Agile Coaches' Corner

In this episode, Professional Scrum Trainer Sam Falco addresses the question: "How do we avoid Scrum adoption pitfalls?"

Last week, a student asked me what are some common pitfalls that we see when organizations shift to Scrum from a “big design upfront” process like waterfall.

A big one is that they think it’s a silver bullet

Adopting Scrum doesn’t solve problems overnight. It doesn’t solve problems at all! Scrum will surface the problems in your ability to deliver so that you can fix them. Too many organizations falter when Scrum runs up against an organizational impediment and “the way we’ve always done it” wins out. One example of this phenomenon is when there’s an onerous change management system that prevents code from getting into production. Scrum teams complete an increment and it sits there waiting until someone approves it to be moved to production. Sometimes, the wait is so long that multiple increments pile up.

Some organizations will cling to that change management system even though it’s getting in the way. Success comes when they adapt to the new way of working. At one organization I worked with, the solution was to set up an experiment with one team working on a less risky area of code. Once they proved that they could safely put code into production without breaking things, it paved the way for broader changes to their process.

Another pitfall is that the organization doesn’t really adopt Scrum

 In many cases, organizations claim to adopt Scrum, but what they really do is apply Scrum terminology to existing roles and processes. I frequently see the term “Product Owner” used—or maybe I should say abused—as a new name for a Project Manager. But those Project Managers carry on pretty much the way they did before. They lack any of the accountabilities or authority of a Scrum Product Owner. They shift from using Gant charts measured in weeks to plotting out a project in Sprints over several months.

And that’s another way this behavior manifests. They’ll use the name of Scrum events without understanding their underlying purpose. A Sprint lacks the focus of creating a usable increment. “Daily Scrum” is a daily status report. “Sprint Review” is a carefully orchestrated smoke-and-mirrors show with limited, if any feedback or collaboration with stakeholders.

Without using all of its roles, events, and artifacts—and the rules that bind them together—you’re not using Scrum. You’re probably perpetuating your existing system. You know, the one that wasn’t working for you before. This is the realm of “Scrum, but.” And “Scrum, but” is not Scrum at all.

They don’t make other necessary changes

Even when an organization adopts Scrum’s mechanics, they sometimes find that Scrum doesn’t provide the benefits they hoped for. Delivery improves a little, but it soon plateaus and it’s a struggle to keep improving. That’s because other changes are necessary to really reap the gains of Scrum.

A common organizational structure is to have teams organized around technical layers or components. For example, a User Interface team, a Data Access Team, a Service gateway team, and so on. Scrum requires that we produce a working increment each Sprint, which means one that’s in usable condition. Teams organized by layers or components face numerous handoffs and challenges integrating their work. There’s a loss of transparency, and they struggle to compete that working increment.

The solution is to form teams that can deliver complete features that cut across all layers. Scrum doesn’t tell you to do that, but it works best if you do.

Scrum also doesn’t tell you to adopt good DevOps practices, or incorporate Kanban techniques, or to refactor your code. They’re all still good ideas.

Scrum is incomplete for a reason and that’s so that you can identify what works best for your organization. You have to go beyond Scrum. I talked about the pitfall of “Scrum, but,” earlier. But “Just Scrum” isn’t enough. You need “Scrum, and.”

Adopting Scrum requires a shift in organizational mindset. Without that, people revert to familiar behavior, even if that behavior wasn’t effective. And adopting Scrum can’t be an endpoint. It’s the beginning of a journey of experimentation and continuous improvement. In the Trainer Talk episode “Why Does Scrum Have So Many Meetings?” a few weeks ago, I mentioned that implementing Scrum requires intentional, thoughtful organizational redesign. That’s true of implementing the basics of the framework, but it’s equally true about the wider ecosystem that Scrum teams work in. And just like I said in that earlier episode, that’s why you need a good experienced Scrum Master—and sometimes more than one—to guide your organization’s Scrum adoption.

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Register for our upcoming web meetings by visiting agilethought.com/events

See available training courses at agilethought.com/training.

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes at AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

Joining the podcast once again one of Dan’s favorite return guests, Christy Erbeck! Christy is a principal transformation consultant at AgileThought and a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator (CDTLF). She has over 25 years of experience in domestic and international consulting, training and coaching, and working in both software development and non-product-focused environments, including manufacturing (discrete and process), distribution, and sales and marketing.

