During large changes I often hear the term “the new normal” to describe the settled period after transition has occurred. This term is loaded with the idea that change is some sort of step input that will then allow things to normalize. In reality, change is the only constant and adapting to change is the “normal” we should be seeking.

We are never going to find the perfect process, but we can always find a better process. That is the goal of retrospection in agile development. We are meant to look at our processes continually and find improvements. As we grow we will see changes in our team, our technology, our product, and many other aspects that affect product development. Our process must adapt continually to those changes.

There is no “new normal” because there is no normal in software development. Changes may be large or small, but we can never assume they are done or that our process is complete.

We shouldn’t be searching to normalize and settle down. We should be continuallly looking to improve and constantly driving value in new ways.