Definitely, Maybe Agile: Recent Episodes

Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock

Adopting new ways of working like Agile and DevOps often falters further up the organization. Even in smaller organizations, it can be hard to get right. In this podcast, we are discussing the art and science of definitely, maybe achieving business agility in your organization.

AI vendors are shifting from flat-fee pricing to consumption-based billing, and most organizations have no idea what their token spend is actually producing.

Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison break down what's driving the shift to AI token economics, why the old "$20 per user" budget model is breaking down, and why usage alone is the wrong thing to optimize for. They dig into the pattern showing up across organizations, where a small share of users account for half the token spend, and why chasing that number down misses the real question: what value did that spend create? The conversation covers KPI traps, model selection tradeoffs, and how to build the kind of honest, open culture that lets you actually govern AI spend without punishing your best people.

This week's takeaways:
- Token usage by itself is a bad KPI once your organization has moved past early AI adoption, because it stops measuring exploration and starts driving the wrong behavior.
- The 10% of users driving 50% of the token spend aren't automatically the problem. Some are generating outsized value, and the only way to know is to ask them directly.
- Managing AI cost well means pairing spend visibility and caps with an honest conversation about the value that spend is producing, not just sorting a table by usage.

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Giving an AI agent real autonomy means accepting it will fail early and often before it gets good, the same curve organizations hit during any real change.

Peter Maddison brings a stuck OAuth problem to the table: an AI agent that kept going in circles and couldn't find its way through. That leads into a conversation from Dave Sharrock's local AI meetup about an AlphaGo-style approach to AI agent autonomy: instead of specifying every step, you define hard constraints and let the model work out its own strategy inside them. Peter and Dave connect this to the Virginia Satir change curve, the same dip in performance that shows up when an organization tries a new way of working, and to the difference between using AI to optimize what you already do versus using it to rethink the business itself. They also get into how experiments like Andon Labs' AI-run cafes and vending machines use small dollar constraints to let a model learn from failure without real financial risk.

This week's takeaways:
- A well-articulated objective with clear guardrails lets an AI agent find its own path to a solution, even one you didn't expect or fully understand.
- Real learning, whether it's an AI agent or an organization adopting a new way of working, comes with an unavoidable dip in performance that can't be planned away.
- The bigger opportunity with AI isn't squeezing more efficiency out of an existing process, it's using AI to test entirely different ways a business could operate.

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AI can write code faster than ever, but Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock argue that coding was never the actual bottleneck in software delivery.

In this conversation about AI software delivery, Peter and Dave dig into why faster coding hasn't solved the two problems that always mattered: knowing whether what you built is actually valuable, and knowing what to build in the first place. They connect this back to sprint length, arguing it was never set by how hard the coding is, but by how fast an organization can learn and decide. As AI generates more options and even makes decisions on our behalf, the conversation turns to what happens when judgment can't keep pace with output, and why product owners and stakeholders still need real time to validate high-risk calls.

This week's takeaways:
- Coding speed was never the real constraint. The two problems that still matter are knowing if something is valuable and knowing what to build in the first place.
- Sprint length should be set by your organization's decision and learning latency, not by how fast code can be written.
- As AI generates more options and even makes decisions for you, leaders need time and context to validate high-risk calls, because judgment doesn't speed up as easily as output does.

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Organizational change resistance isn't dysfunction, it's a system doing exactly what it was built to do. Peter and Dave break down why structures, incentives, and leadership behavior create that resistance, and how AI is now exposing it faster than ever.

Dave and Peter dig into what they call the organizational immune system: the structures, incentives, and habits that keep a company stable, and that fight back the moment you try to change them. They use the Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merger as a case study in how a shift in incentives can erode a culture built over decades, and how long it takes to rebuild that trust once it's gone. The conversation moves into how AI adoption doesn't fix broken systems, it amplifies the weak spots organizations have been avoiding for years, and forces conversations that used to be easy to put off. They close with a look at how value stream mapping can make an organization's hidden dependencies visible, so leaders can work with the immune system instead of fighting it.

This week's takeaways:
- Organizational structures exist to stabilize behavior, so treating them as barriers to simply remove often creates new problems you didn't expect.
- Real change comes from adjusting incentives and giving people permission to experiment, not from stripping away the systems that hold the organization together.
- AI adoption doesn't repair a broken process, it amplifies existing weak spots and forces the difficult conversations organizations have been putting off.

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Organizational honesty starts with information: can your team actually see what's happening, and can they say it without fear of pushback?

Dave and Peter dig into why teams shade the truth when a deadline is on the line, and what actually creates room for honesty instead. They talk about the difference between activity data and real information, why cheap, near real-time visual management beats a hand-curated status report, and why the structure of a status meeting decides whether bad news gets absorbed or gets shot down. They also get into why understanding how work flows end to end matters more than staring at a single date on a calendar.

This week's takeaways:

Cheap, near real-time visual management pulled straight from your work management systems gives people something honest to talk about instead of a filtered report.
Structure in status conversations matters because it lets people absorb bad news and adjust instead of reacting defensively, which makes it safer to bring problems forward next time.
Understanding how work actually flows end to end, not just watching a deadline date, is what shows you where the real bottlenecks and constraints are.

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AI is making it faster and cheaper to ship features. That doesn't mean you should ship more of them at once.

Peter and Dave dig into a pattern they're both starting to see: organizations using AI-assisted development as a reason to bring back big upfront planning and large project releases. The logic makes a certain kind of sense. If AI can build faster, why not design bigger? But that reasoning skips the part that actually mattered when teams moved to product delivery in the first place: validating that you're building what customers actually need.

The conversation covers why large releases make it harder to learn what's working, why feature parity with competitors is a trap, and what "North Star context" actually means when you're coordinating AI agents. The core argument: the planning layer is back in vogue for good reason, but the delivery layer still needs to be small and iterative. Cheaper to build doesn't reduce business risk. It just makes it easier to build the wrong thing faster.

This week's takeaways:

AI augmentation speeds up building and releasing features, but it doesn't replace the need to validate whether those features are what customers actually want.
A big picture plan is useful as context for AI agents and delivery teams, but over-specifying every step upfront wastes time on details that will change anyway.
The goal isn't projects vs. product delivery. It's combining a clear long-term direction with small, measurable, iterative delivery tied to real outcome metrics.

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Tommy Cotter is Director of Data Products at Benzinga, a financial media company building the data infrastructure that sits behind trading platforms and investment apps used by millions of people daily. He's been navigating the shift to AI-assisted workflows in a space where speed and accuracy aren't just nice to have - getting it wrong has real consequences.

In this episode, Peter and Dave talk with Tommy about what it actually looks like to build data products responsibly in a fast-moving AI environment. They get into where humans still need to be in the loop, how compliance has become a competitive signal, and why being nimble matters more than picking the perfect architecture from day one.

Three things to take away from this conversation:

Self-agency is real now. If you have a strong conviction about a product or problem, the barrier to building something has never been lower. That's a genuine shift from even five years ago.
Security and compliance are no longer just internal concerns. In a world where AI startups spin up overnight, having invested in SOC2 or GDPR signals to customers that you're a legitimate, trustworthy operation. It's a market differentiator.
Humans still belong in the system. Not everywhere, but in the right places. For low-risk, deterministic processes, let AI run. For anything client-facing or accuracy-critical, keep a human in the loop. Knowing the difference is the skill.

If this conversation sparked something for you, send us your thoughts at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. And if you haven't already, hit subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

Royce Sin spent a decade at HSBC automating things nobody asked him to automate. He didn't ask for permission. He just did it, showed people the results, and let the time savings speak for itself. That instinct, to question why things are done a certain way and then actually do something about it, is what eventually led him into the AI space.

In this episode, Peter and Dave sit down with Royce Sin to talk about what it actually takes for AI to stick inside an organization. Spoiler: it's not about the tools.

We get into the tension between flexibility and reliability, why most people are being set up to fail with AI, and what it means to think like a manager when you're not one. Royce also shares his MIND framework, a practical way to think about AI adoption that he developed through hands-on work across enterprise and startup environments.

There's also a good conversation about the trades, no-UI as an ideal, and why the most dangerous move in transformation is knocking down fences you don't fully understand.

This week's takeaways:

Think of AI as a new type of employee. Set it up for success the same way you'd set up your staff. Design roles and processes to match what it's actually good at.
Not every rule is a hard rule. Before treating a constraint as a blocker, understand what's behind it. Some fences are load-bearing. Some aren't. Know the difference before you act.
Don't just bring in AI. Know what outcome you're after. If you can't tell whether it's working, you don't have a tool problem, you have a clarity problem.

Have a thought on any of this? Reach us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

As AI handles more of the foundational work, entry-level engineering roles are disappearing. Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock examine why that trend is short-sighted, what junior developers actually contribute to team growth and AI adoption, and how organizations that skip early-career hiring may be trading long-term capability for short-term convenience.

This week's takeaways:

Labeling the next generation as lazy or unprepared is as old as recorded history. Don't let that bias drive hiring decisions.
Junior engineers accelerate AI adoption on the teams around them, not just in their own output.
The questions a new hire asks in their first few weeks are often the most valuable ones your team will hear all year.

Subscribe to Definitely Maybe Agile for weekly conversations on Agile, DevOps, and the messy realities of organizational change. And if this episode resonated, send it to a leader who's thinking about cutting their graduate intake.

Conference season is back, and so are the real conversations. In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock catch up after a busy stretch of travel and dig into something Dave has been road-testing at conferences: why most people given access to AI tools freeze up, and what actually helps them move past that.

Dave ran a workshop at the Global Scrum Gathering in Vancouver for non-technical roles - product managers, Scrum Masters, agile coaches - people who've been told "use AI" but have no clear picture of where to start. What he found is that the problem isn't motivation or technical ability. It's the lack of scaffolding. Give people the right structure and the right room to experiment, and things shift pretty quickly.

The conversation then moves into multi-agent systems - how Dave's team built a group of agents that continuously refresh the workshop itself based on current thinking. Peter adds his own take on testing these systems with personas and automated quality evaluation. It gets a bit technical, but in the best way.

This is a good episode if you're thinking about how to help your organization actually use AI, not just adopt it on paper.

Key Takeaways:

Context beats generic. Prompts work when they're specific to your role and your actual problems. A product manager needs product management context, not a one-size-fits-all example.
Think in teams, not steps. Multi-agent systems work best when you treat them like a team reviewing an artifact, each agent checking for something different, rather than a linear build process.
Don't assume everyone gets it. The gap between people who use AI daily and people who tried it once and gave up is wider than most of us realize. Getting both groups in the same room is where the real learning happens, for everyone.

Have a question or something to add? Reach out at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com or find us at definitelymaybeagile.com. And if you're finding the show useful, subscribing and leaving a review goes a long way.

Most organizations think they're doing AI. They've bought the licenses, rolled out the tools, and told the team to start using Copilot. But adding AI on top of a 40-year-old process isn't transformation. It's decoration.

Andre Kaminski, Director of Advanced Technology Solutions at WorkSafeBC and author of "The AI-Native Software Development Lifecycle," joins Peter and Dave to talk about what it actually means to rebuild your delivery process around AI, not just bolt it on.

They get into why optimizing code generation alone is the wrong focus, what the six phases of an AI-native SDLC look like in practice, and why the biggest challenge isn't the technology at all. It's the identity shift that comes with it.
If your organization is asking "which AI tool should we use?" this episode will help you realize that's probably the wrong question.

In this episode:

Why AI-augmented and AI-native are very different things
The compounding learning effect and why early adopters are pulling further ahead every month
What prompt architecture actually means and why it matters more than code
How to think about governance when prompts become your new source of truth

Want to keep the conversation going? Drop us a line at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com or find us at definitelymaybeagile.com. If this episode got you thinking, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Agreeing on an idea doesn't mean you both understood the same thing. Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison dig into why shared context breaks down in practice, and how AI makes that problem harder to ignore.

This week's takeaways:

Intent is always imperfect. Define how you'll validate it, not just what it is.
Ambiguity in context isn't a bug. It's necessary. Validation is how you confirm you're aligned.
Drive down the cost of validation, not just the cost of building.

If this landed, share it with someone navigating the same tension. And reach out at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com - we read everything.

It doesn't happen all at once. A great idea comes out of a strategy session. Someone turns it into a PowerPoint. Another person summarizes that PowerPoint with AI. By the time it reaches the team building it, the sharp edges are gone and nobody quite remembers what made the idea worth pursuing in the first place.

Peter and Dave dig into a problem that's older than AI but getting harder to ignore. How does intent get lost as it travels through layers of people, tools, and artifacts? What does a shared context document do that a business case can't? And what can the architectural world teach the product world about keeping the thread from unraveling?

Key takeaways:

Moving artifacts backwards and forwards through an organization strips out nuance at every step. A single central context document is a more honest way to carry intent from strategy to delivery.
AI is being actively encouraged in most organizations right now, and in using it, teams may be quietly eroding the ideas behind what they're building without realizing it.
If your outcomes don't match your original intent, the handoff chain is usually where things went wrong. That's worth looking at before blaming the team.

Try this: Trace one idea from your last strategy session all the way to what actually got built. See if you can find where it changed. Then come tell us what you found at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

Most organizations think they have a capacity problem. They usually don't.

What they have is a work-in-progress problem. And those two things call for very different solutions.

In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock dig into one of the most persistent headaches in organizational management: capacity tracking. Why does the instinct to measure utilization backfire? Why does loading people up to 100% actually slow things down? And what should leaders be asking instead?

The conversation covers the real cost of context switching, why that "nearly done" project is probably further away than it looks, and how AI is making all of this more urgent, not easier.

Three things to take away from this episode:

100% utilization is not a goal. It's a warning sign.
The right question isn't "how much capacity do we have?" It's "how much work in progress can we actually sustain?
AI accelerates your breaking points.

If this conversation resonated, there's more where it came from. Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock explore these kinds of organizational challenges every week on Definitely Maybe Agile - the podcast that gets into the real complexity of modern ways of working, without the buzzwords.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or visit definitelymaybeagile.com to catch up on past episodes and reach out with your own questions.

AI is changing how products get built. That part isn't news. But it's also changing who needs to do what - and that's a conversation most organizations haven't had yet.

In this episode, Peter and Dave dig into one of the more interesting tensions emerging in 2026: as coding agents take on more of the actual development work, the thing that drives quality output isn't just better tooling. It's better context. Clear, structured, well-owned context that tells agents what you're actually trying to build, who it's for, and what can't be compromised.

Which raises a real question. Who owns that? Where does it live? And what happens when it's missing - which, let's be honest, it usually is?

They get into the rise of "context engineering" as a role, why the name creates its own problems, and what this shift means for product owners, product managers, and the long-standing gap between business and technology teams.

Key takeaways from this episode:

Most organizations have never truly written down their product intent in a structured, usable way. AI is making that gap impossible to ignore.
Good context drives better outcomes from agents - and the work of capturing, structuring, and maintaining that context needs a clear owner.
Start asking: what context exists to guide your products? Where is it stored? Who creates it? Who picks it up and moves it through the system?
The business and technology divide matters more now, not less. You can't afford to throw things over the wall anymore. The two groups need to work closely together, not in parallel.
What's new here isn't the idea. It's the urgency. These are transformations organizations have been attempting for years. AI is just forcing the issue.

Want to continue the conversation?

If this episode brought up questions about how your teams are navigating the shift to agentic development - or where context ownership actually sits in your organization - reach out at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. We'd love to hear what you're seeing.

A lot of organizations are betting that AI will make their teams faster. Some of them are right. Most are solving the wrong problem.

AJ Bubb, founder of MxP Studio and host of Facing Disruption, joins Peter and Dave to talk about what actually happens when AI lands in a development team without fixing the system around it. If engineers can't get approvals, can't get access, and spend half their day in meetings, AI just means they produce more output the organization still can't handle. That's not a tooling problem. It's a structural one.

They also get into velocity without direction, what ownership really looks like when a ticket gets blocked, and why synthetic user testing might be the most polite way to avoid talking to actual customers.

This Week's Takeaways

Own the problem from the customer all the way down. When something is blocked, it's still yours until it moves.
When an outcome surprises you in either direction, ask whether your model was wrong. Most teams take the win and move on. The ones that improve don't.
Before reaching for a technical solution, ask why five times. The problem someone walks in with is usually the invitation to a conversation, not the actual problem.

If this episode got you thinking, we'd love to hear from you. Drop us a note at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com or leave a review on your podcast app. And if you know someone navigating AI adoption right now, send this one their way.

Most organizations are running some version of a project operating model or a product operating model - or, more honestly, an uncomfortable mix of both. In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock get into what actually separates these two approaches, where the tensions show up, and why copying what works somewhere else rarely lands the way you expect.

They dig into how the nature of your work - ordered versus unordered, stable versus volatile - should shape how you plan, who holds decision rights, and how closely your experts need to stay involved. They also talk honestly about the hybrid trap: why trying to be all things to all teams usually ends up serving nobody, and what a smarter version of "borrowing from both" can actually look like.

Real examples from large organizations, including a couple of banks, show just how messy it gets when the model is mandated from the top without enough room for context.

Key takeaways from this episode:

There is no universal operating model. The right fit depends on your context right now, not what worked somewhere else.
If your plan is constantly changing, lean toward the product side. If it's stable and predictable, the project side probably serves you better.
Be intentional about your choices. Ask why you're organizing work the way you are, and how you'll know if it's working.
Getting an outside perspective matters. It's easy to stay stuck in familiar patterns without someone who can see the system clearly and name what isn't working.
Get your operating model working before you add AI into the mix. Throwing new tools at a system that isn't working yet just breaks things faster.

Which end of the spectrum does your organization sit on right now - and is it actually working for you? Leave a comment below. We read everything.

Product manager. Product owner. Project manager. Three roles that often exist in the same organization, sometimes in the same meeting, and frequently stepping on each other's toes. In this episode, Dave and Peter break down what actually separates these roles, why the confusion happens, and what it costs when the lines blur in the wrong ways.

They dig into the difference between a project-centric operating model and a product operating model, and why that distinction matters more than most organizations realize. They also get into a concept Peter uses with clients: product owners reduce decision latency, project managers reduce reporting latency. It sounds simple, but the implications reach into how teams are funded, how authority is distributed, and why some transformations stall halfway.

The conversation covers real patterns from the field, including what happens when a technical project manager spends most of his time coordinating 14 dependency groups just so a product owner can get a decision made, and what it looks like when a project-centric funding model quietly undermines a product operating model that was never quite finished.

They also touch on where AI fits into all of this, and where it currently falls short as a bridge between these two worlds.

Three key takeaways from this episode:

It's not either-or. Both project management and product management are necessary. The goal is to use each skill set in the right place, not to eliminate one in favor of the other.
The relationship between product managers and project managers works best as a true peer-to-peer dynamic. Hierarchy between the two tends to break things down quickly.
Be clear about decision-making authority. If your product owners don't actually have the autonomy to make decisions, the role isn't working. And if your project managers exist primarily to satisfy a funding model that doesn't match your operating model, that's a signal to look at finishing what you started.

If this is a conversation your team needs to have, share this episode with them. And if you're finding value in Definitely Maybe Agile, follow the show on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. New conversations drop every week.

Most organizations are somewhere between experimenting with AI agents and quietly hoping nothing breaks in production. Logan Kelly, CEO of Waxle AI, has spent a lot of time in that gap, and he thinks governance is the piece most teams are walking past too quickly.

In this episode, Logan joins Peter and Dave to talk about what agentic governance actually looks like in practice, why a single consistent layer beats a pile of point solutions, and how to keep developers moving fast without letting things go sideways when it counts.

This week's takeaways:

Let your teams experiment. That's how you learn what agents can actually do. Just don't skip governance on the way to production.
Governance doesn't have to be a gate. The best version layers in without friction, and gives everyone in the organization visibility, not just the dev team.
If a developer has to do extra work to implement a governance feature, that's a design problem. Good governance should work for the developer, not the other way around.

Most conversations about AI focus on what it can do in a controlled setting. This one doesn't. Callum Sharrock spends his days deploying AI systems in real environments, watching them succeed and fail in ways no simulation predicted, and reporting what he finds. His conclusion? The trend line is steeper than most people realize, and snapshot thinking is getting a lot of organizations into trouble.

Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock dig into why reliability, not capability, is the real adoption bottleneck right now. They talk through what happens when non-deterministic models get applied to problems that need deterministic answers, why validation and testing are becoming more important than writing the code itself, and how the calculus around decision making is changing fast. If you can build and test something in the time it takes to debate whether to do it, the meeting starts to look like the problem.

They also get into what this means for developers, for leaders, and for anyone trying to figure out where to actually invest their energy right now. The barriers to building have never been lower. That makes the question of what to build more important than ever.

This isn't a conversation about AI hype. It's about what's actually happening at the frontier, and what it means for the way organizations make decisions.