 

In this episode, they are exploring the topic of uncertainties. There’s a lot of uncertainty going on in the world right now with COVID-19. We’re in this awkward gray zone that Christy refers to as “the muddy middle.” And, as much as we’re getting used to this ‘new normal,’ there are still adjustments and daily changes that can be very disruptive to our psyche. So, in today’s conversation, Christy and Dan are taking a deep dive into exploring these uncertainties and Christy provides the tools and tips you need to better adapt during this confusing time and make the most of it!

 

Key Takeaways

What is this ‘new normal?’

The ‘new normal’ can refer to “the new better” in reference to organizational transformation or change (because with these new changes come new ways of working and new ways of thinking that create a better outcome than what was previously in place)

In reference to what we’re currently experiencing, ‘our new reality’ may be a better phrase

‘New normal’ is a concept of accepting the current disruption as our new reality to have an easier time adapting to the new way our day-to-day lives look

The sooner we recognize that this is our reality the better able we will be able to adapt, grieve our old reality, and find a way to make this current reality the best we can

Christy’s tips and tools for adapting to the ‘new normal:’

First, recognize where you are personally and take some time to reflect and go inward and ask yourself: “Where am I? How am I feeling?”

Christy uses a journal to track her mood every day so she’s better able to reflect on where she’s at

Recognize that we cannot, at this moment, move into comparative suffering (i.e. saying that your suffering is worth more than someone else’s and vice-versa)

Own how you feel

Dig deep into your ability to empathize and seek to understand how others are experiencing the ‘new normal’

Be overly generous with yourself (which will give you the space and capacity to be overly generous with those in your circle and community)

Adopt the concept “assume good intent” because, as you take care of yourself, you’ll have more space to assume good in others around you (which gives extra grace with your interactions with people)

Come together and allow everyone to share their voice and stories

Reach out for help if, in your process, you are still struggling (because you don’t have to do this alone)

Anti-patterns/How we should not respond:

Comparative suffering

Competitive storytelling

Listening to respond

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

APA’s Help Center

SILK + SONDER (Self-care monthly planner and journal subscription service)

“10 Eye-Opening Statistics on the Mental Health Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic,” Forbes

The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, by M. Scott Peck

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz

Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders, by L. David Marquet

Brené Brown

 

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

Joining the podcast once again one of Dan’s favorite return guests, Christy Erbeck! Christy is a principal transformation consultant at AgileThought and a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator (CDTLF). She has over 25 years of experience in domestic and international consulting, training and coaching, and working in both software development and non-product-focused environments, including manufacturing (discrete and process), distribution, and sales and marketing.

 

In this episode, they are exploring the topic of uncertainties. There’s a lot of uncertainty going on in the world right now with COVID-19. We’re in this awkward gray zone that Christy refers to as “the muddy middle.” And, as much as we’re getting used to this ‘new normal,’ there are still adjustments and daily changes that can be very disruptive to our psyche. So, in today’s conversation, Christy and Dan are taking a deep dive into exploring these uncertainties and Christy provides the tools and tips you need to better adapt during this confusing time and make the most of it!

 

Key Takeaways

What is this ‘new normal?’

The ‘new normal’ can refer to “the new better” in reference to organizational transformation or change (because with these new changes come new ways of working and new ways of thinking that create a better outcome than what was previously in place)

In reference to what we’re currently experiencing, ‘our new reality’ may be a better phrase

‘New normal’ is a concept of accepting the current disruption as our new reality to have an easier time adapting to the new way our day-to-day lives look

The sooner we recognize that this is our reality the better able we will be able to adapt, grieve our old reality, and find a way to make this current reality the best we can

Christy’s tips and tools for adapting to the ‘new normal:’

First, recognize where you are personally and take some time to reflect and go inward and ask yourself: “Where am I? How am I feeling?”

Christy uses a journal to track her mood every day so she’s better able to reflect on where she’s at

Recognize that we cannot, at this moment, move into comparative suffering (i.e. saying that your suffering is worth more than someone else’s and vice-versa)

Own how you feel

Dig deep into your ability to empathize and seek to understand how others are experiencing the ‘new normal’

Be overly generous with yourself (which will give you the space and capacity to be overly generous with those in your circle and community)

Adopt the concept “assume good intent” because, as you take care of yourself, you’ll have more space to assume good in others around you (which gives extra grace with your interactions with people)

Come together and allow everyone to share their voice and stories

Reach out for help if, in your process, you are still struggling (because you don’t have to do this alone)

Anti-patterns/How we should not respond:

