The Psychology of Agility

Discover the mindset and courage it takes to be truly agile. Listen in as Ryan Gottfredson sits down with Brian to explore the four common fears that hinder agility. In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Ryan Gottfredson, an expert on the psychology of agility and author of the bestselling book "Success Mindsets," sits down with Brian to explore the four common fears that hinder agility.

Listen in as Brian and Ryan walk listeners through examples of how these fears manifest in the workplace, sharing valuable insights on how recognizing and reshaping your mindset can lead to more effective agile, and more personal and professional growth.

Listen Now to Discover:

[01:18] - Brian introduces his guest, Ryan Gottfredson, a leadership and management professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton to walk us through his talk from Agile 2023 in Orlando called The Four Fears that Undermine Agility.
[06:07] - Brian reflects on the evolving understanding of agility as one progresses in their Agile journey, emphasizing the importance of interpersonal dynamics and human psychology in Agile work.
[07:47] - The mindset and courage it takes to be truly agile.
[09:23] - Ryan offers up some indicators of agility.
[10:11] - Ryan introduces the four fears that undermine agility.
[12:02] - How fear of failure and reluctance to try new things can lead to resistance to change, ultimately undermining agility.
[12:16] -The importance of leadership in fostering agility with an example of Satya Nadella at Microsoft.
[15:03] - Ryan discusses the first fear inhibiting agility, the fear of failure, and how it can significantly impede agility.
[15:27] - The conversation then delves into the second fear, the fear of being wrong, and how this fear can obstruct agility by hindering the acceptance of diverse perspectives.
[17:03] - The Agile Mentors Podcast is brought to you by Mountain Goat Software and their Certified Scrum Training Classes. These classes were designed and developed by the Co-founder of the Scrum Alliance, Mike Cohn. Mike taught his first Scrum class in 1997, and since then, more than 24,000 people have chosen to train with Mountain Goat Software. To join them, click on the Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule.
[18:13] - Is your expert mindset holding you back? Brian and Ryan explore the importance of shifting from an expert mindset to a truth-seeking mindset to foster agility by being open to the possibility of being wrong.
[20:04] - Brian shares a personal experience related to the "no estimates" movement.v [21:28] - The value of conversations that focus on embracing the complexities of a topic.
[22:09] - Ryan introduces the third fear inhibiting agility, the fear of having problems. Ryan shares an analogy of reacting to a mouse like it's a bear to illustrate his point.
[24:29] - The "window of tolerance" for handling problems effectively.
[25:43] - Ryan explains the fourth fear that hinders agility, the fear of getting passed up or not being recognized.
[26:22] - The difference between a limited mindset, and a more open mindset that acknowledges the value of giving and sharing.
[27:10] - Ryan shares a real-life example of an executive who initially shut down his employees' ideas to keep from being viewed as dispensable. [28:23] - Ryan reflects on the prevalence of these fears in organizations, and how they can collectively hinder agility.
[30:03] - Ryan shares the four mindsets related to the four fears: fixed vs. growth, closed vs. open, prevention vs. promotion, and inward vs. outward.
[31:33] - Brian thanks Ryan for sharing his insights on the show. You can find Ryan’s mindset assessment on his website, Ryan Gottfredson. You can also find his book, "Success Mindsets," or take his FREE Personal Mindset Assessment on his website or connect with him via LinkedIn.
[36:45] - We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email. And if you’d like to continue this discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Ryan Gottfredson
Success Mindsets by Ryan Gottfredson
Ryan Gottfredson on LinkedIn
Ryan's talk from Agile 2023
Ryan Gottfredson's FREE Personal Mindset Assessment
#33 Mob Programming with Woody Zuill
Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Certified Scrum Master Training and Scrum Certification
Certified Scrum Product Owner Training
Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner®
Advanced Certified ScrumMaster®
Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule
Join the Agile Mentors Community

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This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D., is a renowned mindset expert, author, and consultant. Through his work at California State University-Fullerton, his talk called, The Four Fears that Undermine Agility, and his bestselling book "Success Mindsets," Ryan helps organizations and leaders thrive through mindset improvement.