Thought of the day: Embrace Imperfection and Pursue Excellence

Recently, while reading Adam Grant’s enlightening book, “Hidden Potential,” I stumbled upon the term “wabi-sabi” (侘び寂び), which encapsulates the beauty found in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness.
 
Reflecting on this, I have realised the importance of setting challenging rather than perfect goals. In an Agility mindset, adapting and evolving based on constant feedback is crucial. By not striving for perfection, we open ourselves to rapid learning and growth, taking more risks and embracing imperfections.
 
In a fast-paced world of constant change, individuals and organisations must keep this mindset at the forefront. Instead of aiming for flawless solutions, let us focus on crafting workable ones with unwavering quality. Pursuing perfection can be a trap, hindering our progress by fostering a false sense of completion and stagnation.
 
Embracing imperfection fuels our journey toward excellence. Let’s remember that perfection is not the destination but a continuous learning and growth process.

Are Soft Skills Crucial for High-Performance Teams and Businesses?

Focusing on technical skills and expertise often takes centre stage in today’s fast-paced and competitive business world. However, the significance of soft skills cannot be underestimated when it comes to building high-performance teams and thriving businesses.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.

As someone who has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of soft skills, I know they are vital for success in the modern workplace. In this article, we will explore the importance of soft skills and how they contribute to the growth and effectiveness of both teams and businesses.

Collaboration and Communication

One of the fundamental aspects of high-performance teams is effective collaboration. Soft skills such as communication, empathy, and active listening are crucial in fostering harmonious relationships among team members. When individuals can communicate clearly, understand each other’s perspectives, and work together towards a common goal, the overall productivity and efficiency of the team improve significantly. Moreover, strong communication skills also enable teams to build better relationships with clients, stakeholders, and partners, leading to increased trust and enhanced business outcomes.

Adaptability and Flexibility

The business landscape is constantly evolving, and organizations must be able to adapt to changes to stay competitive. Soft skills like adaptability and flexibility empower teams to readily navigate uncertain situations and embrace new challenges. The ability to quickly adjust strategies, re-evaluate priorities, and think creatively is crucial in a rapidly changing environment. High-performance teams with these soft skills are more likely to be agile, innovative, and resilient, enabling them to seize opportunities and overcome obstacles efficiently.

Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

Effective leadership is another key factor in the success of high-performance teams and businesses. Soft skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy, and mentorship are vital for nurturing strong leaders who can inspire and motivate their teams. A leader with high emotional intelligence understands the emotions and needs of team members, creating a supportive work environment that encourages collaboration, growth, and innovation. By developing these soft skills, organizations can cultivate a culture of leadership excellence and drive high performance at all levels.

Conflict Resolution and Problem-Solving

No team or business is immune to conflicts and challenges. However, how these issues are addressed and resolved can significantly affect the team’s overall performance. Soft skills like conflict resolution, problem-solving, and negotiation empower teams to tackle disagreements constructively, find innovative solutions, and maintain a harmonious working environment. When equipped with these skills, team members can transform conflicts into opportunities for growth, leading to increased productivity and more robust team dynamics.

Customer Service and Relationship Building

In any business, customer satisfaction is paramount. Soft skills such as empathy, active listening, and effective communication are essential for delivering exceptional customer service. Teams prioritising these skills are better equipped to understand and meet customer needs, enhancing customer loyalty and positive brand reputation. Moreover, soft skills also play a crucial role in building strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, opening doors to new opportunities and long-term partnerships.

In summary, while technical skills and expertise are undoubtedly critical, the role of soft skills in high-performance teams and businesses cannot be underestimated. Effective collaboration, adaptability, leadership, conflict resolution, and customer service are some areas where soft skills significantly impact. As individuals and organizations recognize the value of soft skills, investing in their development becomes imperative for achieving sustainable success in today’s dynamic business world. By fostering a culture that embraces and nurtures these skills, teams and businesses can unlock their full potential and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Unveiling the Significance of Measure, Improve, Repeat: Empowering Agility in Today’s World

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, organizations continually seek ways to optimize their processes and efficiently deliver customer value. One mindset that has gained widespread recognition for its adaptability and iterative approach due to its methods and practices is Agile. As an Agile practitioner myself, I firmly believe in the power of the Measure, Improve, Repeat cycle.

Photo by rc.xyz NFT gallery on Unsplash.

