{"pageProps":{"posts":[{"_createdAt":"2020-06-12T13:45:19Z","_id":"693fba7a-cadf-4038-b686-1ce4d6b35e2a","_rev":"FUV33dru9eagg07r9odXJs","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-06-12T13:55:21Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"0a20e23490ae","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"0a20e23490ae0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Common knowledge these days seems to be that creativity is best achieved in groups. We organize brainstorms, workshops and week long design sprints. But is this the most effective way to create creative solutions?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"09289987ff8e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"09289987ff8e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Creative genius"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h1"},{"_key":"b7abaab37ee7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b7abaab37ee70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A while ago, the definitive answer was no. "},{"_key":"b7abaab37ee71","_type":"span","marks":["aa966c660524"],"text":"The literature"},{"_key":"b7abaab37ee72","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" was pretty much on the track that creativity flourished when individuals were working alone and were not prematurely influenced and constrained by opinions of others. This is the idea of the creative genius, the lone artist, best left alone until she comes out of her cave."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"aa966c660524","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.amazon.com/Group-Creativity-Innovation-through-Collaboration/dp/0195147308"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a60d84a11dd8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a60d84a11dd80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Collaborative creativity"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h1"},{"_key":"d0d205fc2847","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d0d205fc28470","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"With the advent of cross-functional Agile teams came the idea that every creative effort was best done together from the get-go. "},{"_key":"d0d205fc28471","_type":"span","marks":["979753922d66"],"text":"More recent research"},{"_key":"d0d205fc28472","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" findings suggest that there is indeed a place for group creativity. Collaborative efforts for instance lead you further: often you need others to get your idea completion. But when creating something creative in a group you have to beware of the risks: unequal participation, dominance, "},{"_key":"d0d205fc28473","_type":"span","marks":["7a1fa1d5434f"],"text":"unwilling to take interpersonal risks"},{"_key":"d0d205fc28474","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", converging to a particular idea too early, etc."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"979753922d66","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bd5e/034dfae4054552bce7f0c43b60514370a750.pdf"},{"_key":"7a1fa1d5434f","_type":"link","blank":false,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/nice-team-overrated/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"0660a38285b5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"0660a38285b50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.\n- African proverb"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"blockquote"},{"_key":"73a72f581808","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"73a72f5818080","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ebb and flow"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h1"},{"_key":"3caec2c3c558","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3caec2c3c5580","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So what’s better? Of course, it depends, for instance on the "},{"_key":"3caec2c3c5581","_type":"span","marks":["79b19cfbf431"],"text":"type of work"},{"_key":"3caec2c3c5582","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". My take: I think creative ideas start individually. The first draft or design of the idea best starts with one person. Once the rough idea is sketched out - so it’s more than just a thought - it makes sense to share and bring in different perspectives. I believe in a continual flow of individual thinking, then collaborative creating, then back to then individual and so on."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"79b19cfbf431","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://discovery.rsm.nl/articles/318-team-creativity-individual-brilliance-versus-group-collaboration/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d3fa13787a15","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d3fa13787a150","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Tips"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h1"},{"_key":"e87aa1a4f536","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e87aa1a4f5360","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If it starts with the individual, what can you do to stimulate creativity in the organization? Here are "},{"_key":"e87aa1a4f5361","_type":"span","marks":["976db233f10c"],"text":"three arias you should focus on"},{"_key":"e87aa1a4f5362","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":":"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"976db233f10c","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://blog.ideanote.io/individual-creativity-vs-organizational-creativity/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"54b9c2301da3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"54b9c2301da30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The right people. Attract diverse people that have shown to generate novel ideas. Foster and motivate them."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"029d30b9c3d4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"029d30b9c3d40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The right environment. Create an environment that stimulates the senses, physically en physiologically."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"364bb81d335d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"364bb81d335d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The right process. A process that supports gathering and pruning of ideas. A process that describes the ebb and flow of individual and group work."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"33e6f443186a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"33e6f443186a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2020-06-11T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"creativity-best-done-alone"},"summary":"Common knowledge these days seems to be that creativity is best achieved in groups. We organize brainstorms, workshops and week long design sprints. But is this the most effective way to create creative solutions?","title":"Creativity: best done alone?"},{"_createdAt":"2020-06-08T11:53:33Z","_id":"dd896659-6972-46bd-ba39-91c1b374c935","_rev":"NFy6sI7sPeXULQXHosDzz2","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-06-10T07:30:16Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"a1a775a15b56","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a1a775a15b560","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Introverts and extroverts in conflict, a flammable recipe"},{"_key":"a1a775a15b561","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". "},{"_key":"a1a775a15b562","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Are you considering how introverted or extroverted people are when you're trying to resolve a conflict? Those two ends of the spectrum have very different needs, especially in a conflict."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5afaea10dd27","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5afaea10dd270","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Extroverts have a need to think out loud and speak immediately about what's on their mind. They use an assertive and integrative style and take conflicts head-on. Extroverts quickly regard introverts as distant and detached, silent and too slow to respond. They have the feeling they have to work really hard to get a response."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b0d7fd0bd59b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b0d7fd0bd59b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Introverts listen, think and weigh things to say in their minds. They are often less assertive, want to compete less and in general try to avoid conflicts. Introverts quickly view their extrovert counterparts as poor listeners that speak before thinking and try aggressively to make their point."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9ef3e1c721dc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9ef3e1c721dc0","_type":"span","marks":["underline"],"text":"Side note"},{"_key":"9ef3e1c721dc1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": I understand the whole introvert/extrovert thing is not a dichotomy, but rather a spectrum. And that a lot of people are considered ambiverts. Also, how outgoing you are also depends on the context you're in: being with close friends or with a group of stranger matters a lot. So don't immediately put someone in the introvert or extrovert group, but assess each situation individually."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8fd2c025b9c8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8fd2c025b9c80","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Here's a great tip "},{"_key":"8fd2c025b9c81","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"(from "},{"_key":"8fd2c025b9c82","_type":"span","marks":["201f32d9998b"],"text":"The Introverted Leader"},{"_key":"8fd2c025b9c83","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"): go on a walk together. Talking about an issue while walking not only leads to more creative ideas, it meets the needs of introverts and extroverts better than sitting across each other face-to-face. Extroverts can think out loud and ask questions without coming over as an attacking opponent. Introverts can listen and think without having to spend much energy on making eye contact and socially desired listening behaviors."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"201f32d9998b","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.bol.com/nl/p/the-introverted-leader/9200000088629715/"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2020-06-07T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"introverts-and-extroverts-meeting-each-other-in-conflict"},"summary":"Introverts and extroverts in conflict, a flammable recipe. Are you considering how introverted or extroverted people are when you're trying to resolve a conflict? Those two ends of the spectrum have very different needs, especially in a conflict. Here's a great tip to help resolve a conflict between an introvert and an extrovert.","title":"Introverts and extroverts: meeting each other in conflict"},{"_createdAt":"2020-06-05T06:23:46Z","_id":"a437c0d0-d75c-4a69-b743-492c0b39ac9f","_rev":"UjiuHvb82fJVBQyCPUzL65","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-06-05T08:33:55Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"1da33f31f586","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1da33f31f5860","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Do you recognize this? You're working on a creative task, like writing a blog or creating some code. You've started out well, got your first thoughts on paper, but are now stuck. You have no idea how to proceed and your productive start has waned into a slow pace, dry from inspiration."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5aef186e4557","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5aef186e45570","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I have this all the time. And I am terrible at combating it. I have blocked the time to do this creative task and I'm feeling the pressure of time seeping away. And thus desperately try to wring something productive out of my brain, before I'm out of time and should start with another task. And sometimes this helps. When I don't give up too early and push through the initial gibberish that leaves my head, I pick up my creative flow and good ideas do come up again. But a lot of times I'm really stuck."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"af4065a57188","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"af4065a571880","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"What helps me is to leave the task and go find something to read. A book, a magazine or interesting blog post. Anything. And if the subject is remotely close to the task I'm stuck at, I find myself coming up with all kinds of ideas. Sometimes it inspires me to do a quick "},{"_key":"af4065a571881","_type":"span","marks":["f7c98e112d7b"],"text":"round of Crazy 8s."},{"_key":"af4065a571882","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"f7c98e112d7b","_type":"link","href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/crazy-8s-ftw/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"00b6e5b3c916","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"00b6e5b3c9160","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So, whenever you find yourself blocked, first push through. If you're really stuck, go find something interesting to read. In no time you'll get your inspiration flowing again."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2020-06-04T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"stuck-in-your-creative-task-step-back-and-read-a-book"},"summary":"Argh! You find yourself blocked, no good idea comes out of your head and inspiration has dried up. And you should soon be finished! What to do? Stop and go read something and recharge that creative energy.","title":"Stuck in your creative task? Step back and read a book"},{"_createdAt":"2020-06-02T09:35:29Z","_id":"253c316b-6282-4be5-9035-c8fad52eca62","_rev":"8ZpYTMJmN8E6RoOWKblS22","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-06-02T09:35:29Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"30267d1d78a2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"30267d1d78a20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s still the typical career path of a software developer: get through the ranks of junior, medior and senior dev. There it kind of stops. To advance your career you can take a turn to manager or a turn to architect. Many a dev I know has moved to a non-development position because it pays more and gives them more freedom. Even though they love being a developer more. This has been the situation for a long time here in the Netherlands."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9ef00da15fde","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9ef00da15fde0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Around the world there are exceptions to this rule. Silicon Valley companies compensate their star developers often more than their managers. In Scandinavian countries like Sweden this is also not uncommon. But here in the Netherlands it is. And it surprises me still. I thought we were a progressive nation, that prides itself on its innovations and its knowledge economy. Not helping great developers progress their careers is hurting us. Talented people will "},{"_key":"9ef00da15fde1","_type":"span","marks":["9d46784e57ed"],"text":"look at the engineering culture"},{"_key":"9ef00da15fde2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in your company and stay away if they don't believe they can grow there."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"9d46784e57ed","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5ba0b2269d4a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5ba0b2269d4a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We all know "},{"_key":"5ba0b2269d4a1","_type":"span","marks":["4bd96d0fbefa"],"text":"software is eating"},{"_key":"5ba0b2269d4a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" the world. We all know innovation often is supported by technology. Companies need experienced, skilled techies to stay and grow in their profession. And therefore they need to be rewarded in a way that they don’t think it necessary to become a manager to progress their careers."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"4bd96d0fbefa","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2020-06-01T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"why-do-devs-still-make-less-than-managers"},"summary":"Many developers moved to a non-development position because it pays more and gives them more freedom. Even though they love being a developer more. Time to turn this around!","title":"Why do devs still make less than managers?"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T13:57:47Z","_id":"e4685ae5-b25d-4a99-a811-ca3329106524","_rev":"XigD4QKOb6D1oSgph00FEw","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T13:57:47Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"2b04a567e41b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2b04a567e41b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And you know it!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c2de6b02e84e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c2de6b02e84e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Why is this obvious, for instance when we are travelling and choosing between different routes? We know there are multiple ways to go to work or home. One is probably the fastest, one is the quietest and another one is the most beautiful. Why then do I often get questions like: \"what is the right way to compose my team?\", \"what is the right way to do Product Backlog refinement?\" and \"what is the right way to do a retrospective?\"?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"31c456dd859f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"31c456dd859f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A simple answer - or assumption that is - could be that a lot of people don't want to spend time thinking about how to solve their question and don't want to take time to explore multiple options. They assume that there is only one right way to go and just want to go to the optimal solution at once. That's being "},{"_key":"31c456dd859f1","_type":"span","marks":["65374acd714d"],"text":"efficient and productive"},{"_key":"31c456dd859f2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" right?"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"65374acd714d","_type":"link","href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/the-productivity-trap/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e832e60b5c51","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e832e60b5c510","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This would be a bit simplistic from my side. I think that the people asking me this question are perfectly willing to think about their questions. Except that they don't. Maybe they are primed or even schooled to think that there is a right way to do things. Maybe they are not confident enough in their own abilities and want to get some validation."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"cd8a3de9b47d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"cd8a3de9b47d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When answering the question \"what is the right way?\" I often refer to the "},{"_key":"cd8a3de9b47d1","_type":"span","marks":["557a988623d8"],"text":"Cynefin"},{"_key":"cd8a3de9b47d2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" framework. Does it relate to the obvious quadrant (simple, straightforward work)? If so, there is a best practice, a right way to go. Does it relate to one of the other quadrants? Then the answer is: there is no one right way. Though I can give you some advice, practices that worked in my experience and some useful hints to pursue. Take that and discover a way that works for you."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"557a988623d8","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin_framework"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2020-05-27T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"no-one-right-way"},"summary":"When answering the question \"what is the right way?\" I often refer to the Cynefin framework. Does it relate to the obvious quadrant (simple, straightforward work)? If so, there is a best practice, a right way to go. Does it relate to one of the other quadrants? Then the answer is: there is no one right way. Though I can give you some advice, practices that worked in my experience and some useful hints to pursue. Take that and discover a way that works for you.","title":"There’s no one right way"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T09:59:53Z","_id":"23bb5253-02c4-4d38-b4ee-a6cb2dfd1112","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoWJ18","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T10:19:37Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"f8827f99fd08","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f8827f99fd080","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Agile tools that help you with visualising your work, with capturing your users' needs and with your retrospective are great. Just not an excuse to not have to think anymore."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"07e2aa9743f9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"07e2aa9743f90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You might remember this strange story from 2009. A car was found stranded in the middle of the Californian desert. Lying in the shade of it a nearly dead woman was found. She and her son had been stuck there for days, exposed to the scorching heat and without food or water. What were they doing there? Turns out she had been blindly following her GPS and it lead her into a closed-off road leading nowhere."