• 4 Concepts That Lead To Better Outcomes

    Posted on by Tim

    Better outcomes are a combination of elements. In Scrum transparency, inspection, and adaptation are the pillars of empiricism. Add in “talk straight” and you have the basic concepts for this post.

    Don’t take my word for the definition of empiricism. You can find it in the Scrum glossary at Scrum.org.

    I value transparency, which led to this post and a #lifeatimproving moment.

    During a quarterly town hall, our CEO Curtis Hite asked for us the lean into the company’s vision. He was transparent about our needs, and he issued a “call to action”.

    Better outcomes and questions

    Here’s my challenge. Ask yourself the following questions.

    • First, does your CEO “talk straight”?
    • Second, do you know what is needed to execute the company’s vision based on transparency?
    • Third, can you inspect the results of progress?
    • Fourth, if the results don’t align with the vision, are you empowered to make adaptations to achieve the desired outcomes?

    When you know the expectations and needs of the organization, you are positioned for planning. Planning then flows into building hypothesis which can be tested.

    Enabling a “fail fast and learn” culture is what Scrum scaffolds and empiricism reveals.

    In effect this creates a feedback loop. You have critical information available. This supports crafting “safe to fail” experiments. As a result, the organization “sees” the results (transparency), inspects them, and adapts them for improvement.

    Alternatively, the company can stop actions that don’t achieve the desired results. This is due to “talking straight” and maintaining transparency.

    About “talk straight”

    In Stephen M.R. Covey’s book, “The Speed of Trust“, he writes:

    “Talk Straight” is honesty in action. It’s based on the principles of integrity, honesty, and straightforwardness. As I said earlier, it means two things: to tell the truth and to leave the right impression. And both are vital to building trust.

    Stephen M. R. Covey


    📂This entry was posted in Personal

  • Scrum Value #4 – We All Need A Little R-E-S-P-E-C-T

    Posted on by Tim

    Part 4 in a 5-part series. This post covers Respect. When we respect each other, we acknowledge our humanity as a team. Each of us is different. We have different experiences. As well, ideas about how to work. This is the space where regard is essential.

    The fourth value;

    Scrum Team members have respect each other to be capable, independent people

    Scrum.org

    When our daughters were young children, I would say to them the following about their friends’ behavior.

    “It’s not right, it’s not wrong, it’s just different.”

    The same applies to our teams. Also, it extends to the organizations where we work.

    Respect each other

    Sometimes we will disagree. That’s OK. In my post about Scrum Value #3, I covered disagreement.

    Never forget we are all human and each person deserves respect. As capable, independent people, we can inspire esteem in our teams.

    How we act toward each other is a key indicator of how much we value our teammates. The language we use is important and how we treat each other inside and outside team interactions.

    We have the power to increase or decrease trust. This is based on how much or how little we appreciate each other.

    To conclude, I like how Stephanie Ockerman lays out this value on the Scrum.org blog:

    Credit to Stephanie Ockerman

    Value 1, Value 2, Value 3, Value 4, Value 5


    📂This entry was posted in Scrum

  • How To Filter Input And Create

    Posted on by Tim

    I don’t know about you, but I struggle to filter input. Especially when attempting to create.

    At time, it’s easier to be distracted rather than focus. Yet, if I want to achieve a goal, I have to get into the zone where I can be creative.

    One thing I enjoy is music. But it’s a specific type of music. For me, I find I can filter out distractions when I’m listening to electronic dance music (EDM).

    I can sense your skepticism. EDM is probably not your thing. That’s OK with me as this post is not about EDM.

    This post is about the formula.

    (creation + input) x (output + outcome) = goal

    Insert EDM themed photo here

    For Focus, Filter Input

    For me, there are so many things that can distract my creative flow. I don’t know about you, but it’s probably similar.

    The needs of my family. The tasks at work. The challenges of my teams.

    It can get overwhelming. Frustration can set in. And yet, there are ways to wrangle the distractions.

    Our brains do it automatically. We’re unable to consciously manage the amount of information radiated around us.


