Carrying Grains of Sand - Chris Williams of Badass Agile - Agile and Beyond 2019
A discussion around why understanding your reason (your "One Thing") is the first step in better communication that drives effective and enthusiastic change.
Executive, Consultant for over 25 years. • Host of the Badass Agile Podcast (75 countries, 2 years, nearly 200 episodes) (www.badassagile.com) • Author, speaker, owner of Fuse Chamber Inc, a Branded Podcast service • Current head of transformation for PwC IFS/LoS • Using Agile means to build more Agile things “….to connect and ignite people,….to lead a life of distinction…to create heroes”
bunch of smart, dedicated, hard-working individuals wouldn’t arrive at anyway. Think Apollo 13. What ‘rules’ Agile and its methods DO prescribe are minimal, intended only to make repeatable that magic that teams manifest when the cause is good and hearts and minds are aligned. Ultimately, the spirit of innovation AND high performance depend on a positive, learning attitude towards failure, humility, and contentment with progress as the ultimate goal. Excellence being “a habit, not a singular act”, it requires continuous focus on fundamentals, ongoing practice and patience to yield results.
to something that we say we want (or at least should want) comes from one place. Fear. • Standing Out, being ostracized or rejected • Change, and the loss of significance that comes with it • Failure, and the social, emotional and financial risk associated with it.
take in response to fear are designed to efficiently protect us from harm. However, those responses are based on threats that don’t exist, and are not appropriate for modern/professional interactions. We’re programmed to defend against tigers, but there is no tiger. The problem is…our programming doesn’t know the difference.
Today, let’s learn and commit to using three powerful techniques that will empower you to lead through resistance. (btw, they don’t teach this in Scrum Master school) • Drown the fear, Reduce the Fear • Understand their world – figure out what moves them • Use words that move them to create compelling emotions that drive change
reason for doing everything matters more than anything. Now that you know a little about your teammate, client or customer, you need to match up What They Value to What You (ie, the team, the org, the client) Value. Examples: • This could free up more time to work on the strategies that will make us #! • This could free up more time for you to actually plan and enjoy a 2-week vacation • Couldn’t we use this same technique to help you realize your dream of……?
of the world once you’re done with it. How will things look because you existed? What values will you have made real? What is now possible because you were here? Having a Vision is like having a map, or the answer to a question before its asked. You know exactly what to do in every situation. You are clear and certain, even when the way forward is not. You no exactly what you will or will not do, and what you are capable of. You are in complete control of your destiny. But if you don’t know where you are going….any road will get you there.
O An ant is not taught to carry grains of sand, nor is the bee taught to pollenate. Yet they are marvelously efficient at what they need to do. Certain skills and behaviours, as well as the will to do them, are ingrained in our genetic code. Within our species, each of us is different, yet could be seen as having a distinct role to play. What is yours?
way to bring it into everything you do. What makes you unique, what makes your story compelling, is probably not your role, your training, or your job skill. It is the passion that you bring to the things that you care about that makes you effective. Don’t be afraid to bring your love of bicycles, bowling, music, art, or whatever to your daily job. Your experience and passion in these areas will help you relate to other people on your team and are an important part of what makes your personal brand so unique and effective.
more than anything. Think of your grandmother’s wisdom: • To deny one’s ‘ant-ness’ or ‘bee-ness’ is…..suffering • Love what you do and you never work a day in your life • If you want to accelerate learning, maximize output and reduce burnout and anxiety…work with the grain of your natural tendencies.
interested in? • What is something you do that makes time stand still? • What did people always say you should do or were gifted at? • What would you do if you won the lottery, or didn’t have to worry about money?
Even a vision can be self- serving or materialistic. But service is, by definition, effort that benefits someone other than oneself. It demands giving to another individual, a team, a community, or a cause greater than oneself • Glory, acclaim, rewards • A faster, cheaper way • Maximize profit, minimize overhead
think about is not just what you’re passionate about, but who you’re passionate about serving. We tend to be more fulfilled and more effective when we’re serving something larger than ourselves. That could be your team, your community, your country OR… your client or your customer. The next thing you want to figure out is why is it important for you to serve that group or person? And finally think about how your one thing can help you serve them.
changing minds is to know your subject. Empathy is a big word in Agile, but how often do we exercise and practice it, and do it with the same excellence that we apply to coding or testing? Set High Standards – put a high priority un Understanding Their World, and use these techniques to begin your journey into greater influence.
patterns: • What are you passionate about? Why (is that important to you)? • How do you know you’ve done a good job? How do you improve? • Describe a typical day/dream vacation OR How do you solve problems? • I know a fun experiment that could completely change your life in the next two weeks. Ready? Ask your partner these questions….or, just listen as they speak. Make notes about the words they choose.
vs. Avoid • Extrinsic vs Intrinsic – Who is your Feedback source • Patterns versus Options – Come what may vs. Step by Step • Proactive vs. Reactive – Do. Vs. Wait
wrong ‘type’ of person. Understanding another individual means that you’ve identified what they like, and what they fear, and can use the words that they naturally react to in order to bring about the correct and sufficient emotions to act in powerful ways. • Get, have, gain, win vs. avoid, keep, protect, will not • You know, feel vs. They know feel • You decide vs. let me show you/here are the steps • Let’s roll! Vs. take a moment
requires courage, influence and passion. These techniques are just part of a larger journey – a lifelong pursuit - of leadership development. What’s required is vision, service, discipline, patience, self-awareness, emotional and physical mastery, a continuous self-improvement. Learn more at www.badassagile.com. Subscribe to the podcast and follow on Twitter (@badass_agile) and IG (@badassagile)
pokotyamu
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