Thoughts from a Thirsty Bear

Customer feedback. We all know we need it to make sure we are delivering the right thing. But sometimes we all have trouble engaging. The customer might be busy, or disinterested, or both. So here's a little tip that might just help. Like all the best stories, this happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....  We were working on a web front end and associated backend system for a client. But we were suffering from the "disengaged  customer" anti pattern. The customer would not commit to a web front end design, and help us design the look and feel needed for the application. We provided a few options over a couple of iterations to try and start the design conversation, but none connected despite our efforts. So we threw in a " smelly sock ". Something so stinky it guaranteed to get folks going " Ewwww! Get that out of here!". I seem to remember we disabled all CSS formatting.... Sure enough, we got a reaction during the regular show-and-tell s

Bill Gates chose to open his 2013 TED talk with the words  "Everyone needs a coach" . Someone to provide feedback, and help them see how others see them. True enough - I have helped many people over the years understand themselves, how they interact with others, and how they can resolve inner conflicts and improve. For me, being an effective personal coach is one part of providing quality leadership to companies, and was one reason I went on the Barefoot coaching course a while back. But let's zoom out, and look at the next level in the software industry, specifically the delivery teams. These folks should be the powerhouse of any company, turning customer needs and ideas into reality that can be assessed for usefulness, and ultimately value (whatever that is - value can take many forms. Maybe a subject to explore another day).  However, in companies I work with I am seeing a problem with many of these powerhouses. Something that I suspect is rapidly becoming a  BIG prob

Established companies today are facing many problems. Recovering from the Covid pandemic. Adapting (or otherwise) to remote working. Keeping up with younger, smaller, faster competitors that seem to be able to adapt much more readily to today’s VUCA environment. The list seems to be endless. To do this, many are changing the way they work - they are undergoing transformation . But…many have a problem… I give you the Pitts Power Paradox of Organisational Transformation! (Not exactly a snappy title, granted). Let me explain. Having been involved in many of these transformations where ‘traditional’ companies are attempting to change the way they do business, I am seeing a common pattern of failure. They ignore one fundamental issue that can be summed up in a single quote: “ All organisations are perfectly designed to get the results they get. ” - Arthur W. Jones Every organisation already has a system in place - a way of working - that gets precisely the existing results. To change the r

  Well, it has been a rollercoaster ride on Twitter, arguably the most popular microblogging site ever for a long time. Most recently it has been bought by a billionaire who seems to have a flair for destroying the brand. With the removal of effective moderation, and subsequent deterioration in interactions especially towards minority groups, as well as the truly abysmal treatment of the Twitter staff since the takeover, I can no longer support the site. My Twitter account is now parked for the foreseeable future to avoid any risk of impersonation, and it is currently locked. Don't expect any interaction any time soon. Instead I can now be found on Mastodon - an open source, distributed network of social networking servers. Some of the deliberate design choices Mastodon has made seem to have made the interactions there much more valuable, and less inclined towards polarisation of views and deliberately manufactured conflict. Put simply, it simply seems to be a friendlier and more v

This article has been bubbling under for a while, triggered when I stumbled across this Twitter thread making some predictions about the near future of work. The ideas resonated with me, but this tweet in particular caught my eye: " what companies think hybrid work is and what workers think it is are two different things " I am already seeing evidence that this prediction is coming true. " Hybrid Working " is such a loaded term that misunderstandings are inevitable. Yet it is still being sold as the “best of both worlds” (office and remote) even though it is likely to become the worst of both unless companies handle things very carefully indeed. As the pandemic restrictions are eased, this will become more and more important. Before looking at how best to handle hybrid working patterns, what is it exactly? And what might the options be? "Hybrid" seems to be best defined as some people working in the office some of the time. This definition is fine, but i

I am sitting here, in front of my desk in my home office, nursing the effects of an ongoing coronavirus party through my system that has knocked me flat for a while. It is quite remarkable how much it affected me - a triple-vaccinated and reasonably fit individual. I can only assume that without the little bit of help from medical science I could have been in serious bother. So please get vaccinated! But I digress... The downtime has given me some time to muse upon the nature of remote work and being ill first-hand. Here are my thoughts jotted down between periods of brain fog (necessarily short - my current concentration span is still roughly... OH LOOK, A SQUIRREL!) If you don't feel well enough to go into a physical office, do not "go into work" remotely The wonderful thing about remote work is that you cannot infect coworkers with your germs. You can cough and splutter all you want over your own keyboard and screens ( ewwww! ), but it is not going to send the entire t

TL;DR Everyone brings a piece of the  online  meeting environment with them. So: Be heard. Make sure your microphone is adequate, and picking you up clearly. Don't mute unless you have to. Be seen. Use a decent camera, with good lighting, and have it on by default unless there is a reason not to. Turn off self view. Be aware of your square. Watch your background, and learn how to stay in shot. D on't be afraid to check your setup  with a colleague, and get feedback.

