NLP GOALS SETTINGS - begin with the end in mind

Outcomes are the Key to High-Performance and Outstanding Results in Work and Life. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) has popularized the use of outcomes over the years to help people achieve better results.    Maybe the best way to think of an outcome is that it answers the question: “What do you want?” there are only few steps and principles to reach your goals. The NLP framework provides a way to capture and share very detailed patterns of behavior that help people improve their performance.

Sprint Forecasting vs. Sprint Commitment

There has been much debate about whether a team, at the start of a sprint, commits to a sprint , to a goal, or merely forecasts what they currently understand will be completed by the end of a sprint. What is it then? Is commitment long gone (2011 scrum guide)? Is it such really a bad idea to commit? What do we commit to then? To a goal? To improve? To learn? Here is how it works.  

Cover Story Game

Cover Story is an exercise in visioning. The purpose is to think expansively around an ideal future state for the organization.This game is worth playing because it not only encourages people to “think big,” but also actually plants the seeds for a future that perhaps wasn’t possible before the game was played.

The Zeigarnik effect – Our brain nag us about unfinished work.

People can’t stop thinking about things that are not done. If they start something they’re more inclined to finish it. So when faced with a large task they may try to avoid starting, just because they don’t know how to start or where to start. We stop thinking about tasks once they are completed. This effect is widely used by marketing, sales, movies and it is also used with agile. Getting things done, dividing to small tasks, setting small goals, visibility, brakes (sprints) are all productivity related actions overcoming the Zeigarnik negative impact and start using it to our benefits.

Last Thing First - Back-chaining

Usually the process of teaching people how to successfully complete long sequences of is to teach how to start the task sequence and then proceed right along to the end of the chain of events. Backward chaining however refers to breaking down the steps of a task and teaching them in reverse order. The biggest advantage from the learner’s point of view is that it offers immediate satisfaction. It  minimize anxiety and provide a sense of accomplishment. This feeling of success will increase confidence and keep us motivated to learn and complete the entire sequence of steps. 

Setting your new year goals with agile - Happy Agile New Year!!

The last few weeks of the year are already upon us. The end of the year, for many also means a time for a resolution and setting new year’s goals. Let’s reflect on how some basic Agile principles and tools can help us set and achieve our new year’s goals and keeping our resolutions.

Productivity Booster - The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is named after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that was first used by technique creator Francesco Cirillo when he was a university student. The main idea behind the Pomodoro technique is something called “time-boxing” and it is a really simple time management technique. The basic premise is to firewall your attention for a small amount of time and mentally recharge after each interval of work. By completing small chunks of work you will build momentum so that you will feel more productive which in itself leads to getting more work done. 

FeedForward -Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

Marshall Goldsmith's FeedForward Tool was created to provide individuals, teams and organizations with suggestions for the future and to help them achieve a positive change in their behavior. The entire idea of Feedforward Coaching is that it is a continuous process focused on future performance and career pathing—it’s not grading a year’s worth of past events; the manager serves as Coach, not Executioner.

Building the Agile Implementation Vision

To motivate an organization there has to be clarity of purpose. Without it the wheels of change will quickly fall off. 

"A vision statement is your ticket to success. A photograph in words of your company's future. It communicates both the purpose and values of the organization. For employees, it gives direction about how they are expected to behave and inspires them to give their best. An approach to Agile is to first articulate issues an organization wants to address, create a vision for change, organize a model for change management, and then use Agile to help find a way forward.

Geting things done - Personal Goals achieving with agile

Getting Things done is a time-management methodology, described in a book of the same title by productivity consultant David Allen. It is often referred to as GTD. Agile techniques are a powerful way doing exactly that. I have created this links roundup of practical advice using the agile techniques to initiate your to-do list and getting things done. Obviously there are so much more to read on the subject so just keep on reading…

I Do, We Do , You Do - Truly 'Can' Learning

Internalize a concepts through gradual release - The “I Do It, We Do It, You Do It” method is a simple, yet effective way to teach new concepts to students, kids and everyone. When practiced consistently it will allow for a greater depth of understanding and confidence with the learners as they apply the concepts independently in the tasks and activities assigned to them.