The Lean & Agile Practitioner
Sharing Coach Takeshi’s experiments and experiences from work with clients on their Agile organizational transformation journey. Includes work on Agile Scrum, Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and all other “experimental and iterative” approaches.
Watch on YouTube References Transcript Why is it so hard to have an authentic conversation? The type of conversation that … Read More
Watch on YouTube Learn How To Do Design Thinking + Scrum Transcript In doing so, first, I’d like to take … Read More
Stuck with a customer challenge? No problem, let’s visualize it. Sharing my Rapid Design Thinking Template that I frequently use … Read More
What is agile? Why agile? How do we do agile? What’s the difference between Agile, Scrum, Lean, Design Thinking? Tell … Read More
Self-Transcendence – Beyond Self-Actualization and Theory X & Y Maslow’s Original Hierarchy of Needs Model In 1943, Abraham H. Maslow … Read More
Why brainstorming doesn’t work That was fun, but… Why do we get that slight, lingering feeling of doubt and dissatisfaction … Read More
Pilot objective Within the Scrum community, there is abundant writing suggesting that the two main factors of Scrum implementation failure … Read More
Classic Scrum’s Achilles’ heel One of the weak areas of classic Scrum, in my opinion, is the relative simplicity of … Read More
Confucius’ 7 spaces of learning Knowing to stop – is a simple notion but difficult to practice skill. In “Great … Read More
Lean: not just a hype word for efficiency Yah sure, we do “lean” here and we operate a tight ship … Read More
Glossary: Lean, Agile, Scrum, Sprint, Kanban Consider Lean & Agile as pretty much the same thing, they are basically really … Read More
Behavioral Science for Emotional Intelligence, Part 3 of 4 Pre-reads About the Series 16 Behavioral Science Concepts Most Leaders Were … Read More
(Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tg7YJ3H9vcw) This is Session 2 of a 4 session journey exploring 16 behavioral science concepts that take … Read More
Goal intentions describe what you hope to achieve. But they leave the moment of action undecided, and that is is … Read More
We get used to the multiple data entries, the copy this from email and paste into the spreadsheet tool-hopping routines, … Read More
Defaults are everywhere Once you start looking, you notice defaults everywhere. At work, recurring meetings continue unless someone cancels them, … Read More
Loss aversion: The psychological pain of losing is twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining the exact same amount. … Read More
(Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TCvI0szvJaQ) This is Session 1 of a 4 session journey exploring 16 behavioral science concepts that take … Read More
Emotional contagion is the phenomenon in which we unconsciously mirror the emotions of those around us and begin to feel … Read More
Once the desired end state is sufficiently clear, you begin working backwards. What decisions, capabilities, behaviors, or conditions would need … Read More
This matters far beyond personal situations like late-night snacking or impulse shopping. The same gap shows up at work and … Read More
There are two parts to being a good active listener: doing active listening well, and being an active listener consistently, … Read More
Integral emotions serve a functional, strategic purpose. Combined with the affect heuristic, which reminds you of your urge to make … Read More
Spoon theory is a simple way of describing energy as a finite daily resource, where each “spoon” stands for one … Read More
The New Leader’s Playbook for Leading with Learning In a world where AI is taking disruption to a whole new … Read More
You can’t just flip a switch for delegation and empowerment. It’s more like turning a dial — a spectrum you … Read More
Innovation as a Holistic, System-Wide Journey Over the years, I’ve partnered with large organizations grappling with the complexities of innovation. … Read More
Emotional regulation, stress management, and new habit formation are regular topics in my coaching sessions. When these topics come up, … Read More
I use four mental models to describe my pedagogy (theory and practice of education): Why They Matter Structured learning provides … Read More
Aristotle’s Influence Model is so fundamental and powerful that it’s a mental model I share at one point or another … Read More
(Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/55eGLyl2fSQ) Synopsis In my ongoing conversations with client organizations undergoing agile transformation, I’m observing a subtle yet … Read More
