Coach Takeshi’s coaching journal. Sharing the many mental models that I actually use for client sessions.
Sense-making is also a process
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Authentic Conversations and the Art of Feedbacking
Watch on YouTube References Transcript Why is it so hard to have an authentic conversation? The type of conversation that you feel safe, comfortable, connected with the other person and even if it’s a tough topic, there’s mutual respect and … Read More
Rapid Design Thinking template: Ideate customer solutions in less than 30 minutes
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, The Lean & Agile Practitioner
Stuck with a customer challenge? No problem, let’s visualize it. Sharing my Rapid Design Thinking Template that I frequently use in individual and team coaching sessions. Rapidly going through the sequence of empathizing with the customer, defining the problem and … Read More
Lay Your Lobster Traps
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
It bewilders me. Sitting by a calm sea, single line and hook. No catch for today. That’s okay and probably a really nice day on vacation. But that’s definitely not okay if you’re trying to make a sales! There are … Read More
Curious Active Listening Mindset (CALM) as a Leadership Modality
Directional Talk, or Dialogue? Previously I shared CALM for receiving critical feedback. You can also have a Curious Active Listening Mindset for giving feedback. In fact, from directional conversations to dialogue, CALM can be a leadership mindset and style of … Read More
How to Receive Critical Feedback in a Breeze: Try CALM – “Curious Active Listening Mindset”
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Receiving critical feedback is dreadful. Our defensive routines get triggered and however we might understand that the feedback giver is speaking with good intention, it’s still difficult to listen. With a Curious Active Listening Mindset, there’s a better chance at … Read More
Learn Design Thinking in 30 minutes: Origami Gift Exercise
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Here’s a rapid Design Thinking practice exercise that I do in my training sessions. It’s really simple. You pair up in buddies and by gifting each other an origami craft, you can go through the full empathize, define, ideate, prototype … Read More
Structured + Unstructured Learning, Vertical + Horizontal Learning, Shu-Ha-Ri (守破離)
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
I use three mental models to describe my pedagogy (theory and practice of education): Structured + Unstructured Learning Lecturing, teaching, textbook learning fall into the realm of structured learning. Coaching, mentoring, parental conversations are examples of unstructured learning. Then in … Read More
Coach Takeshi’s 2020 Wrap Up and 2021 Wishes
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
310. Wow. This is how many people I coached in 2020. Now of course, I didn’t do this alone: I do predominantly organizational work so this was across 24 teams in 10 client organizations, delivered with 14 other coaches from … Read More
The Delegation, Empowerment Spectrum
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
“I don’t delegate, I empower.” The mantra of the modern enabling manager. I don’t disagree. Though caveat emptor. The delegation, empowerment spectrum is intricate business. Feed a newbie sales person to a lion. They’re going to have their head chewed … Read More
Classic Leadership Balance Still Holds for Agile Leadership
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Again, it’s all in the balance. If it’s just all vision and empowerment, the team won’t move. Even as an agile leader embracing servant leadership values, you still need to command and lead your tribe, and get your hands dirty … Read More
Aristotle’s Influence Model
We use “logos” (rational) too much. It’s “pathos” (empathy), “ethos” (credibility, presence), and “kairos” (right time, right place), in balance. We love convincing and persuading. What’s wrong with being right, right? So, “logos” is our default communication style. Logic, reason, … Read More
The Three Competencies of Mastering Complex Product Development
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
It’s mastery, so don’t expect it to be easy. As both a serial entrepreneur and agile coach to teams of all sizes, I have come to understand that mastering complex product development converges into three competencies. (1) Content competency: the … Read More
The Two Simple Traits of Performing Teams
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
What do you do? The dreaded elevator pitch question. I fumble on it every time. Some days I will say that I activate people. One conversation at a time, I activate leaders, teams, organizations. Other days I say I specialize … Read More
8 Mind & Heart Hacks for Emotionally Charged Situations
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Here are eight mind and heart hacks for immediate deployment in emotionally charged situations. I use Rhythm Section and Observe, Orient regularly. And more than once, Lean-in has saved me (us) from situations with dramatic effect. I don’t think there’s … Read More
Why learning from failure is so hard: Because we can’t stand looking stupid
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
There’s one HBR article that I share but never hear back about. It’s Chris Argyris’ “Teaching Smart People How to Learn” (https://hbr.org/1991/05/teaching-smart-people-how-to-learn). Maybe it’s the intimidating title that ticks off the interest to read. Or maybe because it’s a painful … Read More
Go with the FLOW to capture your thoughts from Design Thinking customer interviews
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
So you had some great customer interviews as part of your Design Thinking exercise. You felt that you empathized well with the customers and generated awesome insight. Wonderful. Before your memory evaporates you’d want to write down your thoughts quickly … Read More
KISS – Keep It Stupid Simple