This Week's Takeaways:

The barriers to building have never been lower - figuring out what's worth building is now the real work
Leadership is shifting toward agency and rapid decision-making, away from top-down strategy setting
If you can run the experiment in the time it takes to schedule the meeting about it, run the experiment

If this episode resonated, follow Definitely Maybe Agile wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. And if you know someone spending two hours debating whether to test an idea they could just build, send this one their way. There are plenty more episodes worth your time at definitelymaybeagile.com.

Something is shifting inside organizations right now, and it's creating a split that's hard to ignore. AI is compressing the time it takes to generate, validate, and prototype ideas. Some people inside your org are moving at a completely different speed than the systems built to support them. Peter and Dave are calling it the great decoupling, and it's already happening whether you've noticed it or not.

In this episode, they dig into why acceleration in one part of a system creates pressure everywhere else. When you map the end-to-end journey from idea to live product, you often find 30 to 40 distinct steps. AI is handling a handful of them. The rest? Still waiting on decisions, reviews, and handoffs that haven't changed in years. Development isn't the main blocker anymore. Decision latency is.

They talk through what it looks like when product managers are running parallel experiments and validating ideas in hours, then slamming into unchanged processes for security sign-off, change control, and release management. And why the smartest people on your team are quietly finding workarounds rather than waiting in line, which creates more risk, not less.

This isn't a conversation about AI hype. It's about the real organizational friction that shows up when the pace of work outgrows the systems designed to manage it. And what you can actually do about it.

If your team is moving faster but waiting longer, this one's worth your time.

This Week's Takeaways:

Acceleration in one part of the system creates stress everywhere else
Map the end-to-end flow before you optimize any single part
If it's happening inside your organization, you need to deal with it internally

If this episode resonated, follow Definitely Maybe Agile wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a conversation. And if you know someone sitting at one of those 40 steps wondering why everything feels stuck, send this one their way. There are plenty more episodes worth your time at definitelymaybeagile.com.

A few times in tech, two streams collide, and everything changes. David Kilzer has spent 50 years putting automation to work in manufacturing and distribution around the world, and he thinks we're at one of those moments right now. The convergence of AI and humanoid robotics, in his view, is the biggest shift humankind has faced since fire.

In this episode, David joins Peter and Dave to unpack where automation ends, and AI begins, why confusing the two creates brittle systems, and what organizations should actually be thinking about when making investment decisions right now. The short version: don't slap AI on everything.

This week's takeaways:

Stay optimistic, stay connected, and participate in the change. Don't be overrun by it.
Automation works brilliantly within its designed boundaries. But unprecedented events expose its fragility in ways we don't always anticipate.
The shift toward flexible, adaptable robots means the environment no longer has to be built around the machine. The machine adjusts to the environment instead.

Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock sit down with Steve Pereira, founder of Visible Flow Consulting, to talk about something most organizations get backwards: the obsession with efficiency at the expense of actual flow.

Steve works with large companies to improve operational performance through value stream mapping and continuous delivery. But the conversations he keeps having aren't about cutting costs. They're about untethering capable people from the systems that are quietly holding them back.

In this episode, the three dig into why high utilization is often the enemy of good work, how lean thinking applies to knowledge work without losing what makes knowledge work different, and why adding AI on top of a broken system just makes things break faster.

If your organization feels like it should be doing more than it is, this one's worth your time. And if you want all 4 takeaways, don't miss the last few minutes of the episode.

This week´s takeaways:

Step back from the work to look at how the work works. Whether it's a value stream mapping session or a quiet moment of reflection, intentional distance helps you see not just whether the saw is dull, but whether you're sawing the right tree.
High utilization is not efficiency. Running people and teams at full capacity removes the slack needed to respond, adapt, and make good decisions. Optimal is closer to 80 percent. The rest needs to be budgeted, not eliminated.
Understand your system before adding new tools. Whether it's AI, automation, or the latest framework, bolting new capabilities onto a system you don't fully understand tends to make existing problems worse, not better. Map first. Then act.

Extra Resources:

📖 Tools of Flow by Tody Goldratt: https://www.goodreads.com/es/book/show/75304520-goldratt-s-rules-of-flow

The marketplace is full of AI noise, but what does it actually mean for how organizations innovate and learn? Dave and Peter revisit the classic pioneers-settlers-town planners model and discover something unexpected: AI has reversed the flow.

Where organizations once looked up the chain for scaling lessons, now large enterprises are watching small explorers to understand disruption, while entrepreneurs stitch together emerging technologies to solve real problems today. The old playbook doesn't quite work anymore.

We explore what this means for different types of organizations, why pretending to be a pioneer when you're not is a waste of time, and how to actually learn from what's happening in the marketplace instead of just making noise about it.

Key Takeaways:

The three-cohort model has flipped. In the AI era, large organizations are looking at what smaller explorers and entrepreneurs are doing, not the other way around. If you're not monitoring the marketplace to understand how others are solving problems with these technologies, start now.
Different organizations need different things from the AI landscape. Town planners should watch entrepreneurs for practical accelerators and explorers for early warnings about disruption. Entrepreneurs are stitching together emerging tech with real business problems to create immediate value.
Most established organizations aren't pioneering, and that's okay. If you have an HR department and multiple locations, you're not in the explorer space. Innovation labs aren't the same as true exploration. Understand which cohort you're actually in and learn accordingly.

You know that expensive software system your company bought that everyone... stopped using? Deborah Kaminetzky sees this pattern constantly. Projects delivered on time and on budget that still fail because nobody wants to touch them.

Deb brings a unique lens to technology implementation. She's a former attorney turned project management consultant who specializes in what she calls the "messy middle" – the space between buying software and actually getting value from it. Her secret? Translation. Not just between tech teams and business teams, but between what's being sold and what people actually need to do their jobs.

In this episode, we dig into why user involvement isn't just a nice-to-have (spoiler: shadow IT is alive and well), the difference between being heard and influencing outcomes, and why your C-suite needs to stop treating technology teams like the organizational stepchild.

This Week's Takeaways:

Solve the problem before you buy the solution – Understanding what you're actually trying to fix has to come before you start shopping for software. This seems obvious, but most organizations skip this step entirely.
Mediation matters more than metrics – When users are involved in gathering information and partially in decision-making, adoption happens. When they're just told what to do, they find workarounds. The question is: how much of that involvement is just making people feel heard versus actually changing what gets built?
Outcomes over outputs – On-time, on-budget means nothing if the software gathers dust. Find ways to measure whether you're getting the value you expected, not just whether you hit the deadline.

Want to reach out? Email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com or visit definitelymaybeagile.com.

What happens when you need to ship software in environments where failure isn't just expensive, it's catastrophic? Ivan Gekht, CEO of Gehtsoft, joins Peter and Dave to challenge how we think about agile delivery in high-stakes, regulated systems.

Forget the innovation lab. Ivan argues that real innovation happens 10 minutes at a time, every day, at your desk. He shares why learning without outcomes is just an expensive distraction, why retrospectives reveal more than sprint planning ever will, and how the biggest transformation killer isn't resistance, it's apathy.

Plus, the dinner party analogy that will change how you negotiate scope vs. time, and why organizations that obsess over features are asking the wrong questions entirely.

Key Topics:

Why "nobody cares" is the hardest transformation problem to solve
The reversed iron triangle: hitting dates by flexing scope
Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and structured innovation
Goals vs. features: reframing conversations with leadership
Why agile fails when it becomes anarchy

This Week's Takeaways:

Language and framing matter more than we think. Finding the right words and the right way to present ideas can genuinely shift how change happens in an organization.
The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving deserves a deeper look. Innovation isn't the big thing happening in the cool kids area; it's the thing that happens every day at your desk.
The dinner party analogy is going straight into my next executive presentation. When sales want locked dates and fixed scope, this framework shows why that's wishful thinking, and what actually works instead.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

As we close out 2025, Peter and Dave are making predictions about what's coming in 2026, especially around AI, organizational change, and how teams actually work.

They cover five key predictions:

AI moves from tools to organizational capability: Organizations that invest in literacy, governance, and data foundations will pull ahead of those just sprinkling AI on top and hoping for the best.
Critical thinking beats prompt engineering: The real competitive advantage won't be writing clever prompts. It'll be knowing when to pause, think through the problem, and decide if you even need the AI in the first place.
Product delivery becomes non-negotiable: After 20 years of pushing Agile principles, AI might finally force organizations to actually adopt them (even if they're reluctant to call it "Agile").
Businesses return to fundamentals: Just like the dot-com bubble, we're heading toward a moment where the market will care more about revenue, customers, and sustainability than hype.
Reskilling becomes a structural investment: Organizations will need to figure out what roles actually look like in an AI-enabled world and invest in growing their people, not just replacing them.

At the end, Peter and Dave pick which prediction is hardest to measure (spoiler: it's critical thinking) and commit to revisiting these in March to see how wrong they were.

If you've been wondering where all this AI stuff is actually heading, this episode cuts through the noise with grounded, practical predictions you can actually use.

Related episodes:

AI and Knowledge Management with Derek Crager: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1643821/episodes/17360635
Product vs. Process Innovation: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1643821/episodes/7953100
There Are No Safe Bets in Business Anymore: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1643821/episodes/17433034

Reach out: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

What happens when your greatest strength becomes your biggest blind spot? In this episode, Peter and Dave sit down with Jill Macauley, COO of Behavioral Essentials, to explore how self-awareness shapes better leadership. They dig into why even talented leaders struggle with identity shifts, how generational expectations are changing the workplace, and why the best coaches focus on small tweaks rather than complete overhauls. From the reluctant engineer-turned-manager to the chef who can't slow down, this conversation gets real about the grief of letting go of old identities and the messy work of looking in the mirror.

This week´s takeaway:

Your gifts become your blind spots when overused. That strength that got you promoted? It might be working against you now. The key is recognizing when speed becomes recklessness, when confidence becomes rigidity, or when expertise becomes tunnel vision.
Identity shifts are a grieving process. Moving from individual contributor to leader to leader of leaders isn't just a promotion. It requires letting go of the identity you've built your career on, and that loss is real. Give yourself (and others) permission to struggle with it.
Skip the woo-woo, ask "why" instead. Self-reflection doesn't have to feel soft or abstract. Simple questions like "Why did I react that way?" or "What role am I playing in this?" are pragmatic tools that work in any meeting, with any team.

In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock sit down with Josh Hill, an HR innovator who's challenging the traditional transactional approach to people management. Josh shares his unconventional journey from the Australian military to progressive HR, where he's pioneering the concept of "work as a product" at marketing agency Tier 11 and through his recruiting venture, Super Hired.

Josh explains how HR teams can shift from rushing to solutions toward discovery-led approaches that treat employees as customers. He walks through real examples of iterative onboarding improvements, the importance of understanding jobs to be done in hiring, and why talent density matters more than filling seats quickly.

The conversation explores compensation dynamics, the value of matchmaking over recruiting, and how small experiments can build momentum for broader HR transformation. Whether you're leading people operations or navigating organizational change, this episode offers practical insights on making HR less transactional and more intentional.

Key Takeaways:

Start with discovery, not solutions – Before building HR processes or solutions, take time to interview employees, understand their stories and experiences, and map out what's actually obstructing outcomes. Even 10 minutes of discovery beats rushing to a result.
HR as a matching exercise, not a numbers game – Recruitment and people management generate real value when viewed as careful matchmaking between what work a company offers and what employees are looking for, rather than just transactional headcount filling.
Make HR less transactional – Slow down important conversations around hiring, onboarding, and employee experience. These decisions deserve the same rigor companies apply to external product development, not just checkbox processes.

Product managers and product owners are drowning in documentation, vision statements, roadmaps, and backlogs. But what if AI could handle the heavy lifting, freeing you up to actually talk to customers?

In this episode, Dave and Peter explore how large language models are changing product management. They go beyond the obvious use cases (like generating user stories) to discuss upstream opportunities: building product strategy, validating market positioning, and testing ideas against competitors.

You'll learn:

Why documenting your product strategy matters (and why most PMs skip it)
How to prompt AI to be critical, not just complimentary
The danger of accepting AI outputs without evaluation
Temperature settings, context windows, and other practical techniques
What to do with the time you get back (hint: talk to real customers)

Dave and Peter also share a key practice: write down what you expect before you prompt. This simple step helps you critically evaluate AI responses instead of accepting them at face value.

If you're a product manager, product owner, or anyone building digital products, this conversation will help you use AI as a tool for better thinking, not just faster output.

In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock welcome Justin Trombold, President and Founder of Antison Advisors, to discuss the parallels between agile transformation and generative AI adoption in organizations.

Justin shares insights from his work helping companies navigate generative AI readiness, revealing that the biggest challenges aren't technical; they're organizational. From end-user proficiency to cross-functional collaboration, the conversation explores why companies struggle to move beyond "toy apps" to create real business value with AI.

Key topics covered:
• Why organizations need an AI strategy before investing in tools
• The critical importance of end-user proficiency with LLMs
• How cross-functional collaboration enables AI success
• Why annual planning cycles may be holding your AI initiatives back
• The parallels between agile adoption and AI transformation
• Moving from efficiency gains to true value creation

Whether you're leading AI initiatives, managing agile transformations, or wondering why your organization's AI investments aren't paying off, this conversation offers practical frameworks for thinking about organizational readiness in the age of generative AI.

THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:

End-user proficiency is everything.
Define the sandbox before choosing the toys.
Innovation in planning matters as much as innovation in products.

Contact us: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

GenerativeAI #AgileTransformation #OrganizationalChange #AIReadiness #DigitalTransformation #LLM #CrossFunctionalTeams #Innovation

In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock welcome Rick Delisi, Lead Research Analyst at Glia and co-author of "The Effortless Experience" and "Digital Customer Service," to discuss how AI is transforming customer service in banking and credit unions.

Rick reveals why the future of contact centers isn't about eliminating human interaction; it's about automating the routine so humans can focus on building real relationships. Learn how banks are breaking the age-old trade-off between efficiency and customer experience, and why starting with internal-facing AI tools is the safest path to transformation.

Discover the surprising truth about which customer satisfaction metric actually predicts loyalty (hint: it's not what most companies are measuring), and why customer expectations for AI are shaped more by bad experiences with other companies than by anything your organization does.

THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:

AI for Everyone, Not Just Customers: AI can transform your entire organization, from helping frontline agents with real-time guidance, to giving managers instant analysis capabilities, to enabling executives to make data-driven strategic decisions. The most successful implementations use AI across all levels: customers, agents, managers, and executives.
Start Internal, Then Scale Outward: Begin with internal tools that help agents, managers, and executives first. This builds confidence, allows teams to experience the technology firsthand, and creates incremental improvements that build organizational trust. By the time you roll out customer-facing AI, your entire team understands and trusts the system.
The best predictor of customer loyalty isn't satisfaction scores or Net Promoter Score, it's the Customer Effort Score. Ask customers, "How much effort was required for you to get what you needed?" after each interaction. Low-effort experiences drive loyalty, and this metric gives you actionable insights into where to improve your service processes.

CONTACT US:
Email: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Definitely Maybe Agile explores the complexities of adopting new ways of working at scale, covering digital transformation, agile practices, and DevOps in enterprise environments.

AI #CustomerService #Banking #DigitalTransformation #ContactCenter #CreditUnions #CustomerExperience #Glia #FinancialServices #AgileTransformation

Welcome to Definitely Maybe Agile! In this episode, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock sit down with Barbara Whittmann, founder of the Digital Wisdom Collective, to explore how real organizational change happens from the middle out.

Barbara shares her 25 years of experience fixing broken digital transformation projects and reveals why the "juicy middle" of organizations holds the key to sustainable change. We dive deep into mindset training, building internal ecosystems, and why most organizations have forgotten the purpose of half their tools and processes.

From navigating the "permafrost layer" of middle management to understanding why AI initiatives often miss the mark, this conversation offers practical insights for anyone working to transform how organizations operate.

Three Key Takeaways:

Meet Organizations Where They Are - Don't force rigid methodologies or terminology. Use the organization's own language and focus on solving their actual problems rather than trying to "fix" them with prescribed frameworks.
The Power of Cohorts - Change isn't an individual effort. Building a cohort of four people creates redundancy, moral support, and a self-reinforcing dynamic that can create ripples throughout the organization.
Communication is Critical - We don't invest enough in helping leaders develop communication skills. Leaders need ongoing support, coaching, and safe spaces to develop their ability to listen, speak up, and collaborate effectively.

Featured Guest: Barbara Whittmann - Founder, Digital Wisdom Collective

Contact: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

When Hanna Bauer's publishing business faced a perfect storm of budget cuts, industry disruption, and the ebook revolution, she learned that Six Sigma processes weren't enough. The real transformation required leading with heart.

In this raw conversation, Hanna shares the wake-up call that changed everything: a top employee resigning to take a pay cut elsewhere. This crisis revealed the truth about organizational change; you can have all the right processes, but without genuine human connection and psychological safety, your best people will walk.

Whether you're leading digital transformation or navigating organizational change, this episode delivers practical wisdom on building growth-oriented cultures where people actually want to stay.

This week´s Takeaways:

1. Hope Drives Change People with high hope find a way where there is no way. Leaders must tap into this to navigate uncertainty; it's not just positive thinking, it's the catalyst for transformation.

2. Psychological Safety Starts at the Top Growth-oriented cultures need leaders brave enough to say "maybe it's my team" instead of pointing fingers. Cross-functional honesty beats departmental defensiveness every time.

3. Influence > Position Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. You don't need a title to create change; just the will to advocate for your team and drive positive impact.

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Hussein Hallak, serial entrepreneur and author of The Dark Art of Life Mastery, joins Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock to talk about what really keeps entrepreneurs in the game. It's not resilience or grit, it's clarity about why you're doing this in the first place.

The conversation covers the shift from pre-COVID to post-COVID startup communities, why watching customers do their work beats asking them what they want, and the critical difference between handing off your product and handing off your purpose. Hussein also challenges the wall-poster approach to company values and explains why living your principles matters more than declaring them.

Three Key Takeaways:

Strategy is becoming - Choose who you want to become as a founder and company, then let your thoughts, words, and actions flow from there. It's about the experience you want to have, not just the exit you want to achieve.
Hand off the product, never the why - Founders can delegate product development once the team understands the purpose behind it. But stay close to customers. That connection informs everything and keeps you from drifting.
Live your values, don't announce them - Stop putting principles on posters. Instead, have honest conversations with your team about what matters to them, what's missing, and how you'll work together. Build culture through behavior, not declarations.

Topics Covered:

Why entrepreneurship is really about your relationship with uncertainty
The founder's role: stay with the customer, hand off the product
How 80% of features go unused (and what to do about it)
Why watching customers work reveals more than asking questions
Building culture through honest conversations, not corporate values posters

💬 Got feedback? Email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com🌐 Visit definitelymaybeagile.com

🚨 Struggling to implement Agile because you can't get dedicated cross-functional teams? You're not alone.

In this episode, Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison tackle one of the BIGGEST challenges facing late-adopter organizations: how to increase productivity and deliver value when dedicated teams just aren't in the cards.

In this episode, we explore:

Why the "dedicated team first" approach often crashes in traditional organizations
The hidden dysfunctions and perverse incentives that keep teams fragmented (spoiler: it's about promotions and funding)
The famous "Sock Factory Parable" explains cross-functional alignment perfectly
How context switching kills productivity with scarce specialists like DBAs
Three essential steps to make real progress WITHOUT restructuring your entire organization

The Three Critical Steps:

Understand WHY dedicated teams work before forcing the structure
Get leadership aligned on real prioritization and trade-offs (not everything can be Priority 1)
Create genuine work transparency without status report theater

Whether you're an Agile Coach, Scrum Master, Product Manager, or Engineering Leader dealing with organizational resistance, this episode gives you practical strategies to move forward when structural change isn't an option.

Resources Mentioned:

Peter's LinkedIn Learning Course on Value Stream Management

About Definitely Maybe Agile: Join Peter Maddison (XodiacInc) and Dave Sharrock (IncrementOne) as they discuss the complexities of adopting new ways of working at scale. Real conversations about digital transformation, agile, and DevOps challenges, no sugar-coating, just practical insights.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes on making agile work in the real world

Got a question or topic you'd like us to cover? Reach out to us!

In this episode, hosts Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock sit down with Nick Cawthon to explore how generative AI is revolutionizing the relationship between UX, design, and agile development.

Key Topics:

Embedding UX research into agile sprints, balancing short-term feedback loops with long-term strategic insights
The "electric bicycle" analogy: How AI gives teams superpowers but can also accelerate you in the wrong direction
Why Nick believes he'll never use Figma again, shifting from design tools to code-native prototyping
Building functional prototypes using company design systems and generative AI tools
The evolution of team size: From 6-8 person cross-functional teams to powerful 2-3 person teams leveraging AI
The architect's mindset: Understanding the technical foundation before designing the interface

Three Key Takeaways:

What an incredible opportunity we have; it feels like the year 2000 again, with the excitement and disruption ahead
Small teams (2-3 people) with diverse perspectives can now move incredibly fast using modern tools
Speed is powerful, but you still need feedback loops to ensure you're building the right thing and not racing in the wrong direction

Connect with us: Website: https://definitelymaybeagile.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/definitely-maybe-agile-podcast Email: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Customer journey maps have been the standard for years. But what if they're built for a world that no longer exists?

