Development teams often fail to recognize the complex group interactions and multi-person relationships that are critical to build and maintain a highly productive team. Instead, they adopt follow-the-crowd practices such as stand up meetings or Kanban boards without understanding the underlying fundamentals. Michael Wolf introduces group interaction patterns of highly productive development teams to provide a framework for understanding group interactions and a vocabulary for discussing ways to improve. Michael demonstrates a simple tool-based on nine keystone patterns-that you can use to observe and understand your team members' interactions. He shares case studies that illustrate successes, failures, and turnarounds he's observed and explores how they relate to the different group interaction patterns. Join Michael to see how identifying your group's interaction patterns can suggest actions to develop highly productive-and happier-teams in your organization.

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BW9
Concurrent Session
11/7/2012 3:45 PM
"Group Interaction Patterns:
The Keys for Highly Productive
Teams"
Presented by:
Michael Wolf
Independent Consultant
Brought to you by:
340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073
888‐268‐8770 ∙ 904‐278‐0524 ∙ sqeinfo@sqe.com ∙ www.sqe.com

2. Michael Wolf
Independent Consultant
Teaching classes for computer professionals, Michael Wolf learned how to create safe, fun,
and engaging environments for people to explore, discuss, experiment, and learn. Michael
consults and trains on diverse topics—from software development processes, user experience,
and lean principles to sustainability, urban planning, and community building. He has worked on
fiber optic cable systems, the Hubble Space Telescope, and a myriad of software applications.
Michael teaches classes in programming languages and software development practices—as
well as Appalachian clogging, waltz, skydiving, worm bins, and "Game Nights" where
professional skills are taught through game play. Contact Michael at MichaelRWolf@att.net.

