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People often ask for the golden phrase, the silver bullet they can use to convince their teams, managers or executives to ‘go Agile’. While it would certainly help to talk about outcomes and benefits over practices and methods, it can sometimes be your own mindset that is holding back your ability to influence change. In this session, Steph looks at mindsets (the values and assumptions you make) and explore how a lack of genuine curiosity can provoke defensive behaviours in others and stop organisations from resolving the issues that really matter, but are challenging to address. She’ll use the setting of a small conversation to explore and better understand these ideas. While organisational change is big, the momentum for change can often be won or lost in small conversations. Becoming better in small conversations will help you grow your role in influencing organisational change. When you approach conversations with genuine curiosity about the other person’s point of view, you will not only have a more productive conversation, but build the trust needed for the work ahead. These ideas and techniques are popular as they are accessible and relatively easy to adopt.
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Genuine curiosity – conversations for changeStephanie CooperLean|Agile Consultant, Assurity Consulting
Your pic
With special guest stars - Ceedee Doyle & Gareth Evans
Who do you listen to?
• Context – influencing change• Mindset and defensive behaviours• Conversation – demo• Tools• Conversation the next day – demo + your help
This session
Context – influencing change
AgileScrumKanbanTDDBDDSpec by ExampleSAFeEvidence-based managementUser-centric designA/B TestingTest automation ………….
What we need to do, is … [insert term]
Some reactions
Yay! My idea
Sure thingMissy
Tried beforeWho the
*@#?My role??
Some results
Success?
In 6 weeks:• Reduced time work blocked by one-third• Identified options for earlier delivery:
• Project 1: reduced from 200 days to 60 days• Project 2: reduced from 1 year to 5 months
• Baseline cycle time – thought 2-3 mths, actually 4 mths• Reduced local dev install - 2-3 days 1-3 hrs• Source code checkout - 20 mins 3 mins, 800MB 180MB + + +
Put simply, because many professionals are almost always successful at what they do, they rarely experience failure. And because they have rarely failed, they have never learned how to learn from failure. So whenever their single-loop learning strategies go wrong, they become defensive, screen out criticism, and put the "blame" on anyone and everyone but themselves. In short, their ability to learn shuts down precisely at the moment they need it the most.
Chris Argyris, Harvard Business Review, May/Jun91
Failing = Learning
Think about the last time you failed.How do you describe it to yourself?
These results are not good enough – if that’s all I get, I am failing.
I want to be able to influence sustainable (grows without me) and scalable (grows beyond me) change for the better.
We reflected on how our own thoughts and actions had contributed to the outcome.
My point of view: I want better results
… Many times I’ve seen individual, team and enterprise-wide change initiatives fail to deliver results because the groups involved lacked the critical reasoning and conversation skills necessary to achieve their vision.
Alternatively, most of the successful professionals I have encountered practice what Chris Argyris of Harvard and Donald Schon of MIT refer to as double-loop learning.
Influencing change - conversations
William R. Noonan, Discussing the Undiscussable
Single and double-loop learning
Goals, actions
What we do
Results
What we get
Single-loop
Beliefs, values, assumptions
Why we do what we do
Double-loop
Methods
Practices
Principles
Values
Mindset
Mindset focus - Agile
Two mindsets – which is most like yours?
I couldn't tell him the truth, I didn’t want to
embarrass him.
The answer is obvious.
What amI missing?
They may have a point, I need to know
more about that
1: Unilateral Control 2: Mutual LearningGoverning values Achieve the purpose as the actor defines it
Win, do not loseSuppress negative feelingsEmphasize rationality
Valid informationFree and informed choiceInternal commitment to the choice and constant monitoring of its implementation
Primary Strategies Control environment and task unilaterallyProtect self and others unilaterally
Sharing controlProtect self and others bilaterallyParticipation in design and implementation of action
Operationalized by Unillustrated attributions and evaluations e.g. “You seem unmotivated”Advocating courses of action which discourage inquiry e.g. “Let’s not talk about the past …”Treating ones’ own views as obviously correctMaking covert attributions and evaluationsFace-saving moves such as leaving potentially embarrassing facts unstated
Attribution and evaluation illustrated with relatively directly observable dataSurfacing conflicting viewEncouraging public testing of evaluations
Consequences Defensive relationshipsLow freedom of choiceReduced production of valid informationLittle public testing of ideasSingle-loop learning
Minimally defensive relationshipsHigh freedom of choiceIncreased production of valid informationPublic testing of ideasIncreased likelihood of double-loop learning
Two mindsets – which is most like yours?
Drawn from a presentation by Absolum (2006), based on the original models proposed by Argyris and Schön.
Protecting ourselves and others from conditions of threat or embarrassment.
Mindset 1 – Characterised by defensive behaviour
Me
You?
• Ceedee and Gareth will act out a conversation.• You will get a worksheet which lists some defensive behaviours.• Please choose two of these behaviours – watch the
conversation and see if you can spot the behaviours in action.