Comparative suffering

Competitive storytelling

Listening to respond

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

APA’s Help Center

SILK + SONDER (Self-care monthly planner and journal subscription service)

“10 Eye-Opening Statistics on the Mental Health Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic,” Forbes

The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, by M. Scott Peck

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz

Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders, by L. David Marquet

Brené Brown

 

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

In this week’s episode, Dan Neumann is joined by special guest and AgileThought colleague, Andrea Floyd! Andrea is an enterprise agile transformation consultant at AgileThought. Andrea has 25 years of experience in software development and management. She is an innovator who has led multiple organization-wide scaled agile implementations, and she has also architected innovative solution strategies and roadmaps across many frameworks (including Scrum, Kanban, and the Scaled Agile Framework).

 

Last week on the podcast, Dan and Quincy Jordan were exploring the topic of getting to ‘start’ as a Scrum team and overcoming the inertia of being stuck. Continuing on this theme, Dan and Andrea figured it would be fitting to discuss what comes after getting to start. I.e., start finishing! So, in this episode, they discuss everything that happens between starting to finishing, getting to ‘done’ incrementally, challenges Scrum teams run into with starting ‘finishing,’ and Andrea’s tips for getting to ‘done’!

 

Key Takeaways

Challenges Scrum teams run into with starting ‘finishing’:

They get stuck with reimagining the new way of working and understanding how to get to ‘done’ incrementally

They face analysis paralysis by overthinking (which prevents them from adapting to this new way of working)

They may defer risk due to their fear of failure

They have a reluctance to let go of yesterday and falling back on the previous practices they were comfortable with because it’s easier/what they know

They take on more work without considering what’s going on with the rest of the team

What does “finish” or “done” mean?

All organizations have their own, unique definition of ‘done’

Some organizations even have multiple definitions of done for different levels (i.e., ‘done’ at the story level, done at the sprint level, done at the release level, etc. [it depends on their build and release cadence])

Andrea’s tips for teams for getting to ‘done’:

It is important for the team to discuss what “finish” or “done” means and to come to a consensus

Make the definition of “done” visible in the team room (the more visible it is, the easier it is to refer to and to guide conversations)

Get creative in the visibility of your team’s definition of ‘done’ — Andrea suggests making team t-shirts with the slogan, “Our definition of done: ______”

Look for opportunities to care and work with your team members to support them in this journey (retrospectives and daily scrums can be great opportunities for positive reinforcement, calling out work well done, and celebrating successes)

Work together as a team and help one another

Consider adopting a catchphrase for your team such as, “No man/woman left behind”

Stay focused on the sprint goal as a team

The practices established in Scrum will help you understand the ‘why’ behind what you’re doing and how you’re working

Use the Five Whys to understand the root cause of why some team members may be stuck in their ways and not wanting to adapt

Get the team to a point where they feel safe and courageous enough to share the challenges they may be facing that are preventing them from achieving their goals

Create an environment that feels safe and supports learning, courage, and experimentation

Make safety a prerequisite

You can achieve great wins as a leader by empowering your team, helping them become autonomous, and teaching them the ability to self-organize

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Agile Coaches’ Corner Ep. 83: “Getting to ‘Start’ as a Scrum Team with Quincy Jordan”

The Failure Bow

The Five Whys

Waco (TV Mini-Series)

Tiger King (Netflix Series)

 

Andrea Floyd’s Book Pick:

The Age of Agile: How Smart Companies Are Transforming the Way Work Gets Done, by Stephen Denning

 

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

In this week’s episode, Dan Neumann is joined by special guest and AgileThought colleague, Andrea Floyd! Andrea is an enterprise agile transformation consultant at AgileThought. Andrea has 25 years of experience in software development and management. She is an innovator who has led multiple organization-wide scaled agile implementations, and she has also architected innovative solution strategies and roadmaps across many frameworks (including Scrum, Kanban, and the Scaled Agile Framework).

 

Last week on the podcast, Dan and Quincy Jordan were exploring the topic of getting to ‘start’ as a Scrum team and overcoming the inertia of being stuck. Continuing on this theme, Dan and Andrea figured it would be fitting to discuss what comes after getting to start. I.e., start finishing! So, in this episode, they discuss everything that happens between starting to finishing, getting to ‘done’ incrementally, challenges Scrum teams run into with starting ‘finishing,’ and Andrea’s tips for getting to ‘done’!

