Organizational Culture: Tune into Positives, Negatives, and Celebrations

I am fortunate that I currently work at a place that has a great culture. And coming from past experience, a great culture doesn’t just happen. It’s certainly not the result of “Our Values” being etched on the glass in the lobby. It is the result of many little (and …

Pomodoro – Get in the Zone

tl;dr: The pomodoro technique breaks down periods of work into short (typically 25-minute) intervals called “pomodori” (from the Italian word pomodoro for “tomato” – the shape of the kitchen timer creator Francesco Cirillo originally used), separated by brief breaks. The method is based on the idea that: Multitasking, context switching, distractions …

Sharpen the Saw – Take Time to Keep Your Skills Top Notch

Improve your greatest asset You may have heard this tale before: Once a woodcutter strained to saw down a tree.  A young human who was watching asked “Whatcha doing?”  “Are you blind?” the woodcutter replied. “I’m cutting down this tree.”  The observer was unabashed. “You look exhausted! Take a break. …

Lean Agile Best Practices, Values, Principles and Virtues

I often hear the question: “What is the [insert: agile, scrum, kanban, xp] best practice for situation xyz?.” I’ve recently come to the conclusion that the answer is simple and universal: “Agile Best Practices? Those which work now, or might work soon if you gave ’em a shot.” Yes, methodologies …

Setting Agile Team Expectations and Agreements

By communicating clear expectation and agreements,  teams create an environment where positive norms – rather than default habits – become their operating guidelines. Think of the “Team Agreements” as the glue that helps binds a team together. This glue: Fosters trust and openness Creates a common vision Generates a nutrient rich environment for …

Back to Top