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In this episode, Peter and Dave explore the complexities of accountability and leadership in organizations. They delve into how systems can often constrain agency and foster "learned helplessness," even when leaders claim to have an open-door policy. The conversation touches on the importance of empathetic listening, inclusive language, and creating environments that empower teams to make decisions closer to the issues they face.

This week´s takeaways: 

• Organizational systems are often designed to produce repetitive, constrained behavior, making it difficult for individuals to break out of engrained patterns, even when change is needed.
• True accountability requires not just assigning responsibility, but providing the authority, support and incentives for people to exercise that accountability.
• Leaders must be intentional about using inclusive language that creates psychological safety and invites open dialogue, rather than language that shuts down discourse.

Resources:

• The Unaccountability Machine by Dan Davis- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211161687-the-unaccountability-machine
• Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say -- and What You Don't by David Marquet - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42774083-leadership-is-language?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_39

 We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic please contact us at [email protected].

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In this episode, Peter and David dive into the complexities of organizational change, exploring how agile transformations sometimes discard valuable lessons from past change management practices. They discuss blending systems thinking, behavioral economics, and incremental change approaches to create truly adaptive organizations. The conversation spans concepts like organizational immune systems, the human element in change, and the importance of clear strategy and communication.

This week's takeaways:

• Blindly following capital-A "Agile" transformations can lead to throwing out valuable organizational change management wisdom accumulated over decades.
• Organizations are complex systems, and sustainable change requires understanding human behaviors and making changes at a rate the organizational "immune system" can absorb rather than big disruptive shifts.
• Clear strategic direction combined with empowering teams for continuous bottom-up improvement is critical. Frequent communication and recognizing people as adaptive beings, not just mechanical components, is crucial for effective change.

 We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic related to organizational change management and creating truly adaptive systems, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

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In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the qualities to look for when recruiting and selecting the perfect Product Owner (PO). They delve into the nuances between a Product Owner and a Product Manager role, emphasizing the importance of defining the authority and accountability the PO will have. The conversation explores the essential attributes of an excellent PO, including domain knowledge, understanding business models, data-driven decision-making, effective communication skills, and the ability to navigate various stakeholder demands. They also highlight the significance of storytelling and sharing real-life experiences during the interview process as a strong indicator of a high-caliber PO.

This week´s takeaways:

• Clearly outline the level of authority and accountability the PO will have over the product's success, profitability, and decision-making. 
• Look for candidates with relevant domain experience, an understanding of the business models, and the capability to analyze the product's impact on the organization's ecosystem, including costs, revenue, and customer satisfaction.
• During the interview process, pay attention to candidates who naturally share stories and narratives about their experiences, challenges they overcame, and lessons learned. These stories often provide insights into their problem-solving abilities and deep understanding of product ownership.

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic related to nurturing exceptional product ownership, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. 

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In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss how to integrate threat modeling into the secure development lifecycle (SDLC) at scale. They cover the importance of shifting security practices left, and how to establish communication channels between development teams and security experts.

Key takeaways:

• Threat modeling is a security practice that involves identifying and mitigating potential threats to an organization's assets.
• Threat models should be created and maintained early in the SDLC, but don't need to be updated for every minor change.
• A mechanism for ongoing communication between developers and security professionals is essential for effective threat modeling.

Resources:

• Sooner Safer Happier   by Jonathan Smart - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/50343488
• Larry Maccherone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyS1kmmlA5Y
• Martin Fowler blog  https://martinfowler.com/articles/scaling-architecture-conversationally.html

 Whether you're diving into DevSecOps or just looking to get a handle on threat modeling at scale, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in now as Dave and Peter discuss how to future-proof your organization! 

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In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock are joined by Melissa Boggs, a leadership coach, consultant, and keynote speaker for Agile 2024. They discuss Melissa's experience as the co-CEO and chief scrum master of Scrum Alliance during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation dives into the topics of employee experience design, non-hierarchical organizations, and the importance of co-creating buy-in for organizational change.

Key Takeaways:

• Delegating authority and distributing power within an organization requires providing context, setting boundaries, and preparing employees for decision-making responsibilities.
• Leaders often avoid change due to a fear of losing authority, power, or performance. Coaching and empathy are essential to help leaders move from a state of caution to curiosity and eventually courage.
• Co-creating buy-in through collaboration and involving employees in decision-making processes leads to organic, natural buy-in and better solutions, as opposed to top-down directives.

