In this third installment of our value stream mapping series, Mary shows Lance and Dave how to apply the technique of value stream mapping to your business architecture and capabilities so that you can make more informed, intentional, data-driven decisions to improve your business.

Contacting Mary Lloyd
If you’d like to contact Mary, you can reach her at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/mary-lloyd/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mary-lawson-lloyd/
Email: mary.lloyd@leadingagile.com

Contacting Lance Kind
If you'd like to contact Lance, you can reach him at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/lance-kind/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lancer-kind/
X: x.com/LancerKind
Email: lance.kind@leadingagile.com

Contacting Dave Prior
If you’d like to contact Dave, you can reach him at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/dave-prior/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo
X: x.com/mrsungo
Email: dave.prior@leadingagile.com

If you have a question you’d like to submit for an upcoming podcast, please send them to dave.prior@leadingagile.com

Interested in CSM or CSPO Training?
You can find all the details at www.leadingagile.com/scrum-training/

Using Value Stream Maps to Identify Improvement Opportunities

A big part of becoming a truly product-driven organization is getting better at understanding the needs of your customers, and improving your products to meet their needs. In this video, Mary, Dave, and Lance take on the topic of customer journey mapping and show you how this tool can help you align around the needs of your customer. They’ll explain how this technique can identify the customer experience and put specific actions in place to court correct and wee out any of the negative experiences customers are having with your product. 

Contacting Mary Lloyd
If you’d like to contact Mary, you can reach her at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/mary-lloyd/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mary-lawson-lloyd/
Email: mary.lloyd@leadingagile.com

Contacting Lance Kind
If you'd like to contact Lance, you can reach him at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/lance-kind/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lancer-kind/
X: x.com/LancerKind
Email: lance.kind@leadingagile.com

Contacting Dave Prior
If you’d like to contact Dave, you can reach him at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/dave-prior/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo
X: x.com/mrsungo
Email: dave.prior@leadingagile.com

If you have a question you’d like to submit for an upcoming podcast, please send them to dave.prior@leadingagile.com

Interested in CSM or CSPO Training?
You can find all the details at www.leadingagile.com/scrum-training/

How to Align Your Product-Driven Organization to the Customer Experience

We’re back with an all-new episode of SoundNotes where we discuss the nature of products. What are they? How are they different from services and experiences? And does it really even matter? Watch this week’s spirited conversation to see how we’re thinking about and defining products, and discover how your organization might be spinning its wheels by even having the debate.  

Contacting Mary Lloyd
If you’d like to contact Mary, you can reach her at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/mary-lloyd/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mary-lawson-lloyd/
Email: mary.lloyd@leadingagile.com

Contacting Andrew Young
If you'd like to contact Andrew, you can reach him at: 

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/andrew-young/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/atyoung/
Twitter: x.com/exclamation101
Email: andrew.young@leadingagile.com

Contacting Dave Prior
If you’d like to contact Dave, you can reach him at:

LeadingAgile: www.leadingagile.com/guides/dave-prior/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo
X: x.com/mrsungo
Email: dave.prior@leadingagile.com

If you have a question you’d like to submit for an upcoming podcast, please send them to dave.prior@leadingagile.com

Interested in CSM or CSPO Training?
You can find all the details at www.leadingagile.com/scrum-training/

Product Development: Using Systems Thinking to Achieve Better Business Outcomes

Many companies are moving to the cloud only to realize that they aren’t getting the cloud benefits. Not only are they not able to improve performance and scalability, but they’re also paying more than they were before. The reality is that the economic drivers pushing these companies into the cloud, inevitably lead to large lift and shifts where monolithic, legacy applications get moved to the cloud without the necessary modernization required to reap the rewards of cloud migration.

Today, those same companies that moved to the cloud are looking to move back on-prem or toward a hybrid environment to cut costs, but what if there’s another way? What if you could strategically refactor your applications after they’ve been moved to the cloud and rescue your cloud initiative? Learn how cloud rescue can get you the benefits of the cloud while reducing costs.

