SAFe Is Like… – Lean Agile Guru

Mar

18

2024

Better Together

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Tuesday, May 16… I tried something new to me: Waffle House’s Classic waffle and Starbucks coffee! I thought these two were better together … and I was right after the taste test! Likewise in SAFe. Lean and Agile are better together in SAFe! Lean has been a backdrop in SAFe … … until SAFe 6.0 , Lean took center stage! And SAFe never looked better with SAFe 6.0! Lean and Agile … are better together.

Mar

17

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Elegant and Timeless

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

These cars are elegant and timeless… unaffected and unchanged by time. Ageless. Just like these cars, Lean — born after World War II — is elegant and timeless. It is beautiful as it is … and sometimes better together with something else … like Agile… or UX… Lean is my passion… and Agile … and UX… Do not be stuck in Agile! Be Lean as well.

Mar

13

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Balance Emergent and Intentional Design

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

The artist, Laura Kishimoto, of this Yumi Chair II is a consummate artist and creator. Consummate in the sense of achieving a balance between what a material can do and what she can do without neither the material nor her being overly controlling. She does not control too much the material and she does not allow the material to control her too much … this dynamic, between her and her material, allows the birth of an art that is not contrived… it is beautiful, unique, and designed intentionally yet discovered design elements were allowed to emerge and became part of…

Mar

12

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Balance Emergent and Intentional Design

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

The artist, Laura Kishimoto, of this Yumi Chair II is a consummate artist and creator. Consummate in the sense of achieving a balance between what a material can do and what she can do without neither the material nor her being overly controlling. She does not control too much the material and she does not allow the material to control her too much … this dynamic, between her and her material, allows the birth of an art that is not contrived… it is beautiful, unique, and designed intentionally yet discovered design elements were allowed to emerge and became part of…

Mar

11

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Tip: On Refinement — Use ‘Yes and …’ Improv Rule

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Emergent Thinking: This is when people extend the brainstorming session (Divergent Thinking) to allow ideas to emerge … ideas that are constructive, creative, and additive. A great technique to use in this Emergent Thinking zone is a rule from Improv Comedy: ‘Yes and… ‘. Try this: next time someone presents / prompts an idea during the ‘Emergent Thinking’ zone conversations, be attentive to what is being presented / prompted… then at an appropriate time, say, ‘Yes and…’ and then add something constructive, additive or creative to build on or expand the essence of the presented / prompted idea… that, in…

Mar

10

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Tip: On Refinement — Use ‘Yes and …’ Improv Rule

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Emergent Thinking: This is when people extend the brainstorming session (Divergent Thinking) to allow ideas to emerge … ideas that are constructive, creative, and additive. A great technique to use in this Emergent Thinking zone is a rule from Improv Comedy: ‘Yes and… ‘. Try this: next time someone presents / prompts an idea during the ‘Emergent Thinking’ zone conversations, be attentive to what is being presented / prompted… then at an appropriate time, say, ‘Yes and…’ and then add something constructive, additive or creative to build on or expand the essence of the presented / prompted idea… that, in…

Mar

09

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Tip: On Refinement — Use ‘Yes and …’ Improv Rule

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Emergent Thinking: This is when people extend the brainstorming session (Divergent Thinking) to allow ideas to emerge … ideas that are constructive, creative, and additive. A great technique to use in this Emergent Thinking zone is a rule from Improv Comedy: ‘Yes and… ‘. Try this: next time someone presents / prompts an idea during the ‘Emergent Thinking’ zone conversations, be attentive to what is being presented / prompted… then at an appropriate time, say, ‘Yes and…’ and then add something constructive, additive or creative to build on or expand the essence of the presented / prompted idea… that, in…

Mar

08

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Focus on the Persona

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

My wife and I watched ‘The American Idol’ on Sunday, April 30, 2023. There was a scene where Adam Lambert (the coach at that time for contestants) provided a feedback to make Iam Tongi (one of the top 12 contestants) deliver the song with more feelings and depth to captivate the audience. He said to Iam this: ‘Imagine someone whom you are singing this for…’ Iam Tongi nailed it! As a result of his great performance he was one of the top 10 contestants — after the viewers voted — when the show’s episode ended that Sunday night. In SAFe,…

Mar

07

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Focus on the Persona

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

My wife and I watched ‘The American Idol’ on Sunday, April 30, 2023. There was a scene where Adam Lambert (the coach at that time for contestants) provided a feedback to make Iam Tongi (one of the top 12 contestants) deliver the song with more feelings and depth to captivate the audience. He said to Iam this: ‘Imagine someone whom you are singing this for…’ Iam Tongi nailed it! As a result of his great performance he was one of the top 10 contestants — after the viewers voted — when the show’s episode ended that Sunday night. In SAFe,…

Mar

06

2024

By Clarence Galapon

‘Leaders’: Get Out Of The Way!

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

I know, even with positive intent, leaders, sometimes, are the problem. What are some of these problems? The following are my pet peeves: 1) They are — without even knowing it — choking creativity. They thought that their idea is the only idea out there. Not utilizing the talents of the their teammates: their creativity, their skills, and their passion. As a result, better potential outcomes were not explored. Leaders, get out of the way. As General George S. Patton said: Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their…

Mar

05

2024

By Clarence Galapon

‘Leaders’: Get Out Of The Way!