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5c3274208a66","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5c3274208a660","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Clearly she put too much faith in the correctness of the GPS. And it's not all that uncommon. GPS's are great tools and I use my navigation app almost every day. They allow us to spend less time thinking about your route and following it, this leaving us mental energy to listen to a great "},{"_key":"5c3274208a661","_type":"span","marks":["82e421cae110"],"text":"podcast"},{"_key":"5c3274208a662","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for instance. A lot of tools we use help us in this way. By outsourcing your thinking to a tool you get to spend more of it on more important matters. Without the help of our (digital) tools we would be very inefficient and very tired of thinking up new solutions."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"82e421cae110","_type":"link","href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/podcast-mania-continued/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"48871ab258f7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"48871ab258f70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Don't blindly follow your agile tools guidance"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"801c44db40d0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"801c44db40d00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As with the woman that stranded in the desert, we can not always trust our tools blindly. Even thought the tool might be right you still need to process the information and take your own conclusions."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5350d0ee2a45","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5350d0ee2a450","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Take for instance Atlassian Jira, which I think is a great product overall. What I don't like though is Jira signalling that it is now time for your retrospective and provides you with a simple format for it. I have seen teams at the end of their sprint updating their Jira board and closing their sprint, at their desks behind their laptops, and then immediately move on to their retrospective. In the same space, still behind their laptops. I am not surprised these aren't the most effective, creative and fun retrospectives."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9bfffaef769f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9bfffaef769f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While most of the times it is not a life or death situation, blindly following your Agile tools' guidance contains a big risk. One of the biggest anti-patterns of Agile teams is the mechanical application of Scrum. Teams go through the motions of Scrum without thinking about the goals they try to achieve. Sometimes called "},{"_key":"9bfffaef769f1","_type":"span","marks":["8f729f76fb3b"],"text":"Zombie-Scrum"},{"_key":"9bfffaef769f2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", this leads to mediocre results and demotivation. Blindly following the process captured in your tools can lead to that."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"8f729f76fb3b","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://medium.com/the-liberators/the-rise-of-zombie-scrum-cd98741015d5"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2715e48e708e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2715e48e708e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Individual and interactions"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"3a991aaa6a55","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3a991aaa6a550","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Let me pull up the Agile Manifesto once again: individuals & interactions "},{"_key":"3a991aaa6a551","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"over"},{"_key":"3a991aaa6a552","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" processes & tools. Processes and tools should be in service of individuals and their interactions. This means that interacting with each other and the environment to come up with great solutions is the main thing. Just like to woman forgetting to look outside and interacting with her environment, we shouldn't forget to interact and stop and think about what we are trying to achieve."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"bb48dd01bb7d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"bb48dd01bb7d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Again, don't get me wrong. Tools are great - and "},{"_key":"bb48dd01bb7d1","_type":"span","marks":["ee36f125f7c4"],"text":"here's my list of recommended tools"},{"_key":"bb48dd01bb7d2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" - to help you interact and organise efficiently. Just think once in a while before following their guidance."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"ee36f125f7c4","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/tips-for-digital-tools/"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2020-02-15T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"are-agile-tools-your-gps"},"summary":"Agile tools that help you with visualising your work, with capturing your users' needs and with your retrospective are great. Just not an excuse to not have to think anymore.","title":"Are Agile tools your GPS?"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T10:23:02Z","_id":"2f7c6725-0af4-4bec-ad2f-fd2795af67a9","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoWbie","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T10:36:39Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"c004ac210f56","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c004ac210f560","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Don't know which tools to use to optimally communicate and collaborate? Here are my favourites!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8645ec04b823","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8645ec04b8230","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Digital tools, always a hot issue amongst Agile coaches. Some swear by only using post-its and other physical means. Others are more... realistic ;). Whether you are a distributed team or collocated, you probably want to use some digital tools. Don't get me wrong: I love tangible, physical tools for creative work, but I don't limit myself or others to them. Like everywhere it is about finding the right tool for the right job."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5389132a2eac","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5389132a2eac0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"What is the right combination of digital tools? There are four kinds of digital applications you minimally want to have at your disposal (see "},{"_key":"5389132a2eac1","_type":"span","marks":["795f597fa250"],"text":"Handboek Teamcoaching"},{"_key":"5389132a2eac2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", Martijn Vroemen): a messaging tool, a conference tool, a tool for storage and a tool for organising. I'll show you for each kind which tools I like best."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"795f597fa250","_type":"link","href":"https://www.bol.com/nl/p/handboek-teamcoaching/9200000081607921/?Referrer=ADVNLGOO002008N-G-56842756506-S-477667253212-9200000081607921&gclid=CjwKCAjwxOvsBRAjEiwAuY7L8oLA_73qAWxqqcV_tFjughnMjZLC-F_cUZrpZ7OP2OazlIGwLDBjeRoC4ksQAvD_BwE"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8c7c105b69b0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8c7c105b69b00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Messaging tools"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"ba1e79779198","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ba1e797791980","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A great messaging tool allows you to have focussed discussions. Messages are easily searchable and it makes it easy to share different kinds of media. A big plus if you can use it with any device. These I love best:"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3cf2cbd39c0d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3cf2cbd39c0d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"3cf2cbd39c0d1","_type":"span","marks":["strong","cc4b87e2a2a3"],"text":"Slack"},{"_key":"3cf2cbd39c0d2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nSlack uses channels to categorise conversations. Members of a Slack workspace can subscribe to a channel and only follow conversations that are relevant to them. Users can share files and documents easily. What I also like is that Slack offers a lot of integrations, with for instance Trello, Jira and Google Drive. The basic version of Slack is free and fits basically all of my needs. Accessible on any device."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"cc4b87e2a2a3","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://slack.com"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f1","_type":"span","marks":["strong","d9818dd515c0"],"text":"Rocket"},{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f3","_type":"span","marks":["strong","b1bf3cb8f764"],"text":"."},{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f5","_type":"span","marks":["strong","f3533bd6e739"],"text":"Chat"},{"_key":"25e3963f6a1f6","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nRocket.Chat looks a lot like Slack, but with one distinct feature: it is open source and you can host it yourself. Which is a big plus if you don't want your data hosted outside your company. Rocket.Chat also offers integrations with other tools, though not as much as Slack. Works on any device."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"d9818dd515c0","_type":"link","href":"https://rocket.chat/"},{"_key":"b1bf3cb8f764","_type":"link","href":"https://rocket.chat/"},{"_key":"f3533bd6e739","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://rocket.chat/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"574ab8f6f2c8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"574ab8f6f2c80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Conference tools"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"802f42edd5fa","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"802f42edd5fa0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When distributed you want to have access to a great meeting tool. This means high quality video and audio, stability, screen sharing ability and ease of use."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"172c4393dc8a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"172c4393dc8a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"172c4393dc8a1","_type":"span","marks":["strong","6dc8921c2625"],"text":"Zoom"},{"_key":"172c4393dc8a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nZoom is a very easy to use conference platform. Clear audio, high quality video, ability to chat and share your screen: it's all there. Also features encrypted communication. Free to use, but limited to 40 minutes per meeting. Paid plans as well."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"6dc8921c2625","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://zoom.us/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"44680e02fe41","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"44680e02fe410","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"44680e02fe411","_type":"span","marks":["strong","82df62b71ef7"],"text":"Skype"},{"_key":"44680e02fe412","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nOld kid from the block Skype is still a great option. HD audio and video, screen sharing, chat and encryption. Totally free, but group videochat is limited to 10 people."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"82df62b71ef7","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.skype.com"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6aa717049d76","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6aa717049d760","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"6aa717049d761","_type":"span","marks":["strong","b90ed8bca1f8"],"text":"Cisco Webex"},{"_key":"6aa717049d762","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nMarket leader Webex offers a lot of functionality, though is on the free plan limited to 3 attendees in your meeting. In addition to all the basics Webex offers whiteboarding, thought I never really used this functionality."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"b90ed8bca1f8","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.webex.com"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5ce8cee34f15","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5ce8cee34f150","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Tools for storage"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"fd1830b35c29","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"fd1830b35c290","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As a team you want to be able to create and share files. Documents, presentations, spreadsheets, etc. Ideally the tool enables you to collaborate in real time on the same document."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f213c33b3e6c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f213c33b3e6c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"f213c33b3e6c1","_type":"span","marks":["strong","8712bf3db6ee"],"text":"Google Drive"},{"_key":"f213c33b3e6c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nGoogle Drive is my goto storage tool. It's free and really easy to use. The Google Suite of docs, spreadsheets and presentations allows for real time concurrent editing."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"8712bf3db6ee","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.google.com/drive/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8f2f012dd2ff","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8f2f012dd2ff0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"8f2f012dd2ff1","_type":"span","marks":["strong","c12b0efa69c2"],"text":"Microsoft Office365"},{"_key":"8f2f012dd2ff2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nThis is Microsofts answer to the Google Suite. Microsoft OneDrive is the storage facility and Office365 contains web or desktop versions of the industry standard apps like Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Also supports real time collaboration. In contrast to the Google Suite not free to use."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"c12b0efa69c2","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://products.office.com"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"98694e23b661","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"98694e23b6610","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Tools for organising"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"d03354f3fc60","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d03354f3fc600","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Knowing what you are working on, and are going to work on next, is essential to good teamwork. So you need a tool to organise your work in a clear and effective way. Of course in our line of work that also means a tool that supports an Agile way of working. So it should at least support Product Backlog management and the visualisation of a sprint."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"86e27d7d3cc4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"86e27d7d3cc40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"86e27d7d3cc41","_type":"span","marks":["strong","fceaaf1b8200"],"text":"Atlassian Jira"},{"_key":"86e27d7d3cc42","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nJira is a very elaborate projectmanagement tool with support for Scrum boards, Kanban boards, roadmap visualisation and many agile reports. Easy to use, but can be overwhelming for new users. There is a free edition as well as different paid options."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"fceaaf1b8200","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://jira.atlassian.com/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"bdff82b836e0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"bdff82b836e00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"bdff82b836e01","_type":"span","marks":["strong","8ef1a8e60634"],"text":"Trello"},{"_key":"bdff82b836e02","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nTrello is a lightweight tool that essentially enables you to create lists that visualise your workflow. So it is really easy to create a Scrum board for instance. Though much more basic than Jira, it is very easy to grasp. Basic version is free."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"8ef1a8e60634","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.atlassian.com/software/trello"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b9ec64cec6a8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b9ec64cec6a80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"b9ec64cec6a81","_type":"span","marks":["strong","dfc8b5bab9fd"],"text":"Notion"},{"_key":"b9ec64cec6a82","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\nNotion is an all-in-one collaboration tool that supports the creation of notes, docs, tasks, pages and even lightweight databases. Nice if you want only one tool, though it lacks in certain areas like Product Backlog management. Free version and paid options."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[{"_key":"dfc8b5bab9fd","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.notion.so/product"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"71c6b6d1e3f2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"71c6b6d1e3f20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Here you go"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"513abf9766e6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"513abf9766e60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"These tools should support your team communication needs. The contents and "},{"_key":"513abf9766e61","_type":"span","marks":["70814a053be1"],"text":"structure of your meetings"},{"_key":"513abf9766e62","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" are up to you. Now you can focus on the important stuff: the products and services you are building!"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"70814a053be1","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/meet-with-lean-coffee/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"87c6c4a2728a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"87c6c4a2728a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"By the way, if you need help bringing some structure to the communication and organisation of your work, I can help. Whether it is configuring above tools or (co)creating agreements how to use them efficiently. "},{"_key":"87c6c4a2728a1","_type":"span","marks":["0847da7037b0"],"text":"Ping me"},{"_key":"87c6c4a2728a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"!"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"0847da7037b0","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/whos-this-guy/"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2019-10-29T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"tips-for-digital-tools"},"summary":"Don't know which tools to use to optimally communicate and collaborate? Here are my favourites!","title":"Tips for digital tools"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T10:38:58Z","_id":"9ffcbefb-064c-4225-bcd9-07482e2eba6d","_rev":"vP2zGEmZwCauA0nZtR3gQb","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T10:38:58Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"881275216014","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8812752160140","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Do you also struggle to come up with novel ideas and solutions? Try this crazy method!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c2da048a7974","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c2da048a79740","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While doing some research on design sprints I came across the "},{"_key":"c2da048a79741","_type":"span","marks":["bddd4c038c55"],"text":"Crazy 8s"},{"_key":"c2da048a79742","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" method. This is a simple tool to ideate and sketch out 8 ideas in a short amount of time. Why crazy? Well, you only have 8 minutes to do this and no holds barred."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"bddd4c038c55","_type":"link","href":"https://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/methodology/phase3-sketch/crazy-eights"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"eabd7088fd6f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"eabd7088fd6f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So, how does it work?