Agile Business Coach

Paper Versus Screen

I just finished writing an article on Business Value with Andy Pols.

We knew there was something wrong with the flow of the article but could not put our finger on the problem. I printed the article out and the problem was immediately apparent.

In our "paperless" age it would appear that paper is still best for reading and reviewing.

Agile is a Learning Pattern

One of the biggest influences on my work has been David A. Kolbs Circle of Learning which is a model for Adult Learning.

It is a continuous circle of the following:

1. Concrete observation.
2. Reflection.
3. Modelling.
3. Testing of Model.
5. Back to 1.

To my mind, Agile enables companies to apply this pattern of learning to projects and the organisations themselves. Agile methodologies focus on the importance of automated tests so that the organisation / system does not lose knowledge previously learned, even if key individuals on the project leave. Agile also refactors the methodologies through retrospectives which are an organisational form of learning by reflection. Finally, Agile Methodologies encourage testing of software in "real" environments rather than developing models (UML etc.). i.e. Learn through concrete observation.

Accellerated Learning Handbook

I just read an excellent book on adult learning called "The Accelerated Learning Handbook" by Dave Meier. His work is based upon the Theories of Kolb and Gardner but he gives a very practical set of practices.

He suggests a four step approach to coaching, namely Preparation, Presentation, Practice and Performance. Preparation is about getting people in the right mental state for learning. Presentation is about the coach facilitating a learning session where the learners build their own knowledge. Practice means getting the learner to practice using their knowledge. Finally, Performance means getting people to use their new knowledge on the job.

He suggests a SAVI approach to coaching. Somatic (Full body movement), Audio, Visual and Intellectual.

Its an easy read and full of useful tips and practices.

Principle : Negative Feedback over Positive Feedback

One of the Agile Business Coach’s principles is that whilst we value Positive Feedback, we value Negative more.

Negative feedback systems are normally more “stable” and reliable than positive feedback systems.

To support this principle, I have been using the following practices that have been mentioned in other Blog entries on this site

1. Fuzzy Vs Hard
2. Tell a story
3. Break the model
4. Celebrate Failure
5. Active Listening

The purpose of each of these practices is to elicit negative feedback from the business users of a proposed system. Whilst it might be nice for them to “coo” and “ahh” over my wonderful work I really want them to pull it to pieces before reality does in a production environment.

Agile delays decisions

We know from option theory that it is never optimal to exercise an option except in the prescence of a large dividend. Anything that allows us to delay decisions gives us more value.

Agile methodologies delay decisions whereas waterfall methodologies force decisions to be made earlier than necessary.

Waterfall methodologies insist that the business user makes all the requirements decisions up front. Waterfall methodologies insist that all design decisions are made up front. They then try to control change by making it as difficult as possible through a strict change control mechanism.

Agile Methodologies allow requirement and design decisions to be delayed. Thus Agile keeps options open.

To reiterate a statement from previous blogs. The only way to effectively manage uncertainty is to use options.

John Seely Brown has a website

John Seely Brown now has a website which contains a number of his articles. ( http://www.johnseelybrown.com/ ) JSB is the author of the "Social Life of Information", a very interesting book on tacit knowledge. It is well worth a read.

Mirroring and White Boards

I had a really good chat with Marcus Baker ( http://www.lastcraft.com/ ) and Benjamin Mitchell ( http://benjaminm.net/ ) at XTC a couple of weeks ago.

Marcus was explaining that whiteboard sessions encourage mirroring. Mirroring is when two people discussing an idea start to mirror each other's body language. For example both rest their chin on their fist. Whiteboard sessions where both people are standing at the whiteboard help encourage this behaviour because the two people are already standing and facing each other and the board.