Taking iterative development to heart, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss a learning loop topic, Summer Shorts and Learning Loops: Retrospectives, in five minutes or fewer. Take just a few minutes with us to improve your team's learning and speed!

---

Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now! See agileconversations.com where you can order your copy and get a free video when you join our mailing list!

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.

Email us at info@agileconversations.com

Summer Shorts and Learning Loops: Retrospectives

Want to know the agenda? We aren’t going to tell you! Join Jeffrey with guests Pascal Dufour & Ronald Doelen to talk about how the “tilted slider” applies to meetings just as much as other software development process. Recorded live at CITCON.
 
SHOW LINKS:
- Pascal Dufour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pascaldufournl/
- Ronald Doelen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rdoelen/
- Episode: Tilted Slider: https://agileconversations.com/blog/dont-add-more-metrics/
- Open Space: https://citconf.com/openspace.php
- Lean Coffee: http://leancoffee.org
- Liberating Structures: TRIZ: https://www.liberatingstructures.com/6-making-space-with-triz/ 
---
 
Our book, Agile Conversations, is out now! See https://agileconversations.com where you can order your copy and get a free video when you join our mailing list!
 
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
 
Email us at info@agileconversations.com

Predictability vs Productivity in Meetings

Is your plan to avoid conflict making things worse? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the Paul and Ted Case Study, the concept of 'easing in,' and what leaders should do instead, on this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.


LINKS
- Eight Behaviors for Smarter Teams: https://www.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/917018/Eight-Behaviors-for-Smarter-Teams-2.pdf


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Easing In

If you’re using Sinek’s “why, what and how” framework for team collaboration, what do you do when it turns out you’re lacking two out of the three?! In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about their own experience of this, the concept of leaky abstractions, and the importance of shared problem ownership.

Links:

- Simon Sinek: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/

- Somebody Else's Problem Field: https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Somebody_Else%27s_Problem_Field

- Previous episode about Walking Skeletons - Ep125: Commitment Engagement is Not Enough:
https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/commitment-engagement-is-not-enough

- Previous episode about Cycle Time - Ep249: Estimates: A Productive Argument, Part I
  https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/reporting-estimates 

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

What Comes After Why (And So Does How)

Is topgrading a controversial topic? It seems so. In this episode, Jeffrey and Squirrel revisit the theme of topgrading in recruitment, featured just two episodes ago. Join as they discuss a listener’s experience, the necessity for some structure in interviews and the benefits of learning from candidates' past experiences through stories.


SHOW LINKS:
- Topgrading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topgrading
- Topgrading episode link: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/threats-and-topgrading-in-executive-hiring
- Shu ha ri: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari
- Squirrel's interviewing event: https://squirrelsquadron.com/events/2025/04-10-interviews
- TDD for People: https://itrevolution.com/articles/test-driven-development-for-people/


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Topgrading and Storytelling

What can perverse incentives teach us about software development? Join Squirrel and Jeffrey for a discussion on the importance of personal responsibility and the potential benefits of 'blameful' postmortems in driving accountability and improvement within organisations, in this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.


SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Tal's article: https://talyarkoni.org/blog/2018/10/02/no-its-not-the-incentives-its-you/ 
- Blameless Postmortems: https://openpracticelibrary.com/practice/blameless-postmortem/ 
- Perverse Incentives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perverse_incentive 


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Blameful Post-Mortems

What is the true meaning of accountability? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey share a real-life story that illustrates how it’s often misunderstood. Listen now to learn why it's not about blame or punishment, but about 'rendering an account' - in other words, sharing reasoning and decisions transparently. 


SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Previous episode on accountability: https://itrevolution.com/articles/accountability-leaders-are-accountable-too/


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Accountable Not Agreeable

Do ‘Experts Have It Easy’? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss how experts and novices can overcome the empathy gap with rapid feedback, and breaking down complex problems into smaller steps to facilitate understanding.


SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Boyd Kane's article: https://boydkane.com/essays/experts
- Gladwell, Blink: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink:_The_Power_of_Thinking_Without_Thinking
- Shuhari: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari
- Terence Tao on finding gaps in proofs: https://mathstodon.xyz/@tao/111287749336059662


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


The Expertise Gap

With so many great reader emails recently Jeffrey and I haven’t got around to discussing CitCon on the podcast yet! This week we do just that, with Jeffrey’s reflections from discussions on the evolving role of AI in coding including Steve Yegge’s new article which revisits whether the ‘death’ of the junior developer will ultimately be a ‘revenge.’