 

Key Takeaways

Challenges Scrum teams run into with starting ‘finishing’:

They get stuck with reimagining the new way of working and understanding how to get to ‘done’ incrementally

They face analysis paralysis by overthinking (which prevents them from adapting to this new way of working)

They may defer risk due to their fear of failure

They have a reluctance to let go of yesterday and falling back on the previous practices they were comfortable with because it’s easier/what they know

They take on more work without considering what’s going on with the rest of the team

What does “finish” or “done” mean?

All organizations have their own, unique definition of ‘done’

Some organizations even have multiple definitions of done for different levels (i.e., ‘done’ at the story level, done at the sprint level, done at the release level, etc. [it depends on their build and release cadence])

Andrea’s tips for teams for getting to ‘done’:

It is important for the team to discuss what “finish” or “done” means and to come to a consensus

Make the definition of “done” visible in the team room (the more visible it is, the easier it is to refer to and to guide conversations)

Get creative in the visibility of your team’s definition of ‘done’ — Andrea suggests making team t-shirts with the slogan, “Our definition of done: ______”

Look for opportunities to care and work with your team members to support them in this journey (retrospectives and daily scrums can be great opportunities for positive reinforcement, calling out work well done, and celebrating successes)

Work together as a team and help one another

Consider adopting a catchphrase for your team such as, “No man/woman left behind”

Stay focused on the sprint goal as a team

The practices established in Scrum will help you understand the ‘why’ behind what you’re doing and how you’re working

Use the Five Whys to understand the root cause of why some team members may be stuck in their ways and not wanting to adapt

Get the team to a point where they feel safe and courageous enough to share the challenges they may be facing that are preventing them from achieving their goals

Create an environment that feels safe and supports learning, courage, and experimentation

Make safety a prerequisite

You can achieve great wins as a leader by empowering your team, helping them become autonomous, and teaching them the ability to self-organize

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Agile Coaches’ Corner Ep. 83: “Getting to ‘Start’ as a Scrum Team with Quincy Jordan”

The Failure Bow

The Five Whys

Waco (TV Mini-Series)

Tiger King (Netflix Series)

 

Andrea Floyd’s Book Pick:

The Age of Agile: How Smart Companies Are Transforming the Way Work Gets Done, by Stephen Denning

 

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

Joining Dan Neumann this week is frequent guest, Quincy Jordan! Quincy has been with AgileThought for just over two years as a principal transformation consultant and agile competency lead. Prior to AgileThought, Quincy was the transformation lead for Pivotal’s Atlanta office, where he consulted with clients to help them reach enterprise scale. He has also served as a principal consultant and agile coach at SCRUMstudy.com for over six years.

 

In this episode, Dan and Quincy are talking about what it takes to get from zero to ‘start’ as a Scrum team. They speak about the different types of starting, the strong values needed for getting started, the foundational pieces you need a strong understanding of, some of the bad practices and anti-patterns teams fall into when getting started, and additional key pieces to keep in mind after a Scrum team is established.

 

If you want to know how to go from zero to start — stay tuned in!

 

Key Takeaways

Scrum values that are key to getting started:

Courage is needed to get to the point of deciding to start

A willingness to try something that you haven’t tried before

Adaptation is crucial

Be comfortable moving forward in the face of ambiguity

Being okay with starting before everything is “perfect” or “right” (because you can’t ever get it “right” if you don’t start at all)

Key points and understandings to getting to ‘start:’

Clarify the roles in Scrum

Refer to the Scrum Guide to understand the foundations of the framework

Determine who is going to fill the role of Scrum Master and the Scrum Product Owner

It is critical to understand that the Scrum framework is already so scaled down that you really can’t take anything out

If you do not have enough team members to separate the roles out it is possible to start, but not recommended

Having the product backlog in place helps keep the team focused — especially early on (because it helps the team know what they’re headed toward is truly producing value)

Start with the questions: Do we have a team? Do we have a group of people who are committed to doing the work? Are they cross-functional enough to do the actual increment at the end of every sprint? Do they have a product backlog that helps identify what to do?