In this article, I will delve into the importance of this cycle and highlight a few potential downsides, ultimately emphasizing the significant advantages it brings to the Agile world.

Measure: Setting the Foundation for Success

At the heart of any successful Agile project lies the crucial step of measuring. Agile methodologies rely on gathering relevant data and metrics to gain insights into the team’s performance, identify bottlenecks, and gauge progress accurately. Through careful measurement, we understand what works well and requires improvement, enabling us to make informed decisions.

By establishing a robust measurement framework, Agile teams can track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics such as cycle time, velocity, and customer satisfaction. These metrics provide valuable insights into the team’s efficiency, the quality of deliverables, and the overall effectiveness of Agile practices within the organization. The ability to measure progress and adapt accordingly is paramount for continuous improvement.

Improve: Embracing Iterative Enhancements

Agile is synonymous with continuous improvement; the “improve” phase is pivotal in this iterative methodology. Armed with the insights gained from measurement, Agile teams can proactively identify areas of improvement and take actionable steps to address them. This collaborative and adaptive approach allows teams to optimize their processes, enhance productivity, and deliver better results with each iteration.

Continuous improvement in Agile is not limited to the development process alone; it extends to all aspects of the project, including communication, collaboration, and feedback mechanisms. By fostering a continuous learning and improvement culture, Agile teams can leverage their collective intelligence to find innovative solutions and adapt to changing requirements swiftly.

Repeat: Ensuring Long-Term Success

The final phase of the Measure, Improve, Repeat cycle, “repeat,” encapsulates the essence of Agile’s iterative nature. Agile embraces repetition rather than relying on a one-time process to achieve sustainable success. By continuously measuring and improving, Agile teams can iterate through cycles of development, feedback, and adaptation, ultimately enhancing the overall project outcomes.

Agile’s emphasis on repetition encourages teams to reflect on their successes and failures, refine their processes, and adopt a growth mindset. This iterative approach leads to a virtuous cycle of continuous learning, innovation, and high-quality deliverables.

Potential Downsides: Navigating the Challenges

While the Measure, Improve, Repeat cycle offers immense benefits, it is essential to acknowledge and address a few potential downsides. One challenge is the risk of analysis paralysis, where teams become overly focused on data collection and analysis, losing sight of the larger objectives. Additionally, continuously iterating and making changes can sometimes disrupt the project’s momentum, impacting deadlines and stakeholder expectations. It is crucial to balance measurement and action to avoid these potential pitfalls.

In conclusion, the Measure, Improve, Repeat cycle has emerged as a cornerstone of Agile practices in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape. By measuring key metrics, embracing continuous improvement, and repeating the cycle, Agile teams can foster a culture of excellence, adapt to changing requirements, and consistently deliver customer value. While challenges such as analysis paralysis and maintaining momentum exist, a mindful approach can help mitigate these downsides. Ultimately, the Measure, Improve, Repeat cycle serves as a guiding principle for achieving success in the Agile world, enabling organizations to thrive in a dynamic and competitive environment.

Agile Coaching 2.0: Myth or Reality?

Seven years ago, my friend Cornelius Engelbrecht and I made the decision to write an article titled “Agile Coaches: Myth or Reality?” (Link: https://beyondleanagile.com/2016/03/18/agile-coaches-myth-or-reality/). This year, while revisiting some of the oldest articles on the blog, I stumbled upon it and decided to create version 2.0.

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash.

The popularity of Agile methodologies has grown significantly in recent years, including in safety-critical domains, revolutionizing how organizations approach project management and software development. As a professional working in this field, I have often contemplated the effectiveness and impact of Agile coaching. In this article, we will explore the concept of Agile coaching, its alignment with the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto and examine several scenarios that may raise doubts about its existence. By considering these perspectives, we can determine whether Agile coaching is a mere myth or a tangible reality in the realm of Agile development.

Understanding the Agile Manifesto

Before delving into the myth or reality debate, it is crucial to revisit the core values and principles of the Agile Manifesto. The manifesto emphasises individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and the ability to respond to change rather than rigid plans and processes. These values form the foundation of Agile methodologies and provide a framework for effective project management and continuous improvement.

