Challenges and Opportunities
A few weeks ago I shared an experience where I received both negative and positive feedback in the same week. One was an international award and one was from a stakeholder I had worked with briefly at the same time I was coaching the award winning team. I reflected at the time that both pieces of feedback…
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I truly believe that we never stop learning. And we can learn in the most unexpected situations, like a chance encounter with a long-lost friend. Or in a more expected situation, like a classroom. Often it’s a humbling experience, as many learnings come from failures – from experiments that didn’t go the way we thought…
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This has been one of my most exciting newsletters to write. Mainly because I have been sitting on news that I could not share until after the official announcement! A team I coached last year in Agile ways of working has won the 2019 Project Management Institute (PMI) Excellence Award. This is international recognition, and…
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Can we really say it’s Spring? For those of us in the southern hemisphere, definitely! For our friends in the northern hemisphere, welcome to Fall! Your leaves are falling, and your weather is cooling, and it’s just warming up down here. Either way, we are all experiencing change. And like the seasons, we don’t experience…
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Recently the focus of my coaching has been working with Agile teams to prioritise work. It’s been challenging. But not because ‘everything is priority #1’, but more because their work is too big. “But they HAVE to be big! It’s BIG work!” is a common answer, but do they? Is it? What would it mean…
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I have a confession to make. Every month when I sit down to write this newsletter, I have the same worry: Do I have anything to say? Is any of it interesting? Relevant? What if I look back on my month and see nothing but crickets? Or not even crickets?? What will I say? I…
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*** Warning: Avengers End Game Spoilers in this post *** How talented is your Agile team? Short answer: Very. Longer answer: They most likely possess Super Powers. But did you know this? Recently I coached an extremely talented Agile team – let’s call them The Avengers. They are a high performing DevOps team working in…
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And just like that… the first half of 2019 is done. What a fast six months! How has it been for you? As if the cold Melbourne weather wasn’t enough, I took a few trips to Tasmania to spend time with family and enjoy the Winter Feast of Dark Mofo – literally a celebration of…
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Recently I was certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach. This was especially exciting, as for years I had loved the concept of strengths; but even though I am an accredited coach, I was very much an ‘enthusiastic amateur’ when it came to strengths. My love of learning encouraged me to learn more, and passion for…
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May was a great month for me. How about you? The cooler weather and autumn colours in Melbourne are not just hinting at winter but giving us a live demo! While I love the cool change, I took the opportunity to have a break in some warm weather—something I’ve not done in a long time.…
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In the past, I used to kick off most Agile capability sessions with some common Agile myths. I rarely do this now as so many of them have been debunked and most participants enter the room with an understanding that surpasses this need. However, in the course of my day to day coaching and training,…
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The more I examine my NOT to do list, the more I notice the themes in criteria between my peak positive experiences, and also between my negative experiences. It has become a real proving ground for me to hone my WHY. What I’ve noticed is that there is a direct feedback loop between my actions,…
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As leaders in an increasingly Agile world, it is crucial for us to develop a culture where building on ideas and acknowledging contributions is not just reserved for collaboration sessions. It is about living that culture all the time, and supporting each other to continuously improve. One of the greatest challenges I see when I’m…
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“Agile” has become a leadership buzzword as it continues to expand from being a strictly IT methodology to a business enabler. As with many new industries that create a sharp upturn in demand for certain skills, there has been a rapid increase in people calling themselves ‘Agile Coach’. It is impossible to become an expert…
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Introducing a team to Agile concepts and ideas is one of the most satisfying things I do as an Agile Coach. The idea that I can show a team strategies, tools and techniques that will make a difference to the way they work is brilliant. Even tools like visualising work and putting more rigour into planning…
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The other day during a yoga class I found myself in an unfamiliar position. A kind of twist and stretch that had me questioning if the human body is supposed to do that. As I attempted to breathe calmly, I noticed much huffing and puffing in the room as others similarly found this position unfamiliar. The…
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