Francie Van Wirkus's Blog, page 24
July 5, 2017
Can I Ask a Question?
Whatever your team…business or family, heavily regulated or startup…when you hear “Can I ask a question?” it’s time to reflect on the environment you help create. If you are part of a team, it’s time to reflect: do we actually need permission to be curious? Do we hold ourselves back from being curious based on illusion? If you are a leader, it’s time to reflect: does your team need your…
June 29, 2017
Coach's Notes: What vs. How II
Coach’s Notes: What vs. How II
Excerpt from Permission to Lead, book 2 of The Dominant Gene series. Part two in a two-part series. “Leaders have the what. The ask. What is the goal, what needs to be done, what is the problem? Teams and people who are respected have the how. The answer. How will the goal be met, how will work get done? How will the problem be solved?” Eve pauses, “The ultimate respect for people is when leaders…
June 28, 2017
Coach's Notes: What Vs. How I
Excerpt from Permission to Lead, book 2 of The Dominant Gene series, a business novel about leadership. Part one in a two-part series. “Ha,” Eve swirls her matcha, “so, what do you think respect for people means?” This has to be a trick question. I know the answer. “It means we shouldn’t call people resources.” Eve smirks, “Cute.” “What? Am I wrong?” “You’re not…wrong. You’re taking a behavior…
June 27, 2017
Respect for People
How are you doing on respecting your teams?
Demonstrating respect for people is about trusting that teams know best how to do the work, and that they will get it done. Read more about this concept and actually see it being used in my latest work on leadership, Permission to Lead.
Contact me if you want to discuss how to make this concept real for you and your teams.
June 25, 2017
On Growing Leaders
Growing new leaders? Your organization needs them to learn new skills and contribute to customer value as soon as possible. So we start them with (hopefully) some formal training and then look for ways to reinforce what was learned. Growing leaders takes time. How to accelerate it? Enter catchy little apps positioned as a way to “keep learning alive” and offer leadership training reinforcement in…
June 12, 2017
What's Your Intent?
“How you do anything is how you do everything.”
If you’re not questioning your intent as a business or family leader, it’s time to read Permission to Lead.
June 5, 2017
Agile Dojo: Clarity
There are no tips and tricks to sustainable Agile adoption. The road is difficult, so it’s tempting to want to predict success, even to attempt to buy success. It may work for a while, but won’t yield true transformation. Your teams and only your teams deliver the actual value to your customers. They deserve better than tips and tricks. The Agile dojo is a place to immerse and focus on work…
June 1, 2017
Agile Dojo: Seek to Understand
Agile Dojo: Seek to Understand
“Why do you care how we are feeling? Don’t we have to do this anyway?” The Agile dojo is all about excellence. In immersion and focus of work, and in organizational change. One person, one moment at a time. The first and foundational steps taken in an Agile dojo are designed to meet people where they are. Not recite methodology and technical practices as the cure-all answer. Understanding where…
May 31, 2017
“This is hard, because I am unwinding 29 years of thinking.” And yet this mainframe specialist...
“This is hard, because I am unwinding 29 years of thinking.” And yet this mainframe specialist folded in, and gave his time and focus during his time in the Agile dojo. Teams normally don’t resist change. Our complex structures and environments do. Yes, focus on teams, and give them what they need to be successful. It might even be time in an Agile dojo. Then, turn to the big rocks in your…
May 25, 2017
Agile Dojo: Cure for Attention Deficit Agile
Agile Dojo: Cure for Attention Deficit Agile
You want great Agile teams, and you want them now. They learned Agile, but the corporate environment around them keeps pulling their attention away from practicing Agile. After all, those other distractions are important, too. Everyone knows there is too much work in progress. And with too many places to give precious team energy, everyone loses. How to give your teams the focus they need to…