The Role of Agile Coaching

Agile coaching plays a vital role in assisting teams and organizations in adopting and implementing Agile practices. Coaches act as mentors, facilitators, and guides, helping teams embrace the Agile mindset, refine their processes, and navigate the challenges of an ever-changing landscape. Agile coaches empower teams to self-organize, promote collaboration, and drive continuous improvement, ultimately delivering high-quality software and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Scenarios That Cast Doubt on Agile Coaching

Despite its proven benefits, there are scenarios where Agile coaching might be perceived as a myth rather than a reality. Let’s explore a few potential reasons:

  • Lack of Commitment: Organizations that fail to fully commit to the Agile principles and values may undermine coaching effectiveness. When leaders and stakeholders are not aligned with Agile concepts or fail to provide the necessary support, the coaching process can become challenging, leading to scepticism about its value.
  • Resistance to Change: Change is inherently difficult, and Agile transformations require a shift in mindset and culture. If individuals within an organization resist embracing new ways of working, Agile coaching efforts may struggle to gain traction. In such cases, it may seem as though coaching is ineffective or inconsequential.
  • Inadequate Coaching Skills: Like any profession, Agile coaching requires a high level of skill, knowledge, and experience, including various methodologies and their implementation. Unfortunately, not all individuals who claim to be Agile coaches possess the necessary expertise. Instances where ineffective or unqualified coaches are involved can contribute to scepticism regarding the impact of Agile coaching.

In summary, Agile coaching is not a myth but a reality that holds immense potential for organizations striving to embrace agility in their processes. When implemented correctly, Agile coaching empowers teams to embody the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto, fostering collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement. However, the effectiveness of Agile coaching can be called into question in scenarios where commitment, resistance to change, or inadequate coaching skills hinder the transformative process.

To truly harness the power of Agile coaching, organizations must foster a culture of agility, invest in qualified and experienced coaches, and ensure buy-in from all levels of the organization. By doing so, they can leverage the benefits of Agile methodologies, improve product delivery, and achieve sustainable success in an increasingly dynamic business landscape. Agile coaching is not a myth; it is a valuable reality that, when embraced wholeheartedly, can propel organizations towards greater efficiency, innovation, and customer satisfaction.

Managing a Ph.D. with Kanban: Lessons Learned Thus Far

As a Ph.D. student embarking on a rigorous research and academic exploration journey, managing multiple tasks and deadlines can often feel overwhelming. The first year alone presents numerous activities, each with its own challenges and time constraints.

Photo by Wonderlane on Unsplash.

In this article, I will share my experiences and insights on effectively managing a Ph.D. using the Kanban method, highlighting the valuable lessons I have learned along the way.

Looking back in time, the Kanban method was initially introduced by Toyota as a flow control mechanism for pull-driven Just-In-Time manufacturing production. However, it was later adapted as a method in software development by David J. Anderson. Its objective is to minimize work in progress, ensuring a constant flow of released work items to the customers. The team can create a structured framework for visualizing, organizing, and managing workflow by focusing only on a few items at a given time. This approach emphasizes transparency, flexibility, and continuous improvement. Applying this method to the complex and demanding nature of a Ph.D. program has proven to be invaluable in my academic journey.

One of the significant advantages of using Kanban in a Ph.D. is its ability to handle multiple workstreams simultaneously. The research process involves various tasks, such as developing a research proposal, conducting a literature review, data collection, data analysis, writing research papers, and preparing presentations. Last but not least, writing the Ph.D. thesis. Each task requires attention and progress, often with different due dates and dependencies.

By visualizing these tasks on a Kanban board, I gained a clear overview of my workload, identified bottlenecks, and ensured that important deadlines were met. The board consisted of columns representing different stages of the research process, such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Awaiting Feedback,” and “Completed.” Each task was represented by a card, and each card was assigned a specific color corresponding to its type of work. These coloured cards could be easily moved across the board as the tasks progressed through the various stages.

Collaboration is another crucial aspect of a Ph.D., involving interaction with advisors, reviewers, and fellow researchers from different universities. Kanban facilitated effective collaboration by providing a centralized platform for communication and tracking progress. Collaborators could easily view the status of tasks, offer feedback, and provide the necessary information, streamlining the research process.

Despite its effectiveness, some myths and misconceptions surround Kanban’s application in academia. One common myth is that Agile methodologies are unsuitable for research, as they may undermine the rigour and depth of academic investigation. However, this is far from the truth. While Agile promotes flexibility, it does not compromise the quality and validity of research. In fact, it enhances adaptability and responsiveness, allowing for timely adjustments and improvements in the research process.

