Is your timid tech team constantly seeking direction and second-guessing themselves? Improvement is possible - if you create frequent accountability. Discover how your team can get a "message to Garcia", by tuning in this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.Links:- Patrick McKenzie tweet: https://twitter.com/patio11/status/1781424185094402558- Sammy (…

The Imperial Japanese Navy and Borland Software made the same strategic mistake: testing hypotheses but ignoring negative results. Join your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey to discover what they missed and how you can make falsification work for you on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.Links:- Shattered Sword: http://www.shatteredswordbook.com/- Bo…

Do you have an "Eeyore" in your technology team, for whom it's all thorns and no roses? Can you help them to be more Tigger.. and would you even want to? Join Squirrel and Jeffrey as they discuss pessimism and burnout on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.Links:- Eeyore & Tigger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Winnie-the-Pooh_characters- …

Mistakes are only obvious looking backwards, looking forwards, they seem like good ideas. On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss why they encourage meaningful errors that lead to learning and how a negative result is a sign of a successful experiment.Links:- Retrospective Coherence: https://www.chriscorrigan.com/park…

Agile is dead, but does anyone care? Cynefin tells us that we should be watching the slope of improvement, not aiming for a mythical "best practice". Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss why agile is irrelevant, on this episode of the (ironically named) Troubleshooting Agile podcast.Links:- Ubiquitous Language: https://martinfowler.com/bliki/UbiquitousLang…

Has "adopting Jira" become the definition of "being agile"? If so, Squirrel says he’ll find another line of work! Tune in to hear Squirrel and Jeffrey's discussion on using the right tools for certain and uncertain environments, on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.- Squirrel’s Jira tweet: https://x.com/douglassquirrel/status/176753616579037628…

Build centralised, standard structures for your tech only when you're sure the terrain isn't moving under your feet and stable software is no guarantee against market avalanches. This week’s episode is all about centralisation and decentralisation, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Wardley Mapping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardley_…

Cancel your standup and record your decisions in writing, not conversations. This week on Troubleshooting Agile, Collaborations Expert and Author, Sumeet Moghe joins Squirrel and Jeffrey to explore "async-first" software development.Links:- Sumeet Moghe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeetmoghe/ and https://www.asyncagile.org/- The Async-First Playb…

Go ahead and bravely demand the next feature right after the completion of the last! This week on Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel tells us why he likes to be more demanding than Kent Beck.Links:- Kent Beck: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Beck- Tidy First: https://tidyfirst.substack.com/p/tidy-first-in-one-page- Extreme Programming: https://en.w…

This week on Troubleshooting Agile, we bring you a bumper edition of 2022’s Summer Shorts - Learning Loops. Taking iterative development to heart, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss six learning loop topics in less than five minutes each. Join us to learn about:- Basic daily learning loops- Weekly planning- Elephant Carpaccio- Walking the board- Retrospe…

"Scope" and "requirements" for software rely on a common understanding of basic concepts like "vehicles" or "names" but humans have no idea how to nail down those ideas. Join your host Squirrel and Jeffrey to find out why, and what to do about it, on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.Links:- No Vehicles in the Park game: https://novehiclesinthe…

One guy you've never heard of kept the Apollo moonshot on track - by holding great meetings and taking super notes. Do your ADRs and Notion pages measure up? We’re talking Bill Tindall and the Tindallgram on today's episode of Troubleshooting Agile with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey. (Some editing snafus mean no intro/outro music this week, but …

How can your organisation be simultaneously fast and collaborative? Foster willingness to fail successfully and collaboratively, while applying strong leadership and accountability. Find out why and how on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Teal Organisations book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinv…

How can you do risky experiments even in the most risk-averse organisations? Find the answers on this week’s episode as Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the value of two-way doors and reversible decisions for your tech team and your product.Links: - Jeff Bezos on Doors: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-this-is-how-successful-peo…

You know investing in skills or tech advancements will speed you up, but how to make it happen? Convincing your boss is all kinds of wrong! On this week’s episode of Troubleshooting Agile we discuss why and what works better, with your hosts Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links: - Gene Kim, Wiring the Winning Organization: https://myresources.itrevolution.co…

Use a shared language to ensure good ideas for your product or team aren't crushed before they get a chance to live. Inspired by Elizabeth Van Nostrand’s article, Jeffrey and Squirrel discuss the concept of “Butterfly Ideas,” on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.Links:- Butterfly Ideas: https://acesounderglass.com/2022/02/04/butterfly-ideas/- W…