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h4"},{"_key":"74293eb99cb3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"74293eb99cb30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Easy! At least the steps to follow are ;). Grab a sheet of paper (landscape) and:"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"77cc70464456","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"77cc704644560","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Fold the paper over vertically, then fold it twice horizontally. Unfold and behold: your piece of paper has 8 sections now"}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f721f6b4e792","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f721f6b4e7920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Set a timer to eight minutes and make sure that you can see it"}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"432a56a0a3a2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"432a56a0a3a20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Sketch out 8 ideas"}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f77c484a288d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f77c484a288d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When the timer goes off, stop sketching"}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"73aeee2ba8bd","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"73aeee2ba8bd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You can do this alone, or with your team. The idea is to go far and wide: no idea is too crazy! After quickly share and reflect on your ideas, maybe consolidate some and explore some further. This is a great tool to explore different routes towards solving a problem in stead of rushing off and "},{"_key":"73aeee2ba8bd1","_type":"span","marks":["4e9c62549e1e"],"text":"picking the most obvious - and often not best - solution"},{"_key":"73aeee2ba8bd2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"4e9c62549e1e","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/the-productivity-trap/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"beff381a997d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"beff381a997d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"My experiences"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h4"},{"_key":"6dc9cef0c6f3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6dc9cef0c6f30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Having filled in some crazy eights myself this is what I observe and think of it:"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3fb1cb8a3ebe","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3fb1cb8a3ebe0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The short amount of time forces you to start! I often find myself in a new section trying to think out the idea in my mind before putting it down on paper. But then I feel the pressure of the timer ticking away and force myself to begin. I find this liberating in the end :)"}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4ef83ddd7605","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"4ef83ddd76050","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I am great at associating from one idea to another. So in only 8 minutes I have put quite some different ideas on paper"}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9df74ce8d4e9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9df74ce8d4e90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When done you still only have rough ideas ;). Now it's time to choose which ones to pursue."}],"level":1,"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"db935d033dbb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"db935d033dbb0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"All in all, a great little tool that cost nearly nothing in material and time, and can gain you a lot. Enjoy!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2019-09-30T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"crazy-8s-ftw"},"summary":"Do you also struggle to come up with novel ideas and solutions? Try this crazy method!","title":"Crazy 8s FTW!"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T10:41:32Z","_id":"5056ced5-bb6e-4ca6-9cc4-f06f3dff7924","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoWhCU","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T10:41:41Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"7e7336095a7b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7e7336095a7b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"..."},{"_key":"7e7336095a7b1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"if you don't want me to help."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"91fb22e3de6b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"91fb22e3de6b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A nasty little question for those of us that are hired as agile coaches/consultants/change agents: do those you are \"helping\" really want to be helped? Or are you, as Gerald Weinberg put it, \"inflicting help\"?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c0b0e82b197e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c0b0e82b197e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Keeping busy"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"ae641f4129c3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ae641f4129c30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In my years I have coached my fair share of teams, Scrum Masters, Product Owners and managers who were really not waiting for my help. As a result: wasted time, drained energy and not much improvements towards the goals I was trying to achieve."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"aaf934f394b9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"aaf934f394b90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This behaviour of providing unwanted help is typical for team managers, coaches and scrum masters that are "},{"_key":"aaf934f394b91","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"assigned"},{"_key":"aaf934f394b92","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to help - read change, turnover, improve - people and teams. I put emphasis on assigned because often the receiving end of the help did not ask for it. In order for these coaches to feel productive and valuable, they employ with good intentions all kinds of activities. Mainly to busy themselves and keep their hiring manager happy."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c89c96337f23","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c89c96337f230","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You always have a choice"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"b6f454928ffc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b6f454928ffc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Of course many teams are unaware that they have a problem, so I do try to make them aware of what I see. But if they don't recognise this or do not want to change the situation, I move on. Goodbye, no hard feelings, I'll find someone who does want to be coached."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d18881e8fd4d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d18881e8fd4d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Who you help is a choice. I get a lot of energy out of seeing motivated people improve because of the insights I provide and because of the results of our coaching efforts. It drains a lot of my energy when I am trying to convince and persuade someone to fix their problems. Everyone has the right to have their own problems. And the right to not want to fix them."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2019-09-15T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"inflicting-help"},"summary":"...if you don't want me to help.","title":"I won't help you"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T10:43:36Z","_id":"9baa9171-4c8f-48da-8b0b-c042891492ff","_rev":"vP2zGEmZwCauA0nZtR3rFx","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T10:43:36Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"2762e56de07e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2762e56de07e0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Time spent diverging and exploring seems not productive and a waste?"},{"_key":"2762e56de07e1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" "},{"_key":"2762e56de07e2","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Why do we try to efficiently build the wrong thing?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"32955eb542bb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"32955eb542bb0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"How much time do you spend on really seeking different solutions for a problem? How many paths do you explore before choosing the most fitting solution?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a778a2677df8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a778a2677df80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you're like me, probably far too little. We are so used to working with deadlines, being productive and creating focus, that we don't take enough time to do some creative discovery. It is one of the bigger risks if you are working in a Scrum team. I see a lot of emphasis on quickly creating solutions, maximising output rather than outcome. A focus on efficiency in stead of effectiveness."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ca6262cd4352","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ca6262cd43520","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So, take time to "},{"_key":"ca6262cd43521","_type":"span","marks":["1e3b954cf6fa"],"text":"unfocus"},{"_key":"ca6262cd43522","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Explore, ideate, brainstorm around a problem before too quickly jump to a solution. Sketch, draw, cut, glue, prototype and test multiple solutions before converging to the most optimal one. Use "},{"_key":"ca6262cd43523","_type":"span","marks":["c0df8d542b88"],"text":"set based concurrent thinking"},{"_key":"ca6262cd43524","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", "},{"_key":"ca6262cd43525","_type":"span","marks":["7c1ee1cf2892"],"text":"design thinking"},{"_key":"ca6262cd43526","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", "},{"_key":"ca6262cd43527","_type":"span","marks":["d79a84a1fae9"],"text":"crazy 8s"},{"_key":"ca6262cd43528","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and other creative techniques. Set up "},{"_key":"ca6262cd43529","_type":"span","marks":["a40f2f9c09bf"],"text":"design sprints"},{"_key":"ca6262cd435210","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Even better, here's an idea: do this every sprint. Heck, yes, of course this is just proper Product Backlog refinement."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"1e3b954cf6fa","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/when-focus-is-bad/"},{"_key":"c0df8d542b88","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://medium.com/10x-curiosity/the-secret-to-how-toyota-innovate-set-based-concurrent-engineering-c9d9553ec24"},{"_key":"7c1ee1cf2892","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://scrumacademy.nl/training/design-thinking-lean-startup-training/"},{"_key":"d79a84a1fae9","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/methodology/phase3-sketch/crazy-eights"},{"_key":"a40f2f9c09bf","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.gv.com/sprint/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"57f1ab44489a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"57f1ab44489a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Yes, focus and "},{"_key":"57f1ab44489a1","_type":"span","marks":["e962e3392d47"],"text":"flow"},{"_key":"57f1ab44489a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" are very important. Creating done increments is important. Only ask yourself: are we building the right thing? And how do we know?"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"e962e3392d47","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/how-to-get-into-flow/"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2019-09-11T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"the-productivity-trap"},"summary":"Time spent diverging and exploring seems not productive and a waste? Why do we try to efficiently build the wrong thing?","title":"The Productivity Trap"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T10:47:30Z","_id":"866e96bd-4cc4-432b-aa29-0461f5b900c6","_rev":"vP2zGEmZwCauA0nZtR40K1","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T10:47:30Z","body":[{"_key":"abb2be9b1ddc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"abb2be9b1ddc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I encounter many of these teams. Where everything is okay. Not great, but not bad. When I ask them how they feel things are going they answer: \"Great, we all get along fine.\" After some digging beneath the surface they confess that there are things that aren't so great, but they don't really want to address them. For instance, I once coached a team that had a real strong feeling \"we're good enough as we are, and we like the way we always do things\". When talking to the individual team members, some indicated that they did want to change things and try new ideas. But they didn't speak up and share this with the rest of the team. Why? They just wanted the team to be harmonious, even though it suffered in terms of productivity."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d2dd23f975fb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d2dd23f975fb0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"How often as a coach do you see a team that looks like all is well from the outside, but you know could be doing so much better? And how many times do the team members not recognise this potential, or do not want to put energy into reaching it, and how many times does their manager think: \"They're okay, don't rock the boat.\"? And maybe they are right. What is wrong with getting along nicely and getting some work done? More than you might think. I'll explore two dysfunctions that I often see in these teams: conformance and over-collaboration."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ec855ed486a5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ec855ed486a50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Teams can breed conformance"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"64fac5410857","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"64fac54108570","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"First off, for teams to be truly creative there should be room for diverse ideas, that might go agains the status quo or mainstream ideas. And for that to be possible teams should be allowing for and even searching for new and different perspectives. The norm should not be to conform, and the goals not just to like working with each other."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e1292b3cd6e8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e1292b3cd6e80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The late Professor Richard Hackman advised to have a deviant in the team. Someone who goes against the grain and can open up more ideas, and a lot more originality. In his research he found that teams that had a deviant on board outperformed teams that didn't."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5e06a40c04d0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5e06a40c04d00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Team members should then "},{"_key":"5e06a40c04d01","_type":"span","marks":["3b275ccfc31e"],"text":"disagree with each other more"},{"_key":"5e06a40c04d02","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". When teams are able to have dissent while being respectful and focus on the problem, they feel more bonded, more effective and intellectually stimulated. Regular productive dissent leads to more ideas and perspectives."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"3b275ccfc31e","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.fastcompany.com/40535656/your-team-members-need-to-disagree-more-heres-how-to-help-them?cid=search"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b8c1366276d3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b8c1366276d30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Understandably team leaders often like to think that a hassle-free, no drama harmonious team is a blessing and a well working machine that needs little maintenance. Conflict resolution is time consuming and can be treacherous. And from my experience, a lot of team members themselves also like to be in a cozy team, even if that means sub-par outcomes. So as a Scrum Master or team leader you should "},{"_key":"b8c1366276d31","_type":"span","marks":["e43583a2ccff"],"text":"shake things up"},{"_key":"b8c1366276d32","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" from time to time. Make them a little uncomfortable, introduce a stretch. Try to find the deviant in the team and feed her with something new and different. Most people aren't motivated to do the same thing forever anyway. A challenge makes them better. Even small changes can have a big impact."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"e43583a2ccff","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.fastcompany.com/90244612/introducing-discomfort-is-effective-for-team-building?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss?cid=search"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"510d73908a79","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"510d73908a790","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There are some prerequisites before having a deviant in your team works. First of all, it is pertinent that there is psychological safety in your team. "},{"_key":"510d73908a791","_type":"span","marks":["546fefa8c690"],"text":"Researched by Google"},{"_key":"510d73908a792","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and "},{"_key":"510d73908a793","_type":"span","marks":["05f0b8c1ab2e"],"text":"replicated by Cisco"},{"_key":"510d73908a794","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", this is the most important factor influencing team effectiveness, and I am convinced a prerequisite for having healthy conflict in the team. Second, also from the research from Cisco, team members should play to their strength, not their weaknesses. When everyone is contributing using their unique power great things happen and different ideas are welcomed. A team that has a great (cognitive) diversity with people from different backgrounds and perspectives has the potential to come up with more new creative ideas. Third, clear ground rules help create an environment for healthy conflict. Besides being respectful and focussing on the task in stead of the person, listen well, bring data to support your idea, don't try to \"win\" and once a decision has been made, commit to it, even if you have your reservations."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"546fefa8c690","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://martijnvanasseldonk.com/psycho-safe-teams/"},{"_key":"05f0b8c1ab2e","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.inc.com/gene-hammett/how-this-global-tech-company-approaches-building-high-performing-teams.html?cid=search"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6f0772156be4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6f0772156be40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Argue like you're right, listen like you're wrong."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"blockquote"},{"_key":"e7b4e2fc1c6c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e7b4e2fc1c6c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Constantly working together can be counterproductive"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"9d1ca0c245e6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9d1ca0c245e60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""},{"_key":"9d1ca0c245e61","_type":"span","marks":["19ec3dbd5c3f"],"text":"Studies"},{"_key":"9d1ca0c245e62","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" showed that teams that always work together on a problem perform less than individuals who worked mostly alone and occasionally came together to share their ideas before going off alone again. Give the individuals in the team space and autonomy to work, trust them to do their best work, and come together when needed. Of course, the more uncertainty and complexity there is in an endeavour, the more coordination and collaboration is needed. It truly is finding a balance."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"19ec3dbd5c3f","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.inc.com/wanda-thibodeaux/intermittent-collaboration-beats-constantly-working-together-study-says.html?cid=search"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"1d1d107852d4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1d1d107852d40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So how much collaboration is needed in a team? "},{"_key":"1d1d107852d41","_type":"span","marks":["bd44432f216c"],"text":"Two of the most important factors"},{"_key":"1d1d107852d42","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" when looking at optimal collaboration are the degree to which team members are interdependent, and how they coordinate that interdependence. Some teams are minimally interdependent, and team results are just the cumulated outcome of the individual members. Not much collaboration needed. Then there are teams who are sequentially interdependent: tasks are done in a particular sequence, and team members when they are done hand over tasks to the next team member in line. Little collaboration is needed here. Some multidisciplinary \"Agile\" teams fall in this category, though this not what I like to see. Faster feedback is only possible in reciprocal interdependent teams. Tasks flow back and forth between team members and require more coordination. Most Agile teams that I see are reciprocal interdependent teams and quite some collaboration is needed to create high quality outcomes."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"bd44432f216c","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://hbr.org/2017/03/is-your-team-coordinating-too-much-or-not-enough"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a63aede2c172","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a63aede2c1720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Still, even in Agile teams, collaboration can be a hindrance, especially where creativity is key. When working together becomes controlling, narrowing down options and mutes individual voices, creativity and original thinking suffers. Collaboration can also stifle productivity. I have had many experiences with teams that always try to do problem solving together in a way that only leads to a lot of discussion and no decision making, leading to frustration and delays."