Trails and rails

#54 - Mar.2023

Methodologies and frameworks can be a double-edged sword. On one side, they capture common knowledge across a discipline making it easy to use. On the other, they are generic and primarily prescriptive.

But responding to change in a complex environment as today requires more than just following a set of procedures. Taking a one-size-fits-all approach and trusting blindly the outcomes is risky.

Does this mean you don't need a structured plan or conceptual guidance? Of course not, but you need to adapt it - you are entitled to do so.

Seek to understand the mental models and first principles behind such frameworks and methodologies. Consider your context, constraints, and opportunities. Build your own conceptual frameworks and iterate across the common knowledge. Improve over it.

As the poetic license for writers, you should override the things you need to succeed in your practice. Sticking to a prescriptive approach only to follow a methodology is losing the opportunity to learn, adapt and thrive.

Consider them as walking trails and not track rails.