Posts by milmedia
Dealing with a Dinosaur
It is said that dinosaurs went extinct about sixty-six million years ago. Truth of the matter is no one really knows why. Some scientists say climate change did them in. While others say a giant asteroid took them out. I am not here to argue the various scientific theories of the extinction of the dinosaurs.…
Read MoreStealing Fire from the Gods: Becoming a GREAT Leader
In 2008, the technology Titan, Google, launched an internal company wide review to find out what made a manager GREAT! They identified eight behaviors—”being a good coach” came in at the top of that list, trumping even technical expertise. Fast forward to 2018, Google modified two of the eight behaviors and added two additional behaviors.…
Read MoreAgile Values and the Four Pillars of the Agile Mindset
As I travel around the world conducting workshops, people often ask me what ‘best practices,’ processes, tools, and frameworks will make them and their teams more Agile. My response is always the same. “Practices, processes, tools, and frameworks will not make you or your teams more Agile, nor can they guarantee a successful Agile transformation.”…
Read MoreCo-Active Coach Training from the Perspective of a Left-Brain Agile Coach
That which does not kill us makes us stronger – F. Nietzsche As those of you who follow my blog know, last year I attended the Agile Team Coaching Class with Lyssa Adkins and Michael Hamman. The wealth of knowledge I gained in this class literally changed the course of my life. You may think…
Read MorePersonal Empowerment and Transparency: Two Cultural Aspects for an Agile Transformation
“Seeing is not believing; believing is seeing! You see things, not as they are, but as you are.” – Eric Butterworth The impact of organizational culture on a successful agile transformation cannot be understated. That said; I believe we must not lose sight of the fact that an organization is composed of many different individuals.…
Read MoreIntegrating Culture into an Agile Transformation – Intro
“Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast” – Peter Drucker This is the first in a series of articles that I will be writing concerning the various aspects of individual and organizational culture and their impact on agile transformations. During this journey, I will be providing my own insights, as well as those obtained from the likes…
Read MoreTrust – The Real Agile Change Agent
Over the years, I have heard just about every excuse imaginable as to why someone cannot do agile. In my opinion, most of these excuses are fear based. Most people fear change. How many times have I heard, “We’ve always done it this way.” Amazingly, even when their way is not working, most people will…
Read MoreHow the U.S. military prepared me for Agile
When I retired from the military at the ripe old age of thirty-eight, I had spent four years in the United States Marine Corps and sixteen years in the United States Army. As the retirement pay for a First Sergeant/E-8 with just over 20 years of service was not enough to fully support a family,…
Read MoreThe Fear of Agile Transformation
“The snake which cannot shed its’ skin has to die. As well as the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.” Friedrich Nietzsche Recently, I was attending a Deep-Dive study group that was hosted by Lyssa Adkins and Michael Spayd of the Agile Coaching Institute. During our discussions, I…
Read More