Badass Agile

Processes don’t make people better – right mindsets and the behaviours that flow out of them do.

Believe it or not, up until 2018, I had no exposure to the conferencing scene whatsoever. So what kept me from participating, and what did I learn once I started? 1. Just because its a conference, doesn’t mean it’s good. 2. Beware the sales pitch disguised as education. 3. Like any other information, you have to examine the sources. 4. There seems to be a trend toward over-complicating...

If you actually want to get more predictable results in projects/product development, you have to work towards ‘Done’. Find out why words like ‘workING’, ‘meetING’, ‘plannING’ and other ING words mask true progress and blockers, and what you can do to change how we talk about progress.

-People often ask “what’s the best way?”. -There is no best way. Your job as a leader is to help teams find their own way. -Creating doctrine is useless -Create habits instead. -Figure out the habits that work for you and your team.-This is true of everything… Definition of done, definition of ready, story content and structure, how to incorporate testing or user interface sprint...

Love the fight. I don’t think it’s true that all life is suffering, like to believe that almost the struggle. And if that’s the case, the sooner you get used to combat, get used to constantly having to deal with new and difficult challenges, the happier you’ll be. If you let the challenges overwhelm you, you start to see them as unfair. The moment you do that, you surrender...

We hear the words Business Agility a lot now – to agilists it probably makes perfect sense but there seems to be a need for better understanding and education. I want to give you some information you can share with your teams and decision makers, and some real-world examples of how and when to apply Agile to Business. Remember that the Principles of Agility Apply equally to non-technical env...

You will always have haters. Never seek approval. Never hate back. Most hatred comes from deep-seated fear. It’s okay to show compassion and empathy and make bridges. Your skill and power as a leader comes from your ability to stay true to your vision, and never mind what other people think. This skill takes practice, and the truth of this wisdom only becomes apparent with experience and a t...

It’s important that leaders, especially in this tribe, get their voice out there. The practice doesn’t grow unless people are contributing opinions through blogs, articles, videos or podcasts. Speaking from experience, there are lots of excuses about why you can’t or shouldn’t start a podcast, but no good reasons. Overcome your beliefs – that there isn’t enough time, you don’t have any good...

This episode revisits the concept of ‘Badass Agile’, and distills the badass keys further into a tidy bit of text that, if only some of the words rhymed, we could turn into a hymn… Don’t spend your time learning frameworks, pondering the complexities of agility…..be like Dirty Harry. Be Badass Get Visionary Get Focused Get Flexible (Get Humble) Get Gritty

Does your team really shoot for the moon? Getting ‘scrummy’ isn’t enough. Teams need to find ways to set stretch goals to find out what they’re capable of Try some impossible goals every once in a while Also make a practice of incremental improvements Set competitive goals between teams Set goals OUTSIDE the team

Does Creativity Matter in your Agile Leadership Journey. You bet it does. It is your key to shaping the future for your clients and the agile community. Ill go so far as to say its a secret weapon. Find out Why Think Two Major Areas of Your Agile Leadership – the ‘content’ (ideas, stories) that you create, and the innovation you inspire. Both require reliable creative habits Try the habits a...

Whether you identify with Agile, Lean or any philosophy of effective workplace design, we still need leaders. We need the qualities that only people of true impact can bring. But there are some prevailing attitudes that might actually hold you and your company back.

Objections are caused by (a very natural) fear of change. Here are the two most common objections: We can’t forego documentation We can’t release to production whenever we want and therefore, Agile just isn’t made for us.

You Don’t Have to be A Chef To Open a Restaurant. Do you have to be a Scrum Master – or an Agile Practitioner – to be in the business of Agility? Don’t be limited by what roles and descriptions the industry has on offer Our industry needs to flex and change – YOU make that happen Look to roles that help spread and normalize Agile in areas that fit Design your Agile life, and star...

Are you publishing? If not, why not? If you want to have a long-lasting career in Agile- or anything for that matter, you have to stand out. You have to have not only a calling card, but a body of work the demonstrates depth and commitment and wisdom – things of VALUE that you can bring to your client We all say “Agile lets us focus on customer value” – but what massive value do YOU br...

In this episode, we discuss the importance of getting after it – not so much because earlier is better, but because is an example of a habit in the ‘doing what other’s won’t so you can have what others can’t’ category.

Transformation is a bit of a terrifying word. And yet, it seems to be a popular topic in enterprise agility circles these days. So what’s the problem and how can we approach it properly? Don’t seek total transformation. Create capability and spread it. It will transform as it grows As always, start with a vision – your why Don’t build against a scaling template just yet Create a cultur...

There are two kinds of Ice breakers – here are some examples of each from the episode: Ice breakers with purpose – questions that force people to think about their personal vision Who Inspires You, And Why? What would you do if you won the lottery? What would you do if you had 1 year to live? Or 1 week? What would you like more of/less of in your life? What do you lose sleep over? For...

As you are spreading agile within your organization or to clients, you’re going to be doing a lot of marketing and demonstrating. Something you’ll need to get good at doing quickly and without a script – or even much background – is converting a client vision into a backlog. Being able to go swiftly from idea to vision to prioritized backlog and scratch plan is an innovation enabler Ma...

Efficiency is not about Doing More Things. You can work less, but direct your best energies toward IMPORTANT things – the highest priority things – and make a greater impact. You have to make sure your actions are backed by Intention – knowing what you intend to achieve with each action (how do you know if it’s complete? If its done right?) and knowing how each action rolls...

In addition to our weekly release, we’re adding a short, unscripted contemplation of whatever is happening this week in Agile – whether its current events, musings on the industry, things I’m experiencing with clients – whatever grabs me. I plan to release these on Wednesdays and Fridays as time permits SO MAKE SURE you’ve subscribed to the Badass Agile podcast in you...

This is an open letter to all Agile implementers and leaders. Are you trying to fit a square peg into a round hole? I love the Apollo 13 moment, but if you’re not in outer space and your crew isn’t about to die, you have to think more prudently about making square pegs fit into round holes We say Agile is no Magic Bullet, and then proceed to treat it like one Agile is a tool in a toolkit. Your job...

We are accustomed to prioritizing backlogs – product and sprint – but we may not be as accustomed to prioritizing our day. This technique is often overlooked by teams, and yet how often do we find the day has gotten away from us because we made a choice to work on something that may not have been the highest-value target? The solution is easy and cheap – a pad of index-card sized...

How do you ‘perform’? When you have to deliver a performance – whether its a speech in front of an executive, your team or a large crowd, how do you show up? Performance Rituals might be the answer. The right rituals can radically change your effectiveness in meetings, negotiations, presentations or tough conversations Don’t count on your event magically ‘going well’. You h...

A Leader Has to Be Constantly Growing And Moving You need to have a backlog of items for your professional and leader development The areas I recommend are Education and Learning, Community, Professional Contribution, Mindset and Habit Upgrades, and Team Problem Solving You’re the product owner – keep the backlog current and prioritized, and execute every day.