Agile Coaches' Corner

This week, your host, Dan Neumann, is discussing how to maximize Team autonomy while maintaining accountability within Agile Frameworks. In this episode, Dan defines the importance of autonomy and accountability in Agile. He explains the challenge faced when too much autonomy leads to a lack of accountability while, on the contrary, too much control inhibits innovation and why leaders should prioritize this delicate ba...

This week, Dan Neumann, your host, dives deep into how Managers can support and help their Agile Teams. We often fall into common misconceptions, such as believing that self-managing Teams do not need Functional Managers or finding that the Manager’s role is not well defined, making it difficult to identify how he can assist an Agile Team. In this episode, Dan shares many valuable tips for Managers trying to find the b...

This week, Dan Neumann welcomes Mike Guiler to explore starting on the right foot and staying aligned during the delivery process. In this episode, Dan discusses the crucial activities that set the stage for a successful project inception. Whether starting a new project or re-initiating an existing one, these activities are essential for aligning your Team, stakeholders, and vision.

Key Takeaways

This week, Dan Neumann welcomes Nina Sossamon-Poghe to today’s conversation. Nina has an interesting background as a U.S. gymnast, a News Anchor, and a Corporate Leader with a unique perspective on resilience, mental health, and well-being.

In this episode, Dan and Nina discuss an innovative concept, Excellence Exhaustion, while they define and analyze its significance. Nina also shares the “Resilience R...

This week, your host, Dan Neumann, welcomes Mike Guiler to discuss a recent course on Kanban Essentials they experienced together. By the end of the classes, they encountered a common feeling in some participants: fear of failing. Often, acquiring new knowledge, embarking on a new journey, or using a new tool can trigger insecurities: What could happen if it is not right? Where do I begin?

In this episod...

This week, your host, Dan Neumann, is joined by Norm Kerth, author of Project Retrospectives: A Handbook for Team Reviews. Norm Kerth wrote this book before Sprint Retrospectives were invented! In this episode, Norm and Dan explore the subject of Project Retrospectives. They discuss the learning opportunity within every major project event, especially in instances where things did not turn out favorably. Norm explains...

This week, your host, Dan Neumann, is joined by an external guest: Kristen Belcher, a Software Developer turned Agile Coach. In this episode, they discuss liberating structures, simple and subtle tools that can help everyone attending a group event contribute and be included. They dive deep into some of the Liberating Structures, such as 1-2-4-All, Drawing Together, Purpose-to-Practice, and TRIZ. Listen to this thought...

This week, your hosts, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil, share seven tips for Agile Facilitation. Collaboration is necessary when solving a problem, and Agile Coaches and Masters work to enable a Team to cooperate. Every event is unique, which is why Facilitation could be considered a form of art.

Key Takeaways

• Contextual Awareness:

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This week, your host, Justin Thatil, welcomes Ned Pope, Director of Product Practice at Agile Thought. In this episode, Ned and Justin explore the most common challenges encountered while engaging with an enterprise client. Ned shares valuable insights regarding creating a new product effectively and timely, emphasizing the crucial value of openness and collaboration within a Team. Ned highlights the importance of focu...

This week, your host, Justin Thatil, is joined by Mike Guiler to explore complementary practices in Scrum. The Scrum Guide intentionally left many open questions for users to adapt and practice flexibility.

In this episode, Justin and Mike outline several practices, such as identifying the product vision, adapting the Kanban Board, and providing visual information regarding the production process. They a...

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by the first-time guest, Jeannine Gonyon, a Performance Engineering Practice Lead at Agile Thought. This episode explores the differences between performance testing and performance engineering, emphasizing the crucial role of Performance Engineering in mitigating unnecessary risks and protecting the Organization’s reputation.

Key Takeaways

This week, your host, Dan Neumann, is accompanied by Gill Broza. Gil is known for simplifying the complex and making the implicit explicit so people can make better choices. He is a writer and never prescribes a single right way.

In this episode, Dan and Gil explore how to help teams grow and produce improved outcomes while diving deep into a discussion regarding Gil’s latest book, Deliver Better Results...

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by Mike Guiler to continue the discussion on Norman Kerth’s book Project Retrospectives. In this episode, they explore the last three chapters, which are filled with exercises to apply at Retrospectives, specifically when sensitive topics are to be addressed.

Key Takeaways

• Some Retrospe...

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by Mike Guiler to continue their discussion of Norman Kerth’s book Project Retrospectives. In this episode, they dive deep into chapters 6, 7, and 8, analyzing some of the exercises and techniques described in the book and the immense value of learning to plan retrospectives for them to be fruitful. They close this conversation by addressing “postmortem” retrospective...

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by Mike Guiler to share their continuous learning journey. They have been exploring the book Project Retrospectives written by Norman Kerth, and today, you will listen to them discussing chapters 3 to 5, where they dive deep into the role of Retrospective facilitators.  They compare Norm’s guidance against their own experience and reflect how practices presented are s...

This week, Justin Thatil, your host, welcomes Mike Guiler and Anitra Pavka. Today, they address the product discovery phase and some of the challenges the engineering Team usually faces while identifying what they will build and which special skills will be required to perform the task effectively. Also in this episode, they explore interviewing techniques and usability testing.

Key Takeaways

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by Mike Guiler to discuss the journey of a Project Manager shifting to fill the Scrum Master accountability. This episode mainly focuses on those Scrum Masters who are newer to this accountability and have a Project Management background. In this episode, they explore what happens when a Project Manager is assigned Scrum Master’s accountabilities which can develop dif...

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by their colleague, Mike Guiler. In this episode, they explore how a Product Manager shifts from just management to leadership and how this transformation influences the role. Dan, Justin, and Mike discuss tools and strategies, including OKRs, Story Mapping, and Hackathons, among others.

Key Takeaways

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by Mike Guiler to continue the conversation that started in the last episode, where it was discussed how organizations can support their Managers. This time, they explore how Managers can help their Teams to shift to a more Agile approach.

In today’s episode, Mike, Justin, and Dan dive deep into the reasons managers must be prepared to accompany their ...