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

I know, even with positive intent, leaders, sometimes, are the problem. What are some of these problems? The following are my pet peeves: 1) They are — without even knowing it — choking creativity. They thought that their idea is the only idea out there. Not utilizing the talents of the their teammates: their creativity, their skills, and their passion. As a result, better potential outcomes were not explored. Leaders, get out of the way. As General George S. Patton said: Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their…

Mar

04

2024

By Clarence Galapon

‘Leaders’: Get Out Of The Way!

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

I know, even with positive intent, leaders, sometimes, are the problem. What are some of these problems? The following are my pet peeves: 1) They are — without even knowing it — choking creativity. They thought that their idea is the only idea out there. Not utilizing the talents of the their teammates: their creativity, their skills, and their passion. As a result, better potential outcomes were not explored. Leaders, get out of the way. As General George S. Patton said: Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their…

Mar

04

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Tip: On Refinement — Be Aware of Anchoring Bias

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Sales people use Anchoring Bias … causing irrational buying decision During refinement, specifically during the ‘Divergent Thinking’ of the ‘Success Pattern’, people bring in their own points of view vis-vis what is currently being refined. What they bring could become an ‘Anchor’ wherein other participants’ contributions to the refinement are based off on that anchor. As a result, nothing ‘new’ comes off that ‘Divergent Thinking’. ‘Divergent Thinking’ is a brainstorming exercise wherein lots of divergent ideas from participants of various backgrounds are offered and gathered. To counter this, during the ‘Divergent Thinking’, participants should stop having conversations at all. These…

Mar

02

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Tip: On Refinement — Be Aware of Anchoring Bias

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Sales people use Anchoring Bias … causing irrational buying decision During refinement, specifically during the ‘Divergent Thinking’ of the ‘Success Pattern’, people bring in their own points of view vis-vis what is currently being refined. What they bring could become an ‘Anchor’ wherein other participants’ contributions to the refinement are based off on that anchor. As a result, nothing ‘new’ comes off that ‘Divergent Thinking’. ‘Divergent Thinking’ is a brainstorming exercise wherein lots of divergent ideas from participants of various backgrounds are offered and gathered. To counter this, during the ‘Divergent Thinking’, participants should stop having conversations at all. These…

Mar

01

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Tip: On Refinement — Be Aware of Anchoring Bias

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Sales people use Anchoring Bias … causing irrational buying decision During refinement, specifically during the ‘Divergent Thinking’ of the ‘Success Pattern’, people bring in their own points of view vis-vis what is currently being refined. What they bring could become an ‘Anchor’ wherein other participants’ contributions to the refinement are based off on that anchor. As a result, nothing ‘new’ comes off that ‘Divergent Thinking’. ‘Divergent Thinking’ is a brainstorming exercise wherein lots of divergent ideas from participants of various backgrounds are offered and gathered. To counter this, during the ‘Divergent Thinking’, participants should stop having conversations at all. These…

Feb

29

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Tip: On Refinement — Be Aware of Anchoring Bias

Announcement, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Sales people use Anchoring Bias … causing irrational buying decision During refinement, specifically during the ‘Divergent Thinking’ of the ‘Success Pattern’, people bring in their own points of view vis-vis what is currently being refined. What they bring could become an ‘Anchor’ wherein other participants’ contributions to the refinement are based off on that anchor. As a result, nothing ‘new’ comes off that ‘Divergent Thinking’. ‘Divergent Thinking’ is a brainstorming exercise wherein lots of divergent ideas from participants of various backgrounds are offered and gathered. To counter this, during the ‘Divergent Thinking’, participants should stop having conversations at all. These…

Feb

28

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Know What To Do

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

It is not enough to do your best, you must know what to do, and then do your best. W. Edwards Deming In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I mentioned this acronym: RED. It means: know what your Role (R) is, what is Expected (E) of that role and then Do (D) it well. Knowing what to do is important… and knowing what your role is … and what’s expected of that role… help in knowing what to do. Doing your best is not enough. In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I also mentioned that SAFe…

Feb

27

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Know What To Do

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

It is not enough to do your best, you must know what to do, and then do your best. W. Edwards Deming In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I mentioned this acronym: RED. It means: know what your Role (R) is, what is Expected (E) of that role and then Do (D) it well. Knowing what to do is important… and knowing what your role is … and what’s expected of that role… help in knowing what to do. Doing your best is not enough. In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I also mentioned that SAFe…

Feb

26

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Know What To Do

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

It is not enough to do your best, you must know what to do, and then do your best. W. Edwards Deming In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I mentioned this acronym: RED. It means: know what your Role (R) is, what is Expected (E) of that role and then Do (D) it well. Knowing what to do is important… and knowing what your role is … and what’s expected of that role… help in knowing what to do. Doing your best is not enough. In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I also mentioned that SAFe…

