Lean On Agile (& Elevate Change) Show

Lean On Agile (& Elevate Change) Show

By Shahin SheidaeiSociety & CultureBusinessTechnologyEducation
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Lean On Agile (& Elevate Change) Show episodes

  • Projects in an Agile World: Risk, People, and Process with Abtin Zohrabi

    In this episode, Abtin joined Shahin to delve into project management, career transitions, Agile's role in project execution, and the complexities of risk and change management. Abtin shares stories from his extensive career journey, from navigating political advisory roles to consulting, teaching, and driving transformation in project management.


    Topics Covered:

    • The journey from political advisory to project management consulting and teaching
    • Key turning points in a 20+ year project management career
    • Transitioning between industries and adapting to new roles
    • Balancing people-centric leadership with effective processes
    • The critical role of risk management across project lifecycles
    • Insights into Agile and waterfall methodologies in hybrid project settings
    • Why velocity tracking isn’t the only indicator of project success
    • The challenges of scaling Agile across large, complex organizations
    • How teaching has influenced Alexis's approach to project management and consulting
    • Coaching and mentoring future project managers and Agile practitioners


      • Check out Elevate Change Training & Events

      Follow us:

      • Visit us at http://www.leanonagile.com
      • Twitter: http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change
      • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange
        • 42 min
      • Beyond Agile Coaching with Lyssa Adkins

        In this episode, Lyssa joined Shahin to delve into the evolving landscape of leadership and Agile coaching, offering valuable insights and resources. She highlights the skills essential for thriving in an increasingly uncertain world and discusses her efforts to elevate leadership consciousness to address complex global challenges.

        Topics Covered:

        • Importance of Adaptive Skills: Lyssa emphasizes the need for professionals to develop the ability to adapt to change, work creatively, and collaborate effectively, rather than focusing solely on technical skills.
        • Leadership and Mental Complexity: The conversation explores how leaders can enhance their mental complexity to better navigate the complexities of today's world, making decisions that benefit their organizations and the broader ecosystem.
        • Elevate Change: Lyssa shares her thoughts on the concept of "elevating change," emphasizing that change should not be feared but embraced as an opportunity for growth and innovation.
        • Planetary Challenges: Lyssa discusses the critical role of conscious leadership in addressing global issues such as climate change, mass migration, and societal instability.
        • Collaboration with Frederic Laloux: She introduces "The Week," a program developed by Frederic Laloux that brings people together to confront the realities of our species' challenges and inspires action towards positive change.
        • Agile Community's Potential Impact: Lyssa highlights the potential for the Agile community to be a force for good by applying Agile principles to global challenges and collaborating with others to create meaningful change.
        • Recommended Books:
          • The Age of Thrivability by Michelle Holliday
          • Regenerative Leadership by Laura Storm and Giles Hutchins
          • Personal and Professional Growth: Lyssa reflects on her journey of continuously evolving her mindset and learning from others, particularly in how to apply natural world principles to business and leadership.
          • Contact and Resources: Lyssa can be reached through her website, LyssaAdkins.com, where listeners can find more information about her work and initiatives.

            • People Mentioned:

            • Frederic Laloux: Author of Reinventing Organizations and creator of "The Week," a program that encourages deep reflection and action on global challenges.
            • Michelle Holliday: Author of The Age of Thrivability, a book focused on aligning business practices with natural world principles.
            • Laura Storm: Co-author of Regenerative Leadership, a book that explores how to lead organizations by drawing inspiration from the natural world.
            • Giles Hutchins: Co-author of Regenerative Leadership, who collaborates with Laura Storm in exploring sustainable and regenerative practices in leadership.


              • Check out Elevate Change Training & Events

              Follow us:

              • Visit us at http://www.leanonagile.com
              • Twitter: http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change
              • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange



                • 45 min
              • Unclogging Workflows: Identifying and Eliminating Bottlenecks in Your Process
                Bottlenecks in Work Processes
                - Bottlenecks occur when demand exceeds system capacity.
                - Example: A team with sufficient work may face bottlenecks due to limited resources or dependencies on other teams.
                - Real-life scenarios are more complex than simplified examples.
                Bottlenecks and Solutions
                - Bottlenecks are challenging and expensive to deal with.
                - Finding opportunities within the system or reading the book 'The Goal' by Goldratt can help.
                - Bottlenecks exist in every system and must be identified and addressed.
                Bottleneck Theory in System
                - The pace of the system is determined by the bottleneck.
                - To relieve the bottleneck, identify and remove any other duties that may be holding up the bottleneck resource.
                - Delegate tasks to alleviate bottlenecks and enhance efficiency.
                - Identify opportunities to reduce capacity constraint.
                Identifying and Eliminating Bottlenecks
                - Bottlenecks can be identified by comparing the pace of the system to the delivery rate of the bottleneck.
                - If the system's pace is lower than the bottleneck's delivery rate, there may be another bottleneck that needs to be addressed.
                - The process of identifying and eliminating bottlenecks should be repeated until all bottlenecks are resolved.
                Check Elevate Change Training & Events (https://www.elevatechange.co/training-and-events/)
                Follow us
                Visit us at http://www.leanonagile.com
                Twitter: http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change
                LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange
                10 min
              • Beyond Velocity: Mastering Agile Coaching and Collaboration with Doc Norton

                In this episode, Doc joined Shahin to talk about Beyond Velocity: Mastering Agile Coaching and Collaboration.

