How to bring the best of two worlds together — Every now and again I walk into a new team and more regularly than not, there seems to be a disconnect between the design- and development functions. Understandable. Rewind 20 years. Design thinking and design was something that belonged mostly in advertising agencies. The typical software development team didn’t see…

Exploring ensemble best practices — I’m interested in what makes a good team great. How do you get a bunch of strangers, possibly in different geographical locations, working together productively? How do you bring out the best in a team? These are the questions that keep me up at night. Extreme relationships XP has been a big…

The anatomy of a good user story — ”Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She came upon a house and when no one answered, she walked right in. At the table in the kitchen, there were three bowls of porridge. Goldilocks was hungry.” The story of Goldilocks and the three bears is a…

An inclusive approach to more agile workplaces — Nearly two years after the great pandemic of 2020, the world will never again return to the old normal. Remote work is here to stay and your options are either to offer fully remote, or risk losing valuable talent. Most people are of the opinion that hybrid doesn’t work. But…

How to be human in a digital world — When the first lock-down as a result of the pandemic was announced, I was angry. Having been working remotely for years prior to the pandemic, I was very familiar with how technology amplifies any communication issues that might exist. I also know that the most common problem amongst teams is…

Debunking the spiral of ever increasing value — The word “agile” has become somewhat of a controversial term in many groups. While many organizations and teams claim to be “agile”, in reality few are. …

Questioning life, the universe, and everything — Have you ever wondered whether it’s worth it? Is the investment you make in your friends worth it? Do you get a return on your investment? Can you rely on them in times of need? …

A blueprint for creating more agile organizations — A practical book filled with case studies and how-to-guides to transform large organizations into an agile startup culture, this book is a valuable resource for executive leaders. …

The good, the bad and the ugly — Years ago I read a book on what make things go viral. I can’t remember the details, but I do remember that one factor was what the author called bragging rights. I call it the keeping-up-with-the-Jones’-syndrome. People tend to jump on a bandwagon before finding out where it is going…