The Humility to Listen, A Sprint Planning Turnaround Story | Mike Lyons
May 6, 2024
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Mike Lyons shares his journey from traditional project management to Agile, highlighting the importance of listening and empowering team members in sprint planning. He learned valuable lessons in intellectual humility and using the Toyota Production System for productivity. The podcast also explores the Bungsu Story, demonstrating how a coach helped a hospital in Indonesia recover using Lean and Agile methods.
Importance of intellectual humility in Agile workflows and listening to team members during sprint planning.
Empowering team members, creating space for innovation, and fostering a culture of ownership are crucial for Agile success.
Deep dives
Embracing Agile Principles
Mike Lyons, inspired by reading the Agile Manifesto in 2006, decided to focus on enhancing team and organizational adaptability and efficiency. Despite initial challenges and mistakes, these experiences provided valuable lessons that improved his effectiveness in achieving tangible results with Agile approaches.
Lessons in Leadership and Engagement
Mike recounts a pivotal moment during sprint planning where adherence to rigid user story formats clashed with practical implementation needs. This encounter with a developer led Mike to realize the importance of intellectual humility, listening to team members, and empowering them to make decisions about how work is done. This lesson underscored the significance of involving those closest to the work in shaping processes and fostering a culture of innovation and ownership.
Servant Leadership in Agile Delivery
Reflecting on the essence of servant leadership in Agile environments, Mike emphasizes the role of Scrum Masters in creating conditions for team members to excel. This includes removing impediments, advocating for necessary changes, and fostering a work environment that enables individuals to perform at their best. The narrative highlights the importance of empowering teams, mediating conflicts, and ensuring that organizational policies support rather than hinder productivity.
When Mike took on one of his early projects, a seemingly small requirement during sprint planning sparked an epiphany about Agile workflows. Mike's story unfolds as he learns that dictating tasks isn't always the best approach, and he realized the importance of listening and empowering those who do the work. What crucial lessons did Mike learn about intellectual humility and creating space for his team to excel? Discover how these insights transformed his approach to sprint planning and why the Toyota Production System might hold secrets to doing your best work.
[IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story - How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company.
About Mike Lyons
After reading the Agile Manifesto in 2006, Mike focused on making teams and organizations more adaptive and efficient. Despite facing failures and mistakes, these experiences provided him with valuable lessons that enhanced his ability to achieve tangible results with Agile.