Dave and Peter challenge the linear, step-by-step approach to understanding customer experience. From showers on Emirates flights to adaptive payment systems, they explore why our traditional mapping tools might be keeping us from seeing breakthrough opportunities.

What We Cover:

Why traditional journey maps focus on the "critical path" and miss everything else
The shift from cohorts and personas to individualized experiences
The privacy paradox of hyper-personalization
How decreasing costs make adaptive systems possible

Key Takeaways:

✅ Traditional customer journey mapping optimizes a narrow, linear experience when customers want many different paths

✅ Privacy and ethics matter more as experiences become hyper-personalized

✅ What was too costly before is now feasible, changing the game for customer experience

Perfect for product managers, CX professionals, and digital transformation leaders.

Connect: definitelymaybeagile.com | feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Can AI really shrink your development teams from two pizzas to one? Peter and Dave explore the promise and reality of smaller teams in the age of AI agents. While AI can handle documentation, test automation, and other "hygiene" tasks teams often skip, the real question isn't whether you can reduce team size, it's whether you should. They dig into when one-person teams make sense (startups and greenfield projects), when they don't (complex legacy systems), and why the biggest gains might come from augmenting existing teams rather than downsizing them. Plus: why most AI initiatives fail and how to find the real business problems worth solving.

This week´s Takeaways

AI as Capacity Booster, Not Team Replacer: AI agents excel at handling the "hygiene" work that teams often skip: documentation, test automation, release notes. Rather than shrinking teams, this gives existing teams ephemeral capacity to tackle work that improves long-term system quality and maintainability.
Context Determines Team Size: One-person teams work brilliantly for startups and greenfield projects where you can build from scratch. But complex legacy systems in large organizations still need the diverse knowledge and experience that comes with larger teams to navigate technical debt and organizational complexity.
Solve Real Business Problems First: The biggest AI failures happen when teams focus on cool technology instead of actual business needs. Before experimenting with smaller teams or AI agents, identify genuine business problems that need solving; that's where you'll see real returns and organizational support.

In this episode, Dave and Peter sit down with Radhika Dutt, author of "Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter," to explore why iteration-obsessed product development is failing organizations.

Radhika shares hard-learned lessons from her 25-year career across diverse industries and five acquisitions, introducing the concept of "product diseases" like hero syndrome, pivotitis, and obsessive sales disorder that plague modern product teams. She challenges conventional wisdom around OKRs and goal-setting, explaining why they often create an illusion of performance while masking real problems.

The conversation explores why goals, targets, and OKRs backfire and what actually works instead. Radhika introduces her tried-and-tested alternative: a framework for puzzle-setting and puzzle-solving called OHLs (Objectives, Hypotheses, and Learnings). This approach helps companies develop a mindset that equips teams to experiment, learn, and adapt in a disciplined way, ultimately delivering far better results than traditional goal-setting methods.

The discussion dives deep into crafting detailed, hypothesis-driven vision statements that actually help teams make decisions, rather than fluffy corporate speak that sounds inspiring but provides no guidance. Radhika explains how to balance vision debt against short-term survival needs using her three-question puzzle-solving framework.

Key Takeaways:

The importance of writing good hypotheses and understanding customer pain points deeply before defining experiments and measurements
Organizations need to get much closer to their target customers to truly understand their behaviors and pain points, enabling better vision statements and hypotheses that resonate
Effective vision statements must enable decision-making; if you can't make yes/no decisions based on your vision, and understand the trade-offs between short-term survival and long-term vision, it's not valuable enough

Free Resource: Download the OHLs template and toolkit: https://www.radicalproduct.com/toolkit/#OHLToolkit

When should you let AI agents loose on your processes, and when should you keep them on a tight leash? Peter and Dave explore the messy reality of using agentic AI for process improvement.

They dig into why the processes you can easily map might not be the ones where AI agents add the most value. From recruitment pipelines that need human intuition to DevOps workflows that demand zero variation, not every process is created equal when it comes to AI intervention.

This week's takeaways:

Categorize your processes first. Look at your processes and start sorting them. Some need to eliminate variation (like DevOps deployment pipelines), while others benefit from exploring the edges and finding creative solutions.
Not all processes are equal when it comes to AI. There are many ways AI can help improve processes, but you need to think about whether you want to reduce variability or increase intelligent flexibility in each specific case.
Train AI to know when to hand off. What you want AI to do is recognize when it can't handle something and pass it to the right system - whether that's a math library for calculations or a human for complex decisions.
Understand the difference between consistency and exploration. DevOps spent years eliminating variation to create stable, repeatable deployments. Other processes might actually want that variation because it gives you something unusual and valuable.

If you're wrestling with where to apply AI in your organization without breaking what already works, this episode offers a practical framework for thinking through the trade-offs.

Resource:

Ethan Mollick's "The Bitter Lesson versus The Garbage Can": https://substack.com/home/post/p-169199293

Questions or thoughts? Reach us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

What happens when you look beyond survey data to understand what's really driving your organizational culture? James Warren, founder of Share More Stories, reveals how analyzing employee and customer stories at scale uncovers the hidden "how" and "why" that traditional data misses.

His most surprising discovery? Trust has become the single most predictive emotion across all industries. Companies with high trust create lasting loyalty, while low-trust organizations remain vulnerable no matter how well they're currently performing.

Warren shares a compelling healthcare case where well-intentioned technology actually destroyed employee experience by preventing human connections, plus insights on why leadership becomes more critical during agile transformations.

Key Takeaways:

Trust beats everything: Trust is now the most predictive emotion across industries. High-trust cultures create sustainable advantage while low-trust organizations stay vulnerable to competitors
Leaders must change too: In agile transformations, leadership becomes more important, not less. Leaders need to model vulnerability and change alongside their teams
Stories reveal hidden patterns: Traditional data tells you "what" happened but stories tell you "why" it happened, uncovering emotional drivers surveys completely miss

Is the Lean Startup methodology dead? Peter and Dave tackle the growing criticism around MVP approaches and explore why this foundational model still has its place in modern product development.

Drawing from George Box's famous insight that "all models are wrong, but some are useful," they discuss how tools evolve but don't necessarily become obsolete. With AI making prototyping faster and cheaper than ever, the conversation explores what's changed about experimentation and what hasn't.

The hosts dig into common misapplications of Lean Startup principles, from "MVPs" that take months to build to organizations that skip the crucial feedback loops. They also explore when incremental learning isn't enough and you need those bigger strategic pivots.

Plus, they make the case for Wardley mapping as an underutilized tool for spotting step-change opportunities that incremental approaches might miss.

Key Takeaways:

Lean thinking remains relevant: Lean Startup is still a valuable operational tool for continuous learning and incremental improvement, but it works best when properly implemented with complete feedback loops
You need multiple models: Organizations need both incremental change capabilities (like Lean Startup) and strategic step-change tools (like Wardley mapping) to navigate complexity effectively
AI commoditizes development, not strategy: While AI tools make prototyping easier and faster, they don't replace the need for good product thinking, user experience design, or asking the right strategic questions

Whether you're questioning your current approach to product development or looking for ways to balance tactical execution with strategic vision, this episode offers a pragmatic perspective on using the right tools for the right challenges.

Can agile teams really move fast without breaking stuff? In this episode, Dave and Peter dig into one of the biggest tensions in modern software delivery: the push for speed versus the need to manage risk.

They unpack the idea that when agile is done right, it actually helps reduce risk, not amplify it. You’ll hear stories and analogies (yep, including a messy kitchen and airplane cockpits) that bring this idea to life. Along the way, they highlight why teams that obsess over "faster delivery" often end up with systems that are, well, kind of fragile.

Whether you're navigating compliance hurdles, trying to foster psychological safety, or just figuring out how to move fast without chaos, this conversation brings a grounded, practical take on how agile and risk can work together, not against each other.

This week’s takeaways:

Learning continuously is more powerful than just moving quickly
Teams should feel safe to say “something doesn’t feel right”
Focus on what’s working, not just what’s broken

Former HSBC Canada CISO Peter Buckley shares practical cybersecurity advice for small and medium enterprises. Despite having fewer resources, SMEs face the same cyber threats as large corporations, ransomware and data breaches.

Peter breaks down how organizations can manage 80% of their cyber risk through smart planning and leveraging existing tools, without requiring massive budgets or dedicated security teams. We explore how cybersecurity extends beyond technology into HR practices, organizational culture, and the power of community collaboration.

Three Key Takeaways:

Have a Plan: Create and regularly test an incident response plan that outlines what to do when things go wrong, who to call, and how to communicate with stakeholders.
Make It Collaborative: Use tabletop exercises and casual team conversations about "what if" scenarios to build risk awareness while fostering team building.
Build Community: Connect with industry peers to create a network of contacts you can call during a crisis and share resources with non-competing organizations.

In this episode,Dave and Peter explore why "safe bets" in business can be the riskiest moves today. They unpack the shift from long-term plans to fast, testable experiments, and why companies must embrace uncertainty to stay competitive. Topics include digital transformation pitfalls, cultural resistance to change, and the importance of alignment over tech.

Key takeaways:

Shorter cycles are essential
There are no safe bets anymore
Alignment matters more than technology

For more insights, visit definitelymaybeagile.com, subscribe, and follow us on social media. Questions or feedback? Reach out at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock are joined by Derek Crager, a seasoned engineer turned AI entrepreneur who shares his journey from blue-collar work to building AI-powered knowledge management solutions. Derek discusses how AI is transforming workplace onboarding, knowledge transfer, and personal productivity, drawing parallels between today's AI revolution and the early days of the internet.

Derek brings a practical perspective on implementing AI in enterprise environments, focusing on his company's voice-powered AI assistant "Pocket Mentor" that helps organizations capture tribal knowledge and streamline employee onboarding. The conversation explores the challenges of extracting expertise from subject matter experts, the importance of having clear business outcomes when adopting AI, and advice for students navigating career choices in an AI-driven world.

Key Takeaways:

Focus on Business Outcomes Over Buzzwords - Don't implement AI just to check a box or follow trends. Instead, identify specific business problems (like inefficient onboarding or knowledge retention) and then explore how AI can provide practical solutions to those challenges.
AI Excels at Knowledge Augmentation and Accessibility - AI's greatest strength lies in making organizational knowledge instantly accessible 24/7, without judgment, and at a consistent quality level. This is particularly valuable for onboarding new employees and capturing tribal knowledge from subject matter experts before it walks out the door.
Take Time to Learn and Evaluate Before Jumping In - The AI wave mirrors the early internet adoption curve and will continue evolving over the next 10-15 years. Organizations and individuals have time to thoughtfully evaluate AI solutions rather than rushing to adopt the first available option, emphasizing the importance of learning practical applications before implementation.

Talent acquisition remains stuck in the past while organizations have drastically evolved. "We still hire like it's 1999," explains Leandro Cartelli, CEO of Lana Talent, highlighting a critical disconnect between modern business needs and outdated hiring practices.

In this episode, Dave and Peter explore with Leandro how successful teams are built through strategic cultural assessment rather than simple skill matching. The conversation reveals the difference between "cultural fit" and "cultural add," and how one retail company reduced their 80% turnover rate by half, saving millions through targeted assessment questions.

Leandro breaks down why remote team success hinges on comprehensive onboarding (which drives 80% better retention) and intentional connection building beyond work tasks. Without deliberate efforts like virtual team activities and structured check-ins, remote work becomes "just a slogan" rather than a successful strategy.

Key Takeaways:

Culture encompasses both fit and add - assess how candidates navigate existing dynamics while bringing fresh perspectives
Remote work requires intentional investment - comprehensive onboarding and dedicated connection-building are non-negotiable
Treat talent acquisition strategically - connect hiring with development plans and performance expectations for real business impact

Getting executive buy-in for transformation requires more than vision – it demands clarity about what will actually change and how success will be measured. Leaders need concrete details about what will look different in their organization, not just high-level strategy.

This episode explores balancing directive consulting with coaching. Modern transformations benefit from proven frameworks combined with coaching conversations that help leaders navigate challenges personally. We also examine measuring system change rather than just activity, understanding that progress is non-linear and involves experimentation cycles.

Key Takeaways

Close the Vision-Reality Gap - Executives need concrete details about organizational changes, not just strategic concepts
Blend Consulting with Coaching - Combine proven frameworks with personal coaching conversations
Measure System Change - Focus on meaningful indicators rather than activity metrics

In this insightful episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Shobhit, CEO and founder of Intentional Product Manager, shares his journey from engineer to McKinsey consultant to Google product manager, and now to coaching others in building fulfilling product careers. The conversation explores the challenges of breaking into product management, the critical differences between product managers and product owners, and how to demonstrate true value in an increasingly competitive field.

This week´s takeaways:

Master the "What if I wasn't here?" question - The most powerful way for product managers to stand out is by clearly articulating what wouldn't have happened without their involvement, moving beyond just keeping engineers busy
Prioritize product-market fit above all else - If you don't have at least 40% of customers who would "crawl to you" if you took the product away, that should be your only focus until achieved
Balance execution with strategic thinking - Use the three horizons framework and deliberately make important long-term work urgent by creating commitments and deadlines, while leveraging AI to handle routine tasks faster

Why do so many organizational strategies end up as posters on walls rather than driving real change? In this episode, Dave and Peter dive deep with Mark Reich, who spent 23 years at Toyota before joining the Lean Enterprise Institute, to examine how Toyota's legendary Hoshin Kanri system transforms strategic thinking into coordinated action.

This week´s takeaways:

Systems Over Silos: Toyota's integrated management system creates both vertical alignment (connecting corporate objectives to frontline work) and horizontal alignment (ensuring cross-functional collaboration).
Value-Creating Managers: Middle management layers should be redefined as value creators and people developers rather than eliminated or reduced.
Improvement at the Gemba: Real progress happens by focusing improvements at the "gemba" (where work actually happens) with leadership's primary role being to remove burdens from frontline workers.

Mark explains the fundamental difference between most companies' approach to strategy and Toyota's integrated management system. Unlike conventional top-down cascading goals, Hoshin Kanri creates alignment throughout the organization. The discussion explores practical aspects of strategy execution: separating strategic initiatives from daily management, structuring cross-departmental collaboration, and developing people at all levels. Whether you're struggling with siloed departments, disconnected leadership, or strategies that never fully materialize, this episode offers a blueprint for creating systems that align vision with execution while developing organizational capability.

Resources:

The Machine That Changed the World - by James P. Womack- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93903.The_Machine_That_Changed_the_World_
Managing Our Purpose - by Mark Reich- https://www.lean.org/store/book/managing-on-purpose/
Our Least Important Asset - by Peter Capelli- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75492283-our-least-important-asset?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=IGIsI50s8q&rank=1

In this episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock welcome Steven Puri, Founder and CEO of The Sukha Company. Drawing from his unique background spanning Hollywood film production and tech startups, Steven shares fascinating insights about achieving flow states in remote and hybrid work environments.

Steven's journey from IBM software engineer to Hollywood executive (where he helped manage franchises like Die Hard and Wolverine at studios including DreamWorks and 20th Century Fox) provides a refreshing perspective on team productivity and creative collaboration. He explains how the film industry has long mastered the transitions between remote, hybrid, and in-person work—knowledge that proved invaluable when the pandemic forced tech teams into distributed environments.

The conversation explores the neuroscience of creativity, practical leadership approaches to foster flow states, and how Steven's experiences led him to create a platform specifically designed to help remote workers overcome procrastination while maintaining wellbeing. This is one not to miss!

Key Takeaways:

Leaders can create environments where flow happens - Establishing boundaries like protected focus time (e.g., 9 AM to noon) allows team members to accomplish meaningful work before daily meetings begin.
The "two-problem" approach to creativity - Having more than one challenge to work on simultaneously can unlock creative solutions, as your subconscious mind works on one problem while you actively engage with another.
Remote work requires different "colors on your palette" - Different work modes (remote, hybrid, in-office) excel at different tasks, with in-person collaboration being particularly valuable for creative ideation and whiteboarding sessions.

Books Mentioned:

"Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - https://www.goodreads.com/es/book/show/66354.Flow
"The Net and the Butterfly" by Olivia Fox - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30024684-the-net-and-the-butterfly
"Atomic Habits" by James Clear - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40121378-atomic-habits

Every technical system harbors its share of quick fixes and band-aids – those temporary solutions we implement with the best intentions of returning to fix properly "someday." But what happens when that day never comes?

Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive deep into what they call "longstanding risks" – the accumulated technical debt that results from prioritizing expediency over completeness. Through a relatable example of a memory-leaking service that gets automatically restarted rather than properly fixed, they unpack the hidden costs of these decisions. The conversation reveals how seemingly minor shortcuts can gradually transform robust systems into fragile, unmaintainable messes.

The hosts share a compelling analogy about a utility company that saved money by skipping tree trimming around power lines for just one year – only to face significantly higher costs from the resulting infrastructure damage. This perfectly illustrates how short-term thinking about technical maintenance creates expensive long-term consequences. They offer practical recommendations including proper documentation of temporary fixes, avoiding team overload, and maintaining good system hygiene.

What makes this episode particularly valuable is the mindset shift it advocates: moving from attempting to prevent all possible failures to building systems that remain resilient when inevitable problems occur. As Sharrock references from safety expert Sidney Decker's work, sometimes the best approach is focusing on what makes your system work well rather than obsessively eliminating every risk. Whether you're managing complex technical systems or leading transformation efforts, these insights will help you balance pragmatic solutions with long-term system health.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the critical question: "How do we know when work is ready to start developing?" They discuss the challenges of translating business requirements into technical implementation, the importance of having the right people in collaborative discussions, and practical approaches to defining "ready" work. Peter shares recent experiences with organizations struggling with this exact problem, while Dave highlights how trust between business and technology teams impacts the handoff process. They explore visual collaboration techniques, the concept of "full kit," and practical ways to determine if work is truly ready to begin.

This week´s takeaways:

Revisit and reinforce your work definition process regularly, as changing roles and organizational shifts can erode even the most robust systems over time.
Use the "full kit" concept as part of your definition of ready, and be willing to say no to work that doesn't meet these criteria.
Work is ready to start when it's the team's top priority, has a clearly defined problem to solve, and the team can confidently estimate it within their typical delivery range.

In this insightful conversation with Suzanne El-Moursi, co-founder and CEO of BrightHive, Peter and Dave explore how organizations are addressing the growing gap between data volume and analytical capacity. Suzanne reveals that while 90% of the world's data was created in just the last two years, only about 3% of enterprise employees are data professionals, creating a massive bottleneck where business teams must wait in line for insights from central data teams.

BrightHive's solution is an "agentic data team in a box" – seven AI agents that work in unison to handle the entire data lifecycle from ingestion to governance to analytics. Unlike typical AI solutions, these agents operate at the metadata layer to ensure quality, compliance, and meaningful insights without replacing human expertise.

The conversation covers compelling use cases across industries – from helping resource-constrained organizations extend their analytical capacity to unifying fragmented data landscapes resulting from mergers and acquisitions. Perhaps most striking is Suzanne's vision for measuring AI's impact through what she calls the "delight KPI" – are employees finding their work more fulfilling when augmented by these tools?

Key Takeaways:

Data fragmentation persists - Organizations struggle with siloed data across systems, especially after mergers, blocking comprehensive analysis.
AI augments human intelligence - "A doctor with AI will displace a doctor without AI" - the goal is removing grunt work so humans tackle higher-value analysis.
Measure the "delight KPI" - Track how AI improves job satisfaction by enabling more data-informed work without technical bottlenecks.
Cultural shift needs technical solutions AND organizational buy-in to overcome skepticism about AI in the workplace.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore how increasing technological capabilities—particularly AI and modern development tools—are changing the landscape of organizational change management. They discuss the implications of newly created capacity, the value of team autonomy, and the importance of balancing efficiency with innovation.

This week´s takeaways:

Creating capacity through new technologies doesn't mean downsizing teams—it means enabling organizations to address previously neglected but valuable work while maintaining knowledge pipelines.
Team autonomy is crucial for effective change management—when teams have both direction and freedom to make decisions about their workspace, they can respond more effectively to urgent needs in the system.
Organizations must recognize and protect "slack time" as a valuable resource rather than inefficiency—this time for maintenance, innovation, and thinking is essential for sustainable systems.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock tackle an often overlooked but critical topic: career progression for Scrum Masters and Product Owners. They explore how organizations initiate these crucial Agile roles but frequently fail to consider their long-term evolution within the company structure.

