from shudra varna (mind-set of a follower) to Brahmin Varna (mind-set of a seer). Vedas have mention of 4 typical mind-sets of human beings.

  1. Shudra Varna – servant or a follower mind-set
  2. Trader (Vaishya) Varna – mind-set where you use (trade) rules to get things that you desire
  3. Master (Kshatriya) Varna – mind-set where you use rules to impose your thoughts on those around you
  4. Brahmin (Seer) Varna – understand the thoughts behind the rules and acknowledge that rules are neither right nor wrong!

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