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d020a948da76","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d020a948da760","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The adagium in the Agile world is to keep teams stable for as long as possible. And it does take a lot of time for teams to get through "},{"_key":"d020a948da761","_type":"span","marks":["4a0da8150ca3"],"text":"Tuckman's stages"},{"_key":"d020a948da762","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and really gel and perform. But they can stay too long in the same composition and get stale. Research indicates that changing one person every three to four years is optimal to maintain freshness and creativity."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"4a0da8150ca3","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/tuckman-game/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4477fea1ab52","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"4477fea1ab520","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ditch conformance and foster individuals"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"dc795fbb358c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"dc795fbb358c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"My point is not that I don't think teams are tremendous valuable. But I do believe that teams perform better when we recognise the individuals in the teams; and when we learn them how to have productive dissent and healthy conflicts. Go throw that baseball bat in the henhouse (shake things up a little ;)!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2019-06-02T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"nice-team-overrated"},"summary":"How often as a coach do you see a team that looks like all is well from the outside, but you know could be doing so much better? And how many times do the team members not recognise this potential, or do not want to put energy into reaching it, and how many times does their manager think: \"They're okay, don't rock the boat.\"? And maybe they are right. What is wrong with getting along nicely and getting some work done? More than you might think. I'll explore two dysfunctions that I often see in these teams: conformance and over-collaboration.","title":"Nice team? Overrated!"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-27T11:47:44Z","_id":"71264683-1fb5-4649-826d-aa1bd43f951d","_rev":"XigD4QKOb6D1oSgpgzxE6i","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T09:54:36Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"f8a01553aae2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f8a01553aae20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A while ago I wrote a post about "},{"_key":"f8a01553aae21","_type":"span","marks":["9bfe50da27ce"],"text":"psychological safety"},{"_key":"f8a01553aae22","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". My fellow Scrum Master Aernout van den Burg was inspired by it and came up with the idea of creating a way of measuring it in a Scrum team. We put our heads together and each started experimenting. In this post I will explain how I measured psychological safety in one of the teams I help. By the way, I am doing a talk about the subject at the Agile Tour Kaunas conference this month."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"9bfe50da27ce","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://martijnvanasseldonk.com/measuring-psychological-safety/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2de0186edef2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2de0186edef20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Signs"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"b69635f78ea1","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b69635f78ea10","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When would it make sense to measure psychological safety in a team? I would say that you probably feel it when the teams lack it. You would see signs of distrust or – more subtle – of a lack of trust. Team members are mainly busy with their individual tasks and their own needs, and there seem te be no conflicts in the team. People are not listening to each other, but talking over each other, though never really getting into a heated debate. Soft sighs, rolling eyes, looks and sounds that, for me, say enough. "}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"43ca6f962db2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"43ca6f962db20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I saw all this in the first retrospective I attended of one the teams I coached. When I confronted the team with their behaviours, they did not recognise what I said I had seen. Also when talking to the team members one-on-one they all said they thought the team was doing fine and there were no major issues. After a while I saw the same behaviours continued to exist. It was not incidental, and that’s when I decided to measure the climate in the team. Research from Google suggests that the primary and fundamental factor of team effectiveness is psychological safety. Therefore I choose the psychological safety construct to measure team climate with."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"aff9cd3adc30","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"aff9cd3adc300","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Questionnaire"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"6c0a55275d27","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6c0a55275d270","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Scientist Amy Edmondson is the leading expert on the topic. Psychological safety is defined as “shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking“. Edmondson developed a validated questionnaire for measuring psychological safety. I took the statements from the questionnaire and translated them to Dutch. Each statement was measured on a five point scale. I also added for clarity a description of the opposite of each statement. "}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"10ab3720ea9f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"10ab3720ea9f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Before sending the survey to the team members I asked them all in person if they were willing to participate in this survey. I assured them they would fill in the questionnaire anonymously and asked them to be completely honest. Luckily, they all wanted to fill in the survey."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f5370e3b4457","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f5370e3b44570","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Results"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"db250a3ad215","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"db250a3ad2150","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Not surprising to me the results showed that all was not roses and sunshine. The team though was surprised. The most interesting (read: lowest scored) statements were: In this team, it is easy to discuss difficult issues and problems; Members of this team value and respect each others’ contributions; and When someone makes a mistake in this team, it is often held against him or her (reversed scored). I shared the results in a retrospective, we talked about it, but did not work on any solutions yet. I wanted the results to sink in and let them think about it for a while."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"71cf494e07f6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"71cf494e07f60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For me measuring psychological safety was the first step toward the team acknowledging that things could be improved and that not all was well as they have been saying all along. The questionnaire helped make the issues concrete and transparent."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"854d3364d009","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"854d3364d0090","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you would like to have the complete questionnaire (Google Form), ping me! And any thoughts on how to further use these results would be much appreciated."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2018-10-08T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"measuring-psychological-safety"},"summary":"A while ago I wrote a post about psychological safety. My fellow Scrum Master Aernout van den Burg was inspired by it and came up with the idea of creating a way of measuring it in a Scrum team. We put our heads together and each started experimenting. In this post I will explain how I measured psychological safety in one of the teams I help","title":"Measuring Psychological Safety"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T09:42:30Z","_id":"269671b0-6487-42a4-a1b2-464d74ff12a6","_rev":"vP2zGEmZwCauA0nZtR1Wru","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T09:42:30Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"5cd7d0b6bb4d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5cd7d0b6bb4d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\"Rattatatatata!!! Got you!\" I triumphantly shouted to my friend as I approached him from behind. Did you as a kid also play war (probably not really PC these days, but we liked it)? Sneaking with your team of friends to find the enemy, your other friends. Fantasising about how you were this cool elite commando guy."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5954d3229136","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5954d32291360","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A while ago I held a talk at the Dutch Railways (NS) in which I compared Scrum Teams to Special Forces. Scrum Teams share a lot of the characteristics of Navy SEALs teams or Delta Force teams. "},{"_key":"5954d32291361","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"They are small, self-organising teams, with a clear mission and guiding values"},{"_key":"5954d32291362","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". I think people in Scrum Teams - and their leaders! - can learn from the way these specialised military teams operate and are led."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"17f8a361b6ec","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"17f8a361b6ec0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Team"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"b7ef9b3407e6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b7ef9b3407e60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Special Forces teams are small, often comprised of 4 - 8 team members. These are professional, multitalented individuals that have been through the toughest training. Team members perform different roles: there are communication specialists, demolition specialists, medical specialists, snipers. Though they have a specialisation that they've honed after years of training, they are "},{"_key":"b7ef9b3407e61","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"generalising specialists"},{"_key":"b7ef9b3407e62","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". They share a fundamental part of their capabilities and are able to take over for each other. Together, they are more powerful than the sum of the parts. Indeed, just like Scrum, it is all about the team."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f9cf355c2da6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f9cf355c2da60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Scrum does not make a distinction of titles within the team, and the professionals in the team are all equals. In the same way in Special Forces teams, "},{"_key":"f9cf355c2da61","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"input and ideas are encouraged from everyone"},{"_key":"f9cf355c2da62","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Together they have to support each other for a single, shared purpose."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f50c14d1acff","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f50c14d1acff0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Another characteristic Specials Forces teams and Scrum Teams share is that "},{"_key":"f50c14d1acff1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"they are often long lived"},{"_key":"f50c14d1acff2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Team members stay together for a long period of time and learn from and with each other. SEAL team members know each other so well they can recognise a team mate in the dark just by their silhouette. They gel, and a bond of brotherhood is formed."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e42178b9ed95","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e42178b9ed950","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Mission"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"82af3d94fef2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"82af3d94fef20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Every move is towards the mission. It is the most important goal to achieve. "},{"_key":"82af3d94fef21","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Clarity in the mission is crucial for a team to perform"},{"_key":"82af3d94fef22","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Plans must be communicated in a clear and concise manner, so everyone involved knows and understands what is the desired outcome. There is a good reason for conciseness: when something goes wrong, or just in an unforeseen direction, complex plans add to confusion."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"74103f705b39","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"74103f705b390","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A good leader is a true believer in the mission. If a mission is passed on to a leader, he or she should be able to confidently and clearly explain the rationale behind it. If he can't, he should go back and ask questions until he understands the mission. "},{"_key":"74103f705b391","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"It is very important teams know why they are asked to do what they do"},{"_key":"74103f705b392","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Translated to a Scrum Team, this means that the Product Owner must be able to explain the mission, the goals she wants to achieve with the product, so that the Development Team knows what they are working towards and why."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"095d7d59ddf5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"095d7d59ddf50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Once the mission is clear, the Special Forces "},{"_key":"095d7d59ddf51","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"teams are free to achieve the goal by whatever they deem most effective"},{"_key":"095d7d59ddf52","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". They focus on the immediate goal that everyone can see, and then move on to the next, all the while adapting when necessary. Special Forces are trained to make decisions on the fly. Independent of the control of higher-ups they make a call. After all, they are closest to the action and know best what is going on. All are leaders in that sense. When something unforeseen happens, they inspect and adapt (Hmm, where have I heard that before ;). After all:"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"093175be40e4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"093175be40e40","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"No plan survives contact with the enemy"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"blockquote"},{"_key":"49dd9b5e30d4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"49dd9b5e30d40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Values"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"5fe5b34e1409","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5fe5b34e14090","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The values underpinning Scrum are commitment, courage, focus, openness and respect. Special Forces units also have their values and are famous for their mottos, like Semper Fidelis, De Opresso Liber and Nunc aut Nunquam. In my research into these units I came across values like courage, adaptability, professionalism and personal responsibility. I think there are a lot of similarities here and it doesn't take a lot of effort to imagine how commitment (to the mission, to helping eachother), courage (jumping out of a plane deep into enemy territory for instance), focus (on the next step towards achieving the mission), respect (for being different individuals with different drives and unique skills) and even openness (sharing critical information within the team and with the chain of command) play a critical role in the Special Forces."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6bc0aeeca7f8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6bc0aeeca7f80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Of course, at the end of the day, it all revolves about the outcome, whether that is rescuing hostages or creating a product that customers love. No ceremony, tactic or value is an end in itself. Just as doing Scrum and having Scrum Teams are not a goal to achieve. But I believe that creating Scrum Teams leads to the better results you want to achieve. "},{"_key":"6bc0aeeca7f81","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Keeping in mind that these teams are much like Special Forces teams you could enable them to perform as truly self-organising professionals that get the job done"},{"_key":"6bc0aeeca7f82","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f18ab3d1db2b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f18ab3d1db2b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Do you want the whole experience?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"6803e9942895","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6803e99428950","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The talk was well received, and I liked to deliver it to these professionals that make the innovation in NS possible. I gladly deliver it to your organisation. If you're interested, "},{"_key":"6803e99428951","_type":"span","marks":["7c81a92eb57c"],"text":"reach out"},{"_key":"6803e99428952","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"!"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"7c81a92eb57c","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/martijnvanasseldonk/"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-11-26T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"scrum-teams-are-like-special-forces"},"summary":"A while ago I held a talk at the Dutch Railways (NS) in which I compared Scrum Teams to Special Forces. Scrum Teams share a lot of the characteristics of Navy SEALs teams or Delta Force teams. They are small, self-organising teams, with a clear mission and guiding values. I think people in Scrum Teams - and their leaders! - can learn from the way these specialised military teams operate and are led.","title":"Scrum Teams are like Special Forces"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T10:58:52Z","_id":"d4654734-0b20-49c8-a122-d42555793841","_rev":"XigD4QKOb6D1oSgpgzxupQ","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T10:58:52Z","body":[{"_key":"7d9d54f3a945","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7d9d54f3a9450","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You want to have structured meetings. You also want meetings to be effective and to fulfil the needs of the attendants. And last, but not least, you do not want them to drag on. But how do you do this? Simple: use the Lean Coffee format."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"21e09fb1bad0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"21e09fb1bad00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Holding a good meeting is not easy. As the organizer of a meeting, we are often only focused on getting our own goals met. We start the meeting, but then one of the attendees raises a point and before you know it, the whole meeting is taken into another direction. Half of the attendants mentally wander off, while one colleague keeps talking about some unimportant topic. Sounds familiar?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d7b93f33da58","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d7b93f33da580","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In their excellent book, "},{"_key":"d7b93f33da581","_type":"span","marks":["1e7bdfce757a"],"text":"The Trusted Advisor"},{"_key":"d7b93f33da582","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", the authors' advice is to always keep the agenda of the meeting open for discussion. At the start of the meeting the attendants can tell what is on their minds and the agenda can be altered. The advantage of this approach is that the attendant can get their concerns addressed, keeping them involved and engaged and the meeting effective."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"1e7bdfce757a","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://www.amazon.com/The-Trusted-Advisor-David-Maister/dp/0743212347"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"75982a7dfbab","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"75982a7dfbab0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This sounds great! But how do you do this? Lacking a predefined agenda, how do you keep the meeting shooting from one subject to the next? And if every attendant raises a concern, won’t the meeting go on for too long? You want everyone to be heard and to contribute to the meeting, but it may be that it is impossible to address every concern raised."