The discussion contrasts the divergent career trajectories of these two roles. For Product Owners, a clearer path exists from managing individual products to becoming Chief Product Owners and potentially Line of Business managers, though challenges arise when the role lacks proper autonomy or is treated as a part-time responsibility. Meanwhile, Scrum Masters face a more ambiguous journey, with traditional progression into Agile coaching roles becoming increasingly limited in many organizations despite the valuable skills they develop.

Peter and Dave highlight the critical importance of demonstrating value and making contributions visible, particularly for Scrum Masters whose impact often remains behind the scenes. They also discuss how understanding financial aspects of the business becomes increasingly crucial as professionals advance in either career path.

Key Takeaways:

Product Owners have clearer progression paths toward leadership positions, but organizations must properly position and empower the role from the beginning to enable this growth.
Scrum Masters develop highly valuable skills in facilitating delivery and optimizing organizational flow, but need to actively demonstrate their impact to create career advancement opportunities.
Both roles require increasingly strategic thinking about business value and financial outcomes to progress into higher leadership positions within organizations.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive into the world of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). They explore how this increasingly popular framework helps organizations create alignment, measure progress, and foster autonomy while moving away from traditional KPIs. From the origins at Intel in the 70s to widespread adoption by tech giants like Google, Peter and David discuss the nuances of implementing OKRs effectively and why they're particularly well-suited for organizations operating in rapidly changing environments.

This week´s takeaways:

Unlike KPIs which measure performance, OKRs measure progress and alignment to strategy. They should never be tied to individual performance metrics as this undermines their exploratory nature.
Successful OKR implementation requires ongoing conversations, regular reviews, and a cultural shift. Many organizations underestimate the effort needed to maintain OKRs effectively.
Effective OKRs should be limited in number (3-5 objectives with 3-5 key results each), represent stretch goals beyond business-as-usual, and serve as a prioritization mechanism for the organization.

When was the last time raising risk in your organization led to anything other than slowing down? Join hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock as they challenge conventional thinking about risk management in the age of rapid technological change. This episode reveals why traditional approaches might be putting your organization in greater danger.

Drawing from their battle-tested experience working with financial and technology organizations, Peter and David crack open the uncomfortable truth: many companies still treat risk management as a checkbox exercise rather than a competitive advantage. They reveal how the explosion of data analytics capabilities has rendered old "rule of thumb" approaches obsolete while simultaneously creating entirely new risk landscapes that most organizations are woefully unprepared to navigate.

This week's takeaways :

Risk management begins with identifying vulnerabilities, understanding potential impacts, and making informed decisions about how to handle them—whether through acceptance, avoidance, transfer, or reduction.
Effective risk management isn't just about frameworks and committees—it requires a cultural environment of psychological safety where risks can be openly discussed without fear.
The most effective approaches position oversight functions like architecture as service providers rather than gatekeepers, helping teams move forward safely rather than simply blocking progress.

Subscribe to "Definitely Maybe Agile" to transform how your organization approaches risk, digital transformation, and DevOps at scale.

In this insightful episode of "Definitely Maybe Agile," hosts Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock welcome David Hirschfeld, founder and CEO of Tekyz Inc, to discuss the complexities of effective product management. A 35-year software development veteran and former physics student from UCLA, David brings a unique perspective shaped by leadership roles at tech giants like Computer Associates, Texas Instruments, Intel, and Motorola.

The conversation explores the critical balance between product market fit and product solution fit, with David emphasizing why focusing on customer problems rather than product features leads to greater success. Whether you're a startup founder, product manager, or development team leader, this episode with the host of the Scaling Smarter Podcast provides actionable insights for creating products that truly solve customer problems and generate sustainable revenue.

This week´s takeaways:

The most valuable customer conversations happen when you ask about their problems, not your product features.
Successful product management requires understanding both the perceived impact of a problem and its actual cost to customers.
Successful founders and product managers are those who love understanding customer problems and spend their time learning about customer challenges.

In this engaging episode of "Definitely Maybe Agile," hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock welcome Marcelo Calbucci, author of "The PR FAQ Framework." Marcelo shares his expertise from 25+ years at companies like Amazon and Microsoft, plus his extensive startup experience.

The conversation explores the Press Release and Frequently Asked Questions (PR FAQ) framework developed at Amazon around 2004. This approach helps teams clarify vision and strategy before jumping into execution, addressing a common problem in software projects. Unlike PowerPoint presentations that can create an "illusion of clarity," the PR FAQ document promotes alignment and ownership through collaborative creation.

This week´s takeaways:

Why most PR FAQs actually lead to "no" decisions (which is valuable)
How the framework balances strategic thinking with practical considerations
The importance of involving multiple stakeholders (sometimes 20+ people)
How PR FAQs can be used at different product lifecycle stages

The hosts draw parallels to lean startup methodology, while Marcelo explains why PR FAQ encourages "thinking before shooting" rather than the "build first, learn later" approach. The discussion highlights how clear, collaborative documentation can prevent misalignment and create shared ownership of initiatives.

You can check out Marcelo's website and book here: The PRFAQ Framework

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock dive into the nuances of intake funnels and definitions of ready—key concepts for ensuring work progresses effectively. They explore how traditional project delivery mindsets differ from product-driven approaches, emphasizing the need for adaptability, continuous learning, and decision points that prevent wasted effort.

From setting clear entry criteria to measuring throughput and pivoting when needed, they break down how teams can structure their workflows to prioritize value-driven outcomes. Whether you're refining your backlog, managing stakeholder expectations, or optimizing delivery processes, this episode provides practical insights to help you navigate uncertainty while keeping momentum.

This week´s takeaways:

Clear intake process – Define criteria to assess idea readiness before execution.
Product vs. project mindset – Embrace uncertainty and pivot as needed.
Measure progress – Use checkpoints and throughput tracking to prioritize work.

Tune in to learn how to balance discipline with flexibility and ensure your work moves forward with intention!

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the evolution of Agile methodologies. They discuss how Agile represents solutions to persistent problems that may be rebranded but address fundamental needs. The hosts examine why Agile has faced criticism, drawing parallels to Lean's journey from buzzword to established methodology, while exploring the challenges organizations face in implementation.

This week´s takeaways:

The fundamental problems Agile addresses remain constant, even as attitudes toward the methodology evolve.
Organizations often struggle with Agile implementation due to legacy architecture, leadership buy-in, and organizational context.
Like Lean before it, Agile is transitioning from a hyped methodology to becoming part of a broader toolkit.

Ready for more insights? Follow Definitely Maybe Agile on your favorite podcast platform and join Peter and David as they tackle the complexities of digital transformation at scale. New episodes drop regularly!

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the critical role of documentation, terminology, and process definition in scaling organizational success. They discuss how leading companies like Netflix build strong cultures through well-defined terms and principles rather than rigid processes. The hosts dive deep into how architectural decisions, cultural transformation, and team empowerment all stem from having a shared organizational language. Through real-world examples and references to modern practices, they examine the balance between principle-based leadership and necessary process documentation in creating high-performing organizations.

This week´s takeaways:

Shared terminology drives better communication and decision-making across teams and departments.
Principles empower teams more effectively than rigid processes and controls.
Leading with principles while maintaining essential process documentation creates the right organizational balance.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the evolution of quarterly planning from traditional PI planning events to more streamlined modern approaches. They discuss how effective quarterly planning reveals organizational dependencies, aligns priorities across teams, and helps maintain focus on delivering value. The hosts share insights on avoiding common pitfalls like over-planning future work and emphasize the importance of maintaining flexibility while ensuring clear direction for immediate execution.

This week´s takeaways:

Clear, sequenced priorities shared across teams - focus on completing initiatives before starting new ones
Detailed planning for immediate work (1-2 months), with less detail for future months
Active dependency management to identify and address bottlenecks early

In this thought-provoking episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore how successful organizations deliver value in today's complex environment. Discover why project success demands both effective execution and tangible business outcomes. The hosts examine the crucial differences between ordered and unordered problem spaces, revealing when to apply Agile versus traditional project management approaches. Learn practical insights about balancing execution with outcomes, and why the most successful organizations master both methodologies. Essential listening for project managers, Agile practitioners, and technology leaders navigating modern delivery challenges.

This week's takeaways:

Organizations succeed by flexibly switching between agile and traditional project management based on context
Success comes from delivering tangible business value alongside traditional project execution
Match your methodology to the problem: ordered problems suit traditional approaches, while complex problems need agile methods

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the nuances of product backlogs in agile environments. They discuss the tension between emergent backlogs and fixed feature sets, the importance of backlog management, and various prioritization techniques, including "buy a feature" and impact-effort matrices.

This week's takeaways:

Separate tactical (near-term) and strategic backlogs to reduce psychological pressure and maintain focus - avoid creating extensive long-term backlogs that will likely become irrelevant.
Stakeholder prioritization must be balanced with technical constraints and team capabilities - product owners should communicate changes in delivery order transparently to maintain trust.
Regular backlog refinement should include archiving rejected items instead of deleting them, helping teams avoid repeatedly addressing the same requests while keeping the active backlog manageable.

Ready to scale your agile practices? Tune in to more episodes on your favorite platform.

Join Peter Maddison and David Sharrock in this thought-provoking episode of Definitely Maybe Agile as they explore the evolution of leadership decision-making in modern organizations. They dive deep into how traditional leadership models are being challenged by today's business environment and discuss the crucial shift from control-based to collaborative decision-making approaches.

This week´s takeaways:

Executive decision-making challenges often stem from two distinct factors: emotional intelligence issues (dealing with unprepared stakeholders) and critical thinking problems (legitimate exploration of complex issues).
The traditional "highest paid person's opinion" (HiPPO) approach to decision-making is becoming increasingly dangerous in today's rapidly changing business environment, where the speed of market changes demands faster and more distributed decision-making processes.
Modern leadership requires a fundamental shift from centralized control to distributed authority, with leaders focusing on creating frameworks that enable lower-level decision-making while maintaining visibility of outcomes.

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In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the evolving complexities of calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO) in modern software development and delivery.
This week´s takeaways:

TCO fundamentals remain unchanged, but the environment for calculating and applying TCO has become more complex.
Organizations must distinguish between strategic proprietary development and commoditized solutions, using tools like Wardley mapping to identify where to invest versus reduce costs.
Understanding and defining system boundaries is crucial for accurate TCO calculation - using approaches like value chain mapping, value stream mapping, or domain-driven design helps identify hidden costs and dependencies.

Subscribe to Definitely Maybe Agile on your favourite platform and join Peter and David as they unpack the challenges of digital transformation at scale.

In this thought-provoking episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive deep into the evolving world of enterprise data management and its impact on modern organizations. From data hygiene to governance, discover how the definition of corporate data has dramatically shifted in recent years and what it means for your business.

This week´s takeaways:

How regulatory compliance is reshaping data management practices
The critical balance between quantitative and qualitative data in decision-making
The impact of AI and LLMs on data analysis and sentiment tracking

Whether you're a technology leader, data professional, or business executive, this episode provides insights into navigating the complex intersection of data governance, team structure, and business value. Learn why traditional approaches to data management may be insufficient for today's challenges and what successful organizations are doing differently.

In this episode of "Definitely Maybe Agile," Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the application of generative AI in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). While many organizations focus solely on using AI tools like GitHub Copilot for coding, the hosts discuss a broader vision of how AI can enhance the entire development process, from ideation to maintenance. They delve into innovative concepts like organizational knowledge agents and AI-assisted work prioritization systems.

This week´s takeaways:

SDLC optimization - A key value creation area that continues to evolve through new approaches and technologies.
AI applications extend beyond developer tools - Moving past coding assistance to improve productivity across multiple roles and touchpoints.
AI as an organizational assistant - Understanding company knowledge, refining ideas, and improving prioritization and decision-making processes.

Want to join the conversation about AI in SDLC and digital transformation at scale? Share your thoughts and feedback at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com, and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to stay updated on future discussions about agile and DevOps practices.

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the critical challenges they've encountered when working on agile transformations. From superficial leadership support to misdiagnosed organizational problems, these seasoned consultants share their insights on navigating the complex obstacles that can undermine transformation efforts. They also discuss the dynamics of working with strong-willed leaders, managing shifting priorities, and the importance of dedicated teams - all while highlighting the fundamental role of effective leadership in driving successful change. This episode offers valuable lessons for any organization embarking on an agile journey at scale.

This week's takeaways:

Lack of leadership buy-in and support can doom an agile transformation effort, as the change agents lack the authority and credibility to drive the necessary changes.
Fixing the wrong problem or focusing on ineffective solutions like training can waste time and resources, highlighting the importance of accurately diagnosing the root causes.
Challenges with strong-willed leaders, constantly shifting priorities, and non-dedicated teams all require skilled navigation and a focus on addressing the underlying leadership and organizational issues.

By the end of this discussion, you'll understand why identifying the right problem is crucial for meaningful transformation and how organizations can avoid these common traps to achieve genuine progress.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock tackle the delicate balance between work transparency and micromanagement, particularly in hybrid work environments. They explore how breaking down work effectively, building trust between leaders and teams, and maintaining healthy communication patterns can create a more productive workplace. The hosts discuss why detailed task breakdowns aren't about control but rather about creating clarity and confidence for all stakeholders involved.
This week´s takeaways:

Effective work relationships require trust flowing both ways between leadership and teams.
Breaking down work into smaller, measurable pieces isn't about micromanagement – it's about creating clarity, enabling better learning, and building confidence in progress.
Leaders need to be mindful of how they request updates and information.

Listen in for actionable ideas and engaging perspectives that will help you build stronger, more accountable teams.

Why do even successful agile teams struggle to maintain their improvement momentum?
In this compelling episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock answer this question and challenge the myth that continuous improvement is "just a mindset." Drawing from both scientific research and hands-on experience, they reveal why sustaining improvement is physically and mentally taxing, and why the journey becomes increasingly difficult after the initial quick wins. Through insights from sports coaching and real-world software delivery, they offer a fresh perspective on making continuous improvement truly sustainable.

This week´s takeaways:

Continuous Improvement Needs Constant Nurturing
Small Steps Lead to Big Changes
Make Progress Visible and Achievable

Want more practical insights on scaling agile and DevOps practices? Join Peter and Dave as they unpack the complexities of modern software delivery and organizational transformation. Subscribe to Definitely Maybe Agile wherever you get your podcasts, and share your thoughts at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

In this episode, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock delve into onboarding in organizations. They explore the challenges and best practices of integrating new team members, discussing everything from formal training methods to hands-on learning approaches. The conversation covers the importance of providing context, the value of apprenticeship-style learning, and the role of DevOps practices in facilitating smooth onboarding processes.

This week´s takeaways:

Provide comprehensive organizational context to new hires
Implement apprenticeship-style, hands-on learning
Create easily digestible, on-demand learning content
Develop robust DevOps practices for early engagement
Balance formal training with informal learning opportunities
Regularly validate learning progress and understanding
Tailor onboarding approaches to different roles and experience levels

Don't miss this episode if you're looking to enhance your organization's onboarding processes and create a more agile and efficient workplace environment.

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In this episode of "Definitely Maybe Agile," hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the evolution of agile methodologies beyond software development. They explore how agile principles can be applied to business processes, such as budgeting, and delve into the challenges of implementing cultural change within organizations. The conversation touches on the importance of collaboration, facilitated workshops, and the need to move beyond rigid frameworks to focus on outcomes and ways of working that drive value.
This week's takeaways:

Organizations should focus on the benefits and mindset of agile rather than getting caught up in terminology or strict processes.
Continued efforts to drive cultural shifts are important, even as the initial momentum for change may wane in some environments.
Instead of fixating on agile terminology or frameworks, organizations should concentrate on fostering collaboration, cross-functional teamwork, and achieving tangible business outcomes to deliver better value sooner safer happier.

Tune in for actionable strategies to foster perseverance and continuous improvement. Don't miss out—subscribe and share with your friends to keep the insights flowing!

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In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss a fascinating case study of Nike's digital transformation gone awry, resulting in a $25 billion loss and 32% market share decline over three years. They explore the pitfalls of over-relying on data-driven decision-making while neglecting other crucial aspects of business strategy and customer engagement.

This week´s takeaways:

Data-driven decision-making is valuable, but you need the right data. Companies need to balance quantitative data with qualitative insights and intuition.
Optimizing for existing customers isn't enough for growth. Businesses must also focus on attracting new customers and exploring adjacent markets.
Organizational culture plays a critical role in transformation efforts. Companies need to foster an environment where employees feel empowered to speak up and challenge prevailing narratives.
Not everything that matters can be easily measured. Organizations should find ways to understand and manage important factors, even if they are difficult to quantify, rather than ignoring them in favor of easily measurable metrics.

Resources_
Nike’s $25B blunder shows us the limits of “data-driven- https://uxdesign.cc/nikes-25b-blunder-shows-us-the-limits-of-data-driven-ad30b6e3d938

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In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive into the challenging world of agile practices in regulated environments. They explore the tension between modern agile methodologies and traditional audit requirements, offering insights on how organizations can bridge this gap. The discussion covers the importance of understanding compliance needs, automating evidence collection, and transforming the audit process to align with agile principles.

This week´s takeaways:

Organizations must understand what they need to comply with and set up systems and practices that make evidence easily obtainable without disrupting workflow.
Implement automation in the delivery system to capture and expose evidence of compliance, making it easier to demonstrate adherence to regulations without slowing down agile processes.
Shift the audit focus from document checking and stage gates to validating system behavior. This approach can make audits more meaningful and engage development teams in solving compliance challenges creatively.

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In this thought-provoking episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive into the complex relationship between quality, productivity, and organizational culture. They explore how external market pressures and a focus on short-term productivity can undermine long-term success. The hosts discuss the importance of building quality into processes, the challenges of cultural change, and the enduring relevance of Deming's principles in today's business world. This conversation offers valuable insights for leaders and teams striving to balance market demands with sustainable, quality-focused practices.

This week´s takeaways:

Quality is cultural, not mechanical. Sustainable improvement comes from fostering a culture of quality rather than simply implementing mechanical processes.
Building quality in is more effective than inspecting for quality at the end. Organizations that integrate quality throughout their development process tend to perform better than those relying on final quality checks.
Cultural change is slow to build but quick to lose. While it takes time and effort to cultivate a quality-focused culture, it can be rapidly undermined by leadership changes, mergers, or short-term thinking.

Don’t miss out on this deep dive into aligning leadership and processes to create an environment where quality and innovation can truly thrive.

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In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive into the complex world of developer experience and its impact on organizational productivity. They explore the various methods of measuring developer experience, from telemetry and flow metrics to impact metrics and qualitative data. The conversation touches on the challenges of interpreting this data, the importance of trust in the workplace, and the long-term implications of focusing on developer experience, including employee retention and engagement.

This week´s takeaways:

Developer experience is becoming a crucial focus for organizations, driven by factors such as the adoption of AI tools like GitHub Copilot and the need to improve productivity and retention.
Measuring developer experience requires a multifaceted approach, including telemetry, flow metrics, impact metrics, and qualitative data gathered through surveys and direct conversations with employees.
Long-term considerations, such as employee retention and engagement, are essential aspects of developer experience that require careful attention and cannot be addressed solely through short-term productivity metrics.

Tune in, and rethink how you measure and optimize developer experience for sustained innovation and long-term organizational growth.

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In this episode of "Definitely Maybe Agile," hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive deep into the critical skill of understanding and communicating with customers. They explore common pitfalls in messaging, the importance of tailoring communication to different audiences, and strategies for effectively conveying your value proposition. Whether you're a product owner, marketer, or anyone looking to improve their communication skills, this episode offers valuable insights on crafting messages that resonate with your target audience.

This week´s takeaways:

Understanding your customer is crucial for effective communication, both externally and within organizations.
There isn't a single perfect message; successful communication often requires multiple tailored approaches.
Focus on solving one specific problem for your customer rather than trying to address everything at once.

Stay tuned for more episodes that promise continued insights into effective agile and DevOps strategies. Your feedback and subscription are pivotal to our journey, so join us and become part of our growing community.

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In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, hosts Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock are joined by special guest Kate Megaw to explore the evolving landscape of leadership in the age of remote and hybrid work. The trio delves into the challenges leaders face in transitioning from traditional management styles to more adaptive, trust-based approaches. They discuss the importance of empathy, outcome-focused leadership, and the need for organizations to invest in developing leadership skills at all levels. The conversation touches on the complexities of maintaining team engagement, the value of in-person interactions, and strategies for effective remote leadership.

This week´s takeaways:

Leaders must shift from managing work to leading people, focusing on coaching and building trust rather than micromanaging tasks, especially in remote and hybrid environments.
Effective leadership, particularly in remote settings, requires increased emphasis on empathy, regular check-ins, and building relationships with team members beyond work-related discussions.
Companies need to invest more in leadership training and development, recognizing that leadership is a skill set that requires ongoing support and education, not just a title or promotion.

Don't miss this episode! Tune in now to discover how leaders can adapt and thrive in the modern work environment. Listen to it today!