                The following have been topics of our conversation:

                • Coaching, leadership, and software development
                • Exploring different aspects of coaching, including technical, leadership, and agile coaching.
                • Coaching helps clients achieve sense of accomplishment, while also providing accountability.
                • Using velocity metrics in agile software development, with a focus on their limitations and potential misuse. ⁠
                • Velocity is often misused in Agile development despite being useful for high-performing teams.
                • Challenges of measuring velocity in Agile development.
                • A framework for management behavior, emphasizing connection, excellence, safety, autonomy, diversity, and leadership.
                • Agile's evolution from values-based to practice-focused
                • Emphasizing importance of collaboration, frequent releases, and automation.


                  • Check Elevate Change Training & Events (https://www.elevatechange.co/training-and-events/)


                  Follow us

                  Visit us at http://www.leanonagile.com

                  Twitter: http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change

                  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange

                  43 min
                • User Story Excellence: Boosting Collaboration and Delivery in Agile Teams
                  Writing Effective User Stories
                  - User stories are often written poorly, leading to challenges in estimation and development.
                  - They should be small, easy to understand, and consumable by developers.
                  - Agile coaches can help teams write better user stories by providing tools and guidance.
                  Using User Stories Effectively
                  - User stories should provide value to users.
                  - Improper use of user stories can lead to confusion and ineffective implementation.
                  - Organizations should consider the limitations of their systems when using user stories.
                  Writing User Stories
                  - Writing better user stories is not the main goal.
                  - Spending more time writing user stories means less time for collaboration and understanding.
                  - Educating teams on writing effective user stories can be beneficial.
                  Writing smaller user stories for faster delivery
                  - Writing smaller user stories can lead to faster delivery and increased velocity.
                  - It's important to understand the reasons behind requests for smaller stories and to provide assistance in writing better user stories.
                  - Focusing on smaller stories can help avoid piling up work and toiling unnecessarily.
                  Focusing on Collaboration over Documentation
                  - Shifting focus from documentation to collaboration and working software.
                  - Writing better user stories emphasizes collaboration rather than documentation.
                  - Encouraging a mindset change to improve user story practices in organizations.
                  Influence of User Feedback on System Improvement
                  - Users' time investment in writing should be valuable.
                  - Feedback can drive system changes.
                  8 min
                • Systems Thinking, Leadership Habits, and Organizational Change with Don Gray

                  In this episode, Don joined Shahin to talk about Systems Thinking, Leadership Habits, and Organizational Change.


                  The following have been topics of our conversation:


                  Transitioning from technical skills to people management.

                  • The importance of people in software development, highlighting their creative force and impact on success and well-being.
                    • The importance of trusting and empowering knowledge workers, who are closer to the work than managers.
                    • Jerry Weinberg (author) highlighted the shift from Taylorism (structured tasks) to coaching (personal and process-related goals), with managers becoming more interested in people's educational and career goals.

                      • Leadership development and problem-solving.

                      • The importance of adapting to change and the need for problem-solving leaders to observe and understand motivation, organization, and information.

                        • Software development, leadership, and personal growth.

                        • The importance of developer satisfaction, citing the costly consequences of losing experienced developers.
                        • Find empathetic leadership insights through reading and self-reflection.
                        • Software development challenges, complexity as the primary issue.
                          • Agile methodology requires tailoring to individual contexts, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.
                          • Organization must be ready to start software development before investing time and money.

                            • Leadership habits and systems thinking.

                            • Management prioritizes cost over readiness, despite worker demand for training and success.
                            • Coach helps team break habits and improve systems in leadership roles.
                            • The "core habits" for leaders, including sharing the vision, measuring actual delivery, and creating free informational flow.

                              • Systems thinking, agile development, and team dynamics.

                              • Wardley maps visualize product evolution, highlighting reinforcing and balancing loops.
                              • The importance of understanding how personal and cultural factors impact decision-making in complex systems.
                              • Agreeing to try and visioning with team members led to successful product development.

                                • Software development, leadership, and organizational change.

                                • Using organizational change management techniques to facilitate change within software development teams.
                                • The increasing presence of women in leadership positions in the tech industry
                                • The importance of happiness in software development.