3. Group Interaction
Patterns
The Keys for Highly Productive Teams
Liberating Structures
Presented by
Michaeel R. Wolf
MichaelRWolf@att.net
206-679-7941
-- All Mammals Learn by Playing
Why should you care about techniques for Group Work?
Lead a more fulfilled life.
Honestly!!! I’ll personally attest to it.
You don’t have to tell “The Boss” why you’re doing it….
… but it’s an open secret. It’s all inter-related.
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4. Why should I listen to you?
You shouldn’t. Defer judgment. Try it. Listen to yourself.
I’ve learned a lot while teaching programmers
- Departmental Meyers-Briggs at AT&T Intra-peneur in ’92
- Almost 20 10+ years on the road, on-site, in the trenches as programmer trainer
- Consulting at many, many companies
I’ve done a lot of extra-curricular training at home. (Thanks, Wendy!)
Wiked Question (from LS)
- How, if I really do believe that you are already very smart and capable,
can I possibly help you?
Presentation Overview
“Guide on the Side” (my preferred style)
- “Technique Slam”
- GW - Group Work Pattern Language
- LS - Liberating Structures
- CP - Core Protocols
- PK - Personal Kanban
- Experience the techniques
- Leave you wanting more
“Sage on the Stage” (only when “necessary”)
“S
S
(
“
)
Q & A Experiential “take aways” and learning confirmation
Q & A (iff necessary)
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5. 1-2-4-All
(from LS)
Make an Invitation
- What practical skill could you get at Better Software
that would actually help you create better software?
Distribute Participation
- I will be timekeeper, facilitator
- You will think, write, listen, share and refine
Configure Groups
- Group of 1 – think & write
- Group of 2 – listen & share
- Group of 4 – listen & refine
- Whole room, facilitated – collect & display
Arrange Space
- Face-to-face. Knee-to-knee. Groups of 4.
Face to face. Knee to knee.
- Disregard “Space Police”
Sequence & Allocate Time
- Listen for sound and directions
Every meeting a
Kanban (from PK)
Very Simple
Every meeting starts with a purpose
No meeting starts with an agenda
Everyone creates agenda items
•Pinnacle of procrastination delay
management
- Written on stickies
•Values all participants insights
Every item is briefly introduced
•Engages all participants
Everyone distributes 2-4 votes across all items
- Placed in “Backlog”
g
Viola! A prioritized backlog. Timely. Relevant.
Work commences as item moves from “Backlog” to “WIP”
Limit WIP (Work in Progress)
Move item to “Done” when finished
- … or time box is exceeded
- … with consensus on extensions
- Happy Dance! Celebrate!
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6. Every meeting is a Kanban.
I mean it!!!
Business
- 1-on-1 meetings with Supervisor
- Status meetings (until replaced by task board)
- Working meetings
Civic
Personal
- Housekeeping meetings
- Special projects (i e ta es)
(i.e. taxes)
Kanban board during Seattle Lean Coffee
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7. Kanban for Weekly “Wolf Meetings” & Special Tax Project
Kanban board for Michael - Old
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8. Kanban board for Michael - New
Kanban board in ScrumMaster class
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9. Event Planning Board at Kaizen Camp
TRIZ
(from LS)
Make an Invitation
- What can we do to reliably get the worst result
imaginable?
- How does this compare with current procedures?
- What can we stop doing?
Distribute
Distrib te Participation
- <As in 1-2-4-All>
Configure Groups
- <As in 1-2-4-All>
Arrange Space
- <As in 1-2-4-All>
Sequence & Allocate Time
- <As in 1-2-4-All>
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10. Case Study
(from GW)
Situation
- Regular meeting felt like it was getting in a rut. Power
dynamics of de-facto leader seemed to be excluding
perspectives. I saw opportunity for group as training lab to
gain experience at facilitating, not merely content.
Experiments
- Facilitate input from quieter participants
- Balance the interruption dynamic
- One-on-one
Group Work Cards to explore for case study
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11. Perfection Game
(from CP)
•Integrates best ideas
•Improves some object
Perfectee:
- Presents an object for perfection
Perfector:
- “On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate this object X based on how much value I can
add.”
- “What I liked about the performance of object X was…”
- “To make it a 10 you would have to do yada, yada yada”.
To
10,
yada yada, yada
Background on various techniques…
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12. “A pattern language for bringing life to meetings and other gatherings”
GW - Group Works
Pattern Card Deck
3 years of design, writing, and layout from “core team”
Each of 91 Cards in 9 Categories has:
-
Title
-
Image
-
Heart
-
Related
R l t d cards
d
-
Category glyph
First printing 4Q2011
“Steward Circle” is getting wisdom out to users, and also listening to
how they’re being used
Common uses
- Pre-event planning & Post-event evaluation
- Individual & Team skill development
- Breaking out of a fixed mindset
Core team: Tree Bressen, Dave Pollard, Sue Woehrlin
Needs “stewards” and early adopters. (Contact me!)
LS - Liberating
Structures
“Including and unleashing everyone”
33 liberating structures, each includes
- What is made possible?
- Micro structures & Design Elements => Min Specs
-
A structuring invitation
-
How the space is arranged and what materials are needed
-
How participation is distributed
-
How groups are configures
-
A sequence of steps and time allocation
Keith McCandless & Henri Lipmanowicz
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13. CP –
Core Protocols
Jim & Michelle McCarthy
Refined knowledge through 10+ years in XXX lab
11 Commitments
1. I commit to engage when present.
2. I will seek to perceive more than I seek to be perceived.
3. I will use teams, especially when undertaking difficult tasks.
…
y
g
purpose.
11. I will never do anything dumb on p p
11 Core Protocols (Structured Conversations)
1 & 2. Pass (Unpass)
3. Check In
4. Check Out
5. Ask For Help
6. Protocol Check
7. Intention Check
8. Decider
9. Resolution
10. Personal Alignment
11. Investigate
Jim & Michelle McCarthy
PK –
Personal Kanban
Authors: Jim Benson & Tonianne DeMaria Barry
Two simple, main points (printed on alternate pages)
- Visualize your work
- Limit your Work In Progress
Jim co-founded Seattle Lean Coffee 2-3 years ago
Kaizen Camp also founded by Jim and Tonianne
- “Discussing the Future of Work”
- Seattle in 2011 & 2012
- Coming to NYC, SoCal, Boulder, DC, Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston
- Plans for on Tel Aviv, London, Berlin, and Australia
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14. Caveat
The slide deck is an artifact of the experience
Reading the slide deck will not be as engaging or insightful as participating.
“Talking abut Music is like dancing about Architecture.”
-- Elvis Costello
“Writing about music is like dancing about architecture;
it's a really stupid thing to want to do.”
-- Elvis Costello
-- http://www quotationsbook com/quote/bookmark users/9279/
http://www.quotationsbook.com/quote/bookmark_users/9279/
Q&A
Q & A is another name for, help me catalyze my thinking and create “take aways”.
So….
1-2-4-All
- What is your biggest take away?
- What is left unanswered?
- Go!
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15. About…
LS - Liberating Structures
LiberatingStructures.org
GW - Group Works Card Deck
GroupWorksDeck.org
Michael R. Wolf
MichaelRWolf@att.net
206-679-7941
@LearningWolf
-- All Mammals Learn by Playing
PK - Personal Kanban
PersonalKanban.com
LOL Cats!
We don’t need no stinkin’ LOL cats. Here’s a cutie Wolf!
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