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In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive into the often misunderstood concept of "Definition of Done" and its crucial role in measuring and maintaining quality in agile teams. They explore how this simple yet powerful tool can significantly impact team discipline, product quality, and overall project success. The hosts discuss common challenges teams face in adhering to their Definition of Done and offer insights on effectively implementing and maintaining this practice.

This week´s takeaways:

The true value lies in developing team discipline to consistently meet the agreed-upon criteria, not just in creating the list itself.
Should be viewed as a "tax on delivery" - a necessary investment in quality that may slightly reduce immediate output but prevents future rework and technical debt.
The implementation requires buy-in from the entire team, including product owners, and should be kept to a manageable 5-10 items to ensure consistent adherence.

Whether you're a seasoned agile practitioner or new to the concept, this episode offers valuable lessons on the balance between quality and commitment, ensuring your team's work stands the test of time.

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In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, hosts Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the complex dynamics between rational and emotional decision-making in organizations, particularly when implementing new ways of working at scale. They discuss the challenges of presenting data-driven solutions and the often unexpected emotional responses these can trigger. The conversation delves into the psychological aspects of decision-making, including the impact of past experiences, and the importance of recognizing and addressing emotional responses in professional settings. Peter and Dave offer insights on effective communication strategies, the significance of timing and presentation methods, and the need to understand hidden incentives that may influence reactions to proposed changes.

This week´s takeaways:

Recognize when a discussion is becoming unproductive due to emotional responses, and be willing to step back, listen, and allow time for tensions to dissipate before proceeding.
Tailor your presentation of data and information to your audience, keeping it simple and clear.
Be aware of hidden incentives or underlying factors that may be influencing someone's response to a proposed change. Listen actively to understand their perspective and concerns beyond the surface-level reaction.

Don't miss this episode brimming with practical advice and actionable strategies for navigating the intricate landscape of organizational decision-making.

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In this episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the role of agile coaches in organizations. They discuss the evolution of coaching in business, drawing parallels with sports coaching, and examine the value coaches bring to modern organizations. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by agile coaches, the importance of objectivity, and the future of coaching in the business world.

This week´s takeaways:

Organizational coaches provide valuable objectivity by observing the system from the outside, offering insights that those within the system might miss.
While the term "agile coach" may evolve, the need for nurturing support to help organizations improve and adapt remains crucial in today's business landscape.
There are strong parallels between coaching in high-performing sports teams and successful businesses, with coached organizations generally outperforming those without coaching support.

Don’t miss this conversation about the enduring necessity and transformative potential of Agile coaching

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In this podcast episode, Peter and Dave discuss strategies for overcoming procrastination and getting started on important tasks. They explore various factors that contribute to procrastination, including energy levels, prioritization, and the importance of managing one's schedule effectively. The conversation touches on productivity techniques like the Pomodoro method and the value of self-compassion when dealing with procrastination. They emphasize the importance of understanding personal energy patterns and creating a balanced approach to task management.
This week´s takeaways:

Recognizing and working with your natural energy patterns throughout the day can significantly impact productivity. Tackle complex tasks when you're most alert, and incorporate breaks to maintain energy levels.
Organize tasks based on priority and context (e.g., grouping similar activities together). This approach can help create a more efficient workflow and reduce the mental burden of constantly switching between different types of tasks.
Be kind to yourself when facing productivity challenges. Techniques like the Pomodoro method, breaking large tasks into smaller steps, and planning your week in advance can help overcome procrastination and increase overall productivity.

Tune in to elevate your productivity game and achieve a harmonious work-life integration.

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In this episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the critical aspects of creating a compelling business case for agile transformation. They discuss the importance of understanding an organization's current state, setting clear goals, and implementing change incrementally. The conversation delves into the challenges of organizational change, the value of external help, and the need for effective communication across all company levels during transformation efforts.

This week´s takeaways:

Before embarking on any transformation, it's crucial to understand where your organization currently stands.
Successful transformations require buy-in and participation from all parts of the organization.
Rather than attempting large-scale changes simultaneously, focus on implementing transformations in small, manageable increments.

Join us as we navigate the complexities of organizational transformation with practical advice on achieving smooth, well-communicated change.

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In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock explore the nuanced topic of assigning user stories to individual team members. They discuss the pros and cons of this practice, discussing when it might be appropriate and when it could potentially harm team dynamics and productivity. The conversation touches on the importance of collaboration, team autonomy, and the challenges of balancing urgent work with long-term team development.

This week´s takeaways:

Avoid individual assignments; encourage team members to pull tasks collaboratively.
Individual assignments may be necessary for specialized skills or simple tasks, but use sparingly.
Frequent individual assignments can reduce team autonomy, engagement, and skill development.

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

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In this podcast episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the concept of designing an organization for continuous learning and improvement. They explore the leadership mindset and behaviors required to foster an environment that values and prioritizes continuous learning, as well as the need for leaders to relinquish control and empower data-driven decision-making. They emphasize the importance of creating capacity for learning by prioritizing work and saying no to non-essential tasks, as well as the role of leadership in modeling the desired behaviors.
This week´s takeaways:

Leadership must prioritize and role model continuous learning through expectations and behaviors
Create capacity by prioritizing work, saying no to non-essentials, and reducing overload
Align organizational design (teams, feedback loops, tech) and strategy to enable learning

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic please contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

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In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss when not to use Scrum, the popular agile framework for software development. They explore scenarios where Scrum may not be the best fit, such as when an organization is resistant to change, lacks collaborative work, or operates in a highly complex environment with many dependencies and high failure costs. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding the problem, organizational context, and underlying assumptions before adopting any framework.

This week's takeaways:

Assess the organization's readiness and openness to change before adopting Scrum, especially if past attempts have failed or if it is seen as a quick fix.
Scrum thrives in collaborative environments; if the work is highly individualistic, Scrum may not be suitable.
A cautious approach is required in complex and high-risk environments, potentially adapting Scrum or considering other frameworks.

Tune in to gain a nuanced understanding of how to navigate agile frameworks in complex environments and make informed decisions for your teams.

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In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock tackle the often polarizing topic of "hybrid" agile approaches.
They break down why mindlessly blending practices like waterfall and agile is rarely the solution, as it creates an unsatisfactory middle ground that fails to maximize either approach's strengths. Instead, they suggest that organizations should aim to comprehensively understand the problems they're solving, and then purposefully apply the methodology best suited for that context - whether it's agile, waterfall, lean, or something else entirely.
This week´s takeaways:

Avoid defaulting to a watered-down "hybrid" methodology that dilutes best practices.
Deeply analyze problems to determine the optimal approach - don't blindly apply one-size-fits-all.
Promote peer-to-peer cooperation and mutual understanding across boundaries between different practices rather than hierarchical control.
Strive for an integrated enterprise where distinct methodologies complement each other fluidly.

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic please contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

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In this episode, Peter and Dave explore the complexities of accountability and leadership in organizations. They delve into how systems can often constrain agency and foster "learned helplessness," even when leaders claim to have an open-door policy. The conversation touches on the importance of empathetic listening, inclusive language, and creating environments that empower teams to make decisions closer to the issues they face.

This week´s takeaways:

Organizational systems are often designed to produce repetitive, constrained behavior, making it difficult for individuals to break out of engrained patterns, even when change is needed.
True accountability requires not just assigning responsibility, but providing the authority, support and incentives for people to exercise that accountability.
Leaders must be intentional about using inclusive language that creates psychological safety and invites open dialogue, rather than language that shuts down discourse.

Resources:

The Unaccountability Machine by Dan Davis- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211161687-the-unaccountability-machine
Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say -- and What You Don't by David Marquet - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42774083-leadership-is-language?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_39

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic please contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

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In this episode, Peter and David dive into the complexities of organizational change, exploring how agile transformations sometimes discard valuable lessons from past change management practices. They discuss blending systems thinking, behavioral economics, and incremental change approaches to create truly adaptive organizations. The conversation spans concepts like organizational immune systems, the human element in change, and the importance of clear strategy and communication.

This week's takeaways:

Blindly following capital-A "Agile" transformations can lead to throwing out valuable organizational change management wisdom accumulated over decades.
Organizations are complex systems, and sustainable change requires understanding human behaviors and making changes at a rate the organizational "immune system" can absorb rather than big disruptive shifts.
Clear strategic direction combined with empowering teams for continuous bottom-up improvement is critical. Frequent communication and recognizing people as adaptive beings, not just mechanical components, is crucial for effective change.

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic related to organizational change management and creating truly adaptive systems, please get in touch with us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the qualities to look for when recruiting and selecting the perfect Product Owner (PO). They delve into the nuances between a Product Owner and a Product Manager role, emphasizing the importance of defining the authority and accountability the PO will have. The conversation explores the essential attributes of an excellent PO, including domain knowledge, understanding business models, data-driven decision-making, effective communication skills, and the ability to navigate various stakeholder demands. They also highlight the significance of storytelling and sharing real-life experiences during the interview process as a strong indicator of a high-caliber PO.

This week´s takeaways:

Clearly outline the level of authority and accountability the PO will have over the product's success, profitability, and decision-making.
Look for candidates with relevant domain experience, an understanding of the business models, and the capability to analyze the product's impact on the organization's ecosystem, including costs, revenue, and customer satisfaction.
During the interview process, pay attention to candidates who naturally share stories and narratives about their experiences, challenges they overcame, and lessons learned. These stories often provide insights into their problem-solving abilities and deep understanding of product ownership.

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic related to nurturing exceptional product ownership, feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss how to integrate threat modeling into the secure development lifecycle (SDLC) at scale. They cover the importance of shifting security practices left, and how to establish communication channels between development teams and security experts.

Key takeaways:

Threat modeling is a security practice that involves identifying and mitigating potential threats to an organization's assets.
Threat models should be created and maintained early in the SDLC, but don't need to be updated for every minor change.
A mechanism for ongoing communication between developers and security professionals is essential for effective threat modeling.

Resources:

Sooner Safer Happier by Jonathan Smart - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/50343488
Larry Maccherone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyS1kmmlA5Y
Martin Fowler blog https://martinfowler.com/articles/scaling-architecture-conversationally.html

Whether you're diving into DevSecOps or just looking to get a handle on threat modeling at scale, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in now as Dave and Peter discuss how to future-proof your organization!

In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock are joined by Melissa Boggs, a leadership coach, consultant, and keynote speaker for Agile 2024. They discuss Melissa's experience as the co-CEO and chief scrum master of Scrum Alliance during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation dives into the topics of employee experience design, non-hierarchical organizations, and the importance of co-creating buy-in for organizational change.
Key Takeaways:

Delegating authority and distributing power within an organization requires providing context, setting boundaries, and preparing employees for decision-making responsibilities.
Leaders often avoid change due to a fear of losing authority, power, or performance. Coaching and empathy are essential to help leaders move from a state of caution to curiosity and eventually courage.
Co-creating buy-in through collaboration and involving employees in decision-making processes leads to organic, natural buy-in and better solutions, as opposed to top-down directives.

Discount Information: Melissa provided a discount code for listeners interested in attending Agile 2024 in Dallas, where she will be the closing keynote speaker. The code "A24-podcast" will give you $100 off your registration- https://www.agilealliance.org/agile2024/

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the complexities and misconceptions surrounding estimation in software development and agile project management. They explore the differences between bottom-up and top-down estimation approaches, emphasizing the importance of continuous conversations and feedback loops throughout the process.

This week's takeaways:

Bottom-up estimation, where every task is estimated and summed up, is highly inefficient and inaccurate, especially for long-term projects or when requirements are likely to change.
Top-down estimation, which involves breaking down work into relatable chunks and understanding the journey, is more effective and allows for adaptability as the project progresses.
Estimation should be an ongoing conversation between teams, stakeholders, and decision-makers, focusing on problem-solving, progress tracking, and continuous feedback rather than rigid timelines.

Tune in for a riveting discussion that challenges traditional notches around estimation in agile software development. Subscribe to absorb invaluable insights on nurturing continuous conversations, embracing top-down estimation techniques, and fostering an environment primed for delivery excellence at scale.

Unlock the secrets to a thriving developer experience as we dissect the critical balance between productivity and fulfillment in the tech world. Prepare to have your perspective on developer metrics as we dive deep into the implications of AI advancements and economic shifts on the roles and recognition of software engineers. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone seeking to understand the nuanced landscape of the tech industry, where the intangible aspects of job satisfaction go hand-in-hand with tangible outputs.

We challenge the traditional yardsticks of developer output, advocating for a collaborative approach to productivity that values the system over the individual. You'll discover the art of using metrics responsibly in a way that empowers and informs developers rather than policing them. Drawing on our expertise, we leave you with actionable insights into fostering an agile environment where collective progress is king and where developers feel secure, autonomous, and integral to their organization's success.

This week's takeaways:

There is no single metric to measure developer productivity effectively. Look at correlations across multiple qualitative and quantitative metrics.
Focus on development productivity metrics for the overall system/team rather than individual developer productivity numbers.
Make productivity metrics transparently available to developers, allowing them to self-regulate performance rather than being managed top-down.

Resource:

Measuring Developer Productivity: Real-World Examples -
https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/measuring-developer-productivity-bae

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that reshapes how we perceive and enhance the developer experience in an ever-evolving industry. Subscribe to learn more insights around leadership, agile, and DevOps transformation at scale.

In this episode, Peter and Dave discuss the importance of effective organizational change management in digital transformations. They highlight that simply implementing new processes and systems is not enough - organizations must also carefully manage the human aspect of change. This includes understanding the intangible factors and behaviors that can derail well-designed transformations. They emphasize the need to get close to the actual end-users, observe their behaviors, and adapt accordingly instead of relying solely on high-level communications.

This week's takeaways:

Organizational change management is essential, not optional, for successful digital transformation.
Go beyond just communications - understand real end-user behaviors and intangible adoption factors.
Build capabilities to collect user feedback/telemetry, learn from it, and adapt the change process accordingly.

Join the conversation and share your insights at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Your input could shape our next big topic. Subscribe today to learn more about organizational change.

In this episode, Peter and Dave discuss the importance of building robust systems and processes to achieve goals, drawing insights from the book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. They explore the notion that simply setting objectives is not enough - sustained success requires developing the right habits, practices, and systems to support those objectives. The conversation touches on OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and the need to take small, incremental steps towards larger goals.

This week's takeaways:

"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
OKRs provide the roadmap, and KPIs gauge how well the core operations run.
Identify the next incremental habit or process you can implement to move forward.

Join the conversation and share your insights at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com – your input could shape our next big topic. Subscribe today and learn more about agile teams.

How do you know you have a great agile team? This episode reveals the secret sauce that makes high-performing Agile teams tick. From the power of predictable delivery to the pursuit of relentless quality, we dissect the various elements that contribute to a team's success. We go beyond the typical metrics to understand what it takes for a team to own their processes and evolve their work environment to reach new heights of excellence.

This week's takeaways:

Top agile teams measure their performance, enabling transparency and continuous improvement.
Focus on continuous learning and quality.
Cultivate a collaborative, blame-free culture focused on the work while maintaining a balanced, fun, and supportive team environment.

Join the conversation and share your insights at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com – your input could shape our next big topic. Subscribe today and learn more about agile teams

In this episode, Peter and Dave discuss an article by Steve Denning published in Forbes titled "Why the World's Most Valuable Firms Are so Agile." They explore Denning's observations about the agile mindset and characteristics exhibited by highly successful companies. The discussion revolves around the relationship between adopting an agile approach and organizational performance, as well as the potential correlation or causation between agile ways of working and the exceptional valuations of these firms.

This week's takeaways:

Keep an eye on Steve Denning's work.
Focus on financial performance.
Avoid using the term "agile" and focus on the outcome you are trying to achieve.

Resources:
Why The World’s Most Valuable Firms Are So Agile- https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2024/02/26/why-the-worlds-most-valuable-firms-are-so-agile/?sh=1094bb1d794c

Have your own take on whether an agile mindset truly powers the world's most valuable firms? Let us know at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Subscribe today to gain a fresher outlook on embracing organizational agility without the buzzwords.

How can organizations create the necessary space for leadership to flourish amidst complexity and pressure? In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock delve into the intricate world of leadership in complex environments. Opening with a warm exchange, they explore an insightful article by John Cutler, examining the indispensable soft skills essential for leaders navigating complexity.

Reflecting on Cutler's piece, Peter and David dissect various facets of leadership, from self-awareness to patience and self-repair. They highlight leaders' need to create space for diverse perspectives, fostering an environment where multiple possibilities can thrive. Amidst organizations' pressures, they ponder the challenge of finding time for such introspection amidst the relentless demand for results.

This week's takeaways:

Leaders must cultivate self-awareness
Encourage the blending of diverse perspectives
Practice Patience and Self-Repair

Resources:
How Capable Leaders Navigate Uncertainty and Ambiguity- https://cutlefish.substack.com/p/tbm-274-how-capable-leaders-navigate?utm_source=activity_item

Join the conversation and share your insights at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com – your input could shape our next big topic. Subscribe today and equip yourself to navigate the beautiful mess of leadership!

Need help communicating Agile and DevOps to Executives? This episode of Definitely Maybe Agile is for you! Peter Maddison and David Sharrock unpack the challenges of getting leadership on board with new ways of working. Learn best practices for clear, concise communication, tailoring your message to your company culture, and effectively socializing agile and DevOps initiatives.

This week's takeaways:

Prepare like a pro and "socialize" your ideas beforehand.
Keep it short, clear, and data-driven.
Adapt your language to the audience.

Join the conversation and share your insights with us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com – your input could shape our next big topic. Tune in, and let's take this journey towards exceptional executive communication together.

This week, we explore the surprising shift away from dedicated teams, a cornerstone of traditional agile practices. Our hosts, Peter and Dave, unpack the challenges organizations face, including resistance to change, disruptive reorganizations, and the ever-present struggle to secure buy-in. We'll also discuss practical strategies to navigate these challenges, emphasizing the importance of incremental steps, clear communication, and building trust.

This week's takeaways:

Dedicated teams are no longer a guaranteed starting point.
Build trust, use clear language, and focus on small.
Prioritize creating value over disruptive reorganizations

Join us as we explore how to embrace agile principles and achieve success, even in the face of resistance. We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

Navigating through the murky waters of system bottlenecks and feedback loops can be daunting. In this episode, we scrutinize how these bottlenecks can strangle a system's potential and discuss methods for their identification and alleviation. We also highlight the importance of acknowledging long-cycle feedback and confronting resistance to change, underscored by the vital role of those who adeptly bridge the gap between systemic understanding and practical application. Join us as we provide strategies to transform challenges into opportunities for triumph, crucial for anyone invested in organizational optimization.

This week's takeaways:

Bridging the perspective gap
Behavioral Influences on Organizational Dynamics
Beware of Resistance and Long-Term Challenges
Non-believers in change or the system

Subscribe and tune in for an enlightening journey that extends beyond theories, equipping you with the tools necessary to steer your organization through the transformative tides of digital, agile, and DevOps methodologies. If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

Unlock the power of data in shaping your organization's future as we tear down the myths surrounding data-driven decision-making. We dissect the essential cultural shift necessary for integrating data analytics into the heart of business strategy, steering clear of reliance on gut feelings or misleading numbers. We dive into practical applications, from planning poker to interpreting customer experience metrics. We provide the knowledge to avoid common data interpretation pitfalls, such as those exemplified by the beer game in supply chain management.

For those striving to guide intuition-driven leaders towards a more data-informed approach, our dialogue offers inventive tactics for leveraging trusted allies and fostering a climate of persistent, creative persuasion.

This week's takeaways:

Data-driven vs. number-driven decision making: Data alone isn't enough. Context and understanding of statistical deviations are crucial for sound judgments.
Overcoming resistance to data-driven decisions: Inflexible leaders pose a challenge. Directly challenging their intuition might be ineffective.
Empowering teams and managing technical debt: Create short feedback cycles to enable rapid decision-making and results demonstration.

Resources:

Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions - https://a.co/d/dzojO5k

Jeff Bezos- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub585Pn4yro

Tune in to transform how you harness data for smart, insightful leadership decisions. We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

Could Agile methodologies be the villain behind developer burnout, or is it time to put the blame elsewhere? Strap in as Peter Maddison and David Sharrock pull back the curtain on the true antagonists in the saga of developer fatigue. This episode isn't about finger-pointing; it's about unveiling the systemic issues that lead to overworked teams and debunking the myth that Agile practices are inherently at fault. We're on a mission to shift the focus from flawed productivity metrics to the lived experiences of developers, advocating for a workplace ecosystem that values well-being as much as it does output.

This week's takeaways:

System Over Agile: Burnout in developers isn't caused by Agile itself but by systemic issues within the organization.
Curiosity Beats Assumptions: Prioritize curiosity over jumping to conclusions, as it leads to a deeper understanding of complex problems.
Experience Matters: Consider both developer productivity and experience, as focusing solely on productivity metrics may miss important qualitative aspects of developer well-being.