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f3491c69099d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f3491c69099d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The answer lies in three things: clear structure, democratic agenda setting and ruthless time-boxing. And this is precisely what the Lean Coffee format provides. "},{"_key":"f3491c69099d1","_type":"span","marks":["27b82fe44205"],"text":"Lean Coffees"},{"_key":"f3491c69099d2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" are structured and agenda-less meetings. The concept started in Seattle, where a local group wanted to meet up and share knowledge about Lean techniques, and do so in a lightweight matter, without an organization of speakers, a chairman and other bloat. The Lean Coffee format gives us structure, democratic agenda setting and time-boxing and is very much suitable to use in almost every meeting."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"27b82fe44205","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://leancoffee.org/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b171d0a755cf","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b171d0a755cf0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Clear structure with a Personal Kanban board"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"2eab0b1e7ce5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2eab0b1e7ce50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The topics of the meeting are placed on a Personal Kanban board. This typical board visualizes a process of things to do, doing and done. Every topic follows this structure and goes from to do (when not yet talking about it), to doing (talking about it) and then to done."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"25de11a09820","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"25de11a098200","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Democratic Agenda setting with Dot Voting"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"80d7b94cb8cb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"80d7b94cb8cb0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Before the meeting starts, attendants write down the topics or concerns they want to address on sticky notes. The sticky notes are then collected and placed on the Kanban board. Everyone then shortly explains their concern. The next step is to order the items. This is done using the dot voting technique: every attendant distributes an agreed upon number of dots over the items he or she finds the most important. By adding up the dots we get an ordered list of items. This is the order the topics will be discussed in the meeting."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"078fc8df9be2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"078fc8df9be20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Time-boxing with Thumbs Up/Down"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"2f30bff28752","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2f30bff287520","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now we need to make sure the meeting stays within the designated time-frame. We do this by time-boxing every topic. When the time-box is over, attendants must indicate whether they want to move to the next topic or to discuss the current topic for another time-box. They indicate this by giving a thumbs up (keep discussing), thumbs down (move to next) or thumbs horizontal (indifferent). Keep these time-boxes short (5 to 10 minutes). Follow this pattern until the allotted time for the meeting is almost reached. Stop there! It is not a big problem if not all topics have been discussed, indeed the most important topics were placed on top. Now take some time to recap and define concrete actions."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6b7798d2408f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6b7798d2408f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When using the Lean Coffee I am convinced your meetings will become more productive, efficient and fun! "}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-10-10T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"meet-with-lean-coffee"},"summary":"You want to have structured meetings. You also want meetings to be effective and to fulfil the needs of the attendants. And last, but not least, you do not want them to drag on. But how do you do this? Simple: use the Lean Coffee format.","title":"Meet with Lean Coffee"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:01:08Z","_id":"4f2f90a3-7d2e-44ce-b18e-a3c68f8dd69a","_rev":"vP2zGEmZwCauA0nZtR4gkn","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:01:08Z","body":[{"_key":"aceeb3e66f8e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"aceeb3e66f8e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A simulation I regularly do in my Scrum trainings is, what I know as, the Tuckman game. The game tries to simulate the different stages a team can go through, from formation to dissolution. This model was developed by dr. Bruce Tuckman, an American psychologist, and is widely used. I learned of it during my time at Prowareness, and by no means have I developed it myself. But recently somebody asked about it (Thanks "},{"_key":"aceeb3e66f8e1","_type":"span","marks":["0fcc7e28e26b"],"text":"Ralph"},{"_key":"aceeb3e66f8e2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" ;), and I couldn't find any description of the full game online (update: I learned it is invented and created by "},{"_key":"aceeb3e66f8e3","_type":"span","marks":["766a264f2bac"],"text":"Agile42"},{"_key":"aceeb3e66f8e4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", who released it under the Creative Commons 4.0 by-nc-sa licence). Therefore here goes, for posterity ;). Oh, this blog post by no means tries to give an elaborate description of the different stages from the model. It just outlines the game."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"0fcc7e28e26b","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphvanroosmalen/"},{"_key":"766a264f2bac","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.agile42.com/en/agile-info-center/tuckman-game/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"aa06d0d40107","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"aa06d0d401070","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Intro"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"e8274b0c90b6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e8274b0c90b60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I start with asking the partipants to stand in a circle. Then I ask them to, in their minds, choose to people from the group. One will play the role of fictional best friend, and one of nemesis. Remember to point out that this is a game, and therefore nobody actually is a best friend or nemesis. When everyone has chosen his or her two persons that represent a best friend and nemesis, the game can begin."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3a27c82676a3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3a27c82676a30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Forming"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"acd0bebd1508","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"acd0bebd15080","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The first exercise tries to mimic the forming stage of a team. In the forming stage the team members are new to each other. There is no trust yet, and informal leadership is yet undetermined. Conflicts are evaded. There is not yet a clear shared goal, the team is still a group of individuals with their own goals."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d949e777ff63","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d949e777ff630","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ask everyone to position their best friend between them and their nemesis. Your best friend essentially forms a human shield between you and your nemesis. No talking allowed! The effect most likely is that the group starts to move, and move in waves. I often observe some uneasiness, some awkward moves and nervous laughter, which is perfect ;). When they start to arrive at an equilibrium, someone often moves and starts the movement again. But at some point they are fine with their position. That's when I tell them this part is finished, and I start a recap. In it I share my observations and try to link them to the characteristics of a team in the forming stage (see above). Then I ask them how they, as a Scrum Master, can try to influence the group, so they can move to the next stage quicker."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"bfe25d86e547","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"bfe25d86e5470","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Storming"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"b979dd281c00","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b979dd281c000","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In the storming stage, the team members start to feel more comfortable, comfortable enough to speak up about the things they like and dislike. The pecking order takes shape, as conflicts arise and informal leadership emerges. Still, there is no overarching team goal, so team members may be going in different directions."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"afb68df8fcdb","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"afb68df8fcdb0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"To demonstrate this stage, ask everyone to now position themselves between their best friend and their nemesis. You are now the human shield. If it goes as expected, you will see people bumping in to each other, pushing a bit and getting close to one another. You start to see friction, conflict :). If you have seen enough of it, call it and recap. Point out what you saw and link to the storing stage. Then again ask how a Scrum Master can get a team through this stage, on to the next."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e360a150de5e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e360a150de5e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Norming"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"aac1167dab3c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"aac1167dab3c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A team in the norming stage has set groundrules and there is a clear understanding of them. Team norms have formed and are agreed upon. Team members now work together towards a shared goal."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ba39609ca626","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ba39609ca6260","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ask the group to form triangles. These specifically do not have to be equilateral, just triangles. This should be quite easy and the group probably arrives at a solution pretty soon. Recap again, sharing your observations, like how they now first had a shared goal that didn't conflict with individual goals. Again, try with the group to come up with ways for a Scrum Master to challenge the team to the performing stage."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9164d27e8d14","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9164d27e8d140","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Performing"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h3"},{"_key":"a9b50407d0bc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a9b50407d0bc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a performing teams, not only norms and goals are clear and shared, but also values like respect, commitment, focus (you see where this is going ;). Team members challenge each other to perform better and function as one body. Walhalla :P."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"308d6b1da1fa","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"308d6b1da1fa0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Finally, ask the group to form equilateral triangles. This probably takes a little (or lot) more effort. Here again you probably observe some wave-like motions. Once they arrive at a decent solution, call it and recap. High performance ain't easy!\nAlso, see if the group can come up with ideas for the Scrum Master to retain performance."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8a90b9e704f5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8a90b9e704f50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That's it! Tuckman's model contains another stage, adjourning, which I don't get into. A Scrum Team stays together for a longer period of time, so no need, right ;)?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b8f3ed398f72","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b8f3ed398f720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hope this was clear and valuable to you. If not, reach out and I'll try to improve this article.\nKeep on learning!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-09-09T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"tuckman-game"},"summary":"A simulation I regularly do in my Scrum trainings is, what I know as, the Tuckman game. The game tries to simulate the different stages a team can go through, from formation to dissolution. This model was developed by dr. Bruce Tuckman, an American psychologist, and is widely used. I learned of it during my time at Prowareness, and by no means have I developed it myself. But recently somebody asked about it (Thanks Ralph ;), and I couldn't find any description of the full game online (update: I learned it is invented and created by Agile42, who released it under the Creative Commons 4.0 by-nc-sa licence). Therefore here goes, for posterity ;). Oh, this blog post by no means tries to give an elaborate description of the different stages from the model. It just outlines the game.","title":"Tuckman Game"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:02:50Z","_id":"5fbefb4f-97a0-4b49-b0d0-e95b8e4c8a76","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoXHaI","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:02:50Z","body":[{"_key":"1ce8f1e2021d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1ce8f1e2021d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Last week I went to ride my mountainbike with some friends. It had been dry for some time, and the sand was loose, which made it heavy to get through. After my friends wore me out on the track, we talked about our gear and I mentioned I want to upgrade my wheels for some stiffer ones, so I could go faster through turns. It's quite easy to upgrade your bike and make it perform better. You just swap some part for a superior one and most of the time you get a better performing bike. Goal achieved :)."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6c050f5b606a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6c050f5b606a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"People are of course different. You can not just swap one person in a team with a comparable person and expect the same result. And what is a comparable person anyway? So, how do you replace someone in a team, or compose a new team for that matter?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a9c6179e4da8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a9c6179e4da80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When composing a team we are inclined to choose the best people for it. Highest in IQ, most technical skills, best looking resume. But do these factors matter the most? "},{"_key":"a9c6179e4da81","_type":"span","marks":["710024a87e89"],"text":"Research from Google"},{"_key":"a9c6179e4da82","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" indicates that they don't. It isn't the IQ of the team members that make it a great team. It is not the diversity of the team, nor the skills they have. The foremost factor and prerequisite for high performing teams is psychological safety. Psychological safety is defined as the \"shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking\". In a team where there is psychological safety people speak equally much and they are able to sense each other's emotions. For this to happen they should be able to trust eachother and don't hold back to say what they think or feel."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"710024a87e89","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/five-keys-to-a-successful-google-team/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"75692c749bf8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"75692c749bf80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So, when this is the case for teams, how about a team of teams? Teams that work together in the same value stream? Will they perform best when there is psychological safety between the teams? I would think they would."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"e07d5da66509","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e07d5da665090","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Get up and talk to people!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"blockquote"},{"_key":"2988c064cabe","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2988c064cabe0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This got me thinking about scaling frameworks, like "},{"_key":"2988c064cabe1","_type":"span","marks":["ad2d0838915c"],"text":"SAFe"},{"_key":"2988c064cabe2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", "},{"_key":"2988c064cabe3","_type":"span","marks":["2605bb914b18"],"text":"LeSS"},{"_key":"2988c064cabe4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and "},{"_key":"2988c064cabe5","_type":"span","marks":["15d89b0485f5"],"text":"Nexus"},{"_key":"2988c064cabe6","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". There is quite a difference between the way these address coordination between teams. SAFe provides not only ceremonies, like the Program Increment planning or System Demo, but also roles like the Release Train Engineer and support groups like DevOps and System Team. On the other side is LeSS, that almost solely relies on Feature Teams themselves to do coordination. Nexus, Scrum.org's answer to scaling challenges, is a bit in between. It defines a Nexus Team, that has a coordinating role. If speaking to eachother and sensing emotions are precursors to psychological safety, I would think that the more external coordinating mechanisms a scaling framework provides, the less it enables psychological safety between teams. It might be more efficient to have a dedicated role to do coordination and resolve dependencies. But it might not foster the environment that enable psychological safety between teams and hinder organizational performance. I like the statement that's made in the LeSS documentation: \"[Just] get up and talk to people.\"."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"ad2d0838915c","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://Http://scaledagileframework.com"},{"_key":"2605bb914b18","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://Http://less.works"},{"_key":"15d89b0485f5","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.scrum.org/resources/online-nexus-guide"}],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-05-19T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"psychological-safe-teams"},"summary":"Last week I went to ride my mountainbike with some friends. It had been dry for some time, and the sand was loose, which made it heavy to get through. After my friends wore me out on the track, we talked about our gear and I mentioned I want to upgrade my wheels for some stiffer ones, so I could go faster through turns. It's quite easy to upgrade your bike and make it perform better. You just swap some part for a superior one and most of the time you get a better performing bike. Goal achieved :).","title":"Psychological Safe Teams"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:03:37Z","_id":"8b5c541a-2e78-40f5-952a-744e701ba5ea","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoXK1a","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:03:37Z","body":[{"_key":"54045a34b3a1","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"54045a34b3a10","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You know those people who have a diary and write in it every day? I wasn't one of them. First, I did not see the benefit of recording my day in a journal that I would never read again. So I never tried. But that has changed..."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"fb5455663463","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"fb54556634630","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Structure and timing"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"2d8796c6cab7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2d8796c6cab70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Reading a lot of books and articles and listening to podcasts, I learned many successful people keep a journal. This triggered me to at least try it for a while. I started with journaling about 6 months ago. The first time I tried it, I failed to make this a routine and saw no benefit from it. What I did was free format journaling: I just recorded what I did on a given day. It gave me some fulfillment, as it was nice to relive some of the events of the day and also helped me process stressful situations. But I couldn't keep this up. I kept forgetting about it, or putting it off. I used no structure or format to help me think about the relevant things I wanted to jot down. I firmly believe that having a structure and having constraints helps with getting more creative and efficient. Another reason was I had not included journaling in my daily routines; I did not assign a specific moment to do this. Using a structure and a specific time has the advantage that you don't have to spend your mental energy on the menial stuff like when and how to journal."