First of two episodes on reflection. We often say that learning is horrible and suggest you do it anyway - but how exactly can you learn? We use a model from Chris Argyris - single-loop and double-loop learning - and concentrate today on the single-loop style, most appropriate for gradual improvement of a particular metric or characteristic.

SHOW LINKS:

- Argyris on single- and double-loop learning: https://hbr.org/1977/09/double-loop-learning-in-organizations

- Shu Ha Ri: https://martinfowler.com/bliki/ShuHaRi.html

***

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We have a look at Jason Palmer's "You Don't Need Standup" with a mutual learning, curious attitude. What can we learn from Jason? What information does he have that we don't? Where do we agree with him? We conclude that indeed some teams may be better off without standups - see Fred George's Programmer Anarchy for example - but before embarking on the experiment, it's worth asking "how will I know if it's working or not?"

SHOW LINKS:

- You Don't Need Standup: https://medium.com/@jsonpify/you-dont-need-standup-9a74782517c1 (By Jason Palmer, https://twitter.com/palmerj3 )

- Hacker News discussion of YDNS: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17671464

- Fred George on Programmer Anarchy: https://www.slideshare.net/fredgeorge/programmer-anarchy-and-managerless-processes

- Cockburn on people in software development: http://web.archive.org/web/20170620211523/http://alistair.cockburn.us/Characterizing+people+as+non-linear%2c+first-order+components+in+software+development

***

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A few more thoughts on alignment, inspired by a list of "XP Mistakes" from the great J. B. Rainsberger. We look at some of the antipatterns and lessons learnt and, as usual, tell a few of our own stories about mistakes we've made and observed.

SHOW LINKS:

- XP, My Greatest Misses: https://blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/xp-my-greatest-misses

- CITCON: http://citconf.com/

- "Are you frustrated? It's probably your fault": https://vimeo.com/131854234

- Five Dysfunctions of a Team: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team

- Eight Behaviours for Smarter Teams: https://www.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/917018/Eight-Behaviors-for-Smarter-Teams-2.pdf

- The First Thing to Build is Trust: https://bradapp.blogspot.com/2005/02/first-thing-to-build-is-trust.html

- Cockburn article on people in software development: http://web.archive.org/web/20170620211523/http://alistair.cockburn.us/Characterizing+people+as+non-linear%2c+first-order+components+in+software+development

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.

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The final episode of our mini-series on achieving alignment. We list five different objections we hear to the goals or process of alignment, and suggest ways to address them. We also tell a success story based on achieving alignment.

SHOW LINKS:

- Theory X and Theory Y: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_X_and_Theory_Y

- Alistair Cockburn's mutiny koan: https://staging.cockburn.us/self-organization-means-mutiny/

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.

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Episode 3 of our mini-series on achieving alignment. This week, we finally explain some methods for aligning with your team, your boss, or your peers. Methods include Test-Driven Development for People (aka the Ladder of Inference) and a creative use of the two-column case study. Next time - questions from listeners and common concerns we hear when moving to alignment.

SHOW LINKS:

- Chris Argyris on alignment and skilled incompetence: https://hbr.org/1986/09/skilled-incompetence

- Video on Test-Driven Development for People: http://douglassquirrel.com/how-i-work.html

- Guide to the two-column case study technique: https://blog.jeffreyfredrick.com/2015/04/11/using-the-two-column-case-study/

***

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Our next instalment on alignment as a tool for agile success. If alignment is as valuable as we claimed in the previous episode, why doesn't every organisation have it? We use ideas from Dr. David Burns to classify resistance to alignment into "outcome" and "process" resistance, then give examples of each and tell a story about a startup where the founders are (according to them) totally aligned, but no one else is. Next time: steps to achieve alignment despite resistance.

SHOW LINKS:

- Dr. David Burns, Feeling Good: https://feelinggood.com/

- Theory X and Theory Y: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_X_and_Theory_Y

- Thinking Fast and Slow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow

***

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Today, the first instalment of a little series on a big problem affecting agile teams: alignment. What does it mean when your team or company isn't aligned? How does misalignment show itself and what effects does it have on your progress? Jeffrey and Squirrel describe four different alignment patterns and tell real-life stories about the woes of misaligned teams. Future episodes in the series will cover resistance to alignment and how to get everyone headed in a common direction.

SHOW LINKS:

- Eight Behaviours for Smarter Teams: https://www.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/917018/Eight-Behaviors-for-Smarter-Teams-2.pdf

- “Prevent Your Strategy Offsite from Being Meaningless”: https://hbr.org/2014/09/prevent-your-strategy-offsite-from-being-meaningless

- Five Dysfunctions of a Team: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Lencioni/dp/0787960756/

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.

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How do you provide focus and drive for a team using kanban? There's no natural "sprint" unit to hang a goal on, it seems. Jeffrey and Squirrel answer this listener question and explain how to create a product narrative, avoid the feature factory, and start with "Why"?

SHOW LINKS:

- Kanban book: https://www.amazon.com/Kanban-Successful-Evolutionary-Technology-Business/dp/0984521402

- When Kanban Fails: https://kanbantool.com/kanban-library/kanban-results/when-kanban-fails

- Feature Factory: https://hackernoon.com/12-signs-youre-working-in-a-feature-factory-44a5b938d6a2

- Start with "Why": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA and https://fortressofs.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/diagram_1.png

***

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This week, Jeffrey and Squirrel address a common frustration: "With all these retrospectives and planning games, when do we actually get some work done?" They cover single and double loop learning, the mundanity of excellence, and how to avoid learning in two distinct ways.

SHOW LINKS:

- J-curve / Satir Change Model: https://stevenmsmith.com/ar-satir-change-model/

- Mundanity of Excellence: https://www.jstor.org/stable/202063

- Tic-tac change: https://blog.jeffreyfredrick.com/2008/07/07/tic-tac-change-slides/

- Amy Edmondson, Teaming: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaming-Organizations-Innovate-Compete-Knowledge/dp/078797093X

- Single- and double-loop learning: http://infed.org/mobi/chris-argyris-theories-of-action-double-loop-learning-and-organizational-learning/#_Single-loop_and_double-loop

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.

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This week, Jeffrey and Squirrel answer a question from CruiseControl founder Paul Julius about what agile practises they've left behind. Surprising answers include iterations, predictability, and planning.

SHOW LINKS:

- PJ: http://www.pauljulius.com/

- Abnormally terminating a sprint - https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/making-the-decision-to-abnormally-terminate-a-sprint

- Kanban: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban_(development)

- Elephant Carpaccio: http://alistair.cockburn.us/Elephant+carpaccio

- Searching for an Agile Core: https://blog.jeffreyfredrick.com/2008/11/08/searching-for-an-agile-core/

- Planning Game: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_programming_practices#Planning_game

- TDD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Test-Driven-Development-Addison-Wesley-Signature/dp/0321146530

- Cruise Control: http://cruisecontrol.sourceforge.net/

- GitFlow: https://datasift.github.io/gitflow/IntroducingGitFlow.html

- Chris Matts: https://theitriskmanager.wordpress.com/

***

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.

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