Join us on a thought-provoking journey as we dissect the nuanced relationship between leadership, incentives, and workplace behaviors. Far from a one-sided debate, we consider how effective leadership and the right organizational incentives can create an environment that not only encourages productivity but also ensures the sustainability of its workforce. Peter and David don't just skim the surface; they dig deep into the complexities that drive developer burnout and explore the intricate dance of factors that can make or break the health of a tech team. Tune in and gain insight into crafting a more supportive and resilient work culture.

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

Has the agile shine worn off in the sprawling corridors of big business? In this episode, we unpack the startling findings from Digital AI's latest state of agile survey that show people's satisfaction with their organization's agile practices. Join us as we scrutinize the complexities that have dulled the luster of agile methodologies and debate the crucial adjustments needed to reignite its promise. From the necessity of strong leadership advocacy to the bespoke tailoring of agile for the multifaceted needs of large organizations, we lay bare the pivotal elements in crafting a triumphant agile metamorphosis.

This week's takeaways:

Technical Adoption Curve: Expect a decline in satisfaction as Agile reaches a broader audience, particularly the late majority, causing discomfort and peaking expectations.
Organizational Size Matters: Satisfaction correlates with organizational size. Agile is a significant improvement in smaller organizations, but in larger ones, it becomes one tool among many, increasing the risk of misapplication.
Not All or Nothing: Agile is not an all-or-nothing solution. In larger organizations, it coexists with different methodologies, challenging the idea of a universal fix and emphasizing the need for tailored solutions based on context.

Resources:
Agile development is fading in popularity at large enterprises - and developer burnout is a key factor- https://www.itpro.com/software/agile-development-is-fading-in-popularity-at-large-enterprises-and-developer-burnout-is-a-key-factor

Join us for an episode that will broaden your understanding of how large enterprises can adapt and embrace a more efficient and fulfilling agile culture. We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

Embark on an enlightening journey with Peter Madison and David Sharrock as they tackle the ever-evolving world of service delivery. From the bustling crossroads of Agile, DevOps, and ITSM, they dissect the common confusions that arise from industry jargon, ensuring that when they speak of 'service', everyone is nodding in agreement. Promises of clarity in this tangled web of terminologies are fulfilled as they lay bare the distinctions between product and service delivery – a must-hear for those navigating the intricate paths of modern organizational structures.

As the episode unfolds, Peter and Dave navigate the critical processes of incident response, problem management, and change management. They consider how these elements, integral to the IT service framework, come into play with Agile and DevOps methodologies. The dialogue weaves through the importance of maintaining system stability while managing risk, and the role of context in understanding the various perspectives and terminologies that often lead to confusion.

This week's takeaways:

Context-Driven Application of Frameworks
Recognition of Overlapping Intersections
Holistic Thinking for Organizational Change

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Ever wondered how to bridge the gap between grand strategy and on-the-ground execution in today's Agile and DevOps-driven world? We're Peter Madison and David Sharrock, and in our latest episode, we crack this code, sharing our experiences and the occasional humorous tale, such as the Austrian airport mix-up meme. We dissect the importance of aligning every cog in the organizational machine, with a special focus on the mental models that guide decision-making. By introducing cutting-edge technologies, we illuminate how enhanced visibility can transform the way your teams operate, ensuring that those crucial organizational handoffs are as smooth as silk.

This week's takeaways:

Connecting Strategy to Execution.
Shift in Language and Terminology.
People-Centric Focus.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Discover the future of agile roles in organizations with the insights of Brock Argue, co-founder of Superheroes Academy. Our latest episode unravels the real-world implications of economic pressures on the agile transformation journey, with a keen focus on the delicate interplay between team support and hands-on product development. As heavyweights like Spotify and Capital One pivot towards leaner structures, we question the longevity of specialized coaching positions and how these changes might reshape the agile landscape.

This week's takeaways:

Invest in Skill Development: Explore the untapped potential in skill development.
Embrace Agility and Flexibility: Dive into the world of agility and flexibility demanded by the hybrid work model and shifting economic tides.
Focus on Productivity and Delivery: Whether in-person or remote, the secret sauce lies in unwavering focus on productivity and delivery.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

On the last episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter & Dave had a great discussion about 12 year-end suggestions for a more agile 2023. Let’s take a look at the four main categories they discussed.

This week's takeaways:
A. Marketplace and change:
1. Do more with less
2. AI in our work
3. Shorter time horizons (in times of uncertainty)

B. Pragmatic stuff to remember
4. Two out one in (manage WIP)
5. High uncertainty means continuous learning and validation
6. Estimates are just guesses
C. Don't forget
7. The Agile/DevOps mindset
8. Risks and contingency
9. Don't forget to measure

D. End of year
10. Check your progress/direction
11. Take time to review/learn
12. Recognize the people that got you (t)here

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Scaling Agile to fit your world! Peter & Dave explore the nuances of customizing agile frameworks for diverse organizational needs. They delve into practical applications of the 80-20 rule and discuss the pivotal role of agile coaching in facilitating effective change. Tune in for a clear and engaging discussion on how to adapt agile methods to suit your specific organizational needs, making your work processes smoother and more efficient.

This week's takeaways:

Context-specific scaling: the need to tailor agile scaling efforts to the unique context and culture of each organization, acknowledging that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work.
Framework agnosticism: the importance of not being overly reliant on a single agile framework. Instead, understanding and choosing from various frameworks and patterns to best fit your organization's specific needs is crucial.
The 80-20 rule in scaling: identify the critical 20% of agile practices that are most relevant and impactful for your organization, while recognizing that 80% might be generally applicable.
Organizational change as problem-solving: scaling agile as an organizational change challenge, requiring a problem-solving mindset to identify specific issues and apply targeted agile practices effectively.

If you're interested in editing or providing feedback for their upcoming ebook, please contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insightful episodes.

Following on from episode 115, today's episode, Peter and Dave delve into the complexities of capacity planning in organizations undergoing transitions, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that incorporates agile principles and traditional project management practices. They stress the importance of due diligence, the interface between different methodologies, and the necessity of prioritizing improvements to achieve a more agile and efficient workflow.

This week's takeaways:

Emphasize the importance of due diligence in capacity planning, especially in transitional states where agile practices are not fully established.
Acknowledge the interface between traditional project management and agile methodologies, recognizing that both have valuable contributions.
Prioritize work based on a common understanding of organizational problems and goals.
Communicate the idea that focusing on specific improvements doesn't mean discarding other initiatives but rather sequencing them for continuous enhancement.

For collaboration or feedback on our ebook, contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Be sure to subscribe, spread the word to a friend, and join our engaging conversations. Who knows? You might just be our next podcast guest as we continue to explore the rich tapestry of agile transformation

Ever tried to untangle the stubborn knot of capacity planning in Agile teams? Brace yourself as we, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock, take you on an enlightening journey to decipher the complexities of this aspect. We shed light on the importance of crafting robust, dedicated, and cross-functional teams and how they become a reliable gauge for capacity planning. We acknowledge the uphill battle many organizations are fighting, leading to wavering predictability and dwindling trust. Traditional resource planning methods are out, and the focus on team consistency is in.

This week's takeaways:

Shift from Work-Centric to Customer-Centric View.
Trust and empower agile teams to manage their capacities for better performance and adaptability.
Identify critical skill sets and shared services beyond agile teams.
Recognize potential bottlenecks in compliance, UX, or infrastructure for strategic capacity planning.

If you're interested in editing or providing feedback for their upcoming ebook, please contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insightful episodes.

Join us as we welcome David Adeoye, an esteemed guest and expert in Agile and Project Management. Discover how these two strategies can work together to maximize business value. Learn tips on adopting new ways of working and navigating complexities. Explore the role of biases in decision-making and the connection between culture and cybersecurity. Gain insights on Agile Cybersecurity and its benefits.

This week's takeaways:
- Use agile methodologies to improve efficiency in cybersecurity projects.
- Adopt feature-based thinking with versioned cybersecurity plans tied to budgets.
- Understand the problem-solving approaches of project management and agility.
- Focus on delivering value efficiently based on project context.
- Foster a culture of reporting cybersecurity issues.
- Conduct simulated exercises to improve cybersecurity mindset and incident reporting.

For collaboration or feedback on their ebook, contact them at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights

Are you ready to build a culture that values quality and embraces design thinking? We'll show you how to foster collaboration, encourage idea-sharing, and establish feedback loops for data within your organization. Learn how to establish consistency, manage system risks, and make informed decisions for future scalability. Rest assured, creating a culture of design thinking goes beyond simply following a process - it's about making quality a core value of your organization.

This week's takeaways:
Design Thinking as a Habit: Make it a continual practice, not a one-time exercise. * Transparency and Collaboration: Encourage everyone to challenge and share ideas, fostering a culture of innovation and problem-solving. * Aligning Ideas with Objectives: Evaluate how feasible ideas contribute to strategic goals and adapt as necessary. * Managing Conflicts and Respecting Ideas:* Foster a comfortable environment for disagreement when important decisions need to be made.

If you're interested in editing or providing feedback for their upcoming ebook, please contact them at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insightful episodes.

Join us for an exciting episode of "Definitely, Maybe Agile" as David Sharrock shares his firsthand experience of a successful business transformation in the competitive world of e-retail. Get ready for valuable insights on the real-world impact of agile transformations and what it takes to make them happen.

This week's takeaways:

Leadership Matters: Open, experimental, and engaged leadership is essential for successful agile transformations.
Collaboration: Combining bottom-up team initiatives with top-down support is crucial for lasting change.
Business-Tech Alignment: Aligning technology with business objectives and adapting to market changes yields significant advantages in agile transformations.

Resources:
- Hudson Bay Start- https://derivadow.com/2007/11/08/hudson-bay-start-reducing-project-risk/

If you're interested in helping edit or provide feedback for their upcoming ebook, you can reach out to them at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insightful episodes.

Struggling to juggle multiple tasks and maintain focus? Join Peter Madison and David Sharrock as they shed light on the significant consequences of context switching on work productivity. From exploring the complexities of our thinking processes to the negative effects of constant notifications on our devices, we uncover the toll that switching between initiatives can have on our productivity.

But we don't stop at uncovering the problem; we provide practical strategies for managing cognitive load and reducing context switching. Learn about time blocking, a method that allows you to allocate dedicated time for deep, meaningful work. Discover the power of making work visible and contributing purposefully in meetings. We also emphasize the importance of clear meeting agendas and being mindful of the tasks we take on. By implementing these strategies, team members can work more effectively, minimizing unnecessary interruptions.

This week's takeaways:

Context Switching is a Hidden Productivity Killer.
Make work visible and prioritize tasks.
Recognize that it takes time to transition between different tasks and thinking modes.

Join us in this episode as we navigate through the challenges of context-switching and explore ways to build a more productive work environment. Don't forget to subscribe and share your feedback! For additional resources and to join the conversation, contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Stay tuned for more exciting content!

Feeling stuck when it comes to aligning IT with your business goals? Wondering why bridging the gap between tech and business is so important? Get ready to change the way you think about IT as we explore the value of IT as a strategic partner. In this episode, we'll share insights to help you maximize your organization's capabilities.

But our conversation doesn't stop there. We'll also delve into effective communication and building a strong partnership between IT and business. Discover the importance of speaking a common language, respecting each other, and building trust.

This week's takeaways:

Effective Communication: Speak in a way your audience understands, especially when discussing complex topics like technology and business.
Shift to a Strategic Partnership: Understand the challenges faced by the business and show how technology can be leveraged strategically.
Collaborate in Both Directions: Success requires a two-way dialogue between IT and the business, with both sides contributing their insights and needs.

If you're ready to transform your organization's integration of IT and business, this episode is your guide. Join us on this enlightening journey, and don't forget to subscribe and give us your feedback! To learn more and be part of the conversation, contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Stay tuned for more exciting content!

This week, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock promise to provide insights that will revolutionize your understanding of fixed processes. Join them to explore how these systems impact business operations. This episode will empower you with the knowledge you need to navigate tricky financial processes, highlighting the importance of agility and adaptability and illuminating the pitfalls of over-reliance on fixed systems. We uncover how the right balance of formal and informal processes ensures consistency and credibility and facilitates scalability within your organization.

This week's takeaways:

Processes can range from fixed and unchanging to flexible and subject to continuous review.
Find the right balance between creativity and risk when determining whether to keep, modify, or challenge processes.
The nature of the problem space and context should influence how processes are approached and managed.

By the end of the episode, you'll have the tools to tailor processes to your specific needs and the understanding necessary to implement large-scale changes. Don't forget to subscribe and share your feedback! For additional resources and to join the conversation, contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Stay tuned for more exciting content!

Imagine facing colossal challenges and complex problems and not knowing where or how to start solving them. In this episode, we wrestle with the complexities of problem-solving within Agile organizations, particularly when adopting new methodologies at scale. We dissect various problem management strategies - from the well-established ITIL to the Lean and A3 methods- providing you with a toolkit for identifying root causes and understanding the factors contributing to your problems.

We delve into the intricacies of problem management within a microservices environment. We discuss the power of predictive problem management and the tools you can leverage to solve problems. We also explore the realm of complex systems and the strategies that can help identify probable causes of problems, specifically focusing on the Safety 1 and Safety 2 models. All this is aimed at equipping you and your teams with a systematic approach to problem-solving, reducing chances of catastrophic failure through proper service contracts, smaller batches, and fast releases.

This week's takeaways:

Problems are ubiquitous: Problems exist everywhere, but organizations often lack a formal approach to addressing them.
Take the time to understand problems: Instead of reacting to problems instinctively, organizations should create a space for thoughtful, data-driven problem-solving.
Establish a common understanding of problems: Having a common agreement and language within the organization is crucial regarding what constitutes a problem.

As we navigate these complex topics, we ensure that you come away with a deeper understanding and practical solutions you can implement in your organization. Tune in! Be sure to listen to Definitely Maybe Agile on your favorite platform, and remember to subscribe. For additional resources and to join the conversation, contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Stay tuned for more exciting content!

Have you ever pondered upon the intricacies of business resilience? Do you fully grasp the importance of non-functional requirements for your business? Peter Maddison and David Sharrock promise to demystify these topics on the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast. We guide you through the nuances of scenario planning, business continuity, and disaster recovery processes that are pivotal for preparing against potential disruptions. Events like pandemics, environmental issues, and economic changes have underscored how essential it is to comprehend the key parts of your business and the resources necessary for recovery.

Furthermore, we'll spotlight non-functional requirements and their vital role in business resilience. We'll show you why it's crucial for your teams to be autonomous and how to manage system changes without triggering unanticipated impacts. We'll also touch on the rising observability movement and its role in making non-functional requirements more conspicuous. From discussing design and architecture to system latency and changes, we hope to provide valuable insights into non-functional requirements.

This week's takeaways:

Don't overlook non-functional requirements - they're crucial for the resilience of your business.
Understand the impact of changes on your system with observability at the forefront.
Take a comprehensive approach to business resilience planning, considering all aspects of your business.
Make sure everyone is aware of the business resilience plan and knows their role in executing it.

So, buckle up for an enlightening journey through the nitty-gritty details of business resilience! Be sure to listen to Definitely Maybe Agile on your favorite platform, and remember to subscribe. For additional resources and to join the conversation, visit our website and contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Stay tuned for more exciting content!

What causes collaboration to break down in organizations? We often hear talk of collaboration breaking down in command and control style hub-and-spoke structures, but more agile modern structures can also cause issues. Using a 2021 MIT article on collaboration and organizational network design (ONA) as a base, Dave and Peter explore these different models and their impact on collaboration. Expect lots of discussion on Agile and DevOps.

This week's takeaways:

Centralized decision-making and hub and spoke models can hinder teamwork and cause confusion.
Collaboration goes beyond breaking down silos; it requires a shared purpose and aligned goals across teams and units.
Addressing bottlenecks, maintaining work transparency, and considering the entire system are crucial to avoid overload and disenfranchisement.
It's important to consider structural and behavioral aspects to foster effective collaboration.

Resources:

Sloan Management Review: When Collaboration Fails and How to Fix It- https://corporateinnovation.mit.edu/2021/05/18/sloan-management-review-when-collaboration-fails-and-how-to-fix-it/

Ready to revolutionize your workplace collaboration? Don't miss this insightful episode! Be sure to listen to Definitely Maybe Agile on your favorite platform, and remember to subscribe. For additional resources and to join the conversation, visit our website and contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Click that subscribe button and stay tuned for more exciting content!

Are you ready to challenge conventional wisdom and reexamine your understanding of product development? This episode promises to do just that, as we unravel the misconceptions highlighted in the Harvard Business Review article, 'Six Myths of Product Development.' We'll share insights on how these myths, often carried over from physical manufacturing to the digital sphere, can lead to a misallocation of resources and stifle innovation.

This week's takeaways:

The economics of cost saving and optimization can have a detrimental effect on digital product development.
The mindset of "plan to create options" is essential for digital product development.
The lessons learned from digital product development can be applied to other areas of the business, such as operations.

Resources:
Six Myths of Product Development- https://hbr.org/2012/05/six-myths-of-product-development

Contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Hit subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases. Join us in this captivating exploration of product development myths, and gain fresh insights into crafting effective strategies for the digital era.

Curious about how validation works in agile development? By this, we mean the process of verifying the product does what it is supposed to. Join Peter Maddison and David Sharrock as we unravel the nuances of this crucial process. We'll dive headfirst into the technological and business aspects of validation, discussing everything from automated deployment processes to system monitoring and the importance of telemetry data. We'll also show how business validation ensures your product behaves as planned, giving you the confidence to move forward. We’ll also talk about how validation differs across types of business.

This week's takeaways:

Try to predict what customers will do with your new functionality.
Think of the many ways you might measure the impact of your new functionality.
Involve all stakeholders in the validation process.

Contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Remember to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases.

Are you drowning in work? Learning to streamline your team's processes but can’t find the time? Don't panic; Peter Maddison and David Sharrock have covered you with simplistic yet powerful strategies! In this episode, they talk through the 'two-out, one-in process. It's a methodology that ensures the focus is on finishing tasks rather than continually adding to the work pipeline. Expect discussion of work-in-progress limits and empowering your teams to take control of their work.

This week's takeaways:

Try “two-out, one-in," as it can be a valuable technique for teams overwhelmed with too much work in progress.
Make sure everything is captured as work. Visibility is a key first step.
Sharing the visibility of the team's workload and its capacity with stakeholders can lead to a better understanding of the team's constraints and workload.

Resources: Video Lucy and the Chocolate Factory: https://youtu.be/NkQ58I53mjk

Join the conversation by contacting us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases. So, brace yourself for an insightful conversation as Peter and David showcase how to navigate the complexities of adopting new working methods while managing work overload.

Tune in to the newest episode of Definitely Maybe Agile as Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock challenge the notion of using a single solution for all problems. They explain the importance of having a diverse, agile methods and practices toolkit. Peter and Dave highlight the need to consider the context of each problem before deciding on a solution. They stress the value of tailoring the approach to fit the unique circumstances, emphasizing the necessity of fully understanding the problem.

This week's takeaways:

Have a toolkit of different frameworks and models.
Measure the right thing.
Context is King.

Contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Hit subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases. Don't miss out on this insightful discussion on effective problem-solving strategies in the agile world. Expand your toolkit and enhance your problem-solving skills with the expert advice featured in this episode.

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, we'll discuss how to make the most of your time at conferences. Discover the power of tribe-finding, uncover a range of learning opportunities, and unlock the potential for networking with like-minded individuals. From informal exchanges to roundtable discussions with industry experts, there's something for everyone.

This week's takeaways:

Find your tribe.
Prepare in advance.
Embrace informal networking opportunities.
Don't be afraid to leave if it's not serving your goals.

Join the conversation by contacting us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases. And remember, conferences can be an absolute blast and an enriching learning experience rolled into one!

Are you ready to challenge conventional wisdom about traditional architecture and Agile practices? This week, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock steer us through the labyrinth of Agile Architecture, revealing how it can become a strategic partner rather than just a service function. We examine the potential barriers old-school architecture can pose, and how Agile principles can reshape the layers of your organization's system architecture.

This week's takeaways:

Ensure architects are actively involved in specific business domains or architecture, rather than being temporary consultants.
Remember that architecture is not solely the responsibility of a select few; it permeates all levels of the organization.
Avoid relying too heavily on Architectural Review Boards (ARBs) as they can impede decision-making and hinder innovation. Instead, prioritize empowering architects to make informed decisions and collaborate regularly with relevant stakeholders.

Join the conversation by contacting us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases. Let us uncover the potential of Agile Architecture together!

Are you ready to shatter the glass ceiling of traditional management methods? We promise this episode will equip you with the tools to achieve just that! Join us, Peter Madison and David Sharrock, as we journey into the realm of OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). Learn about their power in fueling organizational alignment and goal-setting and how they stand apart from other management frameworks like MBOs, balanced scorecards, and KPIs. Discover why they are indispensable in setting long-term objectives and milestones that can pivot with the ever-changing landscapes of your business operations.

