We’ve all been there. We show up to the sprint review, and a team is showing off technical specs, slides, or perhaps sharing their code. Rarely do they demo the increment they’ve created. And maybe they’re also not inviting anyone outside the team to be part of the conversation. As their coach, we want to …
Revamp Your Sprint Review: 3 Essential Questions for Success Read More »
Let’s talk about Shu Ha Ri. For any unfamiliar, it’s a term borrowed from martial arts, and it’s meant to describe the stages of learning to achieve mastery. First, we must learn and apply the rules without deviation (Shu). As we progress, we break the rules or perhaps innovate on the rules to improve ourselves …
I can’t tell you how many times I heard LinkedIn’s former CEO Jeff Weiner echo these words. Trust is consistency over time. There’s no shortcut for either. It’s great advice whether we’re an aspiring or experienced leader. And I think it’s just as appropriate for coaches. Why? We don’t have this pesky thing called authority, …
TL; DR: They’re more similar than many realize, and I think it matters. I get it why designers and devs feel they belong in different camps though. I just think they’re mistaken, and I suspect the myth began because of one obvious difference: Anyone can look at a design and offer an opinion, but it …
Are Designers and Developers Really All That Different? Read More »
I’m a Technical Program Manager. At least, that’s what you’ll find on my business card, but it’s not what I enjoy most. I enjoy coaching. I enjoy helping people find the answers inside themselves instead of offering up my own solutions. After all, my teams are the ones in the trenches. They have the best …
No one’s perfect, especially me. Or you. Agile isn’t perfect either. Everything and everyone has their shortcomings, and I believe it’s important to acknowledge them. To be clear, I’m not talking about where a traditional approach is more suited than an agile one. No. Instead, I intend to talk about situations where an agile approach …
If this agile thing is so great, then why doesn’t it always stick? And if we can get it to stick, why does it require so much upkeep? Why can it sometimes be so fragile? Time and again, I’ve helped teams, people, and organizations with their transformations, and in many cases, I’ve seen it either …
Have you ever wanted to learn to fly? Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a bird’s eye view of San Francisco or have a beautiful view of rush hour traffic as you speed over packed highways. Every year, I set a goal for myself to learn or do something new in the spirit of continuous learning. …
Four Things Becoming a Pilot Taught Me About Coaching Read More »
A few months back, a colleague of mine and his organization were about to begin their agile journey. They had piloted Scrum with a single team, and this team was going to share their experiences at an off site with the rest of their small organization. At this same off site, he asked if I’d …
So here’s the thing. Too many companies claim to be agile shops. Far too many in my opinion. I can’t count how many conversations I had where someone claims their approach is an agile one, but a few questions in, and I’m convinced it’s something else. However, it’s not my place to judge an approach …
How To Spot an Agile Imposter at Your Next Interview Read More »
