How do you engage a huge room full of people and get them to talk openly about sensitive subjects? With puppets! (And humor!) What started out as a joke about doing a puppet show at a SAFe Program Increment Planning event, turned into a real-world training technique that uses puppets to break down social resistance to hard conversations.
Today, in a very special episode of Agile Puppet Theater, we'll look at the psychology of why people may be resistant to having honest, open conversations across a large organization. We'll investigate techniques to allow us to discuss problems and make real change a possibility, using puppets, humor and hyperbole. Combining multiple approaches, you will learn how to create a safe space to address the issues in your organization that are holding back your cultural development.
As a team, you will build your own Minimum Viable Puppets and use them in scripted sketches that we've actually used to spark candid conversations about tough issues. Along the way, we'll pull back the curtain on how the different parts of the training work together to create the engagement and safe space we're looking for. We will also leave you with strategies for creating your own versions of Agile Puppet Theater to bring back to your organizations to encourage communication and improve your own organizational culture.
11. Barb: I want to do some fun training based on
Andrea Goulet’s [Agile Midwest 2018
keynote] talk.
Ian: How about a puppet show. Ha ha ha.
Barb: Yes! That’s perfect!
13. THE PROBLEM
Lots of dysfunction in the teams
People blame everyone else but
themselves
Lack of empathy between leadership
and the teams
Hard to have some
of these
conversations
because of
Fear of Retribution
Lack of empowerment
Cultural differences
14. Therapists have used puppets in cognitive behavioral play therapy for
decades
Puppets give a safe distance - These are not my problems or your
problems, they are the puppet’s problems
You can safely bring issues into the room so people don’t feel alone or
17. H O W D O Y O U D O P L A Y T H E R A P Y W I T H A
R O O M F U L L O F 2 0 0 P E O P L E ?
18. SO HOW DO WE PULL
THIS OFF…
Constraints:
• 200 people (that need to be engaged
in the training)
• Not a lot of room
• Not a ton of time
• Leaders representing both business
and technology, so topics need to be
relevant to everyone
21. OUR COMPANY IS LEAVING
THE INDUSTRY
• No one will be fired
• All projects are cancelled
• Today we will begin retraining for our new required skill sets
23. AS A RESULT
WE ARE CHANGING SOME ACRONYMS
• PDS – Puppet Division of Services
• PLM – Puppet Lifecycle Management
• PDA – Puppet Displays of Affection
(ok, that last one doesn’t change much)
30. WHY WE DID
WHAT WE
JUST DID
Gets everyone active and
engaged in the training
Build a personal investment
in the show to come
(because they built the
puppets)
Learning objectives
What is “Minimum Viable”
You don’t have to be “done” after the first go
45. T R A I N I N G W I T H
AGILE PUPPET
THEATRE
E P I S O D E I 1 : R A D I C A L C A N D O R
( I N 4 A C T S )
46.
47. FEEDBACK
INTERACTIONS
can be categorized on
2x2 grid along the
propensity of the
individuals involved to
care personally
and their willingness to
challenge directly
50. WHY WE DID WHAT WE JUST DID
Let them choose a puppet
Jump right in if they can
recognize the situation
Prep the audience with
context where it will help
Give them enough time to
read the script once through
Give minimal direction so
they take ownership of the
character
Low tech audio & video
adds to the chaos
56. geralt / pixabay
Knowing how much you need to set up
vs how much your audience already understands
57. WHAT MAKES
A BAD
SCRIPT?
Lots of stage directions
Too many props
Too many characters
Reliance on tight timing or acting skills
Too many scenes
58. WARNING: IT TAKES A LONG
TIME TO WRITE A GOOD SCRIPT
A WRITER’S ROOM A TEST AUDIENCE TIME
Things that help
59. SCRIPTWRITING
POINTERS
• 1 page = 1 minute of active time
• 1 sketch requires 3 minutes of setup/teardown
• The “good” example is always the least
interesting story
• Keep stage direction light
• Limit narration
60. THINGS TO PREPARE/DO
• Have scripts prepared and marked out by part
• Use obvious humor (puns, slapstick)
• Have facilitators or plants perform any complex roles
• Set up video & audio so everyone can see & hear
• Appoint a stage crew
61. THINGS TO AVOID
• Dialogue that requires
good timing to get the
point across
• Putting people (especially
managers) on the spot
• Waiting to get
puppeteers/actors until
the skit is about to start
• Liquid glue
62. THINGS YOU
THINK YOU
WANT TO
AVOID, BUT
ACTUALLY
END UP BEING
AWESOME
• Mistakes
• Massive equipment failures
• Not having “enough” prep time
Leeeeroooy
Jennkiins!!!
63. THINGS YOU
THINK YOU
WANT TO
AVOID, BUT
ACTUALLY
END UP BEING
AWESOME
• Mistakes
• Massive equipment failures
• Not having “enough” prep timeAKA
64. THINGS YOU THINK
YOU WANT TO
AVOID, BUT
ACTUALLY END UP
BEING AWESOME
MISTAKES MAJOR EQUIPMENT
FAILURES
NOT HAVING
“ENOUGH” PREP TIME
BREAKING THE 4TH
WALL