This week's takeaways:

OKRs are a goal-setting framework are effective at creating alignment and, though simple on the surface, they take practice to get right.
They are not meant to be static but rather should be updated and adjusted as new information becomes available.
It should not be tied to performance reviews or bonuses. Instead, they should be used as a tool for setting ambitious goals and tracking progress.

To join the discussion, email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Remember to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases. Tune in, and let us help you revolutionize the way your organization marches towards achieving its goals.

Join Peter Maddison and David Sharrock on the latest episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile as they sit down with Pia Wendelbo, change agent and CEO of Scandinavian Change Agents. Together, they delve into the crucial topic of holistic thinking in change management. Pia highlights the often overlooked impact on people during a transformation, emphasizing the importance of considering culture, staff happiness, and the structures and processes affected by the change. This insightful conversation highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to change management that fully embraces human aspects of organizational transformation.

This week's takeaways:

Recognize that individuals are at the core of any transformation effort.
Incorporating "slack" into work life can bring balance and productivity.
Continuous learning and improvement are crucial in transformation.

To join the discussion, email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Remember to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases.

Erin Leslie, a leadership coach, and career strategist, joins the Definitely Maybe Agile podcast to discuss the importance of vulnerable leadership and emotional intelligence in agile transformations.

Erin shares her experience leading agile teams in the public sector, and discusses the challenges and opportunities of working in this environment. She emphasizes the importance of creating a safe space for creativity and risk-taking and of being able to relate to team members on a human level.

This week's takeaways:

Allow space for emotions and feelings to be expressed in conversations and listen for the answer rather than coming in with preconceived ideas.
New roles in government. The public sector is increasingly adopting new roles, such as product owner. These roles allow public servants to take on more responsibility and ownership of their work.
Compassion is essential in both public and private sector leadership.

To join the discussion, email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Remember to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases.

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Dave and Peter talk to Marius Van Beer, Senior Director of Digital Product Delivery at Aritzia, about the challenges and evolution of agile practices. After years of working on transformations at different organizations, Marius has distilled agile transformation down to four things: How you are measured, recognized, rewarded, and supported. This is an episode you won't want to miss!

This week's takeaways:

Change itself has changed: Making change a natural part of learning, responding, and growing helps remove the fear and resistance associated with it.
Applying the four principles at each organizational layer: It's important to consider the needs and recognition of the organization as a whole, not just individuals or teams.
Instead of forcefully pushing tools and practices onto individuals or teams, providing support and focusing on how people are measured, recognized, and rewarded is more effective.

To join the discussion, email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases.

In this episode, Peter and Dave explore the strategy, specifically focusing on product development, discovery, and management. Drawing from their own experiences, they discuss the challenge of striking the right balance between creating a product and actively listening to customers when venturing into a new marketplace. They raise important questions such as how to determine when a product is ready for the market and how to identify the differentiators that will enable organizational success in a competitive landscape.

This week's takeaways:

It's essential to understand the customer's needs and motivations.
Emphasizing an emergent strategy allows you to rapidly iterate, improve, and build upon your product based on customer feedback and market insights.
Find the balance between exploration (observing, listening, empathizing) and exploitation (accelerating product delivery).

We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. And remember to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases.

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Madison and Dave Sharrock discuss the book "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni. They talk about how the book provides a natural description of the challenges faced by teams and emphasize that the book focuses on the team's dysfunction at the top of the organization and how it affects the entire business.

This week's takeaways:

The value of taking time out as a leadership team. Stepping away from the daily grind can help leadership teams address dysfunctions.
The benefit of investing in teams. When teams are allowed to work together, they surpass expectations and progress faster.
The importance of fostering an environment for collaboration. Investing in teams and enabling effective collaboration leads to greater value creation and faster progress.

Resources:

The Tuckman Model: A Roadmap for Team Development and Success- https://medium.com/@williammeller/the-tuckman-model-of-team-development-c0b3fbdce0de
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21343.The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team

We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. And remember to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases.

In this episode, Peter Madison and David Sharrock have a special guest, Jorge Arevalo, CIO, CTO, IT Director, and consultant. The topic of discussion for today's episode revolves around the role of C-level executives and the board in the context of digital transformation. Jorge shares his firsthand experiences with digital transformation projects in the banking sector and sheds light on the challenges C-level executives and boards face during these initiatives.

This week's takeaways:

Understand the why. Having a clear understanding of the why will help to guide the transformation and ensure that it is successful.
Create a safe environment. In a safe environment, people feel comfortable enough to speak up resulting in a greater willingness to share ideas and take risks.
Ensure digital literacy. The board of directors should have a basic understanding of digital technology. We talk through how to make this happen.

Resources:
Turn Your Ship Around!: A Workbook for Implementing Intent-Based Leadership in Your Organization -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22529128-turn-your-ship-around

We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. And remember to subscribe to stay updated on our latest releases.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Madison and Dave Sharrock chat with Eric Brook, CTO, Technology & Product Executive, about the importance of ownership in organizations. Brook explains that ownership is not just about control, but about a sense of responsibility and accountability for our work. He offers a number of practices that organizations can use to foster a culture of ownership.

This week's takeaways:

Ownership is not just about individual employees. It is also about teams and organizations as a whole.
It doesn't come for free, it takes effort and commitment from everyone involved.
Creating a culture of ownership is an ongoing journey. It is important to be open to feedback and change.

Resources:

Eric's new blog post - https://ericbrooke.blog/2023/05/10/ownership-in-small-and-medium-technology-companies-part-1/
Learning Domain-Driven Design: Aligning Software Architecture and Business Strategy - https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57573212

To join the discussion, email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases. So, let's dive in!

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Dave and Peter have a special guest, Mike Freislich, co-founder, coach & Trainer of We Do Change. This time we'll have a slightly longer episode than normal as we dive into different aspects of Kanban Flight Levels framework and how it can be used to help organizations achieve business agility.

This week's takeaways:

It allows teams to have a concept of strategy for themselves.
When embarking on an organizational change, do not do it alone.
Create a culture of inclusion and collaboration to empower employees to take ownership of their work.

Resources:
Mike Freislich - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikefreislich/ https://www.wedochange.io/

To join the discussion, email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases. So, let's dive in!

In this week's episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock discuss the challenges and opportunities of scaling agile. It's the age old story. Organization meets Agile, tries it in a small area, has some initial success, and then says "let's do this elsewhere!". At that point the wheels come off the car.

They argue that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to scaling agile, and that the best approach will vary depending on the specific organization. There's a need to focus on what is the outcome you are looking for? People forget the goal is agility, not more Agile. They also agree that it is essential to avoid simply "scaling" a framework, and that instead, the focus should be on "descaling" the work.

This week's takeaways:
- Involve all stakeholders in the scaling process
- Scaling agile means scaling the work, not the framework
- Use frameworks as a starting point, not a destination
- Transformation is essential for successful scaling

To join the discussion, email us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com with your thoughts, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button to stay updated on our latest releases. So, let's dive in!

In a recent episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock explore if AI tools can replace Agile coaches. Is there a future where ChatGPT or other AI-powered tools eliminate the need for human interaction in Agile coaching? Discover their insights on how AI can enhance our knowledge and potential pitfalls to avoid.

This week's takeaways:

AI could be seen as an augmentation of human capabilities rather than a replacement. This can accelerate learning and problem-solving.
It's important to understand and evaluate the output of AI tools, as they may not always be correct.
We should start experimenting with AI now, but always be ready to take back control if needed.

Feedback is always welcome, including questions, topic suggestions, or participation in a conversation, by emailing feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Hit the subscribe button for the podcast to stay updated on the latest episodes.

Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the significance of culture in driving organizational change in the “Are we having fun yet?” episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast. They emphasize that imposing “your method” and “your framework” on others will not bring them on board with the transformation.

A better outcome is happier. Are the actions we are taking removing barriers and resulting in happier employees? When we forget it isn't about “our method,” we start to inflict instead of inviting people. When that happens, people lose agency. People need to feel they can contribute.

This week's takeaways:

We should enjoy what we do
Don't try copying somebody else model
The focus on the method vs. the outcome

"The principal function of most corporations is not to maximize shareholder value, but to maximize the standard of living and quality of work life of those who manage the corporation"- Russell Ackoff. Providing the shareholders with a return on their investments is a requirement, not an objective. As Peter Drucker observed, profit is to a corporation as oxygen is to a human being: necessary for existence, not the reason for it. A corporation that fails to provide an adequate return for their investment to its employees and customers is just as likely to fail as one that does not reward its shareholders adequately.

Feedback is always welcome, including questions, topic suggestions, or participation in a conversation, by emailing feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for the podcast to stay updated on the latest episodes.

In this episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock delve into a common dilemma faced by many organizations: why should they invest in Agile or digital transformation if their workforce lacks interest in it? They discuss the importance of creating an engaging, fulfilling, and motivating work environment, pointing out that disengagement is often a sign of deeper issues within the organization. Leaders must prioritize their employees' well-being to avoid a downward spiral.

This week's takeaways:

Understand the system, don't blame the people
Environment determines commitment
Clear and aligned incentive drives behaviour and reinforced by structure

Resources:
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33517721-the-culture-code
Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3450744-nudge

Feedback is always welcome, including questions, topic suggestions, or participation in a conversation, by emailing feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for the podcast to stay updated on the latest episodes.

Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison discuss the challenges of implementing Agile practices when working with a complex legacy system with a monolithic architecture. They stress the importance of working out how to incrementally deliver value and describe some of the patterns and strategies you might take.

This week's takeaways:

Understanding the end-to-end system needs and treating the problem space correctly
Making small incremental changes to systems can be life-changing and empowering for teams
Enabling teams to make small changes should be the goal
The approach to achieving this goal will depend on the systems being worked with and how they need to evolve

Feedback is always welcome, including questions, topic suggestions, or participation in a conversation, by emailing feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for the podcast to stay updated on the latest episodes.

This week Peter and Dave decided to delve into questions that have come up in workshops with senior leaders. Some of the questions they consider are How can we bring senior leadership along on the journey? What are the leaders showing through their actions? How do we measure the success of a leader's contribution?This episode emphasized the crucial role that executive leadership support plays in the success of an agile transformation and encouraged leaders to lead by example and show their commitment to the change.

This week's takeaways:

A leader's success should also be measured by their availability and response time to team members.
Growing leaders around them is a sign of a great leader.
Safety in tough decisions is important for leaders to create a safe conversation.
It's important for leaders to recognize and grow the people around them to create the next generation of leaders.

We are always eager to receive your feedback! If you have any questions, would like to suggest a topic, or even participate in a conversation, please don't hesitate to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Also, be sure to hit the subscribe button for our podcast to stay updated on our latest episodes.

On this week's episode of Definitely Maybe Agile, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock dive into the world of change management through a conversation about the book "Our Iceberg is Melting." This easy-to-read parable offers a unique perspective on change through the lens of a colony of penguins living on a melting iceberg. The book explores the eight-step model of change management from Kotter's perspective, providing an accessible entry point to the topic. The conversation delves into the nuances of change management, highlighting the importance of gaining buy-in across different characters and perspectives within an organization. So come listen to Peter and Dave chat about the complexities of change management and what we can learn from those penguins.
This week's takeaways:
• Identify influential players in the organization.
• Broadening awareness of complexity and existential threats.
• Look for something to learn from any situation, no matter how difficult.
• Allow team members to act independently.
• Listen for opportunities to contribute and offer feedback.

Resource:
Our Iceberg Is Melting- https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/419461

We are always eager to receive your feedback! If you have any questions, would like to suggest a topic, or even participate in a conversation, please don't hesitate to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com. Also, be sure to hit the subscribe button for our podcast to stay updated on our latest episodes.

In the most recent episode of their podcast, Peter and Dave engage in a thoughtful discussion on Mike Burrows' book "Agendashift". They highlight the book's unique consolidation of practices and experiences that Burrows has accumulated while working with clients. They particularly appreciate the book's straightforwardness and how it almost reads like a how-to guide for those facilitating conversations.

The book focuses on emergent approaches that can be tailored to an individual organization, rather than a one-size-fits-all framework. They appreciate that each chapter includes exercises, underlying principles, and theories. Peter and Dave also acknowledge the book's emphasis on the human behavior side of things, which can be easy to overlook during transformations.

This week's takeaways:

How do you create outcomes that are relevant?
Empathy is a change agent super-power
How to Guide- Facilitator driven

Resources:

Agendashift- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35439273-agendashift?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_11
OI-SR- https://www.agendashift.com/resources/oi-sdr
OI-SR Template- https://www.agendashift.com/resources/oi-sr-template

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss how Geoffrey Moore's “chasm” model of market adoption can be used to understand organizational change. They explore the differences between enthusiastic early adopters and more reluctant individuals when it comes to change. The model explains the challenges organizations face when adopting new ideas or technologies and the necessary shift in mindset and approach required to successfully navigate the chasm. They also discuss what behaviors or approaches need to be altered based on the specific context of the organization.

This week's takeaways:

Understand the different stages of adoption, practices, and people.
Different methods and techniques are needed for different groups of people, depending on their journey.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

On the last episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock had a great discussion about 12 year-end suggestions for a more agile 2023. Let’s take a look at the four main categories they discussed.

This week's takeaways:
A.- Marketplace and change:
1. Stop thinking things are different right now (change is the new black).
2. Think holistically
3. Broaden your information-gathering sources

B.- Pragmatic stuff to remember
4. Shorter time horizons
5. Rise to your goals, fall to the level of your systems
6. Strategic: If you say yes to this, what do you say no to?
C. Don't forget
7. Quality is probably more important than you think
8. Don't forget your people
9. Security

D. End of year
10. Revisit your objectives
11. Reflect: Notebook story
12. Sharpen the saw

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Many businesses are under pressure to undergo digital transformation, but the process is often fraught with difficulties. In this week's episode of the podcast, Peter and Dave discuss what causes digital transformations to run into issues and fail.

This week's takeaways:

Focusing on too much change all at once
Lack of alignment
Conflicting priorities

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

How do you know you are going in the right direction? This is a question that plagues many of us. We set out with a plan and a destination in mind, but somewhere along the way, we lose sight of where we're supposed to be going. If this sounds familiar, don't worry, you're not alone. In this week's episode, Peter and Dave talk about how to measure your progress and keep track of whether or not you're headed in the right direction. We'll also discuss some of the indicators that can help you determine if you're making the desired behavioral change.

This week's takeaways:
- Keep your people on board and reward the change
-Incremental delivery. Take small and measurable steps
-Checking-in regularly
- Establish your Leading vs Lagging Indicators

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison dive into the topic of bridging the gap in this week's podcast. In recent weeks they've talked a lot about transformation through the eyes of technical digital implementation. Now they will focus on bridging the gap between technology and the business side of the organization.

This week's takeaways:

Customer-centric versus product-centric
Close customer decision gap
There's a greater understanding in general of technology and how it can be applied

Resource:
How Apple Is Organized for Innovation- https://hbr.org/2020/11/how-apple-is-organized-for-innovation

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In the last couple of weeks, Peter and Dave have shared their thoughts on digital transformations and what constitutes that transformation. In this episode, they will cover the underlying piece or underlying umbrella about this, which is digital change management. They'll talk about how to move forward after implementing change.

This week's takeaways:

Make changes small enough that people can get through them. We want lots of small changes, not one massive one.
Change is continuous.
Stop optimizing before you have tested your model.

Resources:
Dave Snowden - How leaders change culture through small actions https://youtu.be/MsLmjoAp_Dg

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison explore how an agile transformation is different from a digital transformation in this week's podcast.

This week's takeaways:

Identify what you need to change first.
Leadership alone won't make it. They need the participation of the whole organization.
Understand why you are making the change.

Resource:
Simon Sinek - Golden rule- https://youtu.be/qp0HIF3SfI4

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's podcast, Dave and Peter explore the fourth types of digital transformation: cultural or organizational.

They explain why organizational transformation is tied to any other type of transformation and the role of leadership in those changes.

This week's takeaways:

Leaders have to be on board with the change
Organizational change is always present
Intuitive or deliberate. There's a big difference between leaders who intuitively change the culture and those who thoughtfully change a culture

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

We've been talking about digital transformation this season. We mentioned the four types of digital transformations: process, business model, domain, and organizational change. Today on the Definitely, Maybe Agile Podcast, Peter & Dave will focus on domain transformation.
What is domain transformation? What differs from business model transformation? Why can it be so difficult for companies to achieve it?

This week's takeaways:

Success in the new domain often comes from the different approaches and knowledge you bring with you
Use tools to gather data and understand the risks
Domain transformation can be challenging to achieve.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Previously, Dave and Peter talked about process transformation in the context of digital transformations. This week on the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, they discuss the second of the four types of digital transformation, business model transformation.

They will explain some examples of the different types of business model transformation that organizations can experience.

This week's takeaways:

Bring strategic leaders to the table.
A shift in how you interact with customers.
Get good at change.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

On this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast Peter and Dave will talk about the first of the 4 forms of Digital Transformation, Process Transformation. They'll discuss what it is, how to do it, and why it's important.
This week's takeaways:

Process transformation is probably what most people think of as a "Digital transformation"
Have a clear understanding of your business outcomes.
Processes always need to transform.
Define if your transformation is going to be incremental or not.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

We're definitely excited for season 2 of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast!

Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock are ready to tackle the big questions around digital transformation. What does it look like? How can we define it? Why does it all go wrong? These are just some questions they'll be exploring in the upcoming season. But more than just understanding digital transformation, they want to help their listeners recognize where they are in their transformation journey. Is it an agile transformation or a digital transformation? And, of course, no transformation discussion would be complete without challenging some paradigms. So tune in for an exciting season 2 of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast!

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast Dave and Peter dive into executive decision-making. We discuss what can happen when powerful, informed people with a lot of authority and responsibility try to come together to make decisions.
This week's takeaways:

Pace of change – decision-making is an essential skill
Emotional intelligence to recognize if we need to step back
Root of leadership change
Decision gap (lead time)
Is the decision being made in the right place?

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast Dave and Peter discuss a barrier to your workshop's success. Dominant personalities can affect group participation and limit ideas from other participants in a discussion or meeting, but don't worry because there are techniques to ensure everyone's participation. You can learn more about them in this episode.

This week's takeaways:

Small groups facilitate the conversation
Need consensus across the group in terms of moving forward
Use patterns from Liberating Structures 1,2,4, ALL
Exercise 15 minute photo

Resources:
Liberating Structures- https://www.liberatingstructures.com/
15-minute FOTO- https://www.agendashift.com/resources/15-minute-foto

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave will dive into some workshop techniques for facilitation. They outline key elements that will help you and your stakeholders get to the outcome you are looking for.

This week's takeaways:

Preparation is essential
Small groups facilitate conversation
A clear understanding of the workshop's purpose is key to guiding conversation
Have fun with it

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

We recently talked about the mandated Return to Work policies. This week, Peter and Dave discuss the implication of that mandated approach to psychological safety.

This week's takeaways:

Shouldn't be a tick box issue
Isn't one size fits all
Stepped back and put yourself in the other person's shoes

Resources:
David Rock's Scarf Model- http://web.archive.org/web/20100705024057/http://www.your-brain-at-work.com/files/NLJ_SCARFUS.pdf

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

It's been a couple of years since people started working from home, and now the situation is leading companies to make changes again. How we're dealing with the challenge of returning to the office is the big question. This week Peter and Dave dive into the implications of returning to work.

This week's takeaways:

Mandatory returns are not psychologically safe.
Be transparent about why things happen.
Make it attractive

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave talk about the Governance of software delivery value streams. In particular, how to take into account organizational concerns like regulation and architecture while increasing your ability to delivery software faster.

This week's takeaways:

Governance of delivery in terms of in-process requirements.
TACO: Traceability, Accessibility, Compliance, and Operations.
Also need to govern out of process requirements, architecture, data, privacy, security, and regulation.
The out-of-the-process is often the brakes or the foils that will slow down the delivery.

Resources:
Securing Your Pipes with a TACO - https://youtu.be/E7UjGd7ZRo0

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Nowadays, training in the Agile space, in some ways, has had a bad rep. It has left a bit of a stigma around what training we need. However, people generally agree there is significant value, so can we change how we approach training? When is training valuable? In this week's episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave discuss how to make your training program effective.

This week's takeaways:

Need training that provides a common lexicon
Train principles and values over process and practices
Learn through play
Facilitates rapid organizational change and speed change
Training can be made more powerful with coaching elements like follow-on support to reinforce learning

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave talk about Nested Value Streams. They explain how to take a value stream concept that works well with a single product or service, and scale it up to an organization with hundreds of teams working on multiple products and services.