Another myth is that Kanban only applies to software development or industrial projects rather than to the more abstract nature of academic research. While it is true that Kanban originated in the context of manufacturing, its principles can be effectively applied to any knowledge-based work, including research. By adopting Kanban to suit the specific needs of a Ph.D., I balanced structure and flexibility, enhancing my productivity and research outcomes.

In conclusion, managing a Ph.D. using Kanban has been a transformative experience for me. The ability to visualize, organize, and track multiple tasks simultaneously, combined with efficient collaboration and flexibility, has significantly improved my research process. By embracing the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto, I have been able to navigate the complexities of a Ph.D. program more effectively and achieve better research outcomes.

As I continue my academic journey, I encourage fellow Ph.D. students to explore the potential of Kanban in their own research endeavours. Embrace the power of visualizing your workflow, foster collaboration, and remain adaptable to change. Remember, managing a Ph.D. is not an individual pursuit but a collaborative effort that can significantly benefit from the principles of Kanban. May your research journey be enriched with efficiency, productivity, and meaningful discoveries.

Why Product Development Needs to Change With the Times

Agile MVPs and UxD MLPs

It was an absolute pleasure working on this article with Pedro Duarte. Stronger Together 😉

With some good years of experience on board, we both agreed that companies often miss when chasing their view instead of focusing on what delights their consumers. Click below to read how and why putting customer satisfaction needs to drive product development to change.

Business Transformation Trinity

I was reading the article “Digital Transformation Success Depends on Agile Approach to Change” by Peter Bendor-Samuel, where the author says that companies are rushing to apply digital transformation to gain competitive advantage. Furthermore, driving the digital transformation often requires changing the company’s operating model through multiple iterative steps known as journeys. Peter Bendor-Samuel explains the benefits of using an agile approach and how this can support companies to move forward with the digital transformation. The author also states that corporate culture is the key element missing that make an organisation struggle to support the agile environment while driving their digital transformation. These ideas were so interesting that made me think deeply about the importance and strength of the relationship between digital transformation, agile and culture.

Due to its content, I decided to share it together with my thoughts on the topic. Surprisingly, as soon as I started to write my input, I realised I started writing this article. I hope you enjoy reading it the same way I enjoyed writing it. As always, it would be great to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Nowadays, companies already realised that in order to achieve a successful agile transformation, they should not limit this change to engineering departments but all business departments, including HR, finance, sales, marketing, customer support, among all others. More and more, we observe that digital transformation is becoming the new trend, leaving many people talking about this topic alongside agile transformations while companies try to achieve both. Clint Boulton states in his article “What is digital transformation? A necessary disruption” published in CIO.com that digital transformation is a basal change for how organisations deliver value to their customers. In other words, we can say that digital transformation is a revolutionary rethinking of how organisations use technology, reorganise people and processes to challenge and improve their current status quo.

Taking into consideration Peter Bendor-Samuel and Clint Boulton thoughts, we realise that agile and digital transformation are not the same. Agile focuses on how organisations deliver value iteratively to the customer while digital transformation focuses on how organisations use technology to support how value is delivered. Still, one supports the other to achieve the same goal that is delivering value. However, both authors agree that culture is so crucial that its core to achieve a successful transformation. The reason I say this is because, in traditional organisations, executives and managers are given targets that they are held accountable for, and which they cannot fail. I genuinely believe that to succeed with any transformation following the agile approach experimentation must be allowed so we can absorb the learnings from the failures and keep going forward.

During my career, agile transformation and digital transformation initiatives were driven separately, or their touchpoint was high-level. However, people started to realise that the relation between these two transformations is more substantial than initially thought — one cannot work correctly without the other. In his article Peter Bendor-Samuel Bendor-Samuel, states that companies use an agile approach to minimise risks and validate if their efforts meet the desired outcome as they move forward in their journey. Furthermore, the authors say that the key element for any digital transformation supported by an agile approach is the corporate culture. Many times, at the heart of the cultural change, we have the long-established practise of penalising failure. We should understand that there is no perfect or one solution fits all, meaning that experimentation is an essential element to understand what works or not and what can we do differently to make things work and keep improving. Therefore, companies need to celebrate their failures, that they do things to learn and test, rather than penalise failure.

All this make us think and realise that any transformation can be at risk if we take into consideration how failure is managed within the organisation by the leadership.