ChatGPT is a boring writer, but can be a fantastic teacher. This week on Troubleshooting agile, we discuss how you can use AI language models to learn how to have difficult conversations with colleagues and disappoint them helpfully, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:Roger Schwarz's Ted and Paula conversation: in https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__…

Incompatible regulations, competing customers - this week, a listener in a government IT agency tells us about his team's difficult challenges. Jeffrey and I recommend a (difficult!) path to platform success on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.Links:- Books by Gene Kim: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/328437.Gene_Kim---------------------…

Phoenix Project author, Gene Kim, is back on Troubleshooting Agile to discuss the groundbreaking theories of organizational management described in his new book, Wiring the Winning Organization. In this episode (part three of three), Gene discusses how and why you should be "simplifying” and “amplifying" in your DevOps team.Links: - Wiring the Winn…

Phoenix Project author, Gene Kim, is back on Troubleshooting Agile to discuss the groundbreaking theories of organizational management described in his new book, Wiring the Winning Organization. In this episode (part two of three), Gene describes the “Danger Zone”, and the first of three mechanisms for exiting the high-risk zone: Slowification.Link…

Phoenix Project author, Gene Kim, joins us on Troubleshooting Agile to discuss the groundbreaking theories of organizational management described in his new book, Wiring the Winning Organization. In this episode (part one of three), Gene talks about his mission to improve the way work is done at the world’s largest organizations, how that led to hi…

Effective executives draw on extensive battle scars for guidance and insight. Join your hosts Squirrel and Jeffrey to discover how to learn from the elders, and become one yourself, on today's episode of Troubleshooting Agile.--------------------------------------------------Order your copy of our book, Agile Conversations at agileconversations.com…

Tech teams operate best with clearly defined "negative space" that's not in scope - and leaders are more receptive to defining it than they think. Join your hosts Squirrel and Jeffrey to learn why the principles of art apply to product development on today's episode of Troubleshooting Agile.Links: - Yves Klein: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/…

Your niggling worries and minor observations are "bench sweeps", valuable dust that are worth refining into gold. Listen to this week’s episode of Troubleshooting Agile to learn why you shouldn't ignore your gut feelings, with your hosts Squirrel and Jeffrey!Links: - Not "Eureka" but "That's Funny": https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/03/02/eureka-f…

Know what users think of your software as soon as it's done - the secret is immediacy and frequency. Listen to today’s episode to find out how daily feedback is absolutely possible, with your hosts Squirrel and Jeffrey on Troubleshooting Agile. Links: - Glidepath Indicator: https://agileconversations.com/blog/glideslope/----------------------------…

Today on Troubleshooting Agile, we answer a listener’s question on how to get disparate teams co-operating on a shared objective - and how to get them sharing bad news! Listen to hear our discussion and solutions, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Trust Conversation: https://itrevolution.com/articles/test-driven-development-for-people/-…

What to do when your tech team isn't arguing (productively!)? Join us on Troubleshooting Agile to learn practical ideas for discovering shared facts and creating constructive conflict, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Test-Driven Development for People: https://itrevolution.com/articles/test-driven-development-for-people/--------------…

An underperforming tech team is missing something, but what? This week on Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey share part three of their 3-stage diagnostics for discovering missing conversations.Links:- Stratechery quadrant: https://stratechery.com/2013/the-uncanny-valley-of-a-functional-organization- The Line: https://themanagershandbook.co…

An underperforming tech team is missing something, but what? This week on Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey share part two of their 3-stage diagnostics for discovering missing conversationsLinks:- Edmondson, Teaming: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/7023600- Liberating Structures: https://www.liberatingstructures.com/- Anarchic Plan…

An underperforming tech team is missing something, but what? This week on Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey share part one of their 3-stage diagnostics for discovering missing conversationsLinks:- Simon Sinek, Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/- Toyota Kata: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Kata--------------…

An underperforming tech team is missing something, but what? This week on Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey share their diagnostics for discovering missing conversationsLinks:- Psychological Safety: https://amycedmondson.com/psychological-safety/--------------------------------------------------Order your copy of our book, Agile Conversat…

Is your tech team choosing safety by doing everything, or do you dump more than you do? Join us today on Troubleshooting Agile to uncover the more profitable path through "negative space" with Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Previous episode mentioning negative space: https://agileconversations.com/blog/the-two-shirt-solution-for-agile-chaos/ - Where'…

Don't let your engineers outsource risk by settling for a list of tasks, instead give them real business-meaningful targets and permission to fail. Join your hosts, Jeffrey and Squirrel on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to talk OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and getting your team in alignment.----------------------------------------------…

