Conversational Transformation Newsletter - No 2 of 2020

Have you had a difficult conversation this week? If not, why not?

In this week’s update, we share an hour-long video on conversation transformation at Parts Unlimited, the company from Gene Kim’s The Unicorn Project. We also have a blog post on your project’s “glidepath” with a related podcast episode on why metrics like this are only useful for generating questions. Finally, we’d like your help in spreading the word about Agile Conversations. With launch just two months away, can you help us?

Unicorn Project Video

Gene Kim’s The Unicorn Project is a sequel to his runaway bestseller The Phoenix Project. It tells the story of the “redshirts”—coders, testers, and system admins—who are labouring to rescue a massive project while the executives battle in the boardroom. Gene invited us to imagine how the characters in the book might have used conversational analyses and the techniques from Agile Conversations to better build trust, overcome fear, and make meaningful commitments. We responded with a blog post and webinar in which we covered culture types, how culture changes are driven by conversations, and the fundamental Four Rs analysis technique. For an hour, we answered questions from Gene’s book group and linked our methods to the story of the Unicorn Project. Watch and tell us what you think!

Landing Your Project is Like Landing a Plane - Blog Post

Have you ever landed an airplane? (A simulator counts!) Even if you haven’t, you’ll find the glide slope indicator an intriguing way to track project progress; I’ve used it repeatedly in my consulting and have a client right now who are using it to wean themselves away from overcomplicated metrics. Check out our new blog post on why projects are always off track and that’s okay.

The Myth of Metrics - New Podcast Episode

Check out our podcast episode from February 26th, where we answer a question about measuring and comparing teams. We suggest some light measurement tools but conclude that nothing beats a conversation. Have a listen and don’t forget to subscribe!

Agile Conversations Launch

We’re gearing up for the launch of Agile Conversations on the 12th of May and would welcome your help! Get in touch if you’d be willing to write a review, tweet and post about the book, and introduce us to people and groups in our target audience. Write us at info@conversationaltransformation.com and we’ll get you on the list.

And do get in touch anytime to discuss your conversations, your transformation, or anything else. Until next time, keep talking!

Jeffrey and Squirrel