My drive is to significantly improve the quality of lives globally by elevating the quality of thoughts individually…
…and communicate these for better team results
The main reason why everyone’s not using the simple framework of scrum and agile is not because the theory is so difficult, it is because it often requires the individual and the company to change it mindset. This is a lot more difficult than implementing a process as it links into the way the company is, and in essences the company IS its people.
Link the common phrase ‘Charity begins at home’ so does Company mindset begins with the individuals mindset’. Whether its bottom up from the Scrum Master or top down from the Agile Coach working as an effective agile team only comes when individual truly buy into the scrum values and agile principles
Here we will focus on how the mindset of You, Your Team and Your Company are interconnected.
Personal Development
A well built, and maintained, ship with a definite destination is a powerful foe.
Getting your own house in order is a good place to start? This way you are thinking straight, your life is organized, you have well defined goals, and you have the will to go after the things that are important to you.
I hear a lot of people say, ‘yep that would be nice …but how?’
The tough answer is that you must do it yourself; but I will give you several tools that can help you. As I write these, I will attempt to link them into agile and scrum way of thinking.
A good starting point is:
Ask how your own values compare to those of the scrum value. Do you feel a connection? If yes, lets go..
Focus – the self discipline to stay doing tasks related to you goal
Commitment – The Will and persistence to keep going, no matter what.
Openness – share and lead a life of giving rather than one of taking
Courage – willingness to speak up and rise above conformity if necessary
Respect – treat everyone as if they are the most important person in the world
Ones subconsciousness is the part of your mind (brain for all intensive purposes) that controls your body. Unlike your conscious mind it does not have the power of deduction…the ability to distinguish between good and bad, to accept or reject, it only takes ‘what is’. And this ‘what is’ is what effects how you feel, think and act. See ‘the stick person’ for full explanation.
Your subconscious mind is ‘your real you’
and the good news is
you can change it.
Two Ways to Alter Your Mind
There are two known ways for a person to influence, or change, their subconsciousness:
Sudden impact event – this is mostly (yet not necessarily) a negative life changing even, for example; a serious accident, being told you need by the doctor you need to change something in your life now or you will die. Its an event which you can’t ignore and you simply do what necessary. It kicks in at a subconscious level, it becomes part of you and you just do it!… This is not a way we will seek out.
Repetition – You repeat what you say / do / think / write every day as often as possible until you subconscious mind simple says ‘OK, this is how we are going to do it from now on’. This easily explains how practice! practice! practice! is how you get good at sport, how you remember lessons from school or important people in you life decades later. Again like a ‘sudden impact event’ your subconscious mind does not want to do it and will fight you all the way…until eventual it will give in.
So your conscious decision is:
What will you feed your mind with?
will it be what people think around you, what happens to come over the media, resentment of others, anger at yourself or others? or would you like to give it something better. Have a goal and align your affirmations towards achieving that goal. One way to do this is through affirmations
Good Affirmations are healthy food the mind & body
When you read something a second time; your don’t see something new in it, you see something new in you that you never say before.
Good Affirmations
Nobody can ‘give you’ a perfect affirmation. Hell you will rarely create a perfect affirmation for yourself. But the reality is that you are the only one who can create a truly meaningful affirmation for yourself.
Don’t get me wrong, you can get some great inspiration from others you see with qualities you like, or take quotes from famous people like Napoleon, Nelson Mandela or Gandhi…But this only becomes useful to you when you feel them emotionally, and can truly relate to the context (and this is more than just understanding the words).
Once you can say an affirmation is truly yours, the simple (or seemingly simple) task is to repeat it again and again, and again. With today’s technology we have so many ways to do this:
writing
recording and listening on the go
make a video
music that reminds you of it
pictures that remind you, and vision board that bring it home with just a glance
As I mentioned earlier, your subconsciousness will fight this new idea with all its might. At the beginning the repetition will be easiest, you get an initial boost as you have ‘decided to do it’. As time goes on the repetition becomes…well repetitive… It goes against everything we are thought. It goes against the grain with thoughts like ‘Not again’, ‘Sure I know this already’, ‘I’m fed up with this’ , ‘Its stupid’….to logically ‘I just don’t want to do it’
….But remember you are 100% not alone. As a matter of fact it happens to everyone and a great quote from Rocky goes
…its not how many times your get knocked down, its how many times you get back up…and keep going.
Granted there are numerous things that can help you through the day, however, for me, I’ve narrowed it down to three essential elements. Take them or leave them, you might want to at least consider them and see if you are incorporating them into you daily life today.