    📂This entry was posted in Formulas 📎and tagged

  • Agile Value #4 – Embrace Change Like Life Depends On It

    Posted on by Tim

    Part 4 in a 4-part series. This post covers responding to change. Part 1 is posted at this link, Part 2 is posted at this link, and Part 3 is posted at this link.

    Have you ever felt stuck? To the point, where there didn’t seem to be any optimal choices, only suboptimal ones? Me, too.

    Often, we want to plan our way out of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity). We want to know what we’re doing. As well, how we’re going to get it done.

    When building a new product or service, we can’t plan for how our clients, customers, markets, or stakeholders will respond to what we intend to offer. This brings us to the final Agile Value.

    The fourth value:

    Responding to change over following a plan

    Manifesto for Agile Software Development

    A toolbox for responding to change

    Planning is still essential. Plans help people organize around work. But we cannot afford to waste energy, money, and time once plans are outmoded.

    Ideally, we plan in a way that allows us to respond to emergence. As well, we have a toolbox that helps us be more effective in working through VUCA.

    This is where The Flow System (TFS) is powerful.

    The TFS is like a boat with a competent crew. They have a compass, map, and skills to navigate challenging seas. They are always planning their voyage from one leg to the next, while responding to change.

    TFS equips organizations with the tools that include approaches, methods, and techniques that enable and scaffold change.  Additionally, all tools have utility, but some limits need to be identified before using them.

    Think of a hammer, nails, and screws. Using a hammer to pound nails works, but not so much for the screws. The concept in operation here is bounded applicability. Choosing the right tool for the right job.

    It is equally as important to know how to connect tools for a multiplying effect within an underlying context. This helps to curb the enthusiasm for prescribing a common framework and shifting the organizational design to all teams.

    Another way to frame this might be TFS is enterprise-level DevOps! Like DevOps, TFS eliminates, mitigates, and resolves constraints to optimize the flow of value through the entire organizational system. Based on where business is today, TFS should be a part of future conversations.

    To conclude, TFS aligns with Agile Value #4.

    Value 1, Value 2, Value 3, Value 4


    📂This entry was posted in Agile The Flow System (TFS)

  • Show Me The Money With Value Streams

    Posted on by Tim

    Back in mid-April of this year, I was talking to Nigel Thurlow about the future of Agile and value streams. We were catching up as he has been assisting a European client and had returned from spending some time overseas.

    As a student, I like talking with Nigel. I learn more about Lean, The Toyota Production System (TPS), and other concepts that inform my work in the Agile space. At times, we even agree to disagree!

    One of the challenges enterprises face is making their value streams visible. Another way of putting this is “getting from quote to cash.” Hat tip to my sales readers!

    If you aren’t familiar with the concept of value streams, I have a couple of references for you to consider (shown below).

    Learning to See by Mike Rother and John Shook
    Value Stream Mapping by Karen Martin and Mike Osterling

    Teams and value streams (VS)

    VS’s help teams see where work is delayed. Hand-offs waste time and the mapping process make those delays visible.

    When teams can see where work is constrained, they can fix the constraint. The result is an increase in workflow.

    But workflow increases are a part of the story. Teams must go deeper.

    They must explore the contexts that influence their work. This is where The Flow System (TFS) assists.

    Linking the philosophy of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development and TFS is critical as well.

    In future posts, I will cover the triple helix of TFS. Writings on complexity thinking, distributed leadership, and team science will follow!


    📂This entry was posted in The Flow System (TFS) 📎and tagged

  • How To Forge Teams By Deliberate Discomfort

    Posted on by Tim

    Using deliberate discomfort to make teams is what makes the U.S. military. Since I served in the U.S. Navy, I can only speak for my service branch.

    The more elite or special a unit is, the more difficult the process becomes for a trainee to join the unit. Most people think physical exertion is a hurdle to get over.

    In my opinion, the mental challenges are far tougher than the physical barriers.

    To join the submarine force, I need to have a psychological evaluation for mental fitness. Again, I was evaluated for mental soundness to support special operations units in combat.

    Yes, there were physical components involved in the qualification and selection process for both areas. For me, those were not the same as a special operator who would go through Basic Underwater Demolition School (BUDS).

