Definitely, Maybe Agile

 In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Dave and Peter talk to Marius de Beer, Senior Director of Digital Product Delivery at Aritzia, about the challenges and evolution of agile practices. After years of working on transformations at different organizations, Marius has distilled agile transformation down to four things: How you are measured, recognized, rewarded, and supported. This is an episode you won't want to miss!

This week's takeaways:

• Change itself has changed: Making change a natural part of learning, responding, and growing helps remove the fear and resistance associated with it.
• Applying the four principles at each organizational layer: It's important to consider the needs and recognition of the organization as a whole, not just individuals or teams.
• Instead of forcefully pushing tools and practices onto individuals or teams, providing support and focusing on how people are measured, recognized, and rewarded is more effective.

To join the discussion, email us at [email protected] with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases. 

Peter and Dave explore strategy creation in this episode, specifically focusing on product development, discovery, and management. Drawing from their own experiences, they discuss the challenge of balancing creating a product and actively listening to customers when venturing into a new marketplace. They raise important questions, such as determining when a product is ready for the market and identifying the differentiators that will enable organizational success in a competitive landscape.

This week's takeaways:

• It's essential to understand the customer's needs and motivations.
• Emphasizing an emergent strategy allows you to rapidly iterate, improve, and build upon your product based on customer feedback and market insights.
• Find the balance between exploration (observing, listening, empathizing) and exploitation (accelerating product delivery).

We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes at [email protected]. And remember to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases. 

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock discuss the book "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni. They talk about how the book provides a natural description of the challenges faced by teams and emphasize that the book focuses on the team's dysfunction at the top of the organization and how it affects the entire business.

This week's takeaways:

• The value of taking time out as a leadership team. Stepping away from the daily grind can help leadership teams address dysfunctions.
• The benefit of investing in teams. When teams are allowed to work together, they surpass expectations and progress faster. 
• The importance of fostering an environment for collaboration. Investing in teams and enabling effective collaboration leads to greater value creation and faster progress.

Resources: 

• The Tuckman Model: A Roadmap for Team Development and Success- https://medium.com/@williammeller/the-tuckman-model-of-team-development-c0b3fbdce0de
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21343.The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team

We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes at [email protected]. And remember to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases.

 In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock have a special guest, Jorge Arevalo, CIO, CTO, IT Director, and consultant. The topic of discussion for today's episode revolves around the role of C-level executives and the board in the context of digital transformation. Jorge shares his firsthand experiences with digital transformation projects in the banking sector and sheds light on the challenges C-level executives and boards face during these initiatives.

This week's takeaways:

• Understand the why. Having a clear understanding of the why will help to guide the transformation and ensure that it is successful.
• Create a safe environment. In a safe environment, people feel comfortable enough to speak up resulting in a greater willingness to share ideas and take risks.
• Ensure digital literacy. The board of directors should have a basic understanding of digital technology.  We talk through how to make this happen.

Resources:
Turn Your Ship Around!: A Workbook for Implementing Intent-Based Leadership in Your Organization -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22529128-turn-your-ship-around

We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes at [email protected]. And remember to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases. 

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock chat with Eric Brook, CTO, Technology & Product Executive, about the importance of ownership in organizations. Brook explains that ownership is not just about control, but about a sense of responsibility and accountability for our work. He offers a number of practices that organizations can use to foster a culture of ownership.

This week's takeaways:

• Ownership is not just about individual employees. It is also about teams and organizations as a whole.
• It doesn't come for free, it takes effort and commitment from everyone involved.
• Creating a culture of ownership is an ongoing journey. It is important to be open to feedback and change.

Resources:

• Eric's new blog post - https://ericbrooke.blog/2023/05/10/ownership-in-small-and-medium-technology-companies-part-1/
• Learning Domain-Driven Design: Aligning Software Architecture and Business Strategy - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57573212

To join the discussion, email us at [email protected] with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases.  So, let's dive in!