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f21bf4c4e497","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f21bf4c4e4970","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Quick journaling"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"937297fdba5f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"937297fdba5f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Then one day I stumbled upon a quick journaling routine: 5 minute journaling. I take 5 minutes in the morning, right after making a plan for the day, to register: 3 things I am grateful for, 3 things that will make my day perfect, and 1 affirmation. This helps me starting the day reflecting on what makes my life great and gets me in a positive mood. Then, at the end of the day, before I go to bed I write about 3 great things that happened during the day and one thing I could improve. This takes me another few minutes. Agile minded people will recognize that this is a sort of mini retrospective. I use a little, free Android app that uses this quick format: Minute Journal."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"52cf1b256094","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"52cf1b2560940","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This journaling format works very well for me: it a minimal investment of time and I can schedule it very well. There is one other format I sometimes use - morning pages - and I will cover that in another post. Hope this was valuable to you."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-03-28T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"quick-journaling"},"summary":"You know those people who have a diary and write in it every day? I wasn't one of them. First, I did not see the benefit of recording my day in a journal that I would never read again. So I never tried. But that has changed...","title":"Quick Journaling"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:05:09Z","_id":"f02a4524-6dfe-4346-8af7-5306f469ea33","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoXOay","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:05:09Z","body":[{"_key":"e04a54fcf651","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"e04a54fcf6510","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Earlier I wrote about the "},{"_key":"e04a54fcf6511","_type":"span","marks":["33e4a1988f2a"],"text":"five podcasts about business or lifestyle"},{"_key":"e04a54fcf6512","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" I like best. Since I also enjoy listening to podcasts about science or entertainment I would like to share those as well."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"33e4a1988f2a","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://martijnvanasseldonk.com/hear-this-podcast-mania/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a64b67f7f8c0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a64b67f7f8c00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"1 - Freakonomics Radio"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"c986452ebea9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c986452ebea90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Authors of the book Freakonomics, journalist Stephen Dubner and economist Steven Levitt, explore \"the hidden side of everything\". Drawing from psychology, behavioral economy and sociology they uncover surprising truths. Subjects range from how to be more productive, how to win a Nobel prize (gives nice insights into the process of choosing a winner); to Guaranteed Basic Income and gender barriers. The show is professionally produced and of very high quality. Stephen Dubner tells the story, interviewing different experts, unwrapping the story. Often you'll be surprised. Recommended!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6852719fc9d0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6852719fc9d00","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 30 - 45 min."},{"_key":"6852719fc9d01","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"6852719fc9d02","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: once a week."},{"_key":"6852719fc9d03","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"6852719fc9d04","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"6852719fc9d05","_type":"span","marks":["em","1e4d29d4ffd8"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"6852719fc9d06","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"6852719fc9d07","_type":"span","marks":["em","e81925975ffe"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"6852719fc9d08","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"1e4d29d4ffd8","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519?mt=2"},{"_key":"e81925975ffe","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/freakonomics-radio"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3a62e1a809cc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3a62e1a809cc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"2 - Twice Removed"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"9adc6bf912b6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9adc6bf912b60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This podcast is a little weird. And so is its host. A.J. Jacobs, author of books like \"The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World\", \"The Year of Living Biblically\" and \"Drop Dead Healthy\" argues that everybody is related to each other. A.J. once talked himself into a conversation with George H.W. Bush by convincing him they were far cousins. In this show he unravels how a mystery guest is related to his main guest. Going from relation to relation he highlights the most interesting persons and events. Hopping via presidents, mafiosi and freedom fighters he ties his two guests together, revealing the mystery guest in the end. Fun, entertaining and interesting!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ad694ef81b20","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ad694ef81b200","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 30 - 45 min."},{"_key":"ad694ef81b201","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"ad694ef81b202","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: once a week."},{"_key":"ad694ef81b203","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"ad694ef81b204","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"ad694ef81b205","_type":"span","marks":["em","75b88bc65b22"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"ad694ef81b206","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"ad694ef81b207","_type":"span","marks":["em","63b89e6da563"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"ad694ef81b208","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"75b88bc65b22","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/twice-removed/id1182594071?mt=2"},{"_key":"63b89e6da563","_type":"link","href":"http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/gimlet/twice-removed"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"52d92c26ee40","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"52d92c26ee400","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"3 - Stoic Mettle"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"7ff970fc76f5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7ff970fc76f50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Since listening to Tim Ferriss' podcast I got interested in Stoicism. For a few years now I dove into mindfulness and practices like meditation and journaling. I find Stoicism as a philosophy aligns to these practices and my view of the world. Stoic Mettle is a nice introduction into the thoughts, ideas and moreover way of living of the Stoics. The show (or training as it's creator Scott Hebert calls it) teaches different perspectives from the Stoics. It focuses on actionable advice on subjects like conquering destructive emotions and being disciplined. If you want to learn about Stoicism and how to apply it, but are not much of a reader, this is for you."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8842e150b54b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8842e150b54b0","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: ~10 min."},{"_key":"8842e150b54b1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"8842e150b54b2","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: once a week."},{"_key":"8842e150b54b3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"8842e150b54b4","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"8842e150b54b5","_type":"span","marks":["em","57b209eb935e"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"8842e150b54b6","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"8842e150b54b7","_type":"span","marks":["em","70c8be99ea38"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"8842e150b54b8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"57b209eb935e","_type":"link","href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/stoic-mettle/id1179868762?mt=2"},{"_key":"70c8be99ea38","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/stoic-mettle"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"314be2c61999","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"314be2c619990","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"4 - Tell me something I don't know"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"43bdff9901ab","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"43bdff9901ab0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"TMSIDK is a game-show of sorts, hosted by Stephen Dubner (of Freakonomics Radio). Contestants bring their IDKs (I don't knows) related to the theme of the episode. A panel of three celebrities from sports, science, politics and comedy choose the best story based on three criteria: was it something they didn't know, is it worth knowing and is it true. For that last criterium there is a human fact checker that searches the interwebs to confirm or bust the stories.\nYou will learn some new fun facts and interesting backstories. The show is produced well and quite entertaining."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b0","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: about an hour."},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b2","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: once a week."},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b4","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b5","_type":"span","marks":["em","c05194441dde"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b6","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b7","_type":"span","marks":["em","78aff9295938"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"4f2fe1695e0b8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"c05194441dde","_type":"link","href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tell-me-something-i-dont-know/id1171534532?mt=2"},{"_key":"78aff9295938","_type":"link","href":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/tell-me-something-i-dont-know-2"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5b7b73a3ed37","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5b7b73a3ed370","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"5 - TEDTalks (audio)"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"965636da7b4c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"965636da7b4c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This podcast airs the audio of TED talks. The format is thus short talks of max 18 minutes. The talks are inspiring and thought-provoking. Topics range widely, from biology to tech, from politics to music. Speakers are experts in their field, and most of the time good story tellers. One drawback of the podcast is that these are audio recordings of presentations. This means you'll miss supporting images on screen. Nonetheless, if you have a spare moment these bite-sized nuggets are a good way to spend it."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"62911bccae37","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"62911bccae370","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 5 - 20 min."},{"_key":"62911bccae371","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"62911bccae372","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: 3 - 6 times a week."},{"_key":"62911bccae373","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"62911bccae374","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"62911bccae375","_type":"span","marks":["em","73065742805e"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"62911bccae376","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"62911bccae377","_type":"span","marks":["em","f9789136dd03"],"text":"Feedburner"},{"_key":"62911bccae378","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"73065742805e","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/nl/podcast/tedtalks-audio/id160904630?mt=2"},{"_key":"f9789136dd03","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://feeds.feedburner.com/tedtalks_audio"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8f718496d5a9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8f718496d5a90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"These podcasts keep me entertained and feed my curiosity. Though they most of the time don't lead to action from my side, they do inspire me or make me laugh. I am curious what you could recommend me!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-03-26T22:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"podcast-mania-continued"},"summary":"Earlier I wrote about the five podcasts about business or lifestyle I like best. Since I also enjoy listening to podcasts about science or entertainment I would like to share those as well.","title":"Podcast Mania Continued"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:06:23Z","_id":"9529ddf9-254e-4780-92a8-590ebef8c357","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoXQtE","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:06:23Z","author":{"_ref":"855a249e-dff2-4fb4-8183-a32f706ffd97","_type":"reference"},"body":[{"_key":"60290672d0d8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"60290672d0d80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I am writing this article sitting on a bench in a lovely park in Marrakech, Morocco, away from the busyness of the Medina, the inner city. Though I am socially secluded (headphones and sunglasses on ;), "},{"_key":"60290672d0d81","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"I am constantly interrupted by movement around me. And I like it."},{"_key":"60290672d0d82","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" I watch the dad arguing with his little kid to come along, I see the birds fly by and young couple in front of me is having some kind of drama (she's crying and he's comforting her). I'm sitting in the shade of what looks like an olive tree and am surrounded by palms, cacti and bushes. A little breeze cools the air. Progress on this little piece of writing is slow at best ;)."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ea213947dcd2","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ea213947dcd20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The wandering mind"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"2165cc75401c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2165cc75401c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We all know focus is good. "},{"_key":"2165cc75401c1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Focus helps you finish stuff."},{"_key":"2165cc75401c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Focus helps you get into flow. It's a message you hear everywhere. Struggling to deliver something?: lack of focus. Switching back and forth between tasks?: lack of focus. So we should always focus on only one particular task at any given moment, right? Wrong!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"a2c921338de9","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"a2c921338de90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Being focused on one thing blocks vision of other things. You probably have seen the famous ball-counting video (if not, "},{"_key":"a2c921338de91","_type":"span","marks":["3d992710f351"],"text":"go watch"},{"_key":"a2c921338de92","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"). "},{"_key":"a2c921338de93","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"When your mind is put to a single thing, it unconsciously filters out all unrelated information."},{"_key":"a2c921338de94","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Good if you want to execute, not if you're goal is to be creative. Creativity is the ability to connect unrelated thoughts. Or in the words of Steve Jobs: \"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something.\". "},{"_key":"a2c921338de95","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Thinking creatively is much helped by diverging, by a wandering mind that is not constrained."},{"_key":"a2c921338de96","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Think of it as being an explorer: you don't travel by train (it is constrained by its tracks), but on foot, or by bike. Creativity is imagining that making a hole in a Dutch Rusk makes it easier to remove it from the package, or that putting a pair of scissors together with a spatula makes it ideal for cutting pizza. Those solutions do not come from focusing purely on the obvious."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"3d992710f351","_type":"link","href":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"1ed499896eb0","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1ed499896eb00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"blockquote"},{"_key":"bdbd68294392","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"bdbd682943920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Though I realize there seems to be a paradox here. Research has shown that creativity is helped by constraints. How does this relate to the above? In my opinion there are two types of constraints here: respectively constraints regarding the mind and constraints of the solution. The first restricts the mind in coming up with viable solutions, while the latter might give you a starting point and direction."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"aa83c9fcb7a5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"aa83c9fcb7a50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Processes that foster creativity"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"c4ba39885c10","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c4ba39885c100","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This is the reason that a design process like Design Thinking starts with a phase of diverging before converging to a solution. In a good retrospective there is first generation of insights and possible ideas, without coming to a solution to soon. The same goes for backlog refinement and well written User Stories: they don't focus on the solution, but on the need or goal they intend to fulfill. Refining these further starts with creatively looking for maybe multiple solutions."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5ab3dea81298","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5ab3dea812980","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Focus is definitely useful. Once you have come to an idea, a design of a solution, focusing on implementing the solution very much helps finishing it faster. Not switching between tasks helps you get into flow and really be productive. "},{"_key":"5ab3dea812981","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"But if you're still in the ideation phase, looking for new solutions, don't restrict your mind. Try to keep an open mind."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"26851afe1f7a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"26851afe1f7a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I see a kid biking off the path, through the bushes. He reminds me to think outside conventions."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-03-10T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"when-focus-is-bad"},"summary":"I am writing this article sitting on a bench in a lovely park in Marrakech, Morocco, away from the busyness of the Medina, the inner city. Though I am socially secluded (headphones and sunglasses on ;), I am constantly interrupted by movement around me. And I like it. I watch the dad arguing with his little kid to come along, I see the birds fly by and young couple in front of me is having some kind of drama (she's crying and he's comforting her). I'm sitting in the shade of what looks like an olive tree and am surrounded by palms, cacti and bushes. A little breeze cools the air. Progress on this little piece of writing is slow at best ;).","title":"When focus is bad"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:08:42Z","_id":"5e4e311a-5d4f-4a81-bb12-d5a0b17bb5dc","_rev":"vP2zGEmZwCauA0nZtR519R","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:08:42Z","body":[{"_key":"d54410718838","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d544107188380","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Do you recognize this? You're working for a while on something you like working on. It's challenging work, but you know you can do it. You have lost track of time. Weren't you supposed to eat 2 hours ago? And now that you mention it, you really need to go to the bathroom. You look at the clock and four hours have past since the last time you consciously noticed the time. "},{"_key":"d544107188381","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"You have been in flow"},{"_key":"d544107188382","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"16d7007e4f5f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"16d7007e4f5f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Flow, or being in the zone"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"c76e995fc014","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c76e995fc0140","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The other day I was listening an interesting episode of the James Altucher podcast (if you're into podcasts, check out my "},{"_key":"c76e995fc0141","_type":"span","marks":["8e3efd5fa473"],"text":"post about the 5 business/lifestyle podcasts I like most"},{"_key":"c76e995fc0142","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"). In it researcher Steven Kotler talked about the concept of Flow. Not flow as in the way work flows through a process (like described in the seminal book \"The Principles of Product Development Flow\" by Donald Reinertsen. But flow as in \"being in the zone\", the feeling of utter concentration, where there's no sense of time and creativity is optimal. This phenomenon is popularized by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (don't ask me to pronounce ;)."