Most ways of working still rely on functional hierarchy, where managers make decisions and workers do the work. Managers know they can't change this work structure, but they can transform its effectiveness without asking for permission and without needing a budget. Before exploring the changes that transform the way people work, we need to recognise […]
The Shu Ha Ri Agile learning metaphor Agile learning is crucial to agile transformation. And, nobody tells the Shu Ha Ri learning metaphor better than Alistair Cockburn as I discovered listening to his Sushi-slicing version whilst in France last year. As I was in France, I was inspired to write a Chef version of Shu […]
Development Occurs over Time, not on a Training Course During our many combined years as trainers with Learning Tree International, the average instructor grade exceeded 3.8 of a possible 4.0. Attendees loved the training, and provided fantastic testimonials. But that doesn't mean they used what we taught them, or that they improved because of the […]
All rights for this image belong to Google Generations of Users Relate to Rubik Today the creatives at Doodle gave us something that perfectly matches its user generation that's interactive, colourful and engaging. A working Rubik's cube! Just last week I dared to ask why Google were paying their people to decorate the top of […]
Delivering Value Early This post nails the value to customers of rapid, or agile prototyping. We first met the charming people at MECA on Tuesday afternoon, so we could hear directly what they wanted from their new information system. Why did we want to meet with them when we had a (very clear) 250 page […]
Every organisation has a particular set of problems created by the thinking system employed by its managers.Humble leaders seek ways to improve themselves and their management teams. By opening themselves to learning and self-discovery, they see the flaws in their systems. This brings understanding, which makes what needs to change quite obvious.This is the normal […]
There’s a quiet revolution going-on right now fueled by people’s expectations of work and productivity. Everyone has a fantastic user experience with their devices and apps at home, and see no reason not to have the same at work. If Agile is about steady transformation, “big bang” is big risk As the next generation take-on […]
Today’s challenge is that traditional management approaches, where managers tell people what to do and how to do it, are not as effective as they once were. Agile transformation takes years, but changing management’s focus from people to tensions could be a better solution. It is simpler, faster, and considerably more cost-effective. Management is the […]