Become the person you want to become
Provide the best service you can
Think for yourself
1. Become the person you want to become
Do you know what kind of person you ARE, and ever question if you are happy being this person. If your like 75% of the population of the developed world the answer may be ‘no’. This being the case…
Do you know what kind of person you want to BECOME? Sit down and think about it. I mean really think about it. Take time out to yourself and let you mind take you to the place you want to be. You got it? Then write it down…in as much detail as possible. The reason for the detail is that the next part of the process is to create a vision of this, and ultimately to think about it 24×7, and become it.
Do you know that
You are, without doubt, the very best in the world at…
…BEING YOU
also
If I want to BE ME I’ve gotta BE ME
2. Provide the best service you can
Ones does not MAKE money, it is always EARNED
Your reward (often, but not necessarily, with money) is in direction relation to the value of the service you render. The only people that make money work in a mint, the rest of us have to earn it.
The amount you earn is directly related to the value of the service you provide.
For example, the person sweeping the street keeps his allocated streets beautifully clean and affected say 100 people that use them. His supervisor manages say 10 Street-sweepers…so he is affecting 10 times as many people, 100, so his compensation is more that the individual cleaner. And this goes on and on up along the responsibility chain. Keep in mind, this is not saying that either man works harder than the other. There’s a good chance that the Supervisor used to be a Cleaner, but he stood out somehow and got a promotion. 95% of the time he was promoted because he put more into his work than was asked. He tried each day to do his duties better than the day before. The better you can do your job, the more interest you have in it and a positive attitude towards its execution, will ultimately enable you to stand out in the crowd. It more about how you do it than what you do.
He put more into his work than was asked. He tried each day to do his duties better than the day before.
3. Think for yourself
Do you know that the majority of the people in the world go through life without actually thinking
About 2% of the world ACTUALLY THINK and these 2% are the WEALTHIEST
By thinking we mean tapping into you elevated faculties and acting on their feedback
Our Elevated Faculties are:
Perception
Will
Reason
Imagination
Memory
Intuition
Truly being yourself and having the confidence to actually be yourself takes effort. Be honest with who you are and have the courage to BE who you are.
It means, have the self belief to do what you believe in. Having confidence will free you to to where your head leads you, to do what you must do.
Prerequisites are:
Know your beliefs and core values
Have a good image of your true self
Have faith that you can go wrong
Know that you are unique. There is, and can only be, one you… …so you’d better be yourself and not the person other people think you should be
Progressive humans fail their way to success.
We will always learn more from our failures that we do from our success.
A success is hollow if not preceded by (multiple) failures
You already have confidence, you just need to develop it
The more knowledge and experience you have the more confident you will be on that topic…so learn more.
… thus the more knowledge you have of yourself the more confidence you will be in yourself – get to know and study your true self.
Confidence has very little to do with intellect, it has more to do with faith, and by this I mean faith in yourself, and faith that the universe will provide.
3 Steps to More Confidence
1. Examine you Self Image
When you think of anything, you think in pictures.
This is quiet simple how our mind works. Children can identify sounds to things and see them,
long before the have any knowledge of the written language. In fact, long before they can speak they recognize something they like or want, and build an mental image of that so that they can ask for it in the future, should the occasion arise. This does not change as we get older…however, many of us forget that this is the case.
Find a nice quiet place and ask yourself to paint an image of who you are, what you want, what makes you think. Do this often. You cannot do it wrong…you honestly is only answerable to yourself.
Confidence is determined by what is going on inside of you NOT by what is going on externally.
If you don’t like the image you have of yourself DECIDE to change it.
Mind and body cannot be separated. Remember the body follows the mind and not visa versa…so keep you mind positive and prosperous.
Create your own personal Self Image Script. Write how you want to see yourself. Write it in the present tense. Read / Rewrite / Listen to it as often as you can. Build a picture board of it (Vision board) and implant it in you subconscious by constantly repeating it until it is accepted. When is is accepted by your subconsciousness you will become it.
2. Evaluate you Strengths and Weaknesses
Make a list of you strengths and weaknesses (most people will have more of these). Now pay attention to the next line…contrary to what many have been told growing up
DON’T WORK ON YOUR WEAKNESS.
Let me qualify that, only tackle your weaknesses if they are getting in the way of you achieving your goals, or if they are preventing you from developing your strengths.
DISCOVER WHAT YOU DO WELL AND WORK TIRELESSLY UNTIL YOU HAVE MASTERED IT, AND BEYOND.