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"8e3efd5fa473","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://martijnvanasseldonk.com/hear-this-podcast-mania/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"1aea08ea57aa","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1aea08ea57aa0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Kotler argues that to get into flow, it helps to work on something that is socially risky"},{"_key":"1aea08ea57aa1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Meaning that you have to show what you've been working on, probably on a deadline, and therefore running the risk to be criticized. Having this (perceived) pressure to perform seems to help you get into the zone more easily."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f0456e6e7d8d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f0456e6e7d8d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Scrum helps you get into flow"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"3517d360b5a5","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3517d360b5a50","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So I argue that Scrum helps you getting in that state of flow for two reasons. First, "},{"_key":"3517d360b5a51","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"working in sprints imposes a sort of deadline on the work you have planned"},{"_key":"3517d360b5a52","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". So, there is social risk involved. The planning of the sprint is shared with stakeholders, and though we don't speak of a commitment towards the sprint planning (it's a best effort forecast), the Scrum team is committed to putting their back behind it and work together to reach their agreed upon Sprint goal. As a team member you will perceive some (self-imposed) pressure of the looming deadline."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"94f2256a0e1a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"94f2256a0e1a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Second, "},{"_key":"94f2256a0e1a1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"the Scrum team shows the result of the Sprint, the increment, in the Sprint Review to gather feedback from stakeholders"},{"_key":"94f2256a0e1a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". This also is a factor contributing to the social risk. In the Sprint Review the team demonstrates their actual result. It is very transparent what the outcome of the sprint is."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3d20ad6400c1","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3d20ad6400c10","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For this to work, team members should be able to focus on their tasks once they have planned their work. Disruptions should be kept to a minimum. Csikszentmihalyi explains the conscious mind can process 120 bits per second. Listening to a person talking takes about 60 bits/s, so you can effectively follow 2 conversations simultaneously and you are at 100% utilization, the limit. Nothing else you can do. Putting the full processing power of your conscious mind to working on something you're passionate about, and nothing else gets noticed, not conversations or even your bodily experiences (like a full bladder ;). So minimize distracting conversations and focus on the task at hand."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8f5688023088","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8f56880230880","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But what about all those Scrum meetings?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"An often heard argument against Scrum is that it is meeting dense (read "},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e41","_type":"span","marks":["ab404a08f77a"],"text":"Barry Overeems advice how to parry this"},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e42","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":") and keeps people out of their flow. The image that is presented is that of spending a day every two weeks in a meeting room, getting no work done, and a daily interruption with the Daily Scrum. "},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e43","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"My counterargument is that first, the Scrum events (they are called events for a reason) replace a lot of meetings that are now unnecessary"},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e44","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". So stop doing those! "},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e45","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Second, the rhythm of these events decrease complexity"},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e46","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": you now know exactly when you are going to review, retrospect and plan. No more random ad-hoc meeting request that really devastate flow. Third, regarding the Daily Scrum: I would argue that "},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e47","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"the Daily Scrum introduces a mini deadline (each Development Team member forecasts what he or she will complete the coming 24 hours). This again introduces social risk within the team, helps team members focus on the tasks at hand, and helps them get into flow"},{"_key":"f7f6ed58a1e48","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". I have seen this in reality after the Daily Scrum in the morning: a silent team room; focused, concentrated people; someone making a remark: \"hey, weren't we going to lunch an hour ago?\"."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"ab404a08f77a","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-myths-scrum-meeting-heavy"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"3723f125e059","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3723f125e0590","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"What now?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"4530e46a8b04","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"4530e46a8b040","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now, what to do? Make sure your team is getting the most out of Scrum. "},{"_key":"4530e46a8b041","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Remove all unnecessary meetings, let them set a goldilocks goal (not too simple, not too hard) and get out of their way"},{"_key":"4530e46a8b042","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". And make sure others get out of their way as well ;). Scrum on!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"529270199104","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5292701991040","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-03-06T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"how-to-get-into-flow"},"summary":"Do you recognize this? You're working for a while on something you like working on. It's challenging work, but you know you can do it. You have lost track of time. Weren't you supposed to eat 2 hours ago? And now that you mention it, you really need to go to the bathroom. You look at the clock and four hours have past since the last time you consciously noticed the time. You have been in flow.","title":"How to get into Flow"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:21:48Z","_id":"1d07d4cf-3d52-482a-ace9-d3f7326d8e78","_rev":"vP2zGEmZwCauA0nZtR5UCm","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:21:48Z","body":[{"_key":"ad34e6727b55","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ad34e6727b550","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For about a year now I got really into listening podcasts. I sit about 2 to 3 hours in my car everyday, for my commute. Podcasts are an ideal way for me to spend that time in a valuable way. In this post I will list the business/lifestyle podcasts I like the best. They are all interview based; for some reason I like these more than just one guy or girl at the mike. Topics range from starting a side business to morning and sleep routines to healthy food. I look for inspiration, ideas and helpful resources, like (audio)books or articles. Also, good audio quality is a key criterion for me to like a podcast.\nIn a future article I will list my favorite non-business/lifestyle podcasts."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"96d8a21c2413","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"96d8a21c24130","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"1 - The Tim Ferriss show"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"ba5cff93d6d8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ba5cff93d6d80","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As thousands with me I am a fan of Tim Ferriss, lifetime self-experimenter and author of bestselling books like 'The Four Hour Workweek' and lately 'Tools of Titans'. Tim deconstructs successful people which he interviews in his podcasts. He can be very long-winded, but in a funny and self aware kind of way. The interviews are free format, though at the end Tim asks his guests some standard rapid-fire questions.\nTim invites world class performers: actors, athletes, authors, ex-Navy Seals, scientists, comedians, etcetera; and tries to get from them the tools, tactics and routines that made them successful. Topics are broader than business; a recurring theme is personal effectiveness and the minimal effective dose needed to get a desired result."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"0e36a3f8af4f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"0e36a3f8af4f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"This is one of the few long duration podcasts I really enjoy listening to the very end, even though they can last for two hours. Tim leaves a lot up to the guests, which paths to explore and stories to dive into. They are mostly really interesting people, and a lot of them are great storytellers. Examples include Arnold Schwartzenegger, Josh Waitzkin, Jocko Willink, Matt Mullenweg, David Heinemeier Hansson, Tony Robbins and many more.\nTim has a quirky kind of humor, and a tendency to pre-laugh (or snigger) about something he experienced. But I find it makes him more relatable and don't mind."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b0","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 90 - 120 min."},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b2","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: 1 - 2 times a week."},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b4","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b5","_type":"span","marks":["em","b17032c8b0da"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b6","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b7","_type":"span","marks":["em","36961ac8b379"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"f2289b23ec6b8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"b17032c8b0da","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?mt=2"},{"_key":"36961ac8b379","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"b12234a33592","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"b12234a335920","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"2 - The Art of Charm"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"2b623104026b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2b623104026b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Art of Charm is a show on topics like social science, cognitive psychology and behavioral economics. The focus is on the application of findings in these fields, to become better at forging and maintaining relationships, conducting business and living a meaningful, fulfilled life. Jordan Harbinger is the host, who did a very short stint as a lawyer and then moved into creating this podcast and hosting bootcamps, where students can learn apply tactics for above topics. I find that this podcast really gives you tools and tactics to improve yourself in a very broad way. Episodes last between half an hour and an hour and there is a shorter weekly minisode."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"350263edeae8","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"350263edeae80","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 30 - 60 min."},{"_key":"350263edeae81","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"350263edeae82","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: 4 times a week."},{"_key":"350263edeae83","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"350263edeae84","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"350263edeae85","_type":"span","marks":["em","8b57d9280c22"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"350263edeae86","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"350263edeae87","_type":"span","marks":["em","79f04be9fe88"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"350263edeae88","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"8b57d9280c22","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/art-charm-social-science-cognitive/id212382281?mt=2"},{"_key":"79f04be9fe88","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/art-of-charm/pickup-podcast-9283"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"552c902f599e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"552c902f599e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"3 - Entrepreneur on Fire"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"7bb73168d3d7","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"7bb73168d3d70","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Entrepreneur on Fire is a podcast by army veteran John Lee Dumas. John interviews today's most successful self-made entrepreneurs like Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, Gary Vaynerchuck etc. Episodes are much shorter than the Tim Ferriss show, about an half hour long. The show is also very much scripted, in the sense that it follows the same format every time. From worst entrepreneurial moment (John won't let his guests off easy on this one), to ah-ha moment and success, the show concludes with the lightning round, a quick series of questions to delve for nuggets like books, internet resources and daily routines.\nIt is a very high energy show and for me as a European guy very American ;). But John has a very positive vibe and a can-do mentality. I like his outlook on the abundance of wealth and opportunity and his focus on delivering value."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"945a33e2569d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"945a33e2569d0","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 20 - 30 min."},{"_key":"945a33e2569d1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"945a33e2569d2","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: daily."},{"_key":"945a33e2569d3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"945a33e2569d4","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"945a33e2569d5","_type":"span","marks":["em","86b3a65b330f"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"945a33e2569d6","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"945a33e2569d7","_type":"span","marks":["em","5908db139df6"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"945a33e2569d8","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"86b3a65b330f","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/eofire-entrepreneur-on-fire-chats-tim-ferriss-gary/id564001633?mt=2"},{"_key":"5908db139df6","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/entrepreneuronfirecom/entrepreneur-on-fire-tim-ferriss-other-incredible-entrepreneurs"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"553246398752","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5532463987520","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"4 - The James Altucher show"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"ba04e3118dcc","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ba04e3118dcc0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"James Altucher is a serial entrepreneur, who failed a lot and succeeded with a few of his enterprises and made a lot of money (and lost it, and made it back again). He is also a board member, an investor and author. I like his style of interviewing, which is very open and transparent. James does not shy away from asking obvious or \"dumb\" questions, and as a result gets a lot from his interviewees. His guests are authors, scientists, self made entrepreneurs; all experts at the things they do. The list contains names like Dan Ariely, Gretchen Rubin, Scott Adams, Stephen Dubner and Robert Cialdini to name a few.\nAudio quality used to be crappy, and made me decide to unsubscribe. Recently is has been much improved and I subscribed again. The shows are completely free format and quite lengthy, about an hour and an hour and a half long."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"2d95c57aa475","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"2d95c57aa4750","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 60 - 90 min."},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4751","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4752","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: 1 - 2 times a week."},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4753","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4754","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4755","_type":"span","marks":["em","4e10d27f51a9"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4756","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4757","_type":"span","marks":["em","273dcbb5e4f0"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"2d95c57aa4758","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"4e10d27f51a9","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-james-altucher-show/id794030859?mt=2"},{"_key":"273dcbb5e4f0","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-james-altucher-show"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"9052164f0ec4","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"9052164f0ec40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"5 - The School of Greatness"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"060e28458b37","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"060e28458b370","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ex pro athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur Lewis Howes interviews succesful people from different backgrounds. In between interviews Lewis publishes shorter episodes on a specific subject, sharing his personal experiences. Subjects include humility, habits, public speaking, neuroscience and much more. Among his guests were Mike Rowe, Mike Conley, Steve Aoki and our own Wim Hof (I'm Dutch ;).\nWhat I like is that this guy has grit. He got on the American Olympic handball team by showing up at practice and persevering untill he could join. But he has another side, a bit huggy, touchy-feely, very kind and loving. I personally like this combination."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"51397f747125","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"51397f7471250","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Length per episode: 4 - 60+ min."},{"_key":"51397f7471251","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"51397f7471252","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Release frequency: 3 times a week."},{"_key":"51397f7471253","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\n"},{"_key":"51397f7471254","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":"Link: "},{"_key":"51397f7471255","_type":"span","marks":["em","49029e75cb06"],"text":"iTunes"},{"_key":"51397f7471256","_type":"span","marks":["em"],"text":", "},{"_key":"51397f7471257","_type":"span","marks":["em","a645ee8bbbdd"],"text":"stitcher"},{"_key":"51397f7471258","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":""}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"49029e75cb06","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-of-greatness-with-lewis-howes/id596047499?mt=2"},{"_key":"a645ee8bbbdd","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-school-of-greatness"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"303e43214602","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"303e432146020","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"These are my favourites. A critic might say that a lot of the interviews in these podcasts are with people that have something to gain from being on the podcast, like plugging their latest book. In these podcasts I find this not problematic. Most books are great resources, and the focus is never on selling the book, but on the subject of it's contents. Also, because the subject and audience of the podcasts are alike, interviewees may be featured on more than one of these podcasts around the same time.