    The “shared suffering” involved in my inductions into these communities left me wanting more. Not in a sick, twisted way, but wanting for closeness that comes with the processes.

    My deliberate discomfort

    After initial training at the Basic Enlisted Submarine School (BESS), I was assigned to the USS ARCHERFISH (SSN 678). Fun fact, I was filmed as part of the documentary, Submarines – Sharks of Steel.

    Screen grab Submarines Sharks of Steel
    Submarines – Sharks of Steel video

    My toughest test was on the ARCHERFISH. It involved two years of qualification and training.

    Qualifying is a “make or break” choice. You either thrive or dive. You can’t tread water.

    I chose to thrive. I completed the process in a year; by putting the time in, studying for hours in my off-duty time.

    I finished the work at sea. Oh, the stories I could tell! As the saying goes, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

    Submarines are a crucible that test adaptability and I passed. I learned to perform under pressure.

    Deliberate discomfort as a non-useful body (nub) turned to shared suffering as a qualified submarine Sailor. Diving and driving submarines are not for the faint-hearted!

    Bringing discomfort to business

    I’m working on how to simulate the identity forging process for business.

    This post frames my experience. More will follow!


    📂This entry was posted in Teamwork Training 📎and tagged

  • What Would Bob Ross Do, Say, Or Think?

    Posted on by Tim

    Have you ever pondered what Bob Ross might do, say, or think? I have, more than once.

    Bob was a creator and had a painting show on the U.S. Public Broadcasting System for decades. He was known for painting landscapes and spoke in a smooth baritone voice.

    Funko Pop Bob Ross
    My Bob Ross reminder

    Which brings me to the formulas:

    (intent + idea) x (belief + action) = creation

    (creation + input) x (output + outcome) = goal

    Note, that I carry over “creation” from one equation to the next. As Bob would say, “There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.”

    Allow me to explain. I’m not a “maths” guy. I do see a correlation between creation as an individual act and creation as a variable in team performance.

    Do, say, or think

    Firstly, creators think a thing before they take action.

    Secondly, some creators talk about the thing to gain insight on what shape the thing might take.

    Finally, the act of doing to bring a thing into existence is step in a simple process.

    I’ll admit, it’s probably an oversimplification. If you want to provide more detail, you can comment on the post.

    By the way, my SEO analyzer and tendency to organize alphabetically placed an enabling constraint on the headings.

    When teams create, they should, collectively “do, say, or think” their way through their processes. It helps develop shared understanding of what they plan to create.

    Separately, it can help them sort teamwork from task work. The difference between work is a topic for a future post.

    To conclude, creation and be an individual and team function in my equations.


    📂This entry was posted in Formulas 📎and tagged

  • Agile Principle #9 – Focus On Technical Excellence And Solid Design

    Posted on by Tim

    Part 9 in a 12-part series. This post covers technical excellence and solid design.

    In part eight of this series, Blake McMillian wrote about A Sustainable Pace For All. He challenges us to expand the context to consider how sustainable pace goes beyond just the people creating the product.

    In this post, we’re looking at technical excellence and design.

    Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

    Principles behind the Agile Manifesto

    For me, technical excellence and solid design cannot be separated. They go together like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

    Not like a peanut butter and ham sandwich. Although, that might be a combination somewhere in the world.

    So, what does technical excellence look like? Or even better, what is good design?

    The standard consulting answer is, “it depends.”

    Maybe there are better questions we should be asking. Notice, “continuous attention . . . enhances agility.”

    What could be removed? How can this be simplified? Can we streamline this workflow?

    The questions above, to me, seems to focus attention to enhance agility.

    Technical excellence and solid design

    In researching for this post, I found two websites worth reviewing.

    As a car guy, I’ve referred to Toyota and Porsche in past posts. In this instance, I’ll note them again. This time based on Agile Principle #9.

    First, Lexus and its design award. Since 2013, Lexus (a Toyota Motor Company brand) has sponsored the award and the entries are inspiring.

    Lexus Stories webpage

    As “Stories” on the Lexus website, you can look at the source page by clicking here.

    Second, Porsche Design which is a lifestyle brand. It takes the inspiration from Porsche automobiles and extends it to other products.

