The Agile Mindset

THE AGILE MINDSET
A workshop to understand how our mindset affects agile environments
NIKOS BATSIOS
AGILE COACH/ScM @ INTRACOM-TELECOM S.A
AGILE GREECE
4th MEETUP ON LEAN&AGILE @ THESSALONIKI, 31-10-2014

“…if there is one thing agile has brought to
the table it’s the realization of how
important that “fluffy people” stuff is, and
how we need to pay attention…”
Linda Rising
In this workshop we will try to:
• Test our mindset
• Learn about mindset and how it affects our life
• Reflect on our mindset
• Approach organization’s mindset
• Suggest how to change the mindset

INSPIRATION
CAROL DWECK
LINDA RISING
MICHAEL SAHOTA

DO YOU THINK
THAT PEOPLE
DIFFER? WHY?

DO YOU THINK
THAT PEOPLE
DIFFER? WHY?
Today most experts believe that it’s not nature or nurture, genes or environment, but from
conception on, there is a constant give and take between the two.
“Not only do genes and environment cooperate as we develop, but genes require input from the
environment to work properly”
Gilbert Gottlieb, neuroscientist
People may start with different temperaments and different aptitudes, but it is clear that
experience, training, and personal effort take the rest of the way

What does all this mean for us?
Research has shown that the view we adopt for ourselves profoundly affects
the way we lead our life. It can determine whether we become the person we
want to be and whether we accomplish the things we value.
Q: How can a simple belief have the power to transform our psychology
and as a result the way we reacting in work&life challenges?
A: The answer is related to the mindset we follow when we are
approaching a challenge.
According to research the MINDSET determines our goals, our reaction to
failure and challenges, our belief about effort, our attitude towards other’s
successes and received feedback

Carol Dweck - mindset
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXrV0_3UjY

In
a
fixed
mindset,
people
believe
their
basic
qualities,
like
their
intelligence
or
talent,
are
simply
fixed
traits.
They
spend
their
time
documenting
their
intelligence
or
talent
instead
of
developing
them.
They
also
believe
that
talent
alone
creates
success—
without
effort.
Fixed
mindset
creates
an
urgency
to
prove
yourself
over
and
over
Will
I
succeed
or
fail?
Will
I
look
smart
or
dump?
Will
I
be
accepted
or
rejected?
Will
I
feel
like
a
winner
or
a
loser?

In
an
agile(growth)
mindset,
people
believe
that
their
most
basic
abilities
can
be
developed
through
dedication
and
hard
work.
Although
people
may
differ
in
their
initial
talents,
interests,
temperaments,
everyone
can
change
and
grow
through
application
and
experience.
This
view
creates
a
love
of
learning
and
a
resilience
that
is
essential
for
great
accomplishment.
Virtually
all
great
people
have
had
these
qualities.
Becoming
is
better
than
being
LINDA
RISING

LINDA
RISING
What
would
make
someone
a
nonlearner?
The
fixed
mindset.
Being
afraid
of
not
being
smart
in
a
certain
challenge
makes
you
to
reject
an
opportunity
to
learn.
Smart
people
should
always
succeed.
Fixed
mindset
does
not
want
to
expose
deficiencies

LAINBDA
IRILSIINGTY IN FIXED
MINDSET: STATIC

LAINBDA
MINDSET:
STATIC
ABILITY AGILE
CAN GROW

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
GOAL IN FIXED MINDSET:
LOOK GOOD, LOOK SMART

LAINBDA
MINDSET:
STATIC
GOAL IN AGILE
TO LEARN

CHALLENGE IN
FIXED MINDSET:
AVOID
THRIVE ON CHALLENGE
WHEN THINGS ARE SAFELY
WITHIN THEIR ABILITIES.
IF THINGS GET TOO
CHALLENGING (WHEN THEY
ARE NOT FEELING SMART OR
TALENTED) THEY LOSE
INTERESET
LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC

LAINBDA
MINDSET:
STATIC
CHALLENGE IN AGILE
EMBRACE
SEEK CHALLENGE AND
THRIVE ON IT
THE BIGGER THE CHALLENGE THE
MORE THEY STRETCH
THEMSELVES
RESILIENT REACTION TO
CHALLENGE

LAINBDA
MINDSET:
STATIC
FAILURE DEFINES YOUR
IDENTITY

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
FAILURE IN
AGILE
MINDSET:
PROVIDES
INFORMATION

LAINBDA
MIsI NthDeSrEeT s: oSmTeAtThIiCng in the past that you think
measured you? A test score? Being rejected?
Is there something you’ve always wanted to do
but were afraid you weren’t good at?
What did you learn or can you learn from this
experience?
How can you use it as basis for growth?