One generally does something well because they like doing it, it therefore comes easy. By definition it will therefore become easier to be more dedicated to it.
People are rewarded for offering better service that their competitors. Concentrate on developing your strengths and be the best in you field and you’ll love what you do.
3. Make Everyone Feel Important
Train your mind to see ‘in all people’, what they do not see in themselves. Begin to treat every person you come in contact with as the most important person in the world.
Leave everyone you meet with an impression of increase. Don’t let other people (even themselves) influence how you think about someone. Look at them. look for what they do well and let them know you noticed it. Give sincerely merited complements freely.
…the good you find in others is a reflection of the good that is in yourself (this can also work in the opposite way)
Were not going to list all the providers here as a google search will quickly do that for you and, as many courses are done on line these days you can choose a provider anywhere in the world. Just take time to ensure they are the best fit for you. There a loads different certificates and certificate providers…choose the one that it best for you.
Check here from indeed.ie see the different courses and corresponding career possibilities.
Here are a few providers we like that are based in Ireland covering Scum Alliance, PMI and Scrum.org.
The Irish government has actively pursued foreign international investment in the last 30 years. It was particularly successful with software companies where Ireland rose to become the second highest exporter of software in the world, thanks to all the software companies that have their European headquarters here.
Companies in Ireland
Irish Economic Growth
The follow list is provided with compliments of www.dublin.ie
Many of America’s tech giants have set up their European operations in Dublin. Here, these world-renowned multinationals can tap into our pool of young, English-speaking and well-educated workers.
The large number of multinational companies in Dublin has had the effect of drawing the world’s leading professional services firms to the city too. So if you’re looking for a job in accounting, Dublin is a great destination for you.
Dublin has a proven track record for nurturing its world-leading science, engineering and health sectors. Pharmaceuticals are one of our biggest exports and our pool of well-educated STEM professionals attracts the world’s most cutting-edge multinationals. Links with local universities also boosts investment in R&D.
When you, as the producer benefit from a product, you are receiving value. This value / producer benefit can be either:
Money
Improving society
Value is only realized after the product (or a version of it) is RELEASED.
Therefore the quicker the first release the quicker ‘return on investment’ starts to be realized.
EBM – Evidence Based Management
Evidence-Based Management is the process of using data to make decisions and create strategies for a business.
Evidence-Based Management is becoming increasingly popular in today’s business world. It is the process of using data to make decisions and create strategies for a business. Companies are increasingly recognizing the value of using data to inform their decisions, as well as the potential advantages that evidence-based management can bring to their operations. Evidence-Based Management is being embraced by companies in a range of industries, from healthcare to manufacturing, and its popularity is only likely to grow in the future.
EBM is not limited to agile companies. The approach can be employed by businesses of any size and in any industry. That said, agile companies may be particularly well-suited to Evidence-Based Management, as they are better-equipped to quickly analyze data and use it to inform their decisions and strategies.
Metrics
EBM does not tell you what metrics to measure, thus allowing the framework to remain adaptable. The metrics below are some of those commonly used cross industries:
Note that when looking at any metrics or data that you keeping mind whether it is a leading or lagging indicator.
Tracking Metrics Methodologies
Ensure metrics are value neutral: Keep them free from influence and judgement. There is not good or bad information; there is only the current reality. This is what is meant by value neutrality.
Spider Graph
An important aspect of putting value metrics in place is establishing the discipline to remeasure over time. The trends that emerge are as important as the data itself. Use to show metric changes over time.
A picture of success of a project at a particular point in time.
It should be:
Inspiring
Technically sound
Documented
Communicated
A focused vision needs to be both
Practical (tell it) and Emotional (sell it)
Personal – Corporate – Product Vision
The most persistent visions are the ones that we emotionally embrace. Our emotions are part of our subconscious and thus part of ourselves and not something we can physically express at the early stages. If we study the above diagram we can summarize that our past experiences (personal and professional) and our ability to fantasize give us ideas. Those ideas when coupled with will and pragmatic analysis product a vision. A vision that is constantly reinforce becomes a goal.
People who ‘buy into’ your vision are the people you want on you team. They are the producers and the consumers of your product.
Agile Methodologies for Product Vision
Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management and entrepreneurial tool used to develop new or document existing business models. It is a visual chart with elements describing a firm’s or product’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. It allows entrepreneurs to describe, design, challenge, invent, and pivot their business model. It assists firms in aligning their activities by illustrating potential trade-offs.
