OMS Consulting Partners, LLC

Sports heroes like Michael Jordan inspire us to think that there might be such a thing as a 'clutch' pressure performer who improves when the heat is on... Our minds fool us into thinking we are doing better work when we are under pressure... But it's all a huge myth... Take a look at this ~3 minute clip from a National Geographic series called "Brain Games" and check out "Performing Under Pressure" by Hendrie Weisinger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jgP-wKQOrU And be sure to check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Performing-Under-Pressure-Science-Matters/dp/0804136726 From Performing Under Pressure... The Bottom line - pressure is the enemy of success:  It undermines performance and helps us fail. Pressure adversely impacts our cognitive success Pressure downgrades our behavioral skills In pressure moments, most people perform below their capability The influence of pressure on derailing your performance is often d...

Gil Broza nails it with this article "Imposing Agile is a Non-Starter" Author of "The Human Side of Agile" and "The Agile Mind-Set" as well as a visionary trainer (and one of my favorite Agilists), reminds us that we can only coach the willing, or as Jeff Sutherland (co-creator of Scrum) says,  "Agile innovation depends on having a cadre of eager participants"  http://3pvantage.com/imposing-agile-is-a-non-starter/ While you are at it, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of one of Gil's books, or better yet, attend one of his upcoming training sessions! Thanks Gil!! Looking for experience-based training to help you grow as an Agile leader? The single remaining session of “ Practical Agile Leadership ” in 2019 is in Boston this November, and the price is going up on Sunday. Join me for two immersive days of pragmatic guidance. Here is what a past attendee had to say: The content focused purely on the Agile ...

(from  guest blogger,  Matthew Davison) When I think about good user stories, I get excited...probably too excited. I like to think of them as menu items – a general summary, with enough detail to give an idea about the food, but not a recipe with instructions. But what if a restaurant has no clue what type of diners they serve? What if their clientele were all just "users"? What are the risks? Imagine my menu lists a "rice dish" and my understanding of the customer went something like this:                 As a user                 I want a rice dish                 So that I can satisfy my appetite Would you be surprised if the diner ended up with a rice cake? Are you sure the customer would be satisfied? Now , imagine the followi...

A 'who's who' of corporate giants, part of the "Business Roundtable" say giving the shareholder the maximum money at the expense of everyone and everything else is becoming a thing of the past...? The Agile model puts the stakeholder (including the customer) at the center of the equation, not the shareholder, with a key responsibility of the Product Owner to represent ALL stakeholders in a balanced/prioritized fashion. Is this just a Public Relations move, or is there real teeth to this?? Could this be a real move of corporate America towards a more Agile mindset? https://www.fastcompany.com/90391743/top-ceo-group-business-roundtable-drops-shareholder-primacy

Harvard Business Review article - when our brains decide to trust... Agile Principle #5:   Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done. Harvard Business Review Article on when our brains decide to trust:     https://hbr.org/2019/07/how-our-brains-decide-when-to-trust Excerpt: Trust is the enabler of global business — without it, most market transactions would be impossible. It is also a hallmark of high-performing organizations. Employees in high-trust companies are more productive, are more satisfied with their jobs, put in greater discretionary effort, are less likely to search for new jobs, and even are healthier than those working in low-trust companies. Businesses that build trust among their customers are rewarded with greater loyalty and higher sales. And negotiators who build trust with each other are more likely to find value...

Thank you  Natalia Babaeva @scrumgenius! https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-explain-agile-and-scrum-to-your-grandpa-in-5-mins-and-to-better-understand-both-yourself-3792748fa085

This should be an interesting one... https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190809005432/en/Project-Management-Institute-Announces-Acquisition-Disciplined-Agile According to the announcement... " The DA toolkit is the world’s only comprehensive agile body of knowledge (BOK)".   Hmmm... will this be the newer, even more fast food version of SAFe?  Or will PMI get it right?