Abstract You’ve set up your board. You’ve defined your columns. You’ve added WIP limits. You’re doing Kanban. Or are you? Most of us learned Kanban the same way: a training course, a consultant, a framework guide. We absorbed the language, adopted the practices, and got on with it. But what if some of that language
Rethinking Kanban: Exploring some of the nuances in Kanban that most of us get wrong Read More »
Abstract What if our belief in cross-functional, stable teams is wrong?What if our team structures don’t fit today’s business context and actually make developers’ lives harder? This talk is a thought experiment based on 20+ years of experience with Agile and Business Agility. Again and again we see: • Specialists isolated within “teams”• Dependencies on
Treat Work Like a Virus and Teams Like the Immune System Read More »
Over 10 years ago, I led a team with a bold ethos: “If no other company wants you, why should you stay here?” Sounds radical, but here’s how we made it empowering: Our ultimate test? Each member had an objective to get external job offers annually. Then, they could choose to stay because they valued
“If no other company wants you, why should you stay here?” Read More »
Most trainers talk about the importance of “psychological safety,” both in the classroom and in the workplace. But how do you go about creating it from the moment learners step into the classroom or training space? Psychological safety is a big deal, both in the real world and the virtual one. I know I struggle
Training from the BACK of the Room!: Psychological Safety and C1-Connection Activities. Read More »
I went on an exploration trip to my first Happy Workplaces conference that took place in London on 21–22 Jun 2018. Andy de Vale had attended the 2017 conference and he came back praising the conference. So, Jean-Paul Bayley and I decided to join the 2018 conference and see what was being shared. The first
Arbejdsglaede or How to Create Work Happiness Read More »
Since the start of 2017, I have been doing a lot of training. And when I write “a lot”, I really mean it (by my usual standards)! The majority of my training courses start with a focus on “why”. Why do we need to change? What the urgency? What’s the need? After most classes are
(recent) books that inspired me… Read More »
There are four key words in the first value of the Agile Manifesto: “Individuals and their interactions over processes and tools” Most of us can spend countless hours debating the value of focusing on people and the dangers related to focusing on processes and tools. Interestingly, in our debates we seem to be oblivious to
Mind your language (if you want to be Agile) Read More »