    Porsche Design U.S. homepage

    Click here for the Porsche Design website.

    Two approaches that build on the concepts of this blog post. Both building on their histories around their products. How did Lexus and Porsche get to where they are today?

    I assess it is continuous focus on technical excellence. They didn’t lose sight of their product and service technical or design aspects.

    Neither should we.

    You can learn more about Agile Principles in Part 10 of this series: Simplicity is not easy.

    Principle 1, Principle 2, Principle 3, Principle 4, Principle 5, Principle 6, Principle 7, Principle 8, Principle 9, Principle 10, Principle 11, Principle 12


    📂This entry was posted in Agile 📎and tagged

  • Mic check one two, is this thing on?

    Posted on by Tim

    Hello? Can anyone hear me? Is this thing on?

    I was sharing a story with our youngest daughter. She and her older sister are on a speech and debate team at the high school (secondary school) level. She was struggling with a fellow team member to the degree of high frustration.

    It reminded me of how leadership is about influencing others to act or think a certain way.

    I auditioned for in high school (secondary school) and was accepted into both the choir and chamber group. I was one of four or five second-year students to gain entry to the chamber group.

    First, the normal invitation to join the chamber group was as a third-year or fourth-year student.

    Second, the natural progression was from a junior choir to the main choir to the chamber group.

    Finally, based on demonstrated progression, the student received the audition invitation.

    For me, that wasn’t the case. My situation was highly unusual. I played piano and cello in elementary and middle schools (primary school). Occasionally, I sang in the church choir.

    More bluntly, I was accepted into a group based on an audition with zero social credibility and influence.

    Our daughter was feeling a similar lack of credibility and influence. She wanted to throw in the towel, so to speak.

    I threw in the towel, I quit the chamber group and choir in the middle of my third year.

    I regret my choice today as I took the easy way out of social pressure. In sharing that with our daughter it reminded me of how leaders feel at times.

    My senior yearbook photo

    Is this thing on?

    The Navy’s promotion system worked well to provide enlisted leaders with credibility and influence at the senior level. As a chief petty officer, many would be transferred in the weeks and month following their “pinning”.

    Pinning is the event when a Navy member receives the collar devices denoting a new paygrade. Often, this was several months before being paid at the new level.

    When a chief transferred, he or she joined a new command with built-in credibility and influence. To be clear, this action is based on tradition as much as an understanding of familiarity.

    People who are familiar or unfamiliar will treat leaders or new team members as a potential threat until proven otherwise.

    Objectively, our brains are wired this way. We don’t like change. As a result, we get jealous of people who are elevated into authority or who are given greater influence.

    If you can’t get a transfer to a new team, how do you gain credibility and influence?

    For me, it’s about working with positive intent. Expressly, pursue the team relationships with openness and curiosity.

    For this reason, we’ve been given two ears and one mouth. We need to listen with the intent to understand other people.


    📂This entry was posted in Personal 📎and tagged

  • Take Bold Action On Beliefs For Results

    Posted on by Tim

    Fear is a terrible thing. It paralyzes us from taking action on beliefs. But, without action, our beliefs are basically worthless.

    “It’s easier to act your way into good thinking than to think your way into good action.”

    This was a quote used to wrap up “Plan Vs. Act – Rise To The Challenge.” In the context of this post, it is part of the formula below.

    (intent + idea) x (belief + action) = creation

    Beliefs or mindsets frame how we navigate life. They influence how we connect with people. As well, they enable or inhibit our creative pursuits.

    Bold action on beliefs

    In a team context, action is what achieves outcomes.

    Action is also what serves as the “engine for creation.” In “177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class”, Steve Siebold wrote,

    “The goal of world-class performers is to solve problems fast and move on to solving
    bigger, more complex problems. After all, the great ones know business and enterprise
    are based on problem solving. It’s the cornerstone of commerce.”

    Steve Siebold
    Cover of 177 Mental Toughness Secrets of the World Class

    This is true for teams as well. Problem-solving is action.

    Bigger problems take bolder action to solve. All written, this is where the rubber meets the road in the creative process.


    📂This entry was posted in Formulas 📎and tagged