By Mark Entrekin

Exploring the Agile Manifesto Through a Wider Lens, Article 6

Has Change ever asked for our permission? 

What about changes that simply show up, sometimes as a quiet whisper and sometimes as a thunderstorm inviting us to grow, shift, or…reimagine what is possible? The Agile Manifesto captures this truth beautifully in one of its guiding principles: “Welcoming Changing Requirements.”

As we take our next step on the journey of exploring the Agile Manifesto through a Wider Lens, we see that change is more than an interruption in our plans, and it works outside of software; it is an invitation to grow many different areas.

The true art of welcoming changes is adaptability. It is not about surviving change but about transforming it into meaningful improvement. Whether we are part of a couple, a family, a company, a classroom, or a community, adaptability is the quiet skill that can turn uncertainty into progress and challenges into opportunities.

Even when we take time to put our plans into a spreadsheet because we realize that plans are essential, we must also realize they are not sacred. Our plans can guide us toward a goal, yet life can often invite us to adjust our course along the way. 

When we learn to see change as a natural part of growth and improvement instead of a detour sign on a rocky road, we unlock our ability to improve continuously, to adapt to possibilities that can turn out better!

When we adapt or change plans along the way, or someone else changes our plans, adaptability is not a surrender. It is a strength that allows us to keep moving forward when the landscape shifts or the roads become rocky.

Every family that adjusts to new routines, every business that redefines its strategy, and every student who learns a new way to learn demonstrates adaptability in action.

When people resist change, many times it is from fear or a habit. 

It could be the fear of losing control, identity, or stability. But adaptability reframes that fear into understanding. It can be seen as “Change is not an enemy, change is guiding me or helping me understand a new perspective, possibly something better.” 

Some habits need to be forgotten! 😁 Comparing ourselves to others, overthinking, and procrastination, just to name a few! 🤣

When we slow down long enough to listen, observe, and reflect, the value or values inside the change begin to reveal themselves. Adaptability helps us transform our first reaction into thoughtful reflection and that reflection into a lasting improvement.

On the family side, have you ever spent months planning your dream trip? Every reservation was made, every day mapped out. Then, just before departure, something happens or someone becomes ill, and travel is no longer possible. 

Disappointment becomes real but rather than cancel everything, can you adapt?

Can you, instead, postpone the trip to a later date and turn your home into a retreat, complete with candlelight dinners, movie marathons, and truly share heartfelt conversations about other journeys together, and, maybe, expand on your postponed journey?

The result is definitely not what was planned, but it can become something far more meaningful. The trip that was temporarily lost can gave birth to memories you would never trade. 

That is adaptability in motion: not ignoring change, but discovering purpose through it.

On the business and community side, as in life, change exposes opportunities for improvement that consistency and habits sometimes conceal. 

Imagine a company, community or team preparing to launch a product after months of planning. Then, new customer feedback or the ability to obtain the right permits challenges the design. 

The easy path would be to stay the course and hope for the best. But adaptability inspires courage, the courage to pause, listen, and adjust.

By making those late changes, we do not lose progress; we gain relevance. The revised product better serves the customer, the team grows stronger, and the community or organization learns to welcome change as a competitive advantage.

Adaptability transforms inconvenience into insight, and insight into improvement.

Closing Encouragement

Change does not always ask for our permission but it always offers us an invitation. 

When we meet adaptability with curiosity, patience, and a willingness to grow, we discover opportunities hidden within the unexpected. Adaptability is not about giving up on plans; it is about allowing our plans to breathe, bend, and become better. 

Whether in our homes, our workplaces, or our communities, adaptability helps us find purpose where plans once failed and progress where fear once lingered. The next time change knocks on our door, whether as a whisper or a thunderstorm, open the door with confidence and a smile. 

You may find that what steps through is not disruption at all, but the beginning of something even better.