\nIf you're a first timer, these might be a good start in the field of business and lifestyle. Or a good addition to your list. I find daily nuggets here, and they are an integral part of my self-development nowadays.\nIf you listen to any podcast not listed here I should check out as well, let me know in the comments!"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-02-25T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"hear-this-podcast-mania"},"summary":"or about a year now I got really into listening podcasts. I sit about 2 to 3 hours in my car everyday, for my commute. Podcasts are an ideal way for me to spend that time in a valuable way. In this post I will list the business/lifestyle podcasts I like the best. They are all interview based; for some reason I like these more than just one guy or girl at the mike. Topics range from starting a side business to morning and sleep routines to healthy food. I look for inspiration, ideas and helpful resources, like (audio)books or articles. Also, good audio quality is a key criterion for me to like a podcast.","title":"Hear this! Podcast mania"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:24:03Z","_id":"4ff09537-d240-4823-9107-23492bb24051","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoXvGS","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:24:03Z","body":[{"_key":"ea6f85ebee5d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ea6f85ebee5d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\"Eat shit. Ten billion flies cant be wrong.\""}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"f2066006839b","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"f2066006839b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I came across this quote in the book \""},{"_key":"f2066006839b1","_type":"span","marks":["0bbfb6417f6c"],"text":"Good Boss, Bad Boss"},{"_key":"f2066006839b2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\" from Stanford professor Robert Sutton and it made me think of the way a some organizations approach Agile these days. They seem to mindlessly imitate their competitors or industry leaders. Yes, Agile frameworks and methodologies are the defacto way of working in the software industry. But "},{"_key":"f2066006839b3","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"don't do Agile because everyone else is doing it"},{"_key":"f2066006839b4","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". And what does that even mean?"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"0bbfb6417f6c","_type":"link","href":"https://www.bol.com/nl/p/good-boss-bad-boss/1001004008485494/?suggestionType=suggestedsearch"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ea06092aa48c","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ea06092aa48c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Copying practices will only get you so far. That's why companies like Toyota, Spotify and Coolblue invite people to visit their workplaces, without being afraid they are giving away their secrets, their competitive edge. They know it is not about the specific practices. These change over the course of time anyway. They know it is their culture, the environment they created, their smell of the place. And though you can feel these, "},{"_key":"ea06092aa48c1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it is intangible, you are not able to copy and paste it to your organization"},{"_key":"ea06092aa48c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". It needs to be grown, and will develop, evolve and adapt. Introducing an Agile way of working and applying basic practices like the roles, events and artifacts of Scrum can be a start of a cultural shift. But only that, a start. After introducing these the journey has just started and your organization has to do the hard work of learning what it needs to change to really become a nimble vessel. Alas, "},{"_key":"ea06092aa48c3","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a lot of organizations stop with the mechanical aspect of Scrum, and become a place of "},{"_key":"ea06092aa48c4","_type":"span","marks":["strong","f8102c37ffb3"],"text":"Zombie Scrum"},{"_key":"ea06092aa48c5","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"f8102c37ffb3","_type":"link","href":"http://blog.zombiescrum.org/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"6cf6852d2445","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"6cf6852d24450","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Back to the point: don't mindlessly imitate everyone else. Don't do it at the organizational level, don't do it at team level and don't do it at the individual level. "},{"_key":"6cf6852d24451","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Do something different"},{"_key":"6cf6852d24452","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". As Seth Godin says in his book '"},{"_key":"6cf6852d24453","_type":"span","marks":["38958e5f7947"],"text":"Linchpin"},{"_key":"6cf6852d24454","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"', you will not become indispensable because you are different, but you will never become indispensable without being different. This goes for organizations, teams and individuals alike. Trying something different is risky and takes courage, I understand. But there's nothing wrong with failing, as long as you learn."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"38958e5f7947","_type":"link","href":"https://www.bol.com/nl/p/linchpin/1001004010956979/?suggestionType=suggestedsearch"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"373ad80aed43","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"373ad80aed430","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Let's look at the story of Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx undergarment, now a multi-billion dollar company. When she was young, her father would ask her what she had failed at today. And when there was a day she had, he would congratulate her! She dared to try something new, got out of her comfort zone and learned something. "},{"_key":"373ad80aed431","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"I find the courage to risk failure lacking in many an organization"},{"_key":"373ad80aed432","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"42b51de0ef2d","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"42b51de0ef2d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Whenever I am helping an organization in its adoption of an Agile way of working, I question the status quo, and ask people to think about the routines and rules that are in place for years most of the time. I challenge them to try something different when they conclude something is not valuable to do. And sure, that's easy for me to say, but it is not as difficult as many think too. "},{"_key":"42b51de0ef2d1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"I also question the need for an Agile way of working though! If they can't articulate that, it makes no sense helping them apply something they don't know why they're doing"},{"_key":"42b51de0ef2d2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". Question everything ;)."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ff2c8a949942","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ff2c8a9499420","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Change agents specifically, internal to the organization and external, I address and urge you: do the right thing. "},{"_key":"ff2c8a9499421","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Don't be tempted to roll-out Agile practices, without conveying the principles behind them. Be able to explain why we do certain practices and rituals"},{"_key":"ff2c8a9499422","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". That reason can never be: because everybody else does it. Stand up!\nTo speak in Godin's words: consider yourself pushed :)."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-02-14T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"eat-shit"},"summary":"\"Eat shit. Ten billion flies cant be wrong.\"","title":"Eat shit"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:22:49Z","_id":"61dacfd1-7bb0-4e44-af34-550ac10821a7","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoXtSg","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:23:19Z","body":[{"_key":"dd6af8ccdee6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"dd6af8ccdee60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a lot of my Scrum trainings I show "},{"_key":"dd6af8ccdee61","_type":"span","marks":["3ef1bbdfe2f2"],"text":"this great looking video"},{"_key":"dd6af8ccdee62","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of a talk by Daniel Pink, the author of Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates people. Pink explains there are "},{"_key":"dd6af8ccdee63","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"three intrinsic drivers for motivation: autonomy, mastery and purpose."},{"_key":"dd6af8ccdee64","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" I think the roles in Scrum all nicely help in stimulating these drivers. Here's how:"}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"3ef1bbdfe2f2","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"5879500dfa2a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"5879500dfa2a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Autonomy and the Scrum Master"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"0fcfeaa7a3a3","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"0fcfeaa7a3a30","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Scrum Master is a servant-leader for the Scrum team. "},{"_key":"0fcfeaa7a3a31","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"One of his greatest tasks is coaching the Development Team in self-organization"},{"_key":"0fcfeaa7a3a32","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". This means getting the team more and more autonomous in the way they do their work. Removing impediments and enabling the organization to give more and more control to the Scrum Team might lead to higher motivation of the Scrum Team's members."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"349f38a8194f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"349f38a8194f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Mastery and the Development Team"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"3cc24f709626","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3cc24f7096260","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Development Team in Scrum consists of professionals who organize and manage their own work. They are expected to improve not only their way of work, but also their skills. "},{"_key":"3cc24f7096261","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Well functioning Dev Teams invest in their craft and become masters of their profession"},{"_key":"3cc24f7096262","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". They go to trainings and conferences, attend hackathons and use slack time to check out new technologies and innovations. Doing this leads to greater mastery of their craft, and according to Pink to higher motivated and more engaged professionals."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"38aff800e6af","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"38aff800e6af0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Purpose and the Product Owner"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"61a86305fcfd","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"61a86305fcfd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The Product Owner strives to maximize the value the Development Team creates. She makes sure the product supports the company vision. When this vision is purpose driven, the purpose is reflected in the product and Product Backlog. The Scrum Team then knows why they are creating the product and how it contributes to said purpose. "},{"_key":"61a86305fcfd1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A good Product Owner thus not only maximizes the value of the product, but is also a purpose maximizer"},{"_key":"61a86305fcfd2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"1b9ba29bd8b1","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"1b9ba29bd8b10","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Why not motivate people with more money?"}],"markDefs":[],"style":"h2"},{"_key":"11ca1414580e","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"11ca1414580e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"By now most of us know that money does not work very well as a motivator. At least not for any cognitive work says Pink. But it is important to pay people enough to \"put the issue of money off the table\". Once this is the case, rewarding people with an innovation bonus does not motivate them to perform better."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"ea768b8fe51a","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"ea768b8fe51a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So instead of spending a lot of money on bonuses that don't work, "},{"_key":"ea768b8fe51a1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"consider growing agile teams, getting out of their way and organizing events like hackathons that improve the autonomy, mastery and purpose of your people"},{"_key":"ea768b8fe51a2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".\nIn my experience no team that employs an agile way of working wants to go back to a traditional methodology. People say it's fun, they get to be creative again, and are recognized as the smart professionals they are. Sure, there's the occasional team member that likes to be told what to do, but even he wants to become a master of something, and work for a purpose."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"8ac31a5c7704","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"8ac31a5c77040","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"What do you think? Do you agree and recognize that the Scrum roles connect with the drivers behind motivation? I would love to hear your examples of how this works, or doesn't work, in Scrum teams."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-02-06T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"how-scrum-motivates-people"},"summary":"In a lot of my Scrum trainings I show this great looking video of a talk by Daniel Pink, the author of Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates people. Pink explains there are three intrinsic drivers for motivation: autonomy, mastery and purpose. I think the roles in Scrum all nicely help in stimulating these drivers.","title":"How Scrum motivates people"},{"_createdAt":"2020-05-28T11:26:19Z","_id":"5680bea3-57b3-4860-adb6-91091475100a","_rev":"7cISUXKliHXMTIG6ZoXyZw","_type":"post","_updatedAt":"2020-05-28T11:26:19Z","body":[{"_key":"3e98ca67bea6","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"3e98ca67bea60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"\"So, we're here to look at this risk table we fill out for each user story. Do we really need this information and if so, do we need to document it?.\" This is how the team discussion started, after a painful session in which the mentioned table relevance was questioned, yet still used. \"Eh, well...\" it started. \"We're not sure what we mean by one of the items in the table. I thought it meant x but I'm not sure.\" Another team member pitches in: \"No, it really is something else. And besides, only the testers use it.\" Another team member replies \"No, it's a generic value, not something we consider per user story.\". Sigh. What was meant to be a short meeting about whether or not to gather and document this information turned into a definitional discussion, going down a never ending road."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"c51bc06c4858","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"c51bc06c48580","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"What is going on here? "},{"_key":"c51bc06c48581","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The team keeps searching for more information and doesn't dare to make a decision based on imperfect information."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"23c01d99f740","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"23c01d99f7400","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Group decision making is remarkably different from individual decision making. Though I did not take the effort to dive deeply into the literature, we know that all kinds of social factors influence the decisions we make, and the process used to come to these decisions. "},{"_key":"23c01d99f7401","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Groupthink, peer pressure, social desirability, the focus on shared information and other group biases make for different outcomes than when an individual is looking at the same problem."},{"_key":"23c01d99f7402","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" One of the things that make it difficult to make a decision in a group is that there is no explicit method or technique agreed upon in advance. So whenever there is uncertainty the focus shifts to removing as much of this uncertainty as possible, to the point that everyone feels and knows that it is not possible to remove any more uncertainty. And still no decision is going to be made, people are starting to talk in circles and the energy in the discussion plummets to sub-zero. Drained the team decides to postpone the decision and come back to the subject another time. The effect: time wasted, energy wasted, demotivated team members."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d314548e3caa","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d314548e3caa0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So, if you as a coach, or manager, encounter this behavior in a team, what should you do? I'll share what works for me. With the same team I performed an exercise to estimate a complete product backlog, consisting of newly added epics. There were about 20 items to discuss and estimate in terms of size (effort). If we would discuss each item plenary in the team, as was done in the example above, this would be a very lengthy session with a low probability to complete the exercise in time and with a satisfactory result. "},{"_key":"d314548e3caa1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"So, we agreed to use a different technique: "},{"_key":"d314548e3caa2","_type":"span","marks":["strong","e4e07e196965"],"text":"magic or silent estimation"},{"_key":"d314548e3caa3","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". This estimation technique follows a few steps. First the Product Owner gave a short pitch for every epic, so that the context and goal of every epic was clear. Then each team member received a few epics, printed out on paper. Individually, in a round-robin fashion, the team members assigned a size to their epics, sharing the number by calling it out loud. This was the only type of talking allowed! Decisions were made in their heads, individually. When all were done, the next step was to look at the result. Again, in a round-robin fashion, team members checked the result and if they disagreed with a specific size, they could alter an estimate. Again, in silence, individually, and only one alternation per turn. This continued until there was enough consensus. This left a few items that were altered multiple times, and there were then shortly discussed by the team. I asked them after hearing all arguments to choose an estimate, and then asked all if they agreed. Only if all did we continued. "},{"_key":"d314548e3caa4","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"We finished the exercise in less than an hour and left with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction."}],"markDefs":[{"_key":"e4e07e196965","_type":"link","blank":true,"href":"http://www.barryovereem.com/magic-estimation/"}],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"025cc9149988","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"025cc91499880","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"I think two characteristics of this exercise are key in helping the team get to decisions, even with imperfect information (these epics were quite high level wishes). First, team members were forced to think about the items themselves. "},{"_key":"025cc91499881","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"They were not influenced by the social factors I mentioned earlier before coming to a decision."},{"_key":"025cc91499882","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Second, up front I shared the technique we were going to use. "},{"_key":"025cc91499883","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Everyone knew beforehand how and when a decision would be made, which prevented the behavior to search for more and more information."},{"_key":"025cc91499884","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" Decision making was quick, based on focused thinking by each team member, leading to a result the whole team stood behind."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"},{"_key":"d1731e12348f","_type":"block","children":[{"_key":"d1731e12348f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So, whenever you encounter indecisiveness in a team, think about how social biases may play a role and how to mitigate them. For instance by using a technique like I described above."}],"markDefs":[],"style":"normal"}],"publishedAt":"2017-01-30T23:00:00.000Z","slug":{"_type":"slug","current":"from-sheep-to-wolves"},"summary":"What to do when a team keeps searching for more information and doesn't dare to make a decision based on imperfect information.","title":"From sheep to wolves"}]},"__N_SSG":true}