Links:
- Steve Yegge article: https://sourcegraph.com/blog/revenge-of-the-junior-developer
- Jevon's Paradox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Revenge of the QA

The search for ultimate truth has no place in an effective business! In this episode, Jeffrey and Squirrel explain how to detect when your team are stuck in the “rightness” trap and how to move from abstract debate to scientific experiments that help you discover what actually works.


SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Less Wrong: https://www.lesswrong.com/
- Less Online: https://less.online/
- Abor Summer Camp: https://www.arborsummer.camp/
- Manifest: https://manifest.is/
- Driftwood hiring episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/driftwood-vs-planks-agile-team-roles-and-skills
- Socratic Dialogues: https://dn790004.ca.archive.org/0/items/PlatoDialogues/Plato_dialogues.pdf


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Religion and Science

Is demarcation stunting your business? In this episode, Squirrel tells us about how his 500-year-old house restoration reminded him of dealing with team members whose strict adherence to demarcation i.e. “That’s not my job!” led to mistakes, poor communication and lack of problem-solving - and why un-demarcation is the best route forward.


SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Demarcation: https://www.fordtransition.org.uk/stories/trade-unions-at-ford/demarcation 
- Psychological safety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_safety 
- Seven Habits book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7_Habits_of_Highly_Effective_People 


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Undemarcation

Forget the elevator pitch, you need a “napkin strategy!” In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey explore the idea of using models instead of talking, which often leads to confusion and frustration. Find out how you can collaborate better with your team when you share explicit and visually mutable models.

SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Balsamiq's Draft mode: https://balsamiq.com/support/docs/wireframing/editor-overview/project-properties/
- Previous episode on religion and science: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/religion-and-science

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Sharing Models

Are you being unFAIR with your information-sharing? In this episode, Jeffrey talks us through the F.A.I.R principles of scientific publishing and how they can be applied to software development. Learn why you should prioritise open, accessible information and what you can do to put it into practice.


SHOW LINKS:
Links:
- Weirdly named blog: https://slimemoldtimemold.com/
- Peer review article: https://defenderofthebasic.substack.com/p/we-know-how-to-fix-peer-review-part
- Linus's Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus's_law 


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Information FAIRness In Your Organisation

Death of the junior developer but long live the co-conspirator! In this re-worked bumper episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss two of their biggest takeaways from Citcon: the evolving role of AI in coding and how ‘co-conspirators’ have been pivotal in their careers and client work.


SHOW LINKS:
- CITCON London 2025: https://citconf.com/

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


CITCON Greatest Hits

What can the TV show House teach us about centralisation? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about centralised communication, how it contributed to them first meeting and what to do when there’s an imbalance of expertise in the room.


SHOW LINKS:
- Peer Review article: https://defenderofthebasic.substack.com/p/we-know-how-to-fix-peer-review-part
- CITCON:  https://citconf.com/london2025/
- Cynefin: https://thecynefin.co/about-us/about-cynefin-framework/
- Situational Leadership: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situational_leadership_theory

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Centralisation For The Win

What can Whatsapp’s origin story teach us about adding business value - even when it doesn’t seem “fun”? Reflecting on two weeks' backpacking, Jeffrey introduces the concept of Type 1 and Type 2 fun and Squirrel ponders how you can apply the two methods of fun to different types of work in Agile teams.


SHOW LINKS:
- Types of Fun: https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/fun-scale
- WhatsApp baked into "dumb" phones: https://www.wired.com/story/nokia-asha-500-502-and-503-hands-on/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Type II Fun

Can I just interrupt you there…? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey interrupt each other more than usual to demonstrate how you can use “consensual” interruption as a way of giving immediate feedback, which can greatly improve learning speeds and information retention.


SHOW LINKS:
- Alan Weiss on Rhetorical Permission: https://jonathanstark.com/notes-on-million-dollar-maverick
- CITCON Woking: https://citconf.com/

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Interruption, Anyone?

Would you appreciate someone talking while you were talking? It’s called "cooperative overlap,” it was introduced to us by a listener, and it’s used in some cultures to reinforce and show  agreement with the speaker. Join Squirrel and Jeffrey for their second week talking about how you can use interruption to improve team collaboration, in this episode of Troubleshooting Agile.


