Based on over 4-decades of observational research, I can confidently assert that intellectual laziness is an all-too-common leadership fail. It is a myth that managers manage by the numbers.  So many leaders that I’ve observed in action simply were not skilled thinkers, having little understanding of data, statistical methods, empirical analysis, and probabilistic decision-making.  In...Read More

There are a number of great anecdotes and quotes associated with American Football.  From Vince Lombardi, “What the hell is going on out there?” to Dick Butkus, “I only cheat in league games,” to Randy Moss’ “Straight cash, homie!” the characters of the game have provided us with a number of memorable one-liners and stories....Read More

In the last year, innumerable blogs have been written about how to do everything remotely.  On those days when our glass is half-full and COVID fatigue is low, we can appreciate that we live in a time with advanced remote working capabilities.  Despite our preference for colocation and face-to-face communication, Scrum teams are beneficiaries of...Read More

As a sports fan, I enjoy watching a number of different sports. One of my favorites; however, is baseball. I played the game when I was younger and have always enjoyed the strategy of it. Should we bunt here? We could steal, but if we’re caught, that ends the inning. Is it time to pull...Read More

At agilityIRL, we’re focused on helping teams, leaders, and organizations become Agile—in real life. If you’re ready to become Agile via a whole-system approach that changes both the mechanics and culture by which you work, you’ve come to the right place. We’re glad you’re here. Welcome! We’re Proud to Launch Our New Website Welcome to...Read More

Is yours is an environment regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and thus also a corporate Quality Management System (QMS)? CARS is a certification program that will teach field-proven practices for incorporating Agile in an FDA regulated and QMS governed environment.Read More

You’re going through your day as you always have for so many years, you go to perform a task that requires a little extra exertion, and you fall to the floor. The presenting cause is evident to the first responders—you’ve suffered a cardiac episode. The cardiologist diagnoses you as having arteriosclerosis and schedules you for...Read More

I mean it – your methodology does think you’re dumb. It doesn’t trust you, doesn’t believe that you can think for yourself, and doesn’t want you to inspect and adapt based on your current circumstances. A methodology is a prescribed series of steps that must be completed to encourage the successful completion of a goal....Read More

Based on our decades of experience in creating organizational agility in real life, we’ve found that there are six characteristics that agile organizations possess. First, and foremost, agile organizations start with, “Why?” Agile organizations understand the purpose of their work—the noble purpose of their work. Achieving an ROI or EBITDA or EPS does not mobilize...Read More

I worry that the Agile Movement is suffering from what I have come to call the “specialist syndrome,” and I worry about it growing into a plague. When I teach my class, “Design for Organizational Agility,” I talk about an organizational disease called the “specialist syndrome.” When what someone is doing and how they are...Read More