Troubleshooting Agile

By A weekly problem-solving session for all things agileBusiness

Troubleshooting Agile episodes

July 25, 2018 Objections to Alignment
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.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2
25 min
July 18, 2018 Steps to Alignment
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/
***
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
20 min
July 11, 2018 Alignment and Resistance Part 2: Obstacles to Alignment
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
***
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2
20 min
July 04, 2018 Alignment and Resistance Part 1: Why Alignment Matters
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.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2
23 min
June 27, 2018 Setting Goals in a Kanban Team
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
***
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2
17 min
June 20, 2018 The Frustration of Learning
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.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe, you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2
15 min
June 13, 2018 What Agile Practises Have We Left Behind
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.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troubleshooting-agile/id1327456890?mt=2
25 min
June 06, 2018 Design in an Agile Team
This week, Jeffrey and Squirrel help a listener with the role of design and architecture in an agile team. The answer involves arcane-sounding but fun concepts like elephant carpaccio, evolutionary design, and YAGNI.
SHOW LINKS:
- YAGNI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_aren%27t_gonna_need_it
- Elephant Carpaccio: http://alistair.cockburn.us/elephant+carpaccio
- Evolutionary Design: https://martinfowler.com/tags/evolutionary%20design.html
- XP Explained: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/extreme-programming-explained-kent-beck/1119347147
- GOOS book: http://www.growing-object-oriented-software.com/
- Sprint zero: https://www.frontrowagile.com/blog/posts/125-sprint-zero-for-product-owners
- Trim the tail and order by risk: http://alistair.cockburn.us/Design+as+Knowledge+Acquisition
- Up-front design in a previous episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/enhancing-agility-through-technical-excellence-and-good-design
***
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2
17 min
May 30, 2018 Learning by Failing
This week, Jeffrey and Squirrel look at how to learn new skills in your agile team or elsewhere, and recommend frequent failure as a useful heuristic.
SHOW LINKS:
- Graham Lee blog post: https://www.sicpers.info/2018/02/to-become-a-beginner-first-become-an-expert/
- No True Scotsman fallacy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman
- TDD (Test-Driven Development): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test-driven_development
- Agile principles: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html
***
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.
Email us: see link on troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2
13 min
May 23, 2018 Roadmap to Improving Agile Skills
This week, Jeffrey and Squirrel describe some of the methods they used to improve their own skills in implementing and troubleshooting agile methods. They describe techniques from rubber ducking to doppelgängers. Enjoy!
SHOW LINKS:
- CITCON: http://citconf.com
- Breakfast with Squirrel: http://douglassquirrel.com
- Communities of Needs and Solutions: https://theitriskmanager.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/communities-of-need-community-of-solutions/
- Dr. David Burns: https://feelinggood.com/
- Paradoxical Double Standard: https://feelinggood.com/tag/paradoxical-double-standard/
- Rubber Duck Debugging: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging
Alberto Savoia, older wiser self: http://www.albertosavoia.com/
***
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.
Email us: see link on http://troubleshootingagile.com
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2
16 min

About Troubleshooting Agile

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Troubleshooting Agile is a problem-solving session for agile teams. Jeffrey Fredrick and Douglas Squirrel look at common problems agile teams face and provide practical, immediately useful advice for…