[26-Jul-24] More about learning ...

A quick collection of helpful references

Have a look:

• 9 Free University Courses on the Skills that Get You Paid

• 21 FREE courses from Ivy League universities

• 16 Crucial Soft Skills, Credits to Gav Blaxberg

• Some skills never lose their value. They are the currency of personal growth

• These are the 17 Pitfalls of Change that you want to avoid

• Why Change Fails, Credits to Jeroen Kraaijenbrink

And some others as well:

• Boeing's Starliner Stuck at the ISS Until at Least August, NASA Admits

• Learn Faster With Mindgrasp - Mindgrasp instantly creates accurate notes, summaries, flashcards, quizzes, and answers questions from any Document, PDF, YouTube Video, Zoom Meeting, Webinar Recording, Podcast and much more!

• unFIX: The Iterative Sculptor (We’ve uncovered fifteen AI use case patterns)

[25-Jul-24] About help & communication

Too much help does not always help ...

Let's start with skills and learning first:

• Developing the right skills is key to success: Top 8 skills to 10x your career

• Elevate your change management skills with free courses from Ivy League schools and top universities

• 12 qualities of people with Group Intelligence (GQ)

• Dan Rockwell: CULTIVATING GREATNESS: YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH MANIFESTO

• How to be an Inspiring Leader, Credit to Justin Wright

• Emotional intelligence plays a key role in self-care and balance.

  It helps leaders understand their needs and manage their well-being

• Want to be a top performer? It's not just about hard work. Here are 10 key behaviors

In the agile world the Teams should be self-managed and -organized. When their Product Owner and Scrum Master are lacking the right communication skills to report progress as demanded or expected, Senior Management help might be offered?

Sounds great on the one side, but could mean a lot of additional administration, documentation, communication and reporting work. The effort for this cannot be used for delivering the product, so you might fall further behind in your delivery schedule? Too much help does not always help. You either earned the trust in your approach before that help is not required, or you are strong enough to reject the helping hand as early as possible. Your choice and call ...

The other topic is communication, what should be happening regularly. But you have to be very sensitive about the expectations of your audience. Do not just communicate to communicate. You better have content and to say something valuable, or you will be losing your audience faster than you think. Finding the right cadence for communication is definitely a challenge and you have to manage the expectations in your audience coming with a larger communication carefully. Not an easy task ...

• The Future of Recruiting 2024

• Dan Rockwell: COULD YOU BE A LOUSY LISTENER WITHOUT KNOWING

• How will AI adoption play out in your industry?
  Some sectors will face more disruption and obstacles than others. Knowing where your business sits is key to maximising GenAI’s potential

• How Olympic Swimmer Kate Douglass Uses Data to Win — and You Can Too

• 20 Essential Python Modules for Developers

• The Crowdstrike topic:

  • CROWDSTRIKE OFFERS $10 GIFT CARD AS APOLOGY FOR SHUTTING DOWN BASICALLY THE WHOLE EARTH

  • CrowdStrike Reveals New Details About What Caused Windows Outage

"Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm, as you get older, remember you have another hand: The first is to help yourself, the second is to help others." -- Audrey Hepburn, British - Actress May 4, 1929 - January 20, 1993