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
KISS, an acronym for “keep it simple, stupid” or “keep it stupid simple”, is a design principle noted by the U.S. Navy in 1960. The KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than … Read More
Mental Model Dōjō TV: Agile Success Stories – UOB Finlab Felix Tan
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
What makes UOB’s Finlab not just yet another bank accelerator unit, is its unique focus in helping SMEs with its SME accelerator program. I asked Felix Tan, MD of Finlab to share us the story behind the focus and their … Read More
Kill the Zombies in the Eisenhower Matrix
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
My executive coaching client was being completely overwhelmed. After a download of a long list of things on his plate, I asked him how he would like to do things differently. He continued to list more things he wanted to … Read More
Disagreement vs Misalignment
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
“Shared understanding” is an everyday word in my team coaching. It’s so easy to get into positional talk and convincing mode, because when discussions heat up, it quickly becomes personal. Well, if it’s going to be personal, make it personal … Read More
Mental Model Dōjō TV: Agile Success Stories – Solaria Labs, Liberty Mutual
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Does Agile work? To answer that question, I am starting a new video series of curating Agile success stories. The first story I’d like to share is with Justin Yiu, from Liberty Mutual’s innovation arm Solaria Labs, and their innovative … Read More
Mental Model Dōjō TV: Ambidextrous Organizations Explained
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Link to case study video: https://youtu.be/EW_PX50NAps Transcript What is an ambidextrous organization? In a nutshell, an ambidextrous organization takes care of current core businesses with the right hand, while taking care of innovation with the left hand, as physically separate … Read More
Stop #failureporn
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
There’s this thing called failure porn. As Agile professionals, as educators, as parents, we say it’s okay to fail. Go for it, try your best, and if you fail as a result, it’s okay, because we learn. Nothing wrong with … Read More
Mental Model Dōjō TV: Knowing to Stop – a Confucius Teaching
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
We practice the art of stopping – meditation, mindfulness, reflection, introspection, zen. Confucius says to stop, we first need to know to stop. Let’s see what he means by that. This is the very first of my video series, and … Read More
Innovator’s Dilemma and Organizational Ambidexterity
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
A tribute post to Professor Clayton Christensen, author of “The Innovator’s Dilemma” (1997), who passed away after a long illness. I am a big fan of Organizational Ambidexterity, made famous by Charles O’Reilly (Stanford) and Michael Tushman’s (Harvard) 2004 HBR … Read More
Knowledge is for Consumption
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Knowledge is for consumption. This is my street philosophy, but I really abide to this. I really, really like to practice what I learn. Practice – both in the application sense, and in the repeat exercise, trial and error sense. … Read More
Premature Scaling is Startup Death
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
#1 Cause of Startup Death? Premature Scaling This is what INSEAD professor Nathan Furr said in a 2011 Forbes article. I can attest it still holds so true: premature scaling is startup death. Steve Blank says the same; in his … Read More
Don’t Mix What I Want FROM You with What I Want FOR You
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
Frustrations about others, are (not surprisingly) frequent topics of my coaching conversations. The clarifying question “So, what are you frustrated about him/her?” is often answered with a mix of (1) unmet needs and what I call (2) “righting.” It’s a … Read More
Karpman’s Drama Triangle
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
In coaching enabling conversation skills, I find Karpman’s Drama Triangle (1968) very useful. (1) Blaming, shaming and guilt tripping, (2) victim mentality and (3) “chief problem solving officer” are three recurring patterns of impediments to enabling conversations. The Drama Triangle … Read More
Relentless Pursuit of Product Market Fit is Customer Obsession
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Relentless pursuit of product market fit is customer obsession. Reality is, so many distractions in the office… It would be Nirvana for product developers and customer professionals if we can only think about the customer. Why do we have so … Read More
Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. – Mahatma Gandhi Nodding one’s head in agreement when reading an inspiring quote like this is one thing. Furthering the thought with questions, is another thing. For me, two questions come … Read More
Deductive and Inductive Reasoning and the Divergent, Convergent Double Diamond in Design Thinking
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
There’s science and philosophy behind Design Thinking’s divergent and convergent double diamond. It’s the logic of deductive and inductive reasoning. Also: “Experience by itself teaches nothing… Without theory, experience has no meaning. Without theory, one has no questions to ask. … Read More
If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
“If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent van Gogh There’s neuroscientific truth in this. This is the same brain hacking we use in … Read More
The Cadence of Scrum
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
I chose this equestrian quote because today I wanted to talk about the time-boxed nature of Scrum, also known as the cadence of Scrum. Sprints that are not consistent, i.e. stretches and shrinks, interrupts, happens just a few rounds and … Read More
Zen koan: What is the sound of one hand clapping?