How Cloud Rescue Enables Enterprise Transformation

Summary
In this conversation, Si Alhir and Dave discuss the Art of War, its application in transformation work, and the naturalness and unity found within its wisdom. They explore the concept of taking whole, the relationship with the environment, and the role of the Sage Commander. Si shares personal experiences and insights, emphasizing the transformative power of the Art of War. The conversation delves into the concept of enlightened leadership and the application of the principles from 'The Art of War' in organizational transformation. It explores the distinction between an enlightened ruler and a wise general, the importance of psychological safety, and the shift from a vicious ego-based reality control cycle to a virtuous eco-based reality navigation cycle. The conversation concludes with a powerful story of using the ordinary and the extraordinary to transform toxic organizational dynamics.

Takeaways
	•	The Art of War is a transformative wisdom that emphasizes naturalness and unity in its application.
	•	The concept of taking whole and the relationship with the environment are key elements of the Art of War's wisdom.
	•	The role of the Sage Commander involves patience, relaxation, and an understanding of the natural flow of time and energy.
	•	Leadership power lies in the individual's ability to navigate the world around them, working with the environment as a partner.
	•	The Art of War offers tools for practice and learning, requiring a mindful and respectful approach to its application. Enlightened leadership requires awareness and mindfulness in navigating the nature of things.
	•	Psychological safety should focus on building strong individuals to interact in an unsafe world.
	•	The application of 'The Art of War' principles can lead to successful organizational transformation.
	•	The distinction between the vicious ego-based reality control cycle and the virtuous eco-based reality navigation cycle is crucial for effective leadership.
	•	Using the ordinary and the extraordinary can transform toxic organizational dynamics.
Titles
	•	Tools for Practice and Learning in the Art of War
	•	Exploring the Transformative Wisdom of the Art of War Transforming Toxic Organizational Dynamics
	•	Navigating Psychological Safety and Reality in Leadership
Chapters

00:00 	Preroll Intro
02:33 	Introduction to the Art of War and Transformation Work
13:42	The Concept of Taking Whole and Unity
29:21 	Navigating the Environment as a Partner
33:03	Tools for Practice and Learning
34:05	Enlightened Leadership and 'The Art of War' in Organizational Transformation
36:56	Navigating Psychological Safety and Reality in Leadership
43:43	The Shift from Vicious Ego-Based Reality Control to Virtuous Eco-Based Reality Navigation
59:39	Transforming Toxic Organizational Dynamics



The Art of War in the Wild (May 2024)

Panel #1 - Brad Barton, Mark Ferraro, and Si Alhir
https://lnkd.in/emmnxQut

Panel #2 - Cynthia Chambers, Christine Ferraro, and Holly Fiorello
https://lnkd.in/eZNX6mJB

Panel #3 - Chris Herring, Cynthia Chambers, and Mudasir Ahamed
https://lnkd.in/ed3kyMUB

Panel #4 - John Cherian., Chris Herring, and Dave Prior
https://lnkd.in/eXB7Mm5x

Si's Books on Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/6rjvkucw

Contacting Si
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salhir/

Dave's Links
Dave's upcoming classes: tinyurl.com/u2vh9zh8
The Art of War for Collaboration: modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration
Contacting Dave: linktr.ee/mrsungo

Thr Art of War with Si Alhir

Summary

In this conversation, Si Alhir discusses the concepts of agility, resilience, and anti-fragility and how they relate to navigating stress and achieving growth. He emphasizes the importance of embracing stress and using it as a tool for adaptation and evolution. Si also highlights the need for balance between order and disorder, and the dangers of too much of either. The conversation touches on examples such as vaccinations, exercise, and the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and organizations. Si Alhir discusses how ecosystem thinking and the concept of the edge play a role in increasing agility, resilience, and antifragility in organizations. He shares real-life examples of how organizations have leveraged these concepts to overcome challenges and achieve success. Si also introduces the Edge Collection, a set of instruments that help assess and cultivate agility, resilience, and antifragility at the individual, team, enterprise, and ecosystem levels.