The Lean Canvas is a strategic business model created by Ash Maurya that helps entrepreneurs quickly develop and communicate their business ideas. It is a one-page document that helps entrepreneurs identify and prioritize the key elements of their business.
The Lean Canvas is composed of nine boxes that represent the key elements of a business. These boxes include customer segments, value propositions, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key metrics, key resources, key activities, and cost structure.
The Lean Canvas highlights aspects of a business that are essential for success and allows entrepreneurs to quickly adjust their business plans based on customer feedback.
The Value Proposition Canvas is a tool used to design and develop a product or service that provides value to customers. It is a visual tool that allows companies to map out their value proposition in a structured way, by identifying the customer’s problem, their needs, and the product or service features that solve their problem.
The canvas also helps to identify the customer segments the product or service is designed to serve, the customer’s job-to-be-done and the channels through which the product or service is delivered.
It is a valuable tool for entrepreneurs, product managers, and marketers, as it helps to create a clear understanding of customers’ needs, and how to develop a value proposition that meets those needs.
Product box vision tool is a software development tool that helps software developers and stakeholder visualize their software product as a 3D box. It allows developers to create a 3D representation of their software product so they can better understand the entire product architecture, the relationships between components and the overall impact of the features. It also helps them to identify potential weaknesses and areas that need improvement.
The product box vision tool can be used to quickly create detailed diagrams of the product, as well as to analyze the user experience and feedback from customers. The tool can also be used to create product roadmaps and to help prioritize development tasks.
Front of Box
Product Name
Product Image
Obvious target customer
Obvious value proposition fro the target customer
Back (and sides) of the Box
More detail about the features
Information relevant to different customers
Elevator Pitch
Vision Elevator Pitch Tool is a simple yet powerful tool designed to help entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses create an elevator pitch that clearly outlines their vision.
Fill in the gaps in the below sentence and then rewrite it a one, or two sentences. Come back to it, examine it and amend.
There are so many ‘great thinkers’ and recipes for success out there that it difficult to know what road to follow. I’m 100% not telling you what road to follow. What I’m sharing are a few teachers who, in my opinion, share a common way of thinking, and thus complement each other. The scrum values and the agile manifesto fit into their overarching message.
“Live you life a better way and do you business a better way, every day…good luck!”
Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich is a 1937 personal development and self-help book written by Napoleon Hill. It is based on Hill’s earlier work, The Law of Success, and outlines the steps needed to become successful.
The book proposes that success is achievable by using the power of one’s mind and the principles of creative visualization. It also covers topics such as the power of positive thinking, the power of the subconscious mind, and the importance of goal setting. Throughout the book, Hill emphasizes the importance of persistence and determination in achieving success. He also emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility, faith in yourself, and the power of positive thinking. He advises that taking action and not giving up are key to success.
His work directly influenced…
Earl Nightengale
The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightengale is a motivational book that explores the power of positive thinking. The book teaches readers how to take control of their lives and achieve success. It emphasizes the importance of setting goals, developing strong beliefs, and being consistent in one’s actions. It encourages readers to be persistent, motivated, and patient in order to achieve their desired outcomes. The book also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and having a clear understanding of one’s purpose in life. It encourages readers to take responsibility for their actions and outcomes, and to develop a strong self-discipline.
Bob Proctor
Bob Proctor, who recently passed away, was a world-renowned life coach and motivational speaker who taught people how to unlock their full potential and reach their goals.
His teachings focus on success, personal growth, and self-improvement. He encourages his students to think positively, tap into their inner strength, and take action towards their dreams. He also emphasizes the importance of creating a vision for the future and using affirmations to stay focused and motivated. He believes that anyone can achieve success if they believe in themselves and work hard.
Tony Robbins is a life coach and motivational speaker who has developed a philosophy that is based around the principles of personal achievement. He believes that people have the power to create their own destiny, and that they can do so by understanding their own unique power and potential.
Robbins encourages people to take responsibility for their own lives and to set and pursue their own goals. He believes that by developing a positive mindset, people can tap into their inner strength to create positive change in their lives. His philosophy also emphasizes the importance of hard work, goal setting, and commitment to achieving success in life.
Wayne Dyre
Wayne Dyre’s philosophy is centered around the idea of “living in the now” and embracing life with a positive attitude. He believes that we should focus on the present moment, rather than worrying about the past or the future. He encourages us to find joy in the simple things in life, such as spending time with friends and family, and being kind to ourselves and others. By living in the present, we can create a more fulfilling and meaningful life. He also emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-improvement in order to achieve our goals.