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Dave and Peter have a special guest, Mike Freislich, co-founder, coach & Trainer of We Do Change. This time we'll have a slightly longer episode than normal as we dive into different aspects of Kanban Flight Levels framework and how it can be used to help organizations achieve business agility.

This week's takeaways:

• It allows teams to have a concept of strategy for themselves.
• When embarking on an organizational change, do not do it alone.
• Create a culture of inclusion and collaboration to empower employees to take ownership of their work.

Resources:
Mike Freislich  - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikefreislich/ https://www.wedochange.io/

To join the discussion, email us at [email protected] with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases.  So, let's dive in! 

 In this week's episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock discuss the challenges and opportunities of scaling agile. It's the age old story. Organization meets Agile, tries it in a small area, has some initial success, and then says "let's do this elsewhere!".  At that point the wheels come off the car.

They argue that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to scaling agile, and that the best approach will vary depending on the specific organization. There's a need to focus on what is the outcome you are looking for? People forget the goal is agility, not more Agile. They also agree that it is essential to avoid simply "scaling" a framework, and that instead, the focus should be on "descaling" the work.


This week's takeaways:
- Involve all stakeholders in the scaling process
- Scaling agile means scaling the work, not the framework
- Use frameworks as a starting point, not a destination
- Transformation is essential for successful scaling

To join the discussion, email us at [email protected] with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases.  So, let's dive in! 

In a recent episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock explore if AI tools can replace Agile coaches. Is there a future where ChatGPT or other AI-powered tools eliminate the need for human interaction in Agile coaching? Discover their insights on how AI can enhance our knowledge and potential pitfalls to avoid.

This week's takeaways:

• AI could be seen as an augmentation of human capabilities rather than a replacement. This can accelerate learning and problem-solving.
• It's important to understand and evaluate the output of AI tools, as they may not always be correct.
• We should start experimenting with AI now, but always be ready to take back control if needed.

Feedback is always welcome, including questions, topic suggestions, or participation in a conversation, by emailing [email protected]. Hit the subscribe button for the podcast to stay updated on the latest episodes. 

Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the significance of culture in driving organizational change in the “Are we having fun yet?” episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast. They emphasize that imposing “your method” and “your framework” on others will not bring them on board with the transformation.

A better outcome is happier. Are the actions we are taking removing barriers and resulting in happier employees? When we forget it isn't about “our method,” we start to inflict instead of inviting people. When that happens, people lose agency. People need to feel they can contribute.

This week's takeaways:

•  We should enjoy what we do
• Don't try copying somebody else model
• The focus on the method vs. the outcome

"The principal function of most corporations is not to maximize shareholder value, but to maximize the standard of living and quality of work life of those who manage the corporation"- Russell Ackoff.  Providing the shareholders with a return on their investments is a requirement, not an objective. As Peter Drucker observed, profit is to a corporation as oxygen is to a human being: necessary for existence, not the reason for it. A corporation that fails to provide an adequate return for their investment to its employees and customers is just as likely to fail as one that does not reward its shareholders adequately.

Feedback is always welcome, including questions, topic suggestions, or participation in a conversation, by emailing [email protected]. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for the podcast to stay updated on the latest episodes. 

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock delve into a common dilemma faced by many organizations: why should they invest in Agile or digital transformation if their workforce lacks interest in it? They discuss the importance of creating an engaging, fulfilling, and motivating work environment, pointing out that disengagement is often a sign of deeper issues within the organization. Leaders must prioritize their employees' well-being to avoid a downward spiral.

This week's takeaways: 

• Understand the system, don't blame the people
• Environment determines commitment
• Clear and aligned incentive drives behaviour and reinforced by structure

Resources:
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups-  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33517721-the-culture-code
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness-  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3450744-nudge

Feedback is always welcome, including questions, topic suggestions, or participation in a conversation, by emailing [email protected]. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for the podcast to stay updated on the latest episodes.