On a similar note, Tabrizi, Behnam et al. article “Digital Transformation Is Not About Technology” published in HBR says that digital transformation does not come in a box — or a cloud. The authors share the five key lessons that help them lead their organisation through a successful digital transformation:

  • Lesson 1: Figure out your business strategy before you invest in anything;
  • Lesson 2: Leverage insiders;
  • Lesson 3: Design customer experience from the outside in;
  • Lesson 4: Recognise employees’ fear of being replaced;
  • Lesson 5: Bring Silicon Valley start-up culture inside.

What is interesting to note is that culture is again mentioned as a key factor in these five lessons.

After having read them, these are my thoughts on each of those lessons:

  • Lesson 1: Is focused on business strategy. Leadership should first understand the problem and what is the broader business strategy instead of following the old habit of selecting a tool they have in mind to implement digital transformation.
  • Lesson 2: Many times, organisations that seek transformations (digital or otherwise) frequently bring in outside consultants who tend to apply one-size-fits-all or differently known as silver-bullet solutions. Maybe our approach should instead rely on insiders — staff who have intimate knowledge about what works and what doesn’t in their daily operations.
  • Lesson 3: Often, organisations believe they know what the customers want and need when, in reality, they should ask them.
  • Lesson 4: The organisation needs to have or coach true leaders, so they recognise and work with employees’ to overpass their fear of change and being replaced.
  • Lesson 5: Start-ups are acknowledged by their agile decision making, rapid prototyping and flat structures.

Brainstorming in front of a whiteboard helped me to have a better understanding of the relationship between agile transformation, digital transformation, leadership and culture.

After a while, an image started to become clear—the image of Business Transformation Trinity, as shown below.

Business Transformation Trinity

Business Transformation Trinity by Eduardo Ribeiro, July 2020

As we can see:

  • Leadership is not Agile;
  • Agile transformation is not Digital Transformation;
  • Digital Transformation is not leadership;
  • Culture is the centre of everything.

The triangle edges are independent, and the edges are connected by the vertices (relationships), which support each other to achieve any transformation. Furthermore, culture is the key to make transformation a success. We know that change creates discomfort since people are getting out of their comfort zone and without a proper culture in place, we will face resistance and setbacks where the worst scenario could be giving up our transformation and returning to the old ways.

In conclusion, when we are driving an agile and/or digital transformation, we need to keep in mind that all triangle edges need to be worked on iteratively. We need to do this so we can measure the impact of our implemented change, and understand if it was a success or if we need to do it differently. Last but not least, we need constant collaboration with leadership so we can learn from these small failures and not return to the long-established practise of penalizing failure.

Once more, culture is key; it needs to be in our centre of attention and addressed appropriately since even a minor change can be the trigger for the change not being accepted and ultimately not working. Following Peter Bendor-Samuel suggestion in his article, maybe what we need to do is rename the term “failure” to something else that does not create a negative impact like “learnings”. Otherwise, people can misunderstand that the transformation journey failed when actually, we have learned.

In the end, I would like to send a special “thank you” to Anett Stoica for helping me to unblock during my brainstorming moment. For the received feedback about the article, Margarida CarvalhoMike Sousa and once again Anett Stoica thank you!

#agile #agilty #digitaltransformation #leadership #culture

Food for thoughts… “Dealing with psychopaths during Agile change” by Erich R. Bühler!

Sometimes we see Agile Coaches and Agile Consultants trying to use the same coaching techniques with different types of people. They believe if they have successfully applied a coaching technique, the same will work with most of the people.

During my career, I realised that it is not the case. There is no universal recipe for an Agile Transformation/Change. Moreover, besides first understanding what is the problem we want to solve, it is key to keep in mind that we have to address a multitude of people and roles with different needs and level of resistance to change. While we can get some people on board from the early stages, depending on role, seniority or personal traits, we might need to adapt our coaching style to communicate our message better. After all, change means stepping out of our comfort zone.

Flowing my thoughts, today I’ve come across Eric´s article “Dealing with psychopaths during Agile change” in which he explains how to deal with Psychopathic or Narcissistic people during Agile change.

Thanks Erich R. Bühler, for sharing your thoughts on the matter.

#lean #agile #agility #continuousimprovement #highperformaceteams #change

Agile during the time of WAR and PEACE

When dealing with the methodologies of working, we hear a lot of interpretation and opinions.
Much of this feedback is constantly shared by members of our community, talking about the success or failure rates when adopting an agile methodology in their companies.