This week's takeaways:

How value stream thinking helps to scale up our development capability from one team to many teams
The boundaries between value streams do not have to be a physical handoff
Value streams can be technically distinct
Understand how to make priority trade-offs between value streams

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In episode 62 of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave uncover what they mean by value streams.

This week's takeaways:

Understand how your organization does things, so you can learn how to improve.
Identify where to focus and how to prioritize by identifying constraints in your value streams.
Optimize your organization to be able to deliver more effectively and faster.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

The Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast is back this week with an episode all about plans. In today's episode, Peter and Dave continue their series on the Value Management Office by talking about the importance of planning. They discuss how planning is critical to successfully executing a project and how having a structure rather than starting from a blank sheet of paper can aid the planning process. They also explain why it is essential to understand the framework of a plan before creating one.

This week's takeaways:

Coordinate over short distances.
Having a frame to drop work into can be valuable.
Avoid blank sheets of paper
Priorities over the medium term, decisions at the team level in the short term.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week on the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave talk about VMO/ Product Office ways of working. They share their thoughts on the importance of understanding how the ways of working around a Value Management Office differ from those that we might associate with a project management office.

This week's takeaways:

Shift to dedicated teams (no need for resource management)
Outcomes over activity- specifically short timelines
Start small and iterate. Continually deliver increments of value.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In episode 59 of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave discuss the different models of governing delivery. They talk about how project management offices and value management offices approach the same problem of transparency and governance differently.

This week's takeaways:

Differences between models for governing delivery
When and why a central office would be valuable
Intensifying short cycle delivery of customer value

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison share their insights about the decisions within an organization with technology and how we spend money from a technology perspective.

This week's takeaways:

Cost of doing business in a VUCA world.
The unintended consequence of strategy.
Technology is a strategic partner of the organization.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week Peter and Dave debate about constantly evolving technology and what that means for the business.

This week's takeaways:

Let IT take care of it (it's part of your cost)
Nothing is as permanent as a temporary change.
Systems, assumptions, and changes cost more than you think
Challenge your assumptions around TCO (e.g., depreciation)

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

If all you care about is rushing around, you'll miss learning opportunities that might make you more effective in your delivery. This week Peter and Dave talk about the impacts of innovation as a department.

This week's takeaways:

Think of innovation as a culture across the organization.
Innovation is everywhere.
The psychological safety of making mistakes and learning from them is a foundational block in any learning organization.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week Peter and Dave will deconstruct a quote from Tom DeMarco. "Quality takes time and reduces the quantity, so it makes you, in a sense, less efficient. The organization that optimizes efficiency recognizes quality as its enemy. That's why many corporate quality programs are actually quality reduction programs in disguise."

This week's takeaways:

Technology is cheap today, but the impact is expensive.
Organizations that test at the end reinforce the loop.
We now have more integration abilities between systems.

Resources:
The machine that changed the world- https://www.amazon.com/Machine-That-Changed-World-Revolutionizing/dp/0743299795

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

The Machine That Changed the World : Based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5-Million-Dollar 5-Year Study on the Future of the Automobile

Some projects never seem to end. Big upfront design results in long execution phases and eventually it becomes difficult to believe it will ever be delivered. This week, Peter and Dave discuss how to approach these seemingly never-ending projects once they are well underway. Having started this way, how can you bring it under control and apply what we know of business agility to move forwards again?

This week's takeaways:

Stakeholder communication.
Identify and prioritize
Do one thing at a time.
Work on the thing that will help us create stability and move forward.
Meanwhile, have everybody else focus on improving the integrations, fixing defects, and removing technical debt.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Learning from failure is an essential part of building your resilience. In this week's episode, Peter and Dave discuss how failure gives us the ability to improve and continually create more resilient systems.

This week's takeaways:

The importance of understanding the resiliency of each part of our system in context of the whole system.
Failure allows us to learn, and then we can rebuild stronger.
Recognize that we need to persevere through failures to gain the benefits.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

We're so happy to have made it to episode 52! This year has been full of guests and conversations about agility. We've also had the opportunity to share our expertise, so thank you for joining us on these journeys together—it's not going unnoticed.
This week's episode is about addressing your team's needs and not just forcing agile processes on them. You'll learn what happens when an organization doesn't put people first.

This week takeaways:

The hiring process is our first impression. If we make a mess there, we're always going to be on our back foot.
Talk about what's happening. Don't lie.
Lead by example.

References in this episode:
Leaders Eat Last- Simon Sinek https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16144853-leaders-eat-last.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Dave and Peter have a special guest, Rob Hirschfeld, co-founder, and CEO of RackN, a collaborative platform for teams automating infrastructure as code. This time we'll have a slightly longer episode than normal as we dive into different aspects of complexity. This isn't one you'll want to miss. We had a lot of fun recording it and really liked the end result. We hope you do too.

This week takeaways:

Stop trying to eliminate complexity and figure out how to manage it.
Build systems focused on system effectiveness.
Complexity problems are collaboration problems.

We love to hear feedback. If you have questions, want to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

What do you think of our services, and has it had the impact you were hoping to see? In today's episode of the Definitely Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave talk about the importance of asking for feedback from our customers to prevent business agility from failing.

This week takeaways:

Validate emergent needs with your customers
Build a system that can respond to that.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Now we are going to talk about our second antipattern that came up in episode 43, being unable to say "no". This often presents itself as confusing speed with focus.
This week takeaways:

Reducing delivery costs starts with saying no.
Prioritize and concentrate efforts in one place.
Limit work in progress
Automation is essential.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In the last 5 episodes of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, we presented 5 ways Business Agility can impact your bottom line. In today's episode, we start our 5-episode series of exploring antipatterns that prevent us from achieving these benefits.

The first antipattern we're going to explore is one from our discussion in episode 44 on How business agility increases revenue. While business agility can reduce the cost of delivery, you may not realize those benefits if you forget to look at the entire system and begin to build feedback loops that allow you to learn as you progress.´

This week takeaways:

Watch for the signal-to-noise ratio
Consider the influence of how long your feedback loops are on the system
Make your system visible and understand how you'll measure (or something like that)

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In today's episode of the Definitely Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave talk about how resilient systems prevent you from losing money when things go awry.

This week takeaways:

Risk management is the responsibility of the entire organization.
Build a stronger system capable of learning and recovering.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In today's episode of the Definitely Maybe Agile podcast, Peter and Dave talk about Retention. It can be expensive to hire, but building a culture where people focus on great work does wonders for your company’s bottom line!

This week takeaways:

Understanding why culture is so important
Bring people into the conversation
Have the right people in the right fit

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week on the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast with Peter and Dave, we continue our series about how business agility impacts your bottom line. By creating alignment to common goals in the organization, business agility increases efficiency and subsequently, profitability.

This week takeaways:

The role user centricity plays
Creating stronger alignment with who you are as an organization, and with your customers.
Importance of working towards common sets of goals

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Today we're going to talk about increasing revenue. What's the potential impact we can have on the bottom line by focusing on revenue growth. One of the clearest ways in which business agility helps us there is by helping us get high-quality products into the market faster.

This week takeaways:

Put high-quality products into market faster
Create rapid feedback loops
Capture the opportunity quickly

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In today's episode of the Definitely Maybe Agile podcast, we're trying out a new, bite-sized, format. Here is the first in our series on Business Agility for your Bottom Line. Let's discuss how you can deliver more, with less, by saying no.

This week takeaways:

Reduce wasted effort
Automate your processes
Reduce multitasking

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Peter and Dave talk about the importance of managing SPOF (Single Point Of Failure) this week. This issue can have a negative effect on an organization if not handled correctly, so stay tuned!

This week takeaways:

A single point of failure in an organization does not mean that organization has failed.
Identify them.
Build redundancy or slack into the system
Encourage the habit of continuously sharing knowledge

References in this episode:

The Phoenix Project- by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255186-the-phoenix-project

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week, Peter and Dave talk about how we can explain complicated topics to inexperienced audiences.

This week's takeaway:

Use analogy and metaphor to help convey ideas in a way that transcends language.
Make sure you are understood.
Make things visible.

References in this episode:
Barbara Oakley https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36647421-learning-how-to-learn

We love to hear feedback. If you have questions, want to propose a topic or even join us for a chat, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week, Peter and Dave talk about the difference between taking simple approaches to solve problems in complex systems.

This week takeaways:

Stop chasing efficiency and talk more about effectiveness.
Measure more
Don't think of the system as a factory.
Don't jump into a solution too quickly, and experiment more.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Feedback is a difficult topic for leaders to approach, but it's necessary. This week, Peter and Dave talk about how to provide feedback effectively.

This week takeaways:
· Recognize the need for feedback. Remember to ask and when you ask, take action on it.
· Teams succeed together but when they fail, it's the leadership
· Give leadership in the right manner for the circumstances.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week, Peter and Dave talk about the importance of understanding when to bring governance into your process. They also discuss ways you can minimize dependency on others while maximizing flow for success!

This week takeaways:
· Create balance
· Minimize dependencies
· Make flow the focus

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Dave and Peter discuss the ins and outs of how to handle change management for an organization.

This week takeaways:
• The change must be targeted, figured out who is going to be impacted by the change
• Make sure that the communication is correct.
• Understand the experience of the users

References in this episode:
Jonathan Smart- Sooner Safer Happier: Patterns and Antipatterns for Organizational Agility- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50343488-sooner-safer-happier?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=JJCoQhGRWT&rank=1

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter point out the value of gamification in workshops. They explain how this technique can help people to better understand some topics, and apply them to their own environment.
This week takeaways:

Encourage the right types of conversation.
Scenario-based exercises.
Compete against your own personal bests.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Developing an agile process is not only about following a set of steps to the letter but how you're going to take that idea and apply it in your environment. Dave and Peter explain the importance of the Why, What, and How of Agile.

This week takeaways:

Recognize that there are two paradigms
Mindset shift
The same solution can have different consequences

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave and Peter talk about why leaders should help their teams eliminate WIP.

This week takeaways:

Understand and believe in it
Stop starting, start finishing
Consider the impact of what you say and when you say it

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison talk about the difficulties in delivering big programs. In doing so, they cover how to approach them iteratively while acknowledging complexity.

This week takeaways:

Recognize that planning is needed
Classify and prioritize the work
Identify the individual problems.
Systems running in parallel.

References in this episode:
David J. Bland - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44056365-testing-business-ideas?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=fLOAFxYT8B&rank=1

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave Sharrock and Peter Maddison share their insights on the importance of understanding and handling dependencies for your organization.

This week takeaways:

Understand priorities and their impact.
Co-create a visual representation.
Update technical rules and recognize the role of conversation.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave and Peter answer a question from one of our listeners. They explore as the roles are evolving from your traditional IT Roles to more innovation on Products and Process Re-engineering, how would a leader/manager train their team to learn skills like Process Mappings? What resources are available?

This week takeaways:

Find ways to make learning experiential
Train teams and keep them together
Focus on the outcomes you are looking for

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave and Peter will unpack lean thinking. They'll explore how it works in an innovative and complex environment.

This week takeaways:
— Efficiency or effectiveness
— System variance in complex systems
— Apply the method to the right problem

References in this episode:
Gary Hamel — https://www.garyhamel.com/author

Tom and Mary Poppendieck — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194338.Lean_Software_Development

Video — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week's episode of Definitely, Maybe Agile uncovers how can we make the change stick. We explore why some people are more apt to change their minds than others, and what strategies can help us keep moving forward when it feels like there is no other option.

This week takeaways:

Are leadership built-in?
Hidden agendas
Start small and keep it simple

References in this episode:

Leaders Eat Last- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16144853-leaders-eat-last

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week on the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast, Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock explore important topics relating to QA in teams. These include some of the major issues that arise when you don't test.

Join us on this week's takeaway:
— Don't separate the QA team
— Testing capability must be integrated
— Identify the problem first, so you can focus on the right areas.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave and Peter explore what the right amount of planning means. We discuss the meaning behind "Responding to change over following a plan".

Do I have enough information to make a decision? Do I have enough information to decide what direction I’m going to go in? Sometimes we end up stuck on one way of doing things, but if you do planning right, it can help guide you.

Join us on this week takeaway:
· Having a plan helps you to reduce risk
· Make sure your plan is appropriate to the problem you are trying to solve.
· Only plan for the information you have

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Agile expounds on the need for decentralization, self-organizing teams, autonomous teams, but is there such a thing as too much decentralization? If there is, why? And what's the alternative?

This week takeaway:

Balancing de-centralized autonomy and centralized governance
The impacts on the speed of decision-making
Architecture, security, and more!

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

What happens to the aspects of the functional manager when you shift to a team centric delivery model? There are many functions the manager fills in terms of resource, line and skill management, so where do those go?

Join Peter and Dave on this week takeaway:

Consider the impact on your managers
Discuss what their new responsibilities might be
Understand the number one reason things go sideways

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

What delivery roles are needed? How many do you need? In this week's episode, Dave and Peter go over everything there is to know about sources that work in agile delivery.

This week takeaway:

Resource the work. Don't understaff the outcome you are trying to achieve.
Skills development. Create a talent journey.
Properly define the roles and the accountabilities they will have.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

How does your team come together to create their strategy?

It's a loaded term, prone to misinterpretation, but there's no time like today to start strategically planning. Far too often though, these sessions are poorly planned and the results leave us wanting.

Join us for this week's episode, “Strategy Sessions,” where Dave and Peter explore the secrets of making strategy sessions successful. We'll discuss tips that will help you get more out of your strategic planning.

This week takeaway:
· Make decisions in the room.
· Target a short time horizon.
· Start with outcomes.
· Prepare ahead of time

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave and Peter discuss Portfolio Level Management. Key decisions are made at every level of your organization, aligning these and managing the larger scale initiatives can be a challenge.

This week takeaway:

Fractal nature of work at different levels
Make work visible
Follow the decision-making

References in this episode:
Klaus Leopold Practical Kanban — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36592352-practical-kanban

Flight Levels — https://www.leanability.com/en/blog-en/2017/04/flight-levels-the-organizational-improvement-levels/

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode, Dave and Peter explore why you should stop doing too much at the same time. We discuss the culture where we always have to say yes when work is coming through - even though that often means doing a task half-assed or trying desperately juggling everything with no time for anything else in our lives.

Join us on this week takeaway:

Too much WIP
Asking the strategy question
Not letting go of unfinished work

References in this episode:

David Rock's SCARF model- https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/SCARF.htm

Michael Bungay Stanier - The Coaching Habit - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29342515-the-coaching-habit

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this week's episode we explore change fatigue in more depth as well as discuss how everyone responds differently to changes.

Join Peter and Dave on this week takeaway:

Invite over inflict// Human element of the change, the beneficiaries in the change
The continuous change over big changes
Not everybody responds to a given change in the same way

References in this episode:
Gary Hamel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYaYwCA-FaM

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode of the Definitely Maybe Agile podcast, Dave and Peter give listeners an overview on where to start when you've been given a short timeframe to show value.

This week takeaway:

Start small, don't boil the ocean
Pick something that is a pain point
Don't just document it, do it. Design an experiment and get started

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week learn everything there is about financing, from fund value streams over projects to incremental funding models.

Join Dave and Peter on this week takeaways:
· Fund value streams over projects
· Aim for incremental funding models
· Finance is a supporting function, avoid letting finance dictate product direction.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This episode of the Definitely, Maybe Agile podcast uncovers a surprisingly common problem plaguing today's agile environment: efficiency and effectiveness.

Join Peter and Dave on this week takeaway:
-You need both but focus on effectiveness because it has been neglected
-This focus is driven by the rapidly changing environment
-Solely efficient systems will be fragile, effectiveness builds necessary resilience

References in this episode:

Scott E. Page – Understanding Complexity

https://www.amazon.ca/Understanding-Complexity/dp/B07PXG1ZY1/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=scott+e+page&qid=1622836350&sr=8-1

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

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In this episode, Dave and Peter give listeners an overview of what Value Stream mapping is as well as some tips for success when implementing these techniques at your company.

This week takeaway:

You already have value streams
The importance of the customer
Streams are often entangled

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter discuss everything about data radiators and how to have metrics drive better conversations.

This week takeaway:

Track metrics as vectors, not targets
Product, Team, System health
Make metrics positive so your conversations can be too.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter discuss how to run architecture once you have begun adopting agile practices.

The need to balance the rigidity of the platform with the innovation of the teams
Composable architectures involving pipes and railway gauges
Central vs. distributed architecture teams

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter discuss the role of Agile PMO and Agile CoE in the organization.

This week takeaways:

Culture change cannot be controlled from a CoE.
You can't control a constantly changing process.
While a PMO plays a governance role, the Agile CoE (or as we'd rather refer to it Ways of Working team, or Flow Enablement team, not "where excellence is centered") should play an orthogonal enablement role.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter discuss the role of vendors in large companies and why we don't let vendors lead the strategy.

We discuss how vendor solutions or products are brought to accelerate growth. A good choice of products maximizes the opportunities an organization can leverage to accelerate skills, and a poor choice can leave you tied to a partner that does not bring you value.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter have a special guest, Peter Budden, who has over 15 years working in QA and Testing. We discuss what quality means in the terms of agile and DevOps teams.

This week takeaways:

· Make sure that you're having conversations about what quality means for you and for your team.

· Figure out ways to help your teams improve their testing skills.

· Testing is a mindset, asking good questions, and giving people the space to be inquisitive.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter have a special guest, Nada Buhendi, who has over 15 years working as an agile coach and IT consultant. Her passion is in using her knowledge and experience to help technology professionals who feel unappreciated and undervalued in their careers. We discuss mistakes we find in job postings and what to look for when applying.

This week takeaways:

The importance of role clarity.
Investing in and supporting people
The mindset that the organization might need to develop.

References:
Project Aristotle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22875447-work-rules
Work Rules - Lazlo Block https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22875447-work-rules
Personal Business Model You - Tim Clark - https://businessmodelyou.com/

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

In this episode, Dave and Peter discuss the potential differences between Lessons Learned (the end of project debrief) and Retrospectives (the more frequent and regular look at work). We cover many topics before landing on the concept of aligning 3 F's, Frequency, Focus, and Flow when looking back at what has been done.

Book references:
Think Again - Adam Grant
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55539565-think-again
Atomic Habits - James Clear
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40121378-atomic-habits

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Does training have value? There is certainly plenty of it out there and companies spend plenty of money on it. Is it money well spent?

In this episode we talk through some of the benefits of training and when it is most effective. We also talk about how to get more from the training you do invest in.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Links:
Xodiac corporate training: https://xodiac.ca/services/

IncrementOne training: https://www.incrementone.com/training

This week Dave and Peter talk through the perils and benefits of estimation. They touch on relative and absolute estimations, and how they apply to our daily work.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

This week we dive into experimentation, what it is, its purpose, and how we often mess it up. How do you design experiments? What makes an experiment good? How might you measure success?

All this and more!

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Peter and Dave discuss the difficulty of taking Agile practices out of IT and into the rest of the organization. We discuss the need for creating a common language and acknowledging the differences between areas. There may even be some hints about how to overcome these adoption barriers.

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Peter and Dave discuss how value is often seen through the lens of the company, focusing value on dollars and cents. There are many types of value especially when products are free to use. Value is very difficult to predict and defined by the customer.

References in this episode:
Saeed Khan's Medium post on value:
https://swkhan.medium.com/a-framework-for-understanding-value-25a8eefcf61c

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Dave and Peter discuss Change Approval (or Advisory) Boards. They are a crucial component to organizational change and managing change with companies. As organizations starts to adopt Agile, responsibility of change shifts into the team level and the Board becomes a facilitator to change.

Resources:

Better Value Sooner Safer Happier - Jon Smart
https://soonersaferhappier.com/

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Peter and Dave on the relationship between agile practices and innovation, what is meant by process innovation vs. product innovation, and what they really think of the HBR article (Stand-up Meetings Inhibit Innovation).

Resources:

Stand-up Meetings Inhibit Innovation
https://hbr.org/2021/01/stand-up-meetings-inhibit-innovation

Loonshots by Safi Bahcall
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863447-loonshots

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

How do we approach conversations or engagements with clients, and begin to understand what is happening within an organization? How do we help clients understand where they are now, and what they need to focus on with a holistic view. And most importantly, how do we map and shift a company focus to outcomes?

This Podcast is hosted by Peter Maddison from Xodiac and Dave Sharrock from IncrementOne.

Resources mentioned in the episode:You can find out more about Flow Engineering on the Xodiac website:
https://xodiac.ca/services/flow-engineering

And at our partner, Visible's, website:
https://thinking.visible.is/post/flow-engineering---a-kickstart-workflow-5ff61f303609424e1f2fba63

Agendashift: Outcome‑oriented change and Continuous https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Mike-Burrows/dp/1787197263

We love to hear feedback! If you have questions, would like to propose a topic, or even join us for a conversation, contact us here: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com

Agendashift: Outcome-oriented change and continuous transformation