SHOW LINKS:
- Cooperative Overlap article: https://www.anildash.com/2021/09/26/cooperative_overlap/
- Eight Behaviors for Smarter Teams: https://cdn.csu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/917018/Eight-Behaviors-for-Smarter-Teams-2.pdf

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com


And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Cooperative Overlap

Can having an ego be a good thing? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss how being egotistical can be a valuable trait and how to strike a balance between confident and humble. Tune in if you need help working out whether you need to bring more or less ego to work.


SHOW LINKS:
- Helpful Givers episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/disagreeable-givers
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_Dysfunctions_of_a_Team
- CITCON: https://citconf.com/

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Positively Egotistical

Are you prepared to blame yourself? In this episode, Jeffrey opens up about his failed startup, and, putting external factors aside, what he could have done better. Join us for ideas around self-blame, double-loop learning, and how personal responsibility can lead to positive change.


SHOW LINKS:
- Jenkins's thesis: https://hj.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:562610/FULLTEXT01.pdf
- Double-loop learning; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-loop_learning
- CVS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concurrent_Versions_System

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Blaming Yourself for Fun and Profit

Do you jump into solutions before understanding the context? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss a better way to problem-solve, the concept of form-context fit and why a better output than predicted should be investigated rather than celebrated.


SHOW LINKS:
- Henrik's article: https://www.henrikkarlsson.xyz/p/problem-solving
- Christopher Alexander: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Alexander
- Admiral Rickover: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover
- CITCON: https://citconf.com/

--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Form-Context Fit

Does embarrassment do you good? While most of us try to avoid it, we believe embarrassment can be a powerful motivator for teams. Join Squirrel and Jeffrey as they discuss how exposing teams to real-world pressures and public accountability can drive both performance and innovation.


SHOW LINKS:
- Squirrel's Newsletter: https://squirrelsquadron.com/newsletter.html
- Unilateral Control: https://schwarzassociates.com/how-unilateral-control-undermines-team-results-and-relationships-2/
- Learning War: https://trenthone.com/learning-war/

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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

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About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Using Embarrassment for Good

Is being “nice” preventing you from being decent? In this episode, we are joined by guest Kevin Lucas to talk about “coaching out,” the importance of early communication and the balance between decency and obligation, all ideas taken from his new book, ‘Impact: How to Inspire, Align and Amplify Innovative Teams.’

SHOW LINKS:
- Keith Lucas: https://keithvlucas.com/
- Keith's book: https://keithvlucas.com/writing/impact/

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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Managing People Out

To lead effectively, you need critical thinking and a willingness to engage in productive conflict. It turns out, so do scientists! In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss the art of healthy intellectual disagreement, drawing insights from a scientist's critique.


SHOW LINKS:
- Strong Inference article: https://courses.cs.duke.edu/fall04/cps296.2/science_platt.html
- Related episode: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/religion-and-science
- CITCON conference: https://citconf.com/london2025/

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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Disputatiousness For Scientists

Have you got Systems Thinking all wrong, like the author of an article we read that got Jeffrey all riled up? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey explore how complex systems evolve, referencing real-world examples like water systems, Facebook, and healthcare.gov.

Links:
- Bradon's article (Jeffrey says don't read!): https://worksinprogress.co/issue/magical-systems-thinking/
- Bradon's self-responses on X: https://x.com/EdBradon/status/1966470317288616342
- Gall's Law: https://www.driverlesscrocodile.com/processes-ways-to-get-stuff-done/systems-thinking-galls-law/
- How Big Things Get Done: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61327449-how-big-things-get-done
- Thinking in Systems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking_In_Systems:_A_Primer


--------------------------------------------------

You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Someone Is Wrong On The Internet About Systems Thinking

This episode, we are at CITCON 2025, celebrating 400 episodes of Troubleshooting Agile. Join Squirrel and Jeffrey as they look back on the past 400 episodes, discuss how the podcast served as a tool to flesh out ideas for their book ‘Agile Conversations’ and what they would do differently in the past - or might do differently in the future!

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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com

And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/

Reflections on Episode 400, Live from CITCON

This episode, we are at CITCON 2025, answering listeners’ questions live. Join Squirrel, Jeffrey and our live audience as we discuss integrating tools from methodologies beyond Agile, borrowing practices from different domains such as CBT, Lean Manufacturing, and strategic selling, and Squirrel’s spontaneous approach for solving problems.

