Successful long-term agile transformations require people at all levels of an organization to actively participate. Much has been written about the change efforts focused on teams and teams of teams. One area that is commonly left unaddressed is what the executives and leaders must do to lead and support the change efforts.
Read MoreIn a previous article, I outlined the organizational assessment we use at Turning Point Consulting to understand the context of an organization on their lean-agile journey. This follow-up article will show how we leverage those responses to create a resonant quarterly roadmap that shows the possibilities for the organization. You can think of this as a unique trail map for the organization’s journey. And, just as with hiking, the roadmap is a living document that will be adapted to progress, impediments, and what is learned.
Read MoreWhen I deliver Lean-Agile training, I lead a discussion about how the Agile Manifesto values shape the thinking, decisions, and behavior of` execs, leaders, teams, and individual contributors alike. These should be used the same way corporate values are used. Yet, when I talk to people, I learn that they haven’t explored or identified their own values. Perhaps these people are unaware of how powerful and useful values can be.
Read MoreImagine we want to go on a hike. Without planning or at least having a trail map to guide the journey, we’d be taking a big risk, especially if we’re hiking in an inhospitable environment. Before I go on a hike, I want to have a plan that accounts for the starting point, how capable the hikers are, how much time the hike should be and what the terrain is like (e.g. elevation changes, washes to cross, etc.).
The same holds true with engaging organizations that are on an agile transformation (or any evolutionary journey).
Read MoreI was recently working with a client as they started accelerating their Agile journey. They had a very “bottoms up” transformation without coaching support because the organization leaders decided to pass through the agile coaching costs to the programs due to budgetary constraints on overhead costs.
One executive who had multiple engagement opportunities asked me, “What can I expect a coach to do?”
Read MoreI recently read an article about choosing not to fail. This article repeatedly discussed one of the most powerless words in English, "try." In fact, "try" is so powerless that in many countries and languages there is no equivalent of the word; it can not be translated.
Read MoreAs Fall begins, I thought it would be useful to check in with you on how you're progressing with the goals you established at the beginning of the year. Do you remember what they were? If you wrote them down, you may want to reference them as you read this blog. If you didn't write down your goals before, now is the perfect time to put them down on paper.
Read MoreA while back, my mentor and friend was counseling another friend concerning a major purchase decision for her husband. My mentor asked, “If your husband had only six months to live, what would you do?” That question altered our friend’s perspective, and she immediately decided she would go ahead with the purchase, even though her husband was (and is) in fantastic health. Let’s face it, though. Who hasn’t heard of a situation where someone died unexpectedly, and the surviving family and friends had sentiments left unspoken and/or things left un-done.
Read MoreAn article on CNN.com revealed how employees who escaped the layoffs during the 2008 recession weren’t very happy due to the increased expectations of work completed, decreases in benefits, and, in some cases, decreases in pay. The article quotes a survey from Adecco Group North America that discovered that 54% of employed Americans were planning to start a job search after the economy rebounds. The percentage increased to 71% of those who were 18 to 29 years old. I would venture to say that these people are beyond “survivors guilt.”
Read MoreWhat does it mean to be a success? According to Wiktionary.com, the definition of success is:
The achievement of one's aim or goal.
(business) financial profitability
One who, or that which, achieves assumed goals
No surprises there. For me, the following definition by Booker T. Washington is an excellent definition of success and it aligns with my philosophy.
Read MoreGiving feedback is an important aspect of communicating with others. When you want to have meaningful relationships with others, you must open yourself up and risk giving and receiving feedback. Some of it will be positive reinforcement, some of it will be constructive feedback. All of it is important in figuring out how to deal with the people in your life.
Read MoreI was at a church service recently where the Rev. John Crestwell spoke about transformation. To paraphrase, he stated that transformation starts by making choices to effect change. The context that he was speaking in was around organizational transformation. And it's clear to me that this would also apply to individuals as well.
Read MoreWe've all been there...working a job that's uninspiring and that's misaligned with who you want to be and what you want to do with your life. When I've been in situations like this in the past, I've felt incomplete, uncommitted, unmotivated, and uninspired. I dreaded going to work...I definitely had a perspective of “have to” vs. a “get to” when it came to work. And the same can hold true for your personal life as well.
Read MoreRecently, the phrase “keeping up with the Jones'” came up during a conversation with a friend of mine. In doing a little research online, I found the background interesting. This phrase was the name of a comic strip that started around 1913 where the creator, Arthur R. ("Pop") Momand, used his experiences of living beyond his means to keep up with his neighbors as the inspiration behind the comic strip
Read MoreI've been thinking about the transformations that I've been privy to see clients and friends achieve in their lives as well as take an outsider’s view of my own transformation. Each transformation a person undertakes is a very personal journey. I think of transformations as a person blazing their own trail through the wilderness.
Read MoreOver the past few months, I’ve had several people ask how I developed and maintain my optimism and positive outlook. So, I decided to jump to this topic for the next installment of my blog.
Optimism/positivity is much more than ignoring negative aspects of a situation or looking for the silver lining in situations.
Read MoreI recently met someone that I worked with almost 30 years ago when I was in my late teens/early 20s. After finally figuring out where we knew each other from and from when, I asked him not to judge me now based on who I was 30 years ago. I have no idea what his opinion of me was based on who I was back then.
Read MoreI’ve been profoundly impacted by Leo Babaua’s post about living without goals. It’s a remarkably freeing concept and that allows people to live more fully in the moment, to allow life to unfold in its own pace and in its own way.
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