It's a classic facilitation blunder: You start giving instructions for an activity, and as you're talking, people begin the activity. You try to reel in those eager participants so you can get the rest of your instructions out. Then, as everyone starts, you realize you forgot something important and need to get the group back together for more instructions.
The best facilitators are extremely deliberate about how they give instructions. Read More
When teams get stuck, great facilitators don’t push harder—they play a wildcard. Learn how a surprising prompt helped one team break a months-long pattern and how you can apply a similar approach to help your team. Read More
Leadership is complex—so it's tempting to think you need to master dozens of competencies to be effective. But research from the Leadership Circle Profile narrows it down to the three that truly matter most highly correlated with effective leadership.
In this episode, we provide a clear description of these three competencies, why those three stand out from the many other options, and show you how you can begin practicing these competencies right away with a high leverage, five minute habit, improving your leadership effectiveness and helping you shift into a more Creative stance on leadership over the long term. Read More
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If your team feels worn out, it's not just you—and it's not because you're doing Agile wrong.
In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we describe two simple, proven techniques to help teams recover from the constant pressure to improve. From refreshing your retrospectives to scheduling strategic "cool downs," we show how small changes can make a big impact. Read More
Most organizations invest heavily in strategy to gain alignment—only to see those plans fall apart when complexity enters the picture. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, learn a better way to build product strategy—one designed for complexity. Read More
In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we tackle one of the most-requested topics in Agile and Scrum: how to split a user story effectively. Drawing from our best-selling 80/20 Product Backlog Refinement course, Richard walks through the widely-used Story Splitting Flowchart, breaking down common challenges and actionable solutions. Read More
Leading change doesn’t have to feel like a struggle—it can be joyful, creative, and deeply collaborative. In this episode, we explore a powerful shift in mindset that turns resistance into partnership, using Eli Goldratt’s Levels of Resistance model. Instead of fighting pushback, what if you invited skeptics to help solve the challenges?
We’ll show you how to reframe resistance as an opportunity for co-creation—where change becomes not just necessary, but exciting. If you’ve ever wanted change efforts to feel more energizing and less exhausting, this episode is for you. Read More
Should you split the Scrum Product Owner role? Many organizations do—but is it the right move? In this episode, we break down why companies divide the PO role (often into Product Manager, Product Owner, and/or Business Analyst), the hidden downsides that can hurt product success, and the key to making it work if you must split it.
Learn how a proven delegation model can prevent misalignment, reduce bottlenecks, and improve decision-making. Don’t let a split PO role slow your team down! Read More
Struggling to balance Agile’s adaptability with the predictability leaders demand? You’re not alone. Many teams try to blend Agile and Waterfall, only to end up with the worst of both—rigid upfront planning that falls apart or chaotic iteration with no clear direction.
n this episode, we introduce Active Planning, a key breakthrough in the CAPED (Complexity-Aware Planning, Estimation, and Delivery) approach. Inspired by Pixar’s storytelling process and Frank Gehry’s architectural methods, Active Planning tackles complexity head-on—bringing predictability without rigidity. Read More