                                  • Follow us

                                  Visit us at http://www.leanonagile.com

                                  Twitter: http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change

                                  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange

                                  57 min
                                • How to Have Effective Daily Meetings (Standups)?
                                  Standup Meeting in Agile Teams
                                  - Standup meetings are short daily meetings held in agile teams to discuss progress and challenges.
                                  - They are typically held at the start of the day and should be kept to 15 minutes or less.
                                  - Standups can be helpful for identifying and resolving issues early on.
                                  Managing Lengthy Team Meetings
                                  - Discussing the issue of lengthy team meetings that exceed 15 or even 30 minutes.
                                  - Exploring strategies for addressing this problem and ensuring efficient use of time during meetings.
                                  - Providing practical tips and techniques for keeping meetings focused and productive.
                                  Impact of Lengthy Stand-up Meetings on Productivity
                                  - Extended stand-up meetings can significantly reduce productivity.
                                  - A 15-minute meeting for 8 people equates to 2 man-hours spent in unproductive discussions.
                                  - Prolonged meetings result in the loss of valuable work time and hinder progress on tasks.
                                  Considering Reducing Meeting Time
                                  - Discussion on whether to reduce meeting time.
                                  - Concerned about losing valuable insights and support from leadership.
                                  - Need to consider if dependent teams have representatives in the meeting.
                                  Effective Meeting Strategies
                                  - The purpose of a meeting should be to facilitate collaboration and information sharing among team members.
                                  - Reducing the time spent in meetings is a desirable outcome.
                                  - Focusing on challenges and roadblocks should be avoided.
                                  Transparency and Collaboration in Meetings
                                  - Collaboration and community occur during meetings.
                                  - Leaders suggest improvements during conversations.
                                  - Identifying the purpose of meetings can reduce meeting time.
                                  Separate Dependency Management Meeting
                                  - Daily meeting with team representatives to discuss important matters.
                                  - Separate dependency management meeting with representatives from dependent teams.
                                  - Clear focus and goal of the dependency management meeting.
                                  Daily Standoff Meeting
                                  - Daily standoffs can help teams prioritize meetings and focus on important outcomes.
                                  - Effective for well-functioning teams that communicate well and are aware of team goals.
                                  - Not necessary for teams that already communicate effectively through offline and online channels.
                                  Effective Daily Standup Meetings
                                  - Daily standup meetings should be short and focused, with a clear purpose and agenda.
                                  - The more meeting time taken from team members, the less time they have for actual work.
                                  - Customize daily meetings to fit the team's environment and purpose.
                                  13 min
                                • Decision Making as Change Agents!
                                  Hybrid Work Environment: Encouraging Team Collaboration
                                  Decision Making in Change Management
                                  - Discussing the role of change agents and initiators in decision-making.
                                  - Exploring the concept of shared decision-making versus individual decision-making.
                                  - Considering the complexities of decision-making in change management using a hypothetical scenario.
                                  Levels of Decision-Making
                                  - Different levels of decision-making exist, each requiring varying levels of preparation and time investment.
                                  - Making decisions oneself may yield less effective results compared to seeking input from others.
                                  - Consider the level of decision-making desired when making choices.
                                  Follow us:
                                  Visit us at http://www.leanonagile.com
                                  Twitter: http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change
                                  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange
                                  15 min
                                • Burnout, NLP, Self-care and Personal Growth with Anna Romanovska

                                  In this episode, Anna joined Shahin to talk about Burnout, Technology, and Personal Growth.

                                  The following have been topics of our conversation:

                                  • Burnout, stress, and self-care.
                                  • NLP and its role in communication.
                                  • NLP and its effectiveness in personal growth.
                                  • NLP and coaching with a focus on organizational change.
                                  • Work-life balance and self-validation.
                                  • Feedback, burnout, and mental health.

                                    • Follow us

                                    • Visit us at http://www.leanonagile.com
                                    • Twitter: http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change
                                    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange


                                      • 40 min
                                    • Kanban Ninja, Leadership Retreat and New Open Space

                                      In this episode, ⁠Shahin⁠ talks about Kanban Ninja, KLR and New Open Space.

                                      The following have been topics of our conversation:

                                      • Insights from attending Kanban Leadership Retreat in San Diego
                                      • Customized open space format for efficient topic selection and discussion.
                                      • "Kanban ninjas" session in KLR23 to teach techniques for using Kanban method without telling people, focusing on efficiency and effectiveness
                                      • Techniques to smooth burndown chart in scrum fashion, including "look right, look up, look left" rule.
                                      • Encouraging team members to take ownership of tasks by providing excuses for not completing them.
                                      • Discussing techniques like "last one to the meeting" and "CFD with arrival and departure rates" to improve team productivity and time management.
                                      • Encouraging teams to celebrate small victories and identify areas for improvement.
                                      • Assume positive intent keeps a healthy atmosphere in the team.
                                      • Introducing a color-coding voting technique to help teams identify areas for improvement in Kanban maturity model.
                                      • Discusing techniques like "What do you really do well?" to uncover sources of dissatisfaction in a team conversation.

                                        • Follow us

                                        • Visit us at ⁠http://www.leanonagile.com⁠
                                        • Twitter: ⁠http://twitter.com/Elevate_Change⁠
                                        • LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/ElevateChange
                                          • 19 min

                                        About Lean On Agile (& Elevate Change) Show

                                        From the publisher's feed

                                        Lean On Agile (& Elevate Change) Show is a Webinar + Podcast about Agile & Beyond. We share stories of success, learning, and conversations with thought leaders. The topics include but not…