Greenlights

Greenlights

by Dirk Depré - March 15, 2021

I’ve started a new routine this winter, because I have to admit that working from home, zoomcalling all day and the many context switches when jumping from one meeting to another, had really drained my energy at the beginning of January. And so, after my wife and I have put our kids to bed, I’ve started to make 1 hour walks with my dog. During these walks, I’ve started listening to audiobooks, picking up an old habit of listening to stories, just as I did when I was commuting to Brussels in the past. And what I get in return in this “me time”, is a nice story and sometimes things to muse about. Greenlight!

Agile is more than a way of working, it sometimes feels like a way of living. As I think of Agile, I think of constant learning, inspecting and adapting and through that process becoming a better team, a better company or a the very least a better version of myself.

One philosophy that really stuck with me today is the philosphy of Greenlights. Matthew McConaughey, oscar winning actor, became 50 and wrote his memoir, so far. The book is called “Greenlights” and it will become clear when the author himself , through the words in his book, explains what a Greenlight is. “Greenlights mean go—advance, carry on, continue. On the road, they are set up to give the flow of traffic the right of way, and when scheduled properly, more vehicles catch more Greenlights in succession. They say proceed. In our lives, they are an affirmation of our way. They’re approvals, support, praise, gifts, gas on our fire, attaboys, and appetites. They’re cash money, birth, springtime, health, success, joy, sustainability, innocence, and fresh starts. We love Greenlights. They don’t interfere with our direction. They’re easy. They’re a shoeless summer. They say yes and give us what we want. Greenlights can also be disguised as yellow and red lights. A caution, a detour, a thoughtful pause, an interruption, a disagreement, indigestion, sickness, and pain. A full stop, a jackknife, an intervention, failure, suffering, a slap in the face, death. We don’t like yellow and red lights. They slow us down or stop our flow. They’re hard. They’re a shoeless winter. They say no, but sometimes give us what we need.”

I believe, whatever the way of working in an organization, we should reflect more on life experiences and learn from them to create a better workplace. Why, well because applying insight out of our everyday’s life has a huge impact since we refer to them as common sense. Another reflection… My dear colleague Mirjam de Jong, pointed out that the learning is not in the Greenlights but in the yellow lights and red lights.

McConaughey continues in his book: “Catching Greenlights is about skill: intent, context, consideration, endurance, anticipation, resilience, speed, and discipline. We can catch more Greenlights by simply identifying where the red lights are in our life, and then change course to hit fewer of them. We can also earn Greenlights, engineer and design for them. We can create more and schedule them in our future—a path of least resistance—through force of will, hard work, and the choices we make. We can be responsible for Greenlights.”

You are never too old to reinvent yourself

Matthew is at a certain moment in his career a celebrated romcom actor. What Hugh Grant is for the English audience, is Matthew for the american audience: good looking, a nice style, a God for many woman. But he gets bored with always doing the same kind of movies. So, at some point in his career, he says NO to incoming offers; says NO to big money offers and does not appear on the BIG screen for over 2 years for that reason. He wanted different roles, other characters, wanted to show he is also another type of actor and so reinvent himself as an actor. He may have lost much money at a certain time, and afterwards performed in movies with a lighter budget than the big romcoms, but he was happy again. AND later … he did start getting other great roles because the industry also saw he got other things to offer. And you know what … that oscar he won in 2014 for Dallas Buyers Club … that wasn’t a cheezy romcom. Greenlight !

Embrace each adventure

Matthew, whether he had zero money in life or as much as he has right now, embraced the adventures that were presented to him. Or he might even seek for adventures to learn more about himself. Being a kid in high school, he had it all: the grades, the looks, the girls, the car, … But at some point, he wanted something different than just being that cool-dude and so he went to Australia as an exchange student. He thaught he was going to Sydney, or at least close nearby Sydney, but ended up somewhere in the middle of nowhere in a very … let’s call it ‘traditional family’: red lights all over the place and he really didn’t wanted to stay there. But he overcame all hurdles, learned from the experience, did 6 jobs whilst being a student, did find a way out, and as promised stayed there for the whole year. Those red lights at first, became Greenlights and he now looks back at that period on his life with great appreciation. Greenlight!

With passion you can already accomplish a lot

Dallas Buyers Club gave eternal fame to Matthew, since he won an oscar for his role in that movie. But it was nearly not shot … They’ve created the movie for 4,9 million dollars in 25 days. He had to loose an enormous amount of weight for that movie.. Got a call to play a 2 days role in the Wolf of Wallstreet, whilst preparing for Dallas Buyers CLub, and nailed it on the screen. Looking back at Dallas Buyers Club, he said: “We did not ask permission, We did not flinch, We took the hill.” And look what it got him … Greenlight!

Matthew McConaughey ends his introduction about Greenlights as follows : “I believe everything we do in life is part of a plan. Sometimes the plan goes as intended, and sometimes it doesn’t. That’s part of the plan. Realizing this is a Greenlight in itself. The problems we face today eventually turn into blessings in the rearview mirror of life. In time, yesterday’s red light leads us to a Greenlight. All destruction eventually leads to construction, all death eventually leads to birth, all pain eventually leads to pleasure.”

I’ve really enjoyed that book and McConaughey ‘s philosophy of Greenlights. It learned me at least that we are responsible for creating our own Greenlights; for sure in life.. and I think also within any Agile organization, especially if your perspective is on autonomous and aligned team. Through learning from experience, let’s create our own flow of Greenlights.