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The Lean Software and System Consortium 2011 conference, which took place last week, stated the vision and values of lean software development.

Here are the six values of lean software development as photographed by one of the attendees.

Number 1 is "accept the human condition."

While I can sense the humanistic and maybe even anti-Taylorist mood in this statement, I'd like to ask the experts to explain this principle and how to apply it in our daily work.

Adam Lear
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azheglov
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  • The [Human condition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_condition) has nothing to do with software. It is a generalization. – Aaron McIver May 11 '11 at 14:42
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    @Aaron: The question is not about "human condition" in general. It is about a specific principle of a particular approach to software development as promoted by its (of the software development approach) governing organization. – azheglov May 11 '11 at 14:53
  • You state; _I'd like to ask the experts to explain this principle_. That principle has nothing to do with software as noted in the linked to Wikipedia article. The fact that the reference appeared on a slide at a conference does not in any way change the principle and what it means. IMHO this is not necessarily a programmers question; however it was brought forth as such. – Aaron McIver May 11 '11 at 15:21
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    "I'd like to ask the *lean software development experts* to explain this *lean software development principle*." What we're discussing here and the article that you've brought up have two words in common, that's all. The statement of six LSSC values was not a reference to the Wikipedia. – azheglov May 11 '11 at 15:47

1 Answers1

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Read this:

http://www.slideshare.net/AdaCore/lean-event-j-im-sutton

It's not trivial.

But, it's simply an amplification of the Agile Manifesto.

The "Human Condition" is a rejection of the idea that programmers are meatware that takes in specifications and produces code. It embraces the idea that individual developers are people with goals and aspirations, a need to be heard, a need to feel worthy.

Random bullet points:

  • "Put People First"
  • "Listen, Always"
  • "Set a Worthy Vision and Goals"
  • "Strategize"
  • "Act"
  • "Measure Your Results"
S.Lott
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  • Please summarize the content of the slides in your answer. Links come and go, but content must go on. :) – Adam Lear May 11 '11 at 15:23
  • @Anna Lear: It's not very fair to the presentation to summarize it here. – S.Lott May 11 '11 at 15:24
  • @S.Lott - Jon Skeet made a comparison to the recording of Devdays "I don't think it particularly screws over people who've gone any more than people who attend live concerts are screwed over by videos coming out. Actually "being there" is part of the value." ~Jon Skeet. I do not believe summarizing slides will do the conference an injustice. – P.Brian.Mackey May 11 '11 at 15:44
  • @P.Brian.Mackey: The slides are rich with meaning. A summary is *not* rich with meaning. – S.Lott May 11 '11 at 15:50
  • @S.Lott - Fair enough. Do you know if the conference was recorded and available online? This looks like some very interesting stuff. – P.Brian.Mackey May 11 '11 at 16:01
  • @P.Brian.Mackey: No clue at all. The slides compare "Lean" and "Agile" to make important differences as well as note similarities. The Human Condition appeared to be part of the similarities. – S.Lott May 11 '11 at 16:41
  • I'm glad you added the random bullet points. The ones you added were a very helpful precursor to watching the slideshow – Tim Claason May 11 '11 at 17:22
  • @S.Lott I've never seen someone concerned about a presentations feelings before.. – Fosco May 11 '11 at 17:22
  • @Fosco: I wasn't aware I had anthropomorphized the presentation. One hates to summarize. It seems an injustice to Herman Melville to summarize "Moby Dick" by saying "It's about a whale." – S.Lott May 11 '11 at 17:34
  • @Steven: thanks for the link to the presentation! I know it's not fair to try to summarize it here, but thank you for the attempt to do it. +1 – azheglov May 11 '11 at 22:07
  • @Brian: the LSSC'11 conference was recorded and the organizers said they were doing to make the footage available to LSSC members. – azheglov May 11 '11 at 22:08