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
DO YOU THINK THAT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE A
MINDSET?

LAINBDA
FIXED
MINDSET
ORGANIZATIONS
• Identify
IRILSIINGTY and
Hire
IN the
Best
FIXED
Talents
• MINDSET: Rank
&
Yank
• Great
Geniuses
DO
NOT
STATIC
need
GREAT
TEAMs
• Managers
&
Leaders
resist
in
accepting
suggestions
(the
DARK
SIDE
OF
CHARISMA)
• Leaders/Managers
feel
superior
than
the
others
• Competence
people
are
in
many
cases
the
victims
• There
is
fear
of
disapproval
and
judgment
• Believe
in
STARS
not
in
SYSTEMS
• Therefore
All
Star
teams,
by
definition,
will
always
outperform
any
other
team?????
Increasingly,
many
are
arguing
that
it’s
just
as
important
to
have
good
systems
–
loosely
coupled
structures
that
leverage
the
group’s
aggregate
knowledge
and
abilities
–
than
to
rely
on
the
performance
of
a
few
superstars.

AGILE
LAINBDA
MINDSET
ORGANIZATIONS
• Establish
IRILSIINGTY a
culture
IN of
community
FIXED
&
trust.
• MINDSET: Provide
STATIC
learning
opportunities
and
continually
grow
people
• Leaders
are
not
trying
to
prove
they’re
better
than
others
• they
look
at
their
own
mistakes
and
deficiencies
and
they
ask
what
skills
they
and
the
company
will
need
in
the
future
• Feedback,
praise
initiatives
not
the
smartest
ideas
or
brilliant
performance,
• No
GROUPTHINKING
• praise
learning
and
effort
given
for
a
difficult
task
• Praise
resilience,
openness
and
acting
on
critisism
Agile companies believe that true self-confidence is the courage to be open-to welcome change
and new ideas regardless of their source. It is reflected in the mindset, our readiness to grow.
Culture of Growth and TeamWork

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
ARE YOU A FIXED MINDSET OR AN AGILE
MINDSET WORKPLACE?

LAINBDA
MINDSET: CSHTAANTGICE YOUR MINDSET
THE GOOD THING IS THAT MINDSET IS CHANGING
IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT CHANGE IS LIKE SURGERY
EVEN WHEN WE CHANGE, OUR OLD BELIEFS ARE NOT REMOVED AND
REPLACED WITH BETTER ONES
NEW BELIEFS TAKE THEIR PLACE ALOGNSIDE THE OLD ONES, AND AS THEY
BECOME STRONGER, THEY GIVE US A DIFFERENT WAY TO THINK AND ACT

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
HOW TO CHANGE
• YOUR OWN MINDSET?
• YOUR WORKPLACE MINDSET?
• YOUR ORGANIZATION MINDSET?

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
CONCLUDING
THE AGILE MINDSET BELIEVES THAT WE ARE “ALL” A WORK IN PROGRESS
THE AGILE SW DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ISN’T FIXED. IT CONTINUOUS TO
CHANGE AND GROW AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT IT
FAIL EARLY, FAIL OFTEN, FAIL FAST, LEARN CONSTANTLY. FAILURE IS AN
OPTION, WITHOUT IT HOW CAN LEARNING HAPPEN?
LINDA RISING
“PERFECT IS A VERB”, KENT BECK
“CONTINUOUS EFFORT – NO STRENGTH OR INTELLIGENCE – IS THE KEY TO
UNLOCKING OUR POTENTIAL”, WINSTON CHURCHILL

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
Used with permission from Nigel Holmes, mindset graphic creator

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
The Talent Myth, Malcolm Gladwell
Creating a Great Spirit of Service
at Southwest Airlines:
An Interview with Colleen Barrett, President.
DIVE DEEPER

LAINBDA
MINDSET: STATIC
THANK YOU

The Agile Mindset

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