Feb

25

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Know What To Do

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

It is not enough to do your best, you must know what to do, and then do your best. W. Edwards Deming In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I mentioned this acronym: RED. It means: know what your Role (R) is, what is Expected (E) of that role and then Do (D) it well. Knowing what to do is important… and knowing what your role is … and what’s expected of that role… help in knowing what to do. Doing your best is not enough. In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I also mentioned that SAFe…

Feb

24

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Know What To Do

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

It is not enough to do your best, you must know what to do, and then do your best. W. Edwards Deming In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I mentioned this acronym: RED. It means: know what your Role (R) is, what is Expected (E) of that role and then Do (D) it well. Knowing what to do is important… and knowing what your role is … and what’s expected of that role… help in knowing what to do. Doing your best is not enough. In my book, ‘SAFe (6.0) Is Like …’, I also mentioned that SAFe…

Feb

23

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Ripple Effect

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

At the Mint Museum. This is an awesome art … you have to see it in person — it is huge and the details are amazing! A pebble dropped on a still water causes ripple effect. As we go through a transformation, from where we are today … to the Lean Agile way of working, such ripple effect takes a long time… to cascade … to realize its intended outcome. The decision to transform happens in an instant … but to get to where we want to be will take a journey … several journeys … lots of discoveries… will…

Feb

22

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Ripple Effect

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

At the Mint Museum. This is an awesome art … you have to see it in person — it is huge and the details are amazing! A pebble dropped on a still water causes ripple effect. As we go through a transformation, from where we are today … to the Lean Agile way of working, such ripple effect takes a long time… to cascade … to realize its intended outcome. The decision to transform happens in an instant … but to get to where we want to be will take a journey … several journeys … lots of discoveries… will…

Feb

21

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Ripple Effect

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

At the Mint Museum. This is an awesome art … you have to see it in person — it is huge and the details are amazing! A pebble dropped on a still water causes ripple effect. As we go through a transformation, from where we are today … to the Lean Agile way of working, such ripple effect takes a long time… to cascade … to realize its intended outcome. The decision to transform happens in an instant … but to get to where we want to be will take a journey … several journeys … lots of discoveries… will…

Feb

20

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Ripple Effect

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

At the Mint Museum. This is an awesome art … you have to see it in person — it is huge and the details are amazing! A pebble dropped on a still water causes ripple effect. As we go through a transformation, from where we are today … to the Lean Agile way of working, such ripple effect takes a long time… to cascade … to realize its intended outcome. The decision to transform happens in an instant … but to get to where we want to be will take a journey … several journeys … lots of discoveries… will…

Feb

19

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Ripple Effect

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

At the Mint Museum. This is an awesome art … you have to see it in person — it is huge and the details are amazing! A pebble dropped on a still water causes ripple effect. As we go through a transformation, from where we are today … to the Lean Agile way of working, such ripple effect takes a long time… to cascade … to realize its intended outcome. The decision to transform happens in an instant … but to get to where we want to be will take a journey … several journeys … lots of discoveries… will…

Feb

18

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Silver Lining

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Optimism In every challenge, there is an opportunity… if you look for it. Do not run away from challenges, go after them… prize (opportunity) is inside… look for it. In every cloud, there is a silver lining. There are more ideas like this blog post in my two books -- both are available for purchase on Amazon. SAFe (6.0) Is Like...This reached "#1 New Release" and "#1 Best Seller" on Amazon SAFe 6.0 PracticeMy new book, released on October 15, 2023. Part II of SAFe (6.0) Is Like... This reached #2 New Release! '

Feb

17

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Silver Lining

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Optimism In every challenge, there is an opportunity… if you look for it. Do not run away from challenges, go after them… prize (opportunity) is inside… look for it. In every cloud, there is a silver lining. There are more ideas like this blog post in my two books -- both are available for purchase on Amazon. SAFe (6.0) Is Like...This reached "#1 New Release" and "#1 Best Seller" on Amazon SAFe 6.0 PracticeMy new book, released on October 15, 2023. Part II of SAFe (6.0) Is Like... This reached #2 New Release! '

Feb

16

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Silver Lining

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Optimism In every challenge, there is an opportunity… if you look for it. Do not run away from challenges, go after them… prize (opportunity) is inside… look for it. In every cloud, there is a silver lining. There are more ideas like this blog post in my two books -- both are available for purchase on Amazon. SAFe (6.0) Is Like...This reached "#1 New Release" and "#1 Best Seller" on Amazon SAFe 6.0 PracticeMy new book, released on October 15, 2023. Part II of SAFe (6.0) Is Like... This reached #2 New Release! '

Feb

15

2024

By Clarence Galapon

Do Something — Arlo Guthrie

Announcement, New Book, SAFe 6.0, SAFe Is Like…

Sharing this picture that I took from the Woodstock Summer of ‘69 museum… I believe that this message by Arlo Guthrie captures the spirit of SAFe principle #8: Unlock the intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers. It conveys strong sense of purpose and autonomy. Once unlocked, there is no way it can be stopped: people could actually get up in the morning, and DO SOMETHING, and join with other people to do something that would change history… Ok… I got carried away … but that is the team spirit … the esprit de corps … that is needed for us to…