By popular request...here is a blow-by-blow run through of the simple 60 minute 'Good, Bad, Puzzling' retrospective format that I use. Have fun using it.  Good, Bad, Puzzling Retrospective Introductions and checkin (10 minutes) Start off the retrospective by getting people to “check in”. That is, invite them to speak early on, focussing on what is being reviewed. This makes them feel like they are part of the meeting, and implicitly invites them to actively participate. I normally use something like: Describe the last Sprint in 3 words If the last Sprint was a Star Trek/Star Wars/South Park character, which one would it be? What colour was the last Sprint? ...and so on.... Get creative! Once everyone has checked in, you need to create a “safe zone” where the Sprint can be discussed without blame. Everyone needs to agree that everyone in the Sprint always acted as best they could under the circumstances at the time, and to accept that anything th

Back in 2009, a fine developer for Los Techies produced a set of mocked up motivational posters representing the SOLID principles . She was even kind enough to release them under a Creative Commons license. But as is the way of all things, internet rust has set in and the images have been unlinked from the original article during an archive exercise - but they live on throughout the internet! I have collected the images here - and would like to say " Thank you, River Lynn Bailey ". This is a great, amusing and educational resource for everyone.

It has finally happened! My first podcast interview, ever! I was interviewed by Ian Gill from  Agility By Nature . I have known Ian for a fair few years now, having worked together and shared a few beers on several occasions! We talked about all kinds of things, from my early tinkering with agile methods, through to where I think the industry is heading, and a lot in-between too, some of possibly (hopefully) a little controversial....  Have a listen, and please do ask questions in the comments. AgilityByNature · An Agile Audience with Chris Pitts and Agility by Nature

So here we are,  in the umpteenth week of the coronavirus pandemic. The UK scientists and WHO are saying that we are in this for the long haul - at least a year, maybe longer, perhaps forever if we cannot develop an effective vaccine. I have already written about how this is affecting people . This post is not about that. But something that is become blatantly obvious is that the ways we work are changing . Which means  companies and people need to change . And change is hard . So what I would like to know is: How can we help you here at Thirsty Bear Solutions?  What kind of help do you need to make these possibly seismic changes? As a company, we have a broad set of skills. Which means we need your help to help you. So would you please consider filling a short questionnaire that will guide us to where we need to focus our efforts? Thank you in advance.  Helping us help you questionnaire

“ May you live in interesting times ”, or so goes the ancient Chinese curse. That certainly seems to be applicable to the past few years, arguably even decades. Technology marches on apace, creating a razor sharp double-edged sword that is capable of holding governments to account, yet also capable of slicing into our personal privacy and stifling dissent. Social media has now moved on from an innocent way of staying in touch with remote friends, encouraging collaboration, tolerance and discussion, and has now been weaponised in order to influence opinions, support corrupt organisations, and manipulate the Overton Window . We now have wannabe dictators attempting to force online platforms to treat speculation and lies the same as undisputed truths. We even have leaders of hugely influential companies abdicating their social responsibility to act against bad actors, allowing their platform to be taken over by fascist and racist agendas, presumably to protect bottom line profit.

I am running an online coding kata! This is a format I have run many times in person, with various companies. So it is now time to try it in the online, post-Covid world. Since this is its first time through, I am offering it for free . Tickets are limited. Sign up if interested. Come and get 'em while they're hot!

Discombobulated . My new favourite mot du jour  since it seems to perfectly capture what many people, myself included, are going through with this Covid-19 crisis and associated lockdown and limitations. From the OED: Does this sound familiar? That general feeling of disconnection, discomfort, even confusion caused by the sudden changes in the world recently. Perhaps an inability to concentrate, or the opposite, wanting to zone out deeper than ever. Perhaps your sleep patterns have changed, or the way you eat (maybe more than usual, maybe less), or your caffeine or alcohol consumption. Feeling a little more grumpy/intolerant? Everyone will react differently. One thing is certain. Everyone's cheese has most definitely been moved, and with minimal warning. Before I go further, I have one important piece of reassurance for everyone who is feeling the effects of this lockdown, whatever these effects may be. You are OK. It's normal. Here in the UK, Chris Witty, the UK C

Anyone who knows me, or follows my posts on social media, will know that I have been studying for a Post Graduate Certificate in Personal and Business Coaching with Chester University. It is a fantastic journey, and has most definitely helped me understand myself in greater depth, as well as has helping my coachees! But the term " coaching " seems to be creating some confusion. Which is somewhat unsurprising as someone who has marketed themselves as an “ Agile Coach ” since 2005, it would be perfectly reasonable to assume the “coaching” training I am doing has something to do with agile processes and teams. Except nothing could be further from the truth… So if it’s not related to " agile coaching ", what on earth is this " personal/business coaching " thing? Let us start by describing what I do when “coaching” a software team in agility. “Agile” 1 has a well defined set of values, practices and principles that define it 2 , 3 . Stray from these, a

  “The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development  team is face-to-face conversation.” The Agile Manifesto’s 6th Principle.   Obvious, isn’t it? The fastest, easiest, best way to exchange information is to actually talk to people . From this simple premise comes the recommendation of “collocated teams” - so that people can communicate with minimal friction. I shall put my hand up and admit that I have fully supported this idea for years, and have regularly encouraged teams to adopt it, usually with fantastic results. There can be no doubt that the approach works extremely well. Not working together in the same physical space forces compromise since it  reduces collaboration unless people actively work to come together. Information flow happens more slowly, and becomes more ‘clunky’. Also people lose the subtle cues from body language, half-heard discussions, and instant team timeouts to discuss important issues or design dec