Take note of what isn’t in the Scrum guide

You don’t need to forecast four or five sprints out (too much will change before you get to that point); if you have enough for one or two sprints you can start

Camaraderie is an essential part of doing Scrum

Leadership support/buy-in is not 100% necessary to get started

You should have a commitment to allocate a cross-functional group of people to the effort and allow them to focus

The team needs to collaborate and work together; you can’t have islands within the team

Key pieces to understand after getting to ‘start’:

A way to gain leadership support/buy-in is to get some early, quick wins and show the value of what your Scrum team is doing

When the leadership support is there, the onus is on the team to make sure that they’re communicating well with leadership

Communicate well with leadership by not only letting them know what’s great but letting them know the challenges as well

Frequent communication within the team outside of the daily Scrum is crucial

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Scrum Guide

 

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

Joining Dan Neumann this week is frequent guest, Quincy Jordan! Quincy has been with AgileThought for just over two years as a principal transformation consultant and agile competency lead. Prior to AgileThought, Quincy was the transformation lead for Pivotal’s Atlanta office, where he consulted with clients to help them reach enterprise scale. He has also served as a principal consultant and agile coach at SCRUMstudy.com for over six years.

 

In this episode, Dan and Quincy are talking about what it takes to get from zero to ‘start’ as a Scrum team. They speak about the different types of starting, the strong values needed for getting started, the foundational pieces you need a strong understanding of, some of the bad practices and anti-patterns teams fall into when getting started, and additional key pieces to keep in mind after a Scrum team is established.

 

If you want to know how to go from zero to start — stay tuned in!

 

Key Takeaways

Scrum values that are key to getting started:

Courage is needed to get to the point of deciding to start

A willingness to try something that you haven’t tried before

Adaptation is crucial

Be comfortable moving forward in the face of ambiguity

Being okay with starting before everything is “perfect” or “right” (because you can’t ever get it “right” if you don’t start at all)

Key points and understandings to getting to ‘start:’

Clarify the roles in Scrum

Refer to the Scrum Guide to understand the foundations of the framework

Determine who is going to fill the role of Scrum Master and the Scrum Product Owner

It is critical to understand that the Scrum framework is already so scaled down that you really can’t take anything out

If you do not have enough team members to separate the roles out it is possible to start, but not recommended

Having the product backlog in place helps keep the team focused — especially early on (because it helps the team know what they’re headed toward is truly producing value)

Start with the questions: Do we have a team? Do we have a group of people who are committed to doing the work? Are they cross-functional enough to do the actual increment at the end of every sprint? Do they have a product backlog that helps identify what to do?

Take note of what isn’t in the Scrum guide

You don’t need to forecast four or five sprints out (too much will change before you get to that point); if you have enough for one or two sprints you can start

Camaraderie is an essential part of doing Scrum

Leadership support/buy-in is not 100% necessary to get started

You should have a commitment to allocate a cross-functional group of people to the effort and allow them to focus

The team needs to collaborate and work together; you can’t have islands within the team

Key pieces to understand after getting to ‘start’:

A way to gain leadership support/buy-in is to get some early, quick wins and show the value of what your Scrum team is doing

When the leadership support is there, the onus is on the team to make sure that they’re communicating well with leadership

Communicate well with leadership by not only letting them know what’s great but letting them know the challenges as well

Frequent communication within the team outside of the daily Scrum is crucial

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

The Scrum Guide

 

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

In this episode, Professional Scrum Trainer Eric Landes addresses the questions: "hy would the Scrum guide not use ceremonies and events interchangeably?"

Introduction

In some classes, students will refer to the scrum events as ceremonies.  Yet the guide refers to these as events.  So why would the Scrum guide not use ceremonies and events interchangeably?  My answer typically is something along these lines:

What is a Ceremony?

While we might be able to use these words interchangeably, I think there is a reason for the distinction.  There is not a clear explanation in the scrum guide why this is.  But if we look at the definition of “Ceremony,” we might find some hints.  According to dictionary.com, one of the definitions of ceremony is "the formal activities conducted on some solemn or important public or state occasion".  I think the key is in formal and solemn.  In fact, most of the rest of the explanations include the word or a variant of the word formal.

What is an Event?

In contrast, dicitonary.com defines event.  "something that happens or is regarded as happening; an occurrence, especially one of some importance."  The scrum guide says this about events - "Prescribed events are used in Scrum to create regularity and to minimize the need for meetings not defined in Scrum.” The talk of creating regularity is better defined by event than ceremony to me.  And this speaks to scrum as a whole.  It is more about a framework that helps solve complex problems, it's not a solemn process that teams must follow.

Scrum Should Minimize Other Meetings

I also emphasize to students that the events are supposed to minimize the need for meetings not defined in Scrum.  If team members are saying that Scrum makes most of their time about meetings, I will respond that this is not from the scrum framework.  This may be an issue where prior meetings for non-scrum frameworks are still on the books and may not be necessary!  As a team take some time and evaluate the need for these meetings.

