Thoughts
YOU COULD NOT STEP TWICE INTO THE SAME RIVER
A collection of writing related to agile principles, coaching, and leadership. A place to explore the connections between our everyday world and work life. Rarely is there truth here - as my thinking and perspective evolves.
The Changing Nature of Expertise
An exploration of the changing nature of expertise in a complex world and what leaders need to know about expertise.
Incrative and Iteramental
Here I’ll describe my thoughts on the differences between ‘iterative’ and ‘incremental’ product development and the need to focus on value and learning.
Learning to Fly
“ … but the skills most valuable are those that result in the ability to experiment quickly.”
The Agile Dentist
Finding key behaviours we look for on agile teams .. at the dentist’s office.
The Value of Learning
“… but the value of learning whether we are solving the right problems the right way.”
Sapiens, Revolution, and empty Maps
“We need to be comfortable WITHOUT fully populated schedules and plans. We need to have more empty spaces in our maps.”
Don’t Underestimate the Power of the Backlog
“… but it remains a list of problems that represent a body of work (with an overall goal) and those problems are prioritized by value.”
Iterative / Incremental delivery to get to the Moon!
The iterative and incremental approach to one of the greatest feats of all time.
What’s in a Title?
“In reality, at least as a transitional move, the two roles are still required during the early stages of an agile transformation.”
An Agile Mindset in House Construction
“… building NEW software is not analagous to building a house, it's analogous to building a housing subdivision.”
Agile Education
“Educators on the forefront of their field have long understood the need to transform education into a two-way conversation between teachers and students.”
Project Grammar
“Focusing on projections of the desired outcome, based on present data or trends, is how we truly manage risk on a project”
When You’re Up to your ass in Alligators
“Of course the best solution to the problem of how to effectively drain the swamp is to prevent the swamp from forming in the first place.”
Agile at the Masters
“They seem to place more value on what has been accomplished for certain rather than what the potential for the future might hold.”
Thoughts on ‘Potentially Shippable’
“Ideally it is simply a business decision whether there is enough value to actually warrant shipping.”
Spike… Do the Right Thing [Redux on Aug 30 post]
“Of course this is all just semantics ... Story, Task, Spike, Backlog Grooming ... what's the big deal? The answer to this lies in the fact that we use words to communicate intent …”
It’s ALWAYS been the Problem
With this context, the team is much better equipped to be able to produce solutions appropriate for the target personae and any decisions … can be made in the context of the user and the business value.
Self-Organizing Teams at Quarry Bistro
“Naomi has often said that the reason is that the team has an innate ability to do two things: prioritize their work and look out for each other.”
The Fifth Element
Build projects around motivated individuals.
Give them the environment and support they need,
and trust them to get the job done.