This week’s conversation is about the concept of mental models in agile development.
A mental model is an individual’s explanation of their thought process about how something works in the real world. It’s a representation of the surrounding world, relationships between the various parts and a person’s intuitive perceptions about their own acts and their consequences. Different individuals can have different mental models, and this can lead to misunderstandings and miscommunications.
As Agile coaches, part of our job is to introduce new mental models and help individuals recognize the ones that are not conducive to what they’re trying to achieve. It’s important to remember that a mental model is not reality, but a representation of reality, and that the map is not the territory.
Links: