ART – Lean Agile Guru

Apr

25

2020

Snowpiercer

Agile Release Train, ART, Break Time

Day 31... A few minutes ago, I’ve just watched the film ‘Snowpiercer’ on Netflix. If you are/were part of an Agile Release Train (ART), then you’ve got to watch this film! If you are/were a Release Train Engineer (RTE), then you’ve got to watch this film specially the last 10 minutes of it... where the protagonist reads the message written on a piece of rolled paper taken off from a capsule... [you’ll read the message when you get to watch this scene, LOL]. I think that you will relate to this film... in a profound way like I did.

Nov

14

2018

By Clarence Galapon

Emotional Intelligence is Key to Coaching. Part II

ART, EI, Emotional Intelligence, practice, theory

Now that you have some theory of EI, it is always good -- for retention and absorption -- to follow it up with its application... the practice side of the theory. Refer to the image below for examples... of powerful questions. As a coach, you've got to have a flexible mindset, embrace uncertainty, have joy in exploration and discovery... with your coachee! That means that you do not provide the solution; you do not identity the problem; you do not prescribe anything to solve the problem. Take that coaching stance. Instead, you lead the coachee to self-discovery of the solution...…

Sep

12

2018

By Clarence Galapon

Your ART is Like a Bamboo Tree

ART, Bamboo, Faith, Patience

Someone asked me, "How long will it take to build a high-performing ART (Agile Release Train)?". "Around 5 years on average", I replied. From my perspective, an ART is like a bamboo tree...It takes time for an ART to achieve its peak and sustained performance. A bamboo will grow over time...it takes years...5 years on average...to reach its peak. Such length of time / journey takes patience and work...and never giving up...keep nurturing it in various and innovative ways. Similar on a personal level: you keep nurturing your dream...working on it daily in various and innovative ways...remember: "Dreams don't work…

Sep

07

2018

By Clarence Galapon

Series (4 of 7): Building High-Performing ART — “Give Them Autonomy”

ART, Autonomy, Decentralized Decision-Making, Decision, High-Performing ART, Muscle

Who does not want autonomy? Autonomy paves way to self-determination and empowerment. Freedom. Remember MAP? Mastery, Autonomy and Purpose -- having MAP unlocks the intrinsic motivation -- the engagement -- of most of us... including members of Agile teams and team of Agile teams... even family members at home! SAFe principle #8 states: "Unlock the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers". Safe further added, "We live in a new age, where the workers are smarter and have more local context than management can ever have. Unlocking this raw potential can significantly improve the lives of those doing the work, as well as…

Sep

06

2018

By Clarence Galapon

Series (3 of 7): Building High-Performing ART — “Address Dread — Nip it in the Bud”

ART, Dread, High-Performing ART

Dread...that feeling of fear or great apprehension...it paralyzes most of us... we can't move ... can't execute... we procrastinate... it paralyzes your Agile teams and your team of Agile teams (ART). Productivity goes down; spirit of the team goes down. It is, therefore, wise to address dread -- sooner rather than later -- because it is contagious... it can affect the whole ART. Nip this in the bud if you want to build a high-performing ART! So... you might ask: 'What causes dread? How do we address it?" My collective observations from the field, top of the list, is this:…

Sep

05

2018

By Clarence Galapon

Series (2 of 7): Building High-Performing ART — “Thou Shalt Not Compare One to Others”

ART, Comparison

This "Thou Shalt Not Compare One to Others" sounds like a commandment. it's meant to sound like it because it is very important. It is neither a request nor a suggestion. I grew up NOT being compared by my parents to any kid...including to my siblings; I thank my parents for that. This "non-comparison" mindset gave me a sense of positive self-image, high confidence, and healthy self-esteem. I, in turn, did not compare myself to anyone ... I just 'ran my own race', so to speak. As far back as I can remember, I've always embraced 'Kaizen' -- the continuous…