Takeaways
- Agility, resilience, and anti-fragility are degrees on a spectrum, not absolute elements.
- Stress is necessary for growth and building resilience, but it must be leveraged intelligently.
- The key is to seek stress and disorder proactively, rather than reacting to it.
- The in-between, or the edge, is where the magic happens and where organizations and individuals thrive.
- Too much order or too much disorder can be debilitating, so balance is crucial.
- The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for adaptability and the challenges of navigating extreme situations. Ecosystem thinking is a worldview that can be applied to organizations, teams, technical architectures, infrastructure, and society.
- Increasing agility, resilience, and antifragility requires exploratory and discovery work to understand what factors contribute to these qualities and how to amplify them.
- The edge is where agility, resilience, and antifragility intersect, and maintaining the tension between these three is crucial.
- The Edge Collection is a set of instruments that assess and cultivate agility, resilience, and antifragility at different levels of an organization.
- Ecosystem enterprises are those that thrive on the edge, balancing stability and adaptability to navigate complex environments.

Chapters
00:00 Podcast Overview and Annoucements
03:08 Introduction and Origin Story
06:24 The Edge: Embracing Stress and Anti-Fragility
13:17 Agility, Resilience, and Anti-Fragility as Muscle Fibers
28:55 Navigating Extreme Situations: Lessons from COVID-19
30:50 Introduction to Ecosystem Thinking and the Edge
33:20 Understanding Ecosystems and Applying Ecosystem Thinking
35:45 The Five E's and Five C's of Ecosystem Thinking
42:26 Introducing the Edge Collection: Assessing and Cultivating Agility, Resilience, and Antifragility
46:24 The Edge: Where Agility, Resilience, and Antifragility Intersect
49:29 Cultivating Agility, Resilience, and Antifragility with the Edge Collection
52:13 Thriving on the Edge: Balancing Stability and Adaptability in Ecosystem Enterprises

Links from the podcast

Contacting Si Alhir
Si’s books on Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/salhir 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salhir/


The Art of War in the Wild
https://tinyurl.com/3abab6pb

The Edge Collection on Comparative Agility
https://www.comparativeagility.com/capabilities/team-edge-assessment

The Art of War for Collaboration 
https://modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration

Guided Personal Kanban Class with Dave Prior and Mark Kilby
https://modusinstitute.com/course/guided-pk-sep-usa

The Agile Network
https://theagilenetwork.com/
Use Promo Code DRUNKENPM8C20 to get 20% off Annual Membership or DRUNKENPM8CM to get  1 Month Free

The Edge Collection w Si Alhir

In this conversation, Dave Prior, Brett Harned, and Greg Storey discuss the importance of creating a humane workspace through effective communication and collaboration. They share their backgrounds, the founding of Same Team Partners, and the significance of addressing communication issues within teams. The discussion highlights the need for leaders to be trained in facilitating meaningful conversations and the role of Team Angle in diagnosing and improving team dynamics. The conversation emphasizes the importance of empathy, cultural understanding, and creating a safe environment for teams to thrive. In this conversation, the speakers discuss the importance of understanding and communicating company values, the necessity of documentation and effective communication within teams, and the role of visualization in work processes. They emphasize creating safe spaces for team discussions, empowering teams through inclusivity, and the need for transformation at the team level rather than just implementing new processes. The conversation highlights the challenges leaders face in fostering a healthy team culture and the significance of ongoing dialogue and collaboration to improve team dynamics.

Takeaways
	•	Creating a humane workspace is essential for team success.
	•	Many problems in teams stem from poor communication.
	•	Positive culture leads to high-performing teams.
	•	Stress and tension can be indicators of team dysfunction.
	•	Empathy is crucial for understanding team dynamics.
	•	Team Angle helps identify misalignments within teams.
	•	Leaders often lack training for meaningful conversations.
	•	Engagement at all levels is necessary for success.
	•	Creating a shared language enhances team collaboration.
	•	Structured conversations can improve team dynamics. Understanding company values is crucial for alignment.
	•	Documentation is essential for effective communication.
	•	Visual representation of work processes aids understanding.
	•	Creating safe spaces encourages open dialogue.
	•	Inclusivity fosters team empowerment and motivation.
	•	Teams should be involved in the solution process.
	•	Transformation should focus on team dynamics, not just processes.
	•	Regular one-on-ones significantly increase team engagement.
	•	Leaders need to be aware of their team's challenges.
	•	Empathy and collaboration are key to overcoming obstacles.