Defensive behaviours in action
Ceedee - Product Owner
Introducing Ceedee & Gareth
Gareth – Tech Lead
• Cloud-based timesheeting software company• Using Scrum, releasing to customers every 4 months• Last release re-skinned, some unhappy customers
• Did it sound familiar?• What behaviours did you see? From who?• What were their assumptions?• What happens next?
Debrief
Ladder of inference – jumping to conclusions
Tool to help us understand what’s going on
Tools to help us develop this mindset• Mindfulness
Mindset 2: Mutual Learning
Tools to help us develop this mindset
Mindset 2: Mutual Learning
State your views withexamples
Ask open questions
Advocacy Inquiry
Within a matter of minutes, I watched the level of alertness and ‘presentness’ of the entire group rise ten
notches – thanks not so much to Argyris’s personal charisma, but to his skilful practice of drawing out…
generalisations.
Peter Senge on Chris Argyris as a teacher, 1990
Some examples of stating your views
http://www.slideshare.net/derekwinter/mental-models-7989038
What to do … What to say …
State your assumption and describe the data that lead to them
“Here’s what I think and here’s how I got there…”
Explain your assumptions “I assumed that …”
Make your reasoning explicit “I came to this conclusion because ...”
Explain the context of your point of view: who will be affected by what you propose, how will they be affected, and why
“To get a clear picture of what I’m talking about, imagine you’re a customer who will be affected …”
Give examples of what you propose, even if they hypothetical or metaphorical
Make your thinking process visible (walk up the ladder of inference slowly)
Some example questions
You agree, don’t you? Do you see it differently?http://www.slideshare.net/derekwinter/mental-models-7989038
When … You might say …
Strong views are expressed without any reasoning or illustrations …
“You may be right, but I’d like to understand more. What leads you to believe …?”
The discussion goes off on an apparent tangent … “I’m unclear how that connects to what we’ve been saying. Can you say how you see it as relevant?”
You doubt the relevance of your own thoughts … “This may not be relevant now. If so, let me know and I will wait.”
Two members pursue a topic at length while others observe …
“I’d like to give my reaction to what you two have said so far, and then see what you and others think”
Several views are advocated at once … “We now have three ideas on the table [say what they are]. I suggest we address them one at a time …”
vs
Crafting questions – the test
… you idiot
Mindset – Mutual Learning
MindfulnessHow am I reacting?
Body language?Withholding any info?
What are my assumptions?
State views with examples
Ask open questionsChallenge your own and others’ thinking
Before we get your help with the conversation
Hi Gareth – not sure we got off on the right foot there. Would you like to meet for coffee?
Sure. Are you buying?
• How would you describe the differences between the conversations?• Outcome• Mood / tone• What might happen next?
• Did you notice mindfulness/reflection?• Did you notice use of examples?• Did you notice use of open questions?
Debrief from conversation
• Manipulative• Fake• Giving up power• Why should I make the effort?• Exposing self• Emotional risk• Don’t have time
Why bother?
Wrong• Recipes ‘eg. what is the data that lead you to that conclusion?’ - awkward• Haven’t contracted with the other person for reflective learning• Arguing over what fits at what level on the ladder• Seem too calm under fire - in control - need to remember to be more vulnerable
and share what is going on. Being human is what it is all about.
Right• Stronger relationships – co-operation over self-interest• Synergy that comes from different perspectives being applied to an issue/situation• Encouragement to put in the time and effort again
When it goes …
• My POV: If you want to influence change for the better that is sustainable (grows without you) and scalable (grows beyond you), you need to be genuinely curious and willing to learn from others
• Massaging the knot – discussing undiscussable issues• Practise having good conversations about difficult issues• Mindfulness, state views with examples, ask open questions• Greatest leverage for change is our own behaviour
• Do you think you could/would try it?
Summary “How we relate to each other is the greatest leverage for change. The medium in which we work together is conversation.”
Bill Noonan
"Argyris: TEACHING SMART PEOPLE HOW TO LEARN." Argyris: TEACHING SMART PEOPLE HOW TO LEARN. Web. 30 Aug. 2014. <http://www.soules.ca/argyris.html>.
"Chris Argyris: Theories of Action, Double-loop Learning and Organizational Learning." Infedorg. Web. 30 Aug. 2014. <http://infed.org/mobi/chris-argyris-theories-of-action-double-loop-learning-and-organizational-learning/>.
"The Ladder of Inference." Benjamin Mitchells Blog. Web. 30 Aug. 2014. <http://blog.benjaminm.net/argyris/the-ladder-of-inference/>.
"The Ladder of Inference Creates Bad Judgment." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 30 Aug. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9nFhs5W8o8>.
"Mental Models." Mental Models. Web. 30 Aug. 2014. <http://www.slideshare.net/derekwinter/mental-models-7989038>.
Noonan, William R. Discussing the Undiscussable: A Guide to Overcoming Defensive Routines in the Workplace. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2007. Print.
References
Ladder of inference
Ed Muzio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9nFhs5W8o8