Links: 
- David Burns: https://feelinggood.com/list-of-feeling-good-podcasts/
- CBT: https://beckinstitute.org/
- Shu Ha Ri: https://www.pluralsight.com/tech-blog/shu-ha-ri/
- Red Green Refactor: https://www.jamesshore.com/v2/blog/2005/red-green-refactor
- Boy Scout Rule: https://medium.com/engineering-managers-journal/the-boy-scout-rule-for-better-code-e6ffda090902
- MCP: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/
- Thinking, Fast and Slow: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/114683/thinking-fast-and-slow-by-daniel-kahneman/

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You'll find free videos and practice material, plus our book Agile Conversations, at agileconversations.com
And we'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show: email us at info@agileconversations.com

--------------------------------------------------

About Your Hosts

Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick joined forces at TIM Group in 2013, where they studied and practised the art of management through difficult conversations. Over a decade later, they remain united in their passion for growing profitable organisations through better communication.

Squirrel is an advisor, author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant, and he's helped over 300 companies of all sizes make huge, profitable improvements in their culture, skills, and processes. You can find out more about his work here: douglassquirrel.com/index.html

Jeffrey is Vice President of Engineering at ION Analytics, Organiser at CITCON, the Continuous Integration and Testing Conference, and is an accomplished author and speaker. You can connect with him here: www.linkedin.com/in/jfredrick/


Live from CITCON: Listener Questions

This week, Jeffrey and Squirrel are on the road at CITCON Vienna, interviewing participants about how they use agile techniques and principles outside development.

SHOW LINKS:

-The 12 Agile Principles: http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html

-CITCON: http://citconf.com/

-London Organisational Learning Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/en-AU/London-Action-Science-Meetup/

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We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas or feedback you have regarding the show.

Email us: agile@troubleshootingagile.com

Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile

Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2

Agile Outside Software Teams

With a pandemic raging around the world, how can you and your agile team make sense of the world around you and adjust accordingly? The Cynefin framework gives you a way to categorise known and unknown information and figure out how to approach and change your work appropriately. We describe the framework (including how to pronounce Cynefin!) and explain how you might use it to help your agile team cope and even thrive in a challenging environment.

SHOW LINKS:
- The Cynefin framework: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin_framework
- Detailed Cynefin drawing by Edwin Stoop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynefin_framework#/media/File:Cynefin_framework_by_Edwin_Stoop.jpg
- James Gleick Chaos book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos:_Making_a_New_Science

Episode transcript: https://www.conversationaltransformation.com/posts/cynefinsensemaking/

***
 
Our new book, Agile Conversations, will be out in May 2020! See conversationaltransformation.com where you can pre-order and get a free video when you join our mailing list!
 
We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
 
Email us at info@conversationaltransformation.com
 
Tweet us: twitter.com/TShootingAgile
 
Also, if you'd like to leave us a review on iTunes (or just like and subscribe), you'll find us here: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/troub…d1327456890?mt=2

Cynefin: Sense-Making in a Time of Turmoil

Coming to the final chapter of Agile Conversations, we look at how leaders can not only provide accountability for others, but be accountable themselves, including stories from the early days of agile and from today's clients.

SHOW LINKS:

- XP Explained book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67833.Extreme_Programming_Explained
- Rapid Development book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93892.Rapid_Development
- Dynamics of Software Development ("don't flip the bozo bit"): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1416996.Dynamics_of_Software_Development
- Nurtureshock: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6496815-nurtureshock
- Greenshifting: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/greenshifting
- Kent Beck Ease at Work: https://www.infoq.com/news/2007/04/beck-ease-at-work/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeA4CBInqKo
- The Art of Action: https://www.stephenbungay.com/Books.ink
- Radiating Intent: https://medium.com/@ElizAyer/dont-ask-forgiveness-radiate-intent-d36fd22393a3
- Accountability and Compassion: https://soundcloud.com/troubleshootingagile/mutual-learning-model-accountability-and-compassion

Episode transcript: https://www.conversationaltransformation.com/posts/accountability-leaders-are-accountable-too/

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Our new book, Agile Conversations, is out now! See https://conversationaltransformation.com where you can order your copy and get a free video when you join our mailing list!

We'd love to hear any thoughts, ideas, or feedback you have about the show.
 
Email us at info@conversationaltransformation.com

Accountability: Leaders are Accountable Too

Troubleshooting Agile is a problem-solving session for agile teams. Jeffrey Fredrick and Douglas Squirrel look at common problems agile teams face and provide practical, immediately useful advice for getting back on track.

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