日本一奥深い、アジャイルの説明ビデオを作ってみました。 基礎編30分、付録のアジャイルスクラム入門編15分、計45分の構成です。 講義スライドダウンロード: PDF 講義録
We fool ourselves in planning. Stop that. Plan smarter. We spend a lot of energy on planning. But, as the … Read More
True – We are so accustomed to communication that seeks to influence us, often making us skeptical of others’ intentions. … Read More
In academia, Organization Development (OD) is defined as “a system-wide application and transfer of behavioral science knowledge to the planned … Read More
日本一凝縮されたスクラム研修ビデオを作ってみました。スクラムの全てをカバーしつつ、なんと2時間切りです。2020年版スクラムガイド準拠。 講義スライドダウンロード: PDF 修了クイズ: 30問 講義録
How do we speak with people who avoid conversations? This is a universal challenge for leaders, alongside leading through resistance … Read More
What stresses you at work? For our Mental Model Dōjō session on March 20, 2024, we tackled the topic of … Read More
Mental Model Dōjō pre-session video Transcript First, let’s take a step back and look at “command & control”. In modern … Read More
Synopsis: Thanks to the popular “VUCA” acronym, the ability to manage enterprises and lead teams in volatile, uncertain, complex and … Read More
One of the objectives of the Mental Model Dōjō community sessions is to create space for people to discuss hard-to-put-a-finger-on … Read More
INSEAD is big on “Fair Process”, a leadership mental model formulated by the creators of Blue Ocean Strategy W. Chan … Read More
This visual on “Think like a farmer” has been going around on LinkedIn for a while. It’s good advice and … Read More
(This is an excerpt post from Coach Takeshi’s Agile 101 with edits.) One VERY helpful framing we use when we … Read More
(This is an excerpt post from Coach Takeshi’s Agile 101 with edits.) Question: would you agree with me, along with … Read More
waterfall agile [ˈwɔːtəfɔːl aj-ahyl]: the paradoxical phenomenon observed in large organizations where agile transformation is attempted to be delivered with … Read More
Caught in an argument, tough negotiation or even a full-blown office battle? Try this simple two step conflict resolution approach. … Read More
Our need to be right is persistant and we learning professionals are no exception. The key to be an effective … Read More
Strategizer has a great product market fit development tool called the Value Proposition Canvas. Let’s take a look! Template: Value … Read More
Gong Xi Fa Cai! Wishing all those who celebrate the Lunar New Year a wonderful 2023 ahead! After another fruitful … Read More
At Agile Organization Development we regularly design and deliver High Performance Leadership Development Programmes for MNCs. The set up by … Read More
Dr. W.E. Deming, the father of TQM (Total Quality Management) and the whole Lean movement, once said: Without data, you’re … Read More
Hi Coach Takeshi, I am working towards ICF PCC through ACTP ROUTE. I am not clear about what activities as … Read More
Kaizen, Kanban, Gemba, Muda and other Lean lingo we always hear, what do they actually mean? Coach Takeshi explains. Download … Read More
Confucius once said, “At fifteen my heart was set on learning, at thirty I stood firm, at forty I had … Read More
“It’s not that they don’t get it. It’s that they’re resisting.” “I don’t get it. This plan makes so much … Read More
As boss, how do we ask our team members “can you see to it?” without sounding hard-pressing and controlling? Getting … Read More
Your Kanban is a living, breathing artifact. Use it daily and update it frequently. Keep it live and fresh. Why … Read More
Addressing the “Always On” Fatigue of Remote and Hybrid Working with Asynchronous Communication “I miss working in the office, at … Read More
David Marquet’s “Blue & Red Work” Red Work: Doing Time We continue to be haunted by the ghosts of Taylorism … Read More
The situation is volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, overwhelming (VUCA”O”). We have an immediate, mission critical challenge to tackle. We need … Read More
Watch on YouTube References Transcript How do we lead with inspiration and purpose? It’s a good question and every leader’s … Read More
Dear Eli, Frankie and team, thanks for the follow-up questions to our group coaching session on “Aristotle’s Influence Model”. What … Read More
Download the PDF
Learn Scrum the right way! This is a one hour fifty minute condensed version of my otherwise one day Scrum … Read More
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, … Read More
It bewilders me. Sitting by a calm sea, single line and hook. No catch for today. That’s okay and probably … Read More