One of the much-discussed topics amongst us professionals is the reason why some companies are able to achieve success in transformation and others can’t. More importantly, what causes the initial enthusiasm and desire for improvement to quiet down and revert to the initial disbelief in the effectiveness of the methodology.

Having said that, a while ago I decided to write an article on this topic. I gathered all my thoughts and inputs collected both from businesses as well as from individuals with the desire to adopt an Agile Mindset and keep improving their way of working.

The moment has come to shed some light on what I think about this phenomenon.

I don’t remember who started this saying, but we all hear this quite often, “Agile is not the Silver Bullet”.

Photo by Velizar Ivanov on Unsplash.

The bullet concept reminded me of Lev Tolstoy´s famous novel, War and Peace. While we are not building here a literary commentary of the Russian masterpiece, we cannot overlook some similarities between Tolstoy’s characters and our modern-day corporate employees. Although situated in different centuries, both categories characters struggle with problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture in the process of adapting to the new times and changes.

What I’ve been observing is that two moments that can define weather adapting agile will be a success or a failure. In my experience, I call these moments the Time of War and time of Peace.

Photo by Vitor Pinto on Unsplash.

The Time of Peace…

Time of peace is what I consider to be the moment of engagement, specially buy-in from all stakeholders. Teams are split between being reluctant or enthusiastic about the change. At this point, the focus is on the benefits: predictability, transparency, empowerments, delivery at a faster pace. Potential challenges are acknowledged as being part of the journey until the moment of full transformation occurs. Even so, everybody is doing their best to take up the principles and values of Agile. The collective energy level is high, and this improvement process creates a new opportunity for people to build something together and become better at what there are doing while becoming a united and more autonomous team.

Photo by Eddie Kopp on Unsplash.

Teams are committed to making this work. Often times they repeat the mantra “Others did it, so why couldn´t we?”.

What amazes me is that they truly believe in the concept and are in fact doing all the work. Obstacle after obstacles, they are adapting and making it work!

Until…

The Time of War…

Photo by Specna Arms on Unsplash.

As so often specific for human behaviour, when the going gets tough. Everything is going well until this moment, the moment doubts or non-existing doubts appear.

What could happen to create this momentum?

Like most things having to do with human behaviour, this question does not have a single and ultimate truth as an answer. Environment, faulty processes and human nature all factor in.

From what I observed so far, it all gets down to pressure, the catalyst for a time of War.
Corporate environment can often times be a major influence. Pressure from upper management to see quick outcomes or ROI (return on investment), constant nudges from stakeholders powered by the fear of failure push the teams in untested waters too fast.
Broken processes leading to lack of transparency and communication on what, why and how to do will create further confusion and isolation.

Ultimately, the natural resistance to change, pushing too hard will lead to team burnout. And as always, not people but the concept will be to blame. An exhausted group of people will prefer to go back to what they know instead of spending more energy on fixing or adapting the “unknown evil” – this being in our case, the use of the agile methodology.

So, what is there to do?

I consider the breaking point of an adapting process to be when I hear the words “This doesn’t work for me”. Beyond this, there is no point of return. This is the moment that can make the difference between making this work or not.

I am a true believer of step by step, incremental changes. A Big bang approach puts far too much pressure on people and allows no real time for the mind to perceive and adapt to the new requirements. With small steps and iterative improvements “Time of War” moments can be dismantled, like a ticking bomb.

Across our adapting, we will have many “Times of War and Peace” but we need to keep our eye on the ball and remember that each “Time of War” it’s just one more obstacle we need to pass before getting over the finish line and make these principles and values part of our DNA.

With every obstacle passed, it gets easier.

Don’t stop here. This is just the beginning of the continuous improvement path.

Would be great to hear your thoughts on this topic.

Last but not least, we’d like to give a special “thank you” to Anett Stoica for the help with the article revision and all her feedback. Thank you!

My Podcasts at Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

A few months ago I was challenged by my good friend Eddie Kenny and Vasco Duarte to participate in the Scrum Master Toolbox PodcastA daily podcast for Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches.

I have accepted the challenge to be part of a podcast production while never having done anything similar before. It was not a simple as I have imagined, but with preparations and the guy´s support,  I was very happy with the final result.

To make it easier for you to follow, I’ve combined all 5 days content in one post below. To access the podcasts click the links bellow.

Hope that you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed making them.

As always, feel free to share your feedback.

– Day ONE –

– Day TWO –

– Day THREE –

– Day FOUR –

– Day FIVE –