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Open Space in action from CITCON organiser, our own Jeffrey Fredrick. Listen to part three of our three part series to find out how and why you should try anarchic agenda-setting for your next offsite, meeting, or conference.Links:CITCON Berlin: https://citconf.com/berlin2023/- Open Space: https://citconf.com/openspa…

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Open Space in action from CITCON organiser, our own Jeffrey Fredrick. Listen to part two of our three part series to find out how and why you should try anarchic agenda-setting for your next offsite, meeting, or conference.Links:- CITCON Berlin: https://citconf.com/berlin2023/- Open Space: https://citconf.com/openspa…

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Open Space in action from CITCON organiser, our own Jeffrey Fredrick. Find out how and why you should try anarchic agenda-setting for your next offsite, meeting, or conference, this week on Troubleshooting Agile.Links:- CITCON Berlin: https://citconf.com/berlin2023/- Open Space: https://citconf.com/openspace.php- Lea…

There are over 100 words for feelings, from affectionate to yearning, but it’s likely you only use a few at work, if at all. Join us on Troubleshooting Agile to learn about having empathy for yourself and others, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Conscious Leadership and “The Line”: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/walking-th…

Empathetic listening works for intervening with addicts and schizophrenics, why don't you try it in conflicts over product features or customer deadlines?Join us on Troubleshooting Agile to learn how you can incorporate the principles of Motivational Interviewing to improve the outcomes of your conversations, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.L…

Computers think in 1s and 0s, but the best tech teams welcome ambiguity and profit from vagueness. Join us on part three of a 3-part series with special guest Juan Pablo Buriticá to learn about his journey of turning heavy machinery auctioneers, Ritche Bro, into a successful tech company, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Juan's article…

Computers think in 1s and 0s, but the best tech teams welcome ambiguity and profit from vagueness. Join us on part two of a 3-part series with special guest Juan Pablo Buriticá to learn about his journey of turning heavy machinery auctioneers, Ritche Bro, into a successful tech company, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Juan's article o…

Computers think in 1s and 0s, but the best tech teams welcome ambiguity and profit from vagueness. Join us on part one of a 3-part series with special guest Juan Pablo Buriticá to learn about his journey of turning heavy machinery auctioneers, Ritche Bros, into a successful tech company, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Juan's article …

Convincing a peer can feel like painfully pedalling up a mountain, but a dose of curiosity can take you through the pass and whizzing down the other side. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to learn more about how to approach your conversations with curiosity - as well as the few occasions when you shouldn’t, with your hosts, Squirrel …

Is your tech team always rushing, but never improving? They may have "hurry sickness.” Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to discover if being busy is actually crippling your productivity and what you can do to change it, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Hurry Sickness: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/hurry…

Maybe the reason innovation isn't happening is that no one believes you'll really accept failure. But creating some chaos to emphasise risk is OK! Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to discover how you can make innovation and failure part of your company culture, with your hosts, Squirrel and Jeffrey.Links:- Peacetime CEO vs Wartime CE…

Software has become commoditised, but that doesn’t mean there’s a race to the bottom for efficiency. An accessible foundation means what you build on top can be much more ornate. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to discover why Squirrel and Jeffrey hold firm in their views that software isn’t dead!Links- Squirrel's commoditization tw…

Commercial and technical debt are twins: when your product is mispriced, your engineering investment is out of whack too. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to learn how you can build product plans that scale, with special guest Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt.Links:- Ulrik’s book The Pricing Roadmap: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pricing-Roadmap-De…

If you have one product per customer and aren't charging a princely sum, you're not pricing your customers right. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to find out how you can take lessons in pricing a train ticket and apply them to your SAAS sales, with special guest Ulrik Lehrskov-Schmidt.Links:- Ulrik’s book The Pricing Roadmap: https:…

Vague instructions from the Board or CEO are the norm, and in fact mean great opportunity. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to discover why there's no recipe that gets the right answers to executive problems, with Squirrel & Jeffrey!Links:- The Psychology of being a CEO: https://a16z.com/2011/03/31/whats-the-most-difficult-ceo-skill-…

You can be your own "devil's advocate" to boost the quality of what you produce. Listen to this episode of Troubleshooting Agile to learn how and why to be self-critical, with Squirrel and Jeffrey!Links:- Devil's Advocate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_advocate- Six Thinking Hats: https://www.debonogroup.com/services/core-programs/six-think…

Flickr started as an online game, but the company quickly learned that they had much greater value on tap as a photo site, and "unsold" their initial customers instead of sticking to their original idea. By being curious, you can learn what the market really needs, jettison the custom-built "products" that are holding you back, and keep the right c…