Chapters

00:18 Introduction to a Humane Workspace
03:29 Foundations of Same Team Partners
06:22 The Importance of Communication in Teams
09:11 Identifying Healthy Team Dynamics
12:12 Cultural Differences in Team Interactions
15:25 Creating Safety in Team Environments
18:19 Understanding Team Angle
21:31 Implementing Team Angle for Improvement
31:26 Understanding Company Values and Principles
34:18 The Importance of Documentation and Communication
36:00 Visualizing Work Processes
40:08 Creating Safe Spaces for Team Conversations
44:13 Empowering Teams Through Inclusivity
46:19 Transforming Teams, Not Just Processes

You can find Same Team Partners, their Teamangle Diagnostic and the Teamangle Conversation Cards here: 
https://sameteampartners.com/

You can also find them on LinkedIn:
Brett Harned: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettharned/
Greg Storey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brilliantcrank/

Is Your Team Operating At Its' Full Potential? w/ Brett Harned & Greg Storey from Same Team Partners

Shift: From Product To People: A Novel About Product Development, and Shifting to People To Achieve a Holistic Agile Transformation is a new book written by Michael Dougherty and Pete Oliver-Krueger that focuses on shifting the Agile mindset away from a product-centric approach and towards a more a people-centric one. This interview centers around the need for collaboration, the impact of AI on Agile practices, and the significance of creating a humane work environment. The authors also highlight the role of mentorship in personal growth and the future of work in an AI-driven landscape. They also share some of the challenges they faced during the four and a half years of writing the book, the narrative style that allows for multiple perspectives, and the importance of real-life experiences in connecting with readers. 

If you'd prefer the video version of this podcast, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/lf_f_JdTWvM

The Book
Shift: From Product to People https://www.amazon.com/Shift-Development-Shifting-Holistic-Transformation/dp/B0D89NT9RD

Contacting the Authors
Michael Dougherty https://www.linkedin.com/in/agilemichaeldougherty/
Pete Oliver-Krueger https://www.linkedin.com/in/peteok/


Chapters
00:18 Introduction to the Authors and Their Journey
03:17 The Motivation Behind Writing the Book
06:15 Exploring the Narrative Style and Structure
09:21 The Importance of Realistic Coaching
12:13 Chapter Highlights and Key Themes
15:11 The Concept of Collaborative Budgeting
18:19 The Three Waves of Agile
21:12 Humanizing Agile Practices
24:12 The Future of Agile and Leadership Perspectives
27:26 Navigating the Agile Doom Loop
30:19 Crisis as an Opportunity for Change
32:38 The Evolution of Agile Frameworks
34:34 AI's Impact on Agile Practices
41:17 The Human Element in Agile Coaching

Shifting from Product to People: A New Agile Perspective w/ Pete Oliver-Krueger & Michael Dougherty

Join Dave Prior as he sits down with Ross Beurmann, author of "From Theater to Flow: Rebuilding the System Behind Agility." In this episode, they delve into the challenges of agile transformations, the concept of "Agile Theater," and the importance of focusing on the middle management to drive meaningful change. Ross shares insights from his book and discusses the need for organizations to rethink their approach to agility.