Practicing Empiricism in Learning Interventions As learning professionals, we coach, train, consult and facilitate our client teams to measure their … Read More
Join us at: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13940775 Dear members of the Agile Organization Development Practitioner’s Community, thank you for joining and welcome to … Read More
Directional Talk, or Dialogue? Previously I shared CALM for receiving critical feedback. You can also have a Curious Active Listening … Read More
Receiving critical feedback is dreadful. Our defensive routines get triggered and however we might understand that the feedback giver is … Read More
Download the deck in PDF | Watch on YouTube Transcript
Here’s a rapid Design Thinking practice exercise that I do in my training sessions. It’s really simple. You pair up … Read More
I use four mental models to describe my pedagogy (theory and practice of education): Structured + Unstructured Learning Lecturing, teaching, … Read More
310. Wow. This is how many people I coached in 2020. Now of course, I didn’t do this alone: I … Read More
There are three types of empathy: cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy; each respectively the desire to understand, to feel and … Read More
When we think of feedbacking, we tend to just do “corrective feedbacking”; i.e. feedbacking on things to improve. Don’t do … Read More
Transcript
日本一わかりやすい、デザイン思考の説明ビデオを作ってみました。 スライドダウンロード PDF Transcript
Our coachees affectionately call it the avocado. We use this to describe the required boundary conditions and effective organizational support … Read More
“I don’t delegate, I empower.” The mantra of the modern enabling manager. I don’t disagree. Though caveat emptor. The delegation, … Read More
Again, it’s all in the balance. If it’s just all vision and empowerment, the team won’t move. Even as an … Read More
We use “logos” (rational) too much. It’s “pathos” (empathy), “ethos” (credibility, presence), and “kairos” (right time, right place), in balance. … Read More
It’s mastery, so don’t expect it to be easy. As both a serial entrepreneur and agile coach to teams of … Read More
What do you do? The dreaded elevator pitch question. I fumble on it every time. Some days I will say … Read More
Social and digital is accelerating the service economy transformation in our world. In the service economy, the competitive advantage is … Read More
3 years ago today, French philosopher and psychoanalyst Anne Dufourmantelle, best known for her work on risk-taking (“In Praise of … Read More
Here are eight mind and heart hacks for immediate deployment in emotionally charged situations. I use Rhythm Section and Observe, … Read More
On the recurring, practical question of what to do when there are missing skills and expertise in the cross-functional Scrum … Read More
There’s one HBR article that I share but never hear back about. It’s Chris Argyris’ “Teaching Smart People How to … Read More
Example: While adoption of the pre-order app for our Daily Greens salad store has been going up, we’ve been observing … Read More
KISS, an acronym for “keep it simple, stupid” or “keep it stupid simple”, is a design principle noted by the … Read More
0. Acknowledge The very first step even before the first step of handling overwhelmingness, is to acknowledge it. We often … Read More
What makes UOB’s Finlab not just yet another bank accelerator unit, is its unique focus in helping SMEs with its … Read More
My executive coaching client was being completely overwhelmed. After a download of a long list of things on his plate, … Read More
“Shared understanding” is an everyday word in my team coaching. It’s so easy to get into positional talk and convincing … Read More
Does Agile work? To answer that question, I am starting a new video series of curating Agile success stories. The … Read More
Link to case study video: https://youtu.be/EW_PX50NAps Transcript What is an ambidextrous organization? In a nutshell, an ambidextrous organization takes care … Read More
There’s this thing called failure porn. As Agile professionals, as educators, as parents, we say it’s okay to fail. Go … Read More
A tribute post to Professor Clayton Christensen, author of “The Innovator’s Dilemma” (1997), who passed away after a long illness. … Read More
The Irony of Delivering Agile Transformation with Waterfall Agile and digital transformation projects are abundant today. The irony is that … Read More
Knowledge is for consumption. This is my street philosophy, but I really abide to this. I really, really like to … Read More
#1 Cause of Startup Death? Premature Scaling This is what INSEAD professor Nathan Furr said in a 2011 Forbes article. … Read More
