The Daily Standup

5 SuperPowers Every Facilitator Needs 1. The Keys to Unlock Team Creativity 2. Engagement Maximizer, Disruption Diffuser 3. The Ability to Help People Feel Comfortable 4. A Curiosity Mindset 5. High EQ (and the Vulnerability to Pivot)
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How Senior Product Managers Think Differently In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of product management, the role of a senior product manager stands out owing to the exceptional combination of talents, perspectives, and strategic thinking that they bring to the table. Senior product managers take a different approach to their position than their junior colleagues do, as they are frequently faced with a large array of responsibilities. They have mastered the capacity to maintain a balance between thinking about the large picture and thinking about minute details, deliberate product direction while managing cross-functional teams, and link product decisions with the outcomes of business operations. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

The 9 Magic Words All New Leaders NEED to Hear Today "If you had a choice, what would you do?" How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

The History Behind Black Friday Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving in the United States, has evolved into one of the most significant shopping days of the year, but its history has a few twists. The term "Black Friday" originally had negative connotations. In the 1860s, it was first associated with a financial crisis: two Wall Street financiers, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, attempted to corner the gold market, causing a market crash on September 24, 1869, which was dubbed "Black Friday." The term "Black Friday" as we know it today began in the 1950s in Philadelphia. Police officers and bus drivers used it informally to describe the chaotic day after Thanksgiving, when the city would be packed with shoppers and tourists arriving for the Army-Navy football game held on the following Saturday. The traffic jams, crowded sidewalks, and uptick in shoplifting kept officers working overtime, making it a "black" day for the police. In the 1980s, retailers sought to redefine the term with a more positive spin. They linked Black Friday to the idea of stores "going into the black," or turning a profit, thanks to the start of the holiday shopping season. Traditionally, retailers operated at a loss (or "in the red") from January to November, and they began making their annual profit, or going "in the black," in late November when holiday shopping started. This rebranding was successful, and "Black Friday" became widely accepted as a day of deals and discounts. Over time, Black Friday has grown, both in terms of hours (with stores opening earlier each year) and in significance. By the early 2000s, it became the biggest shopping day of the year in the United States. The advent of online shopping and the introduction of "Cyber Monday" in 2005 added a new dimension to holiday sales, allowing consumers to continue shopping for deals online. Today, Black Friday is known for its deep discounts and big sales, often stretching over several days or weeks in some stores, with deals beginning as early as October in recent years. However, its growth has also sparked discussions around consumerism, workers' rights, and the strain on retail employees required to work extended hours during the holiday season. Despite these discussions, Black Friday remains a cultural phenomenon and a kickoff to the holiday shopping season, celebrated by many as an opportunity for savings and gift-buying, marking a unique moment in American retail history. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Special Episode - Celebrate Thanksgiving - A time for gratitude It was the first Thanksgiving without Jack. Just a few months had passed since he’d been gone, and the family still felt the weight of his absence. He’d been the anchor of every holiday, carving the turkey, telling stories, making everyone laugh even when things were hard. This year, as they set the table, each place setting seemed heavier, and every laugh felt quieted by the lingering grief. Sarah, his wife, wondered how they would get through the evening. She worried about her two children, who looked up to their dad so much, and her own heart felt fractured. She wanted to honor him, but the idea of celebration felt impossible. Yet, as everyone gathered around the table, her son, Will, brought out an old journal. It was Jack’s, filled with his thoughts, sketches, and notes, and a bit of laughter spread as they realized how little anyone had known about this private collection of memories. It was titled "Things I’m Grateful For." Sarah hesitated, feeling overwhelmed by the bittersweet nature of the discovery, but her daughter encouraged her, "Please, Mom, read some of it. Let’s hear what Dad wrote." Sarah opened it to the first page, where Jack had written a simple list from a Thanksgiving years ago. It read:

1. Sarah’s laugh when it’s too loud and she doesn’t care.
2. The kids—everything they say, everything they do, even the things that make me crazy.
3. Freshly fallen leaves and that sound they make when we crunch through them.
4. Family. I don’t deserve them, but I love them more than anything.
5. Every Thanksgiving we get to share together.

Sarah’s voice cracked as she read, but she kept going. Each entry listed another detail Jack had appreciated, from the small quirks of family life to moments they’d all shared but might have forgotten. His journal wasn’t filled with grand things but with quiet, fleeting moments—a shared sunrise, a silly argument that ended in laughter, little things the kids said, the warmth of a fireplace. As the family sat together, they found themselves remembering each moment. Each word he’d written helped them feel closer to him, as though he were still with them, urging them to see all the small blessings they still had. They went around the table, sharing memories of Jack and adding to his list, taking turns to express gratitude for things they might have overlooked. There were tears, but also smiles, and something warm and healing began to fill the room. By the end of the evening, they realized that Jack’s absence hadn’t taken him away. Instead, his memory had reminded them of everything they still had. They found strength and gratitude not in the presence of something new, but in the quiet beauty of what had been, and in the realization that gratitude could carry them through even the heaviest loss. As they finished their meal, Sarah looked around the table, and for the first time since his passing, she felt peace. She knew they would be okay, carrying Jack with them in the moments they remembered, in the love they shared, and in every Thanksgiving yet to come. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Top Tips to Become Better Facilitators

• Avoid going to meetings that seem unproductive — give your team the tools and knowledge to lead effective meetings.
• Avoid going to meetings that are symptomatic of a previous bad meeting (a meeting about another meeting or unsolved topics) — prepare your meetings to make effective progress.
• Avoid waiting for meetings to make decisions — collaborate asynchronously.
• Avoid sitting in meetings all day that drain your energy — collaborate asynchronously.

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The Strategy of Building Team Culture The idea behind this strategy was to strike a balance: building a team of naturally motivated players who could share skills, grow together, and work toward the company mission. When people are put into a challenging environment that pushes them to rise to the occasion, they end up in a prime position for success. This setup encourages continuous growth and smart risk-taking since everyone has each other’s backs. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

9 Myths About The Daily Scrum Meeting The daily stand-up, also known as the daily huddle or Scrum meeting, is a cornerstone of agile practices. Despite its simplicity, this brief daily meeting is often misunderstood which can undermine its effectiveness. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

How To Finally Beat Procrastination and Regain Energy Procrastination was one of my biggest struggles. There are a few typical signs of chronic procrastinators. They all applied to me, such as:

• I endlessly scrolled my phone, thinking there could be something important. My brain was searching for the next dopamine hit.
• I made excuses for not doing a specific task now, such as “I really need to wait for an answer from ABC to continue.”
• Waiting for the perfect moment to do anything.

Without realizing it, it took a massive toll on my mental health. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Scrum, a popular framework within Agile project management, emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and iterative progress. Central to its success are three key roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Scrum Team Members. Each role plays a crucial part in the Scrum process, ensuring that teams can deliver high-quality products effectively. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/