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
We know the sound of two hands clapping. But what is the sound of one hand clapping? – Zen Master Hakuin Ekaku (1686-1769) A Zen Koan (riddle) made famous by appearing in J.D. Salinger’s Nine Stories. Enjoy thinking about it. … Read More
The Map Is Not The Territory
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
The map is not the territory. – Alfred Korzybski, 1931 Semantic scientist and philosopher Korzybski coined this term to distinguish our beliefs from reality. The concept is helpful in understanding how misunderstandings happen. > What we perceive as the territory, … Read More
Design Instead of Planning
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
I actually think planning and designing are pretty similar. It’s just that designing is much more colorful, multi-faceted, free form. Probably more fun too. Planning for your trip? How about, “designing your next trip”? Sounds more adventurous and intriguing, doesn’t … Read More
The Two Cadence of User Feedback
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
This image is from Roland Smart’s “Agile Markerter” (https://amzn.to/2O7W2EA). It’s the cadence difference between feedabck (spot the typo? :-)) that come (1) directly from the consumer (Practitioner User Feedback) and (2) the people who manage the consumers of the product/service … Read More
Robert Fritz’s Concept of Structural Tension
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Sharing to fellow coaches this useful visual from Peter Senge’s Fifth Discipline book. Bringing awareness to limiting beliefs, while shifting the attention to action, is a recurring yet intricate theme in coaching. We have a tendency to dwell too long … Read More
Kaizen (改善) and Kaku-shin (革新)
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
My stance is that, change and transformation is a result. We don’t change for the sake of changing. Rather, I place importance in improvement. So, with me, you’ll be seeing frequent reference to Kaizen (改善), which is continuous improvement. See, … Read More
The many flavors of Experimental and Iterative approaches
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
The importance is to experiment and iterate. What approach you take is of secondary importance. Chose whatever approach that best fits the situation, and eventually you’ll get there. Time after time, trial and error has been proven most effective.
From Know-Do to Know-[Stop/Think/Design/Make]-Do
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
We are highly functioning professionals. When we see a pattern, we know what to do. So, Know-Do. The challenge of Know-Do, is predictable results. What if we want out-of-the-norm break-throughs? So, Stop. Think. Design. Make. Sharing my favorite visual from … Read More
The non-linear, non-sequential nature of Design Thinking
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
Design Thinking is process driven. It is a process to help us activate our creativity. Meanwhile, our brains don’t necessarily work in linear fashion, particularly when we’re being creative. So, by nature, Design Thinking can be non-linear, and non-sequential. Go … Read More
Prototyping a Walking Skeleton
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
Either it’s the artist in us or the perfectionist taking control, but many of us have a tendency to start creating quality body parts ahead of putting together a skeleton. Remember, it would be a tragedy if we spend an … Read More
The Art of Kanban + User Story Mapping
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Kanban is deep… Combine that with Jeff Patton’s User Story Mapping (USM), it becomes a powerful visualization tool in Scrum.
Liberating Structures
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
Liberating Structures is a collection of powerful team exercises curated by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless (www.liberatingstructures.com). The following slides are abbreviated instructions and some modified contents to their original work. For original instructions, please visit their website. Here’s the … Read More
Two Templates for Design Thinking POV (Point of View) Statements
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Two versions of Design Thinking POV (Point of View) Statement templates. Download PDF version with editable text boxes here: DT POV Templates
Systems Thinking
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
We tend to confront complex, dynamic realities with a language designed for simple, static problems: normal verbal language extracts simple, linear cause-effort chains. And because we see the world in simple obvious terms, we come to also believe in simple, … Read More
Go for Outcome, Less Output
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
Shared Understanding
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō
I’m glad we all agree. (Really?)
Dialogue vs Directional Talk and the Tell Sell Yell Escalation
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
Our need to be right is pervasive. Suspend your assumptions, create a conversational space and have a dialogue, less a directional talk.
Spirit of Agile
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
Lattice Work of Mental Models
posted in: Mental Model Dōjō, Top
Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s 95 years old “right hand man,” on “lattice work of mental models”: “You’ve got to have models in your head. And you’ve got to array your experience ‑ both vicarious and direct ‑ on this latticework … Read More