Collaboration is Key

Sometimes I will tell classes that Scrum and other agile frameworks were invented to make sure that developers meet in a regular cadence.  Collaboration was not a necessary component of software development when I first started.  Agile frameworks just showed us knowledge workers how much we needed collaboration and gave us events that made sure we were collaborating! 

Conclusion

So whatever we call these events, make sure to follow the framework, and use them to encourage and foster team collaboration!

Want to Learn More or Get in Touch?

Register for our upcoming web meetings by visiting agilethought.com/events

See available training courses at agilethought.com/training.

Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes at AgileThought.com!

Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

In this episode, Professional Scrum Trainer Eric Landes addresses the questions: "hy would the Scrum guide not use ceremonies and events interchangeably?"

Introduction

In some classes, students will refer to the scrum events as ceremonies.  Yet the guide refers to these as events.  So why would the Scrum guide not use ceremonies and events interchangeably?  My answer typically is something along these lines:

This week, Dan Neumann is joined by a special return guest — Christy Erbeck! Christy is a Principal Transformation Consultant at AgileThought and a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator. She has over 25 years of experience in domestic and international consulting, training and coaching, and working in both software development and non-product-focused environments, including manufacturing (discrete and process), distribution, and sales and marketing.

 

Today, they’re going to be exploring the topic of how to ask powerful questions. Powerful questions can lead to powerful change if they are asked in the right way. In this episode, Christy explains what makes a question powerful vs. a not-so-powerful one, how to ask powerful questions, when and when not to ask a powerful question, and important qualities and skills for a facilitator or coach to have that is asking these powerful questions. Christy also shares some fantastic resources for further reading on the subject and provides some examples of what powerful questions look like!

 

Key Takeaways

What makes a ‘powerful question?’

A powerful question is one that gets the person being asked to think about the situation in a way that they may not have if the question had not been asked

Powerful questions elicit a thoughtful response

They provide a way to help the individual being asked to become ‘unstuck’

The Co-Active Training Institute defines a powerful question as: “A provocative query that puts a halt to evasion and confusion”

The person asking the question is inviting the client to clarity, action, and discovery at an entirely new level

They help people think differently

How to ask powerful questions:

Kickstart coaching sessions by asking, “What’s on your mind?” to simply begin the conversation in a way that allows the coachee to bring forward a topic in a way that is non-judgemental and invites additional inquiry

Ask a question in a neutral way versus a ‘loaded’ way

Stay neutral and ask the question in a curious way rather than in a judgemental way

Use the Five Whys technique

Take into consideration the layering and sequencing of the questions you’re asking

Make sure that the person you’re engaging with is interested and engaged

Ask yourself if you have earned the right to ask the question in the first place (i.e. a level of mutual respect has been reached and the person being asked believes you to be credible)

Important qualities and skills for a facilitator or coach asking these powerful questions to have:

Understand what type of questions or decision-making needs to happen in the moment

Understand the different types of questions and the different intents and outcomes that those questions will provide

Have a natural curiosity and perspective of care when working with clients

Create space and allow for silence for people to answer the questions

When shouldn’t you ask a powerful question?

When you don’t have time to debrief and explore

Potentially, in a group setting (it is important to consider the dynamic of the room)

Ask yourself, “Is now the time to ask this question?” because the trust and safety may not be strong enough yet to be asking certain questions

Questions that are uninvited, at an inappropriate time, or out of line

Examples of powerful questions:

“What do we need to do to wrap this up and have clarity around our next steps?”

“What’s preventing us from moving forward?”

“What’s keeping [decision] from actually being enacted?”

“Tell me more” questions

Clarification questions

Open-ended questions such as who, what, when, where, why, and how

Powerful resources to learn more about powerful questions:

The Co-Active Training Institute

The Coaching Habit, by Michael Bungay Stanier

The Complete Book of Questions, by Garry D. Poole

Vertellis — a card game

 

Mentioned in this Episode:

Co-Active Training Institute

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever, by Michael Bungay Stanier

Five Whys Technique

The Complete Book of Questions: 1001 Conversation Starters for Any Occasion, by Garry D. Poole

Vertellis card game

 

Christy Erbeck’s Book Picks:

Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs, by John Doerr

Employee Experience: Develop a Happy, Productive and Supported Workforce for Exceptional Individual and Business Performance, by Ben Whitter

 

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