Key Topics:
The pitfalls of "Agile Theater" and how to avoid them 
The role of middle management in successful transformations 
Ross's unique approach to integrating governance and agility 
Real-world examples and lessons learned from Ross's consulting experience


Links:
Ross's Book on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/37neasdm
Ross's Website https://rossbeurmann.com
Connect with Ross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossbeurmann/

Links from the intro:
The Agile Network https://theagilenetwork.com/
Agile 2025 https://agilealliance.org/agile2025/
Dave and Stuarts Talk at Agile 2025: Career Power-Ups: Surviving Through Uncertainty and Change https://tinyurl.com/2s4zhzts
Dave and Stuart’s Book: “No One Is Coming to Save You” https://leanpub.com/surfthechaos

From Theater to Flow with Ross Beurmann

Dennis Stevens joins drunkenpm for a deep dive into the challenges faced by middle management in organizational change. Dennis argues that Agile and transformation efforts often fail because they treat middle managers as a roadblock, when in fact, these managers are simply victims of a badly designed system. The core idea is that companies shouldn't try to eliminate these roles but must instead design specific organizational "containers" and routines that force middle managers to leverage human nature (like self-interest and competition) to drive innovation. The goal is to shift strategy from a static plan to a dynamic process that lives in the interactions between people, ensuring all the work being done is strategically aligned, measurable, and ultimately successful.

Key Takeaways
Middle Management is the Constraint: Organizational change, adaptability, and innovation will either happen or stall at the middle management level.

Systemic Failure: Middle managers are often marginalized as the "stepchild" and are expected to manage tasks and activities instead of creating the conditions necessary for teams to achieve outcomes.

Strategy is Dynamic: Strategy doesn't happen when a leader speaks; it becomes real when people start talking to each other and applying it, which requires designing routines that create safety for delegation.

Embrace Human Nature: Successful organizational design must leverage human nature, where competitiveness is the fuel, rather than relying on idealistic notions of "no ego, total alignment".

Conditions Over Practices: The success of Agile is due to the environment and conditions created for the teams, not the specific practices (like stand-ups or language). A key function of management is to consciously create those conditions.

Constraints Drive Innovation: Setting clear goals and enforcing constraints and consequences within the designed container will drive innovation by forcing teams to be efficient and reinvent, as opposed to operating without pressure.


Key Moments
0:02:24 The Core Thesis: Stevens introduces the central argument: "If you're trying to change how an organization runs, middle management is where it will either happen or stall."
0:03:41 The Problem Defined: Stevens uses the "stepchild" analogy to describe the plight of middle managers: having "fake power," lacking strategy, and being blamed for a system that was not designed to support them.
0:08:50 The Root Cause: Stevens identifies the problem: it's not a failure of management but a failure of the organization to deeply understand the conditions necessary for teams to innovate coherently in a complex system.
0:15:26 The Anti-Commune Stance: Stevens argues against the idealistic view of self-organization, stating that to succeed at scale, a system must be built where competitiveness is the fuel, rather than expecting people "to not be people."
0:20:08 The Glue of Strategy: Stevens defines where strategy truly exists: "Strategy becomes real when people start talking to each other." He stresses the need to build routines that create safety for delegation.
0:30:46 Constraints & Innovation: Stevens explains that constraints drive innovation by forcing efficiency, while a lack of constraints leads to inefficiency and a lack of pressure to reinvent.

Dennis's Article: Innovation By Design https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/innovation-design-orgwright-qeipe/?trackingId=6eh7kgcyKabru1Cdv4%2BERg%3D%3D

Links from the Intro:
Productivity Survival: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/markkilby/1905697
No One is Coming to Save You
	Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/yhdk785j	
	Leanpub: https://leanpub.com/surfthechaos

Contacting Dennis
	LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisstevens/
	OrgWright: https://www.orgwright.com/
	The Agile Network: https://tinyurl.com/2tywk29e


Contacting Dave
	LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/
	Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo 
	The Agile Network: https://tinyurl.com/y3rhnnxp



Making the Case for Middle Management with Dennis Stevens

LiminalArc is the execution engine trusted by Fortune 100 boards, cloud hyperscalers, and top-tier private-equity firms when the plan must translate into performance. 

Our team of 100+ experts sit shoulder-to-shoulder with the C-suite to cut through organizational drag, and work with your teams to accelerate stalled initiatives to deliver provable ROI. No shelf-bound strategies, no hand-offs; just measurable outcomes from boardroom to front line.

A podcast about Agile and Project Management

New tracks tagged #Agile Transformation