Category: Skilled Incompetence

  • Conversations for double-loop mindset changes with Kanban

    You can watch the video of my talkfrom the Lean Software Systems Consortium (LSSC12) conference in Boston earlier this month. Visualising work is a key part of the Kanban Method. In many situations it can lead to people realising there are problems or opportunities for improvement, which can be successfully accomplished by simply changing behaviour…

  • The Art of Handling Elephants in the Room

    When we spot and elephant in the room, or an undiscussable topic that isn’t being addressed, it is tempting to tackle it head on.  However, just naming the elephant or telling people that they’re not discussing an undiscussable topic  is rarely a productive approach. Having spotted an elephant in the room it is tempting to shout…

  • Ineffective pushback to a pushy manager?

    How do you deal with a manager who believes that a software development team needs to go faster and should be pushed? I want to review some of the responses to my earlier blog and test the idea that they would create a productive conversation that would lead to effective outcomes. How does our advice…

  • Naming names: helping Agile teams effectively deal with discussing individuals’ behaviour

    I’ve seen a common issue where people in Agile teams are afraid to mention the behaviour of specific individuals. There’s often a fear that speaking about individuals’ behaviour will result in conflict, but indirect strategies are often self-protective and avoid dealing with the issue in a way that allows everyone to learn. By reframing the…

  • Skilled incompetence in action at Agile workshops

    As part of my workshops on effective communication, especially around introducing innovative new process approaches such as Lean and Agile, I’ve found examples that demonstrate how people can act with “skilled incompetence” and “skilled unawareness”. One exercise I run is to help people look at how effectively they communicate feedback on difficult topics. The scenario…