Discount Information: Melissa provided a discount code for listeners interested in attending Agile 2024 in Dallas, where she will be the closing keynote speaker. The code "A24-podcast" will give you $100 off your registration-  https://www.agilealliance.org/agile2024/

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

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In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the complexities and misconceptions surrounding estimation in software development and agile project management. They explore the differences between bottom-up and top-down estimation approaches, emphasizing the importance of continuous conversations and feedback loops throughout the process.

This week's takeaways:

• Bottom-up estimation, where every task is estimated and summed up, is highly inefficient and inaccurate, especially for long-term projects or when requirements are likely to change.
• Top-down estimation, which involves breaking down work into relatable chunks and understanding the journey, is more effective and allows for adaptability as the project progresses.
• Estimation should be an ongoing conversation between teams, stakeholders, and decision-makers, focusing on problem-solving, progress tracking, and continuous feedback rather than rigid timelines.

Tune in for a riveting discussion that challenges traditional notches around estimation in agile software development. Subscribe to absorb invaluable insights on nurturing continuous conversations, embracing top-down estimation techniques, and fostering an environment primed for delivery excellence at scale.

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Unlock the secrets to a thriving developer experience as we dissect the critical balance between productivity and fulfillment in the tech world. Prepare to have your perspective on developer metrics as we dive deep into the implications of AI advancements and economic shifts on the roles and recognition of software engineers. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone seeking to understand the nuanced landscape of the tech industry, where the intangible aspects of job satisfaction go hand-in-hand with tangible outputs.

We challenge the traditional yardsticks of developer output, advocating for a collaborative approach to productivity that values the system over the individual. You'll discover the art of using metrics responsibly in a way that empowers and informs developers rather than policing them. Drawing on our expertise, we leave you with actionable insights into fostering an agile environment where collective progress is king and where developers feel secure, autonomous, and integral to their organization's success.

This week's takeaways:

• There is no single metric to measure developer productivity effectively. Look at correlations across multiple qualitative and quantitative metrics.
• Focus on development productivity metrics for the overall system/team rather than individual developer productivity numbers.
• Make productivity metrics transparently available to developers, allowing them to self-regulate performance rather than being managed top-down.

Resource:  

Measuring Developer Productivity: Real-World Examples -
https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/measuring-developer-productivity-bae

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that reshapes how we perceive and enhance the developer experience in an ever-evolving industry. Subscribe to learn more insights around leadership, agile, and DevOps transformation at scale.

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In this episode, Peter and Dave discuss the importance of effective organizational change management in digital transformations. They highlight that simply implementing new processes and systems is not enough - organizations must also carefully manage the human aspect of change. This includes understanding the intangible factors and behaviors that can derail well-designed transformations. They emphasize the need to get close to the actual end-users, observe their behaviors, and adapt accordingly instead of relying solely on high-level communications.

This week's takeaways:

• Organizational change management is essential, not optional, for successful digital transformation.
• Go beyond just communications - understand real end-user behaviors and intangible adoption factors.
• Build capabilities to collect user feedback/telemetry, learn from it, and adapt the change process accordingly.

Join the conversation and share your insights at [email protected]. Your input could shape our next big topic. Subscribe today to learn more about organizational change. 

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In this episode, Peter and Dave discuss the importance of building robust systems and processes to achieve goals, drawing insights from the book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. They explore the notion that simply setting objectives is not enough - sustained success requires developing the right habits, practices, and systems to support those objectives. The conversation touches on OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and the need to take small, incremental steps towards larger goals.

This week's takeaways:

• "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
• OKRs provide the roadmap, and KPIs gauge how well the core operations run.
• Identify the next incremental habit or process you can implement to move forward.

Join the conversation and share your insights at [email protected] – your input could shape our next big topic. Subscribe today and learn more about agile teams.

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How do you know you have a great agile team? This episode reveals the secret sauce that makes high-performing Agile teams tick. From the power of predictable delivery to the pursuit of relentless quality, we dissect the various elements that contribute to a team's success. We go beyond the typical metrics to understand what it takes for a team to own their processes and evolve their work environment to reach new heights of excellence.

This week's takeaways:

• Top agile teams measure their performance, enabling transparency and continuous improvement.
• Focus on continuous learning and quality.
• Cultivate a collaborative, blame-free culture focused on the work while maintaining a balanced, fun, and supportive team environment.

Join the conversation and share your insights at [email protected] – your input could shape our next big topic. Subscribe today and learn more about agile teams