Troubleshooting Agile

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/UbiquitousLanguage.html - Cynefin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

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/1767536165790376281?s=20 - Chris Matts on Needs and Solutions: http...

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_map - Pioneers, Settlers, Town Planners: https:/...

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 Playbook: https://www.thoughtworks.com/en-gb/insight...

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.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_programming --------...

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 - Retrospectives - OKRs -------------------------------...

"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://novehiclesinthepark.com - Keith Braithwaite: https://twitter.co...

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 the same juicy words as always!) Links: - Tindallg...

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/Reinventing_Organizations ---------------------------...

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-people-make-such-smart-decisions.html - Feature Flag...

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.com/id006657164/Wiring-the-Winning-Organization - S...

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/ - Wiring the Winning Organisation, Gene Kim: https...

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/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/917018/Eight-Behaviors...

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 -------------------------------------------------- Order your copy o...

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 Winning Organization: https://itrevolution.com/produc...

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. Links: - Wiring the Winning Organization: https://itr...

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 his collaboration with coauthor Dr. Steven Spear, an...

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 Plus, get access to a free mini training video...

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/klein-ikb-79-t01513 - Kano model: https://en.wiki...

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-funny/ -------------------------------------------...

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/ -------------------------------------------------- Order your copy of our boo...

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/ - Psychological Safety: https://amycedmondson.co...

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/ -------------------------------------------------- Order your...

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.com/consciousness/the-line - NVC Feelings and Nee...

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 conversations Links: - Edmondson, Teaming: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/7023600 - Liberating Structures: https://www.liberatingstructures.com/ - Anarchic Planning series: - https://soundcloud.com/troubles...