Frustrations about others, are (not surprisingly) frequent topics of my coaching conversations. The clarifying question “So, what are you frustrated … Read More
In coaching enabling conversation skills, I find Karpman’s Drama Triangle (1968) very useful. (1) Blaming, shaming and guilt tripping, (2) … Read More
Relentless pursuit of product market fit is customer obsession. Reality is, so many distractions in the office… It would be … Read More
Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. – Mahatma Gandhi Nodding one’s head in agreement when reading an … Read More
There’s science and philosophy behind Design Thinking’s divergent and convergent double diamond. It’s the logic of deductive and inductive reasoning. … Read More
“If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will … Read More
I chose this equestrian quote because today I wanted to talk about the time-boxed nature of Scrum, also known as … Read More
We know the sound of two hands clapping. But what is the sound of one hand clapping? – Zen Master … Read More
The late Dr. Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication, made famous by Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella as required reading for his board, … Read More
The map is not the territory. – Alfred Korzybski, 1931 Semantic scientist and philosopher Korzybski coined this term to distinguish … Read More
I actually think planning and designing are pretty similar. It’s just that designing is much more colorful, multi-faceted, free form. … Read More
This image is from Roland Smart’s “Agile Markerter” (https://amzn.to/2O7W2EA). It’s the cadence difference between feedabck (spot the typo? :-)) that … Read More
Sharing to fellow coaches this useful visual from Peter Senge’s Fifth Discipline book. Bringing awareness to limiting beliefs, while shifting … Read More
My stance is that, change and transformation is a result. We don’t change for the sake of changing. Rather, I … Read More
The importance is to experiment and iterate. What approach you take is of secondary importance. Chose whatever approach that best … Read More
We are highly functioning professionals. When we see a pattern, we know what to do. So, Know-Do. The challenge of … Read More
Design Thinking is process driven. It is a process to help us activate our creativity. Meanwhile, our brains don’t necessarily … Read More
Either it’s the artist in us or the perfectionist taking control, but many of us have a tendency to start … Read More
Because when we’re overwhelmed, we make simple and complicated situations, complex and chaotic. Complexity & uncertainty handling is starting to … Read More
Kanban is deep… Combine that with Jeff Patton’s User Story Mapping (USM), it becomes a powerful visualization tool in Scrum.
Liberating Structures is a collection of powerful team exercises curated by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless (www.liberatingstructures.com). The following slides … Read More
Two versions of Design Thinking POV (Point of View) Statement templates. Download PDF version with editable text boxes here: DT … Read More
We tend to confront complex, dynamic realities with a language designed for simple, static problems: normal verbal language extracts simple, … Read More
Radical Candor: Care Personally, Challenge Directly Scott’s idea is that guidance is praise and criticism. And the best way to … Read More
I’m glad we all agree. (Really?)
Our need to be right is pervasive. Suspend your assumptions, create a conversational space and have a dialogue, less a … Read More
(This post is an excerpt from our earlier article A Pretty Good Summary of Lean, Agile, Scrum.) ‣ The Spiritless … Read More
Sharing your Vision Leaders, why is it all so often that when you “share” your vision to your people, you … Read More
(This is an excerpt post from Coach Takeshi’s Agile 101) Agile is about relentlessly pursuing customer value. We accept uncertainty … Read More
Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s 95 years old “right hand man,” on “lattice work of mental models”: “You’ve got to have … Read More
Sound familiar? Let’s talk about product market fit. Your angel investor invested in your idea. Your VC and series A … Read More
Four Areas of Focus We focus on the following four areas to help startups build strong foundations for marketing and … Read More
My name is Takeshi. I am the founder of Lifecycle. We help startups succeed with better product development, and marketing. … Read More
The Lean Startup, Eric Ries, 2011 Scrum, Jeff Sutherland, 2014 The Startup Owner’s Manual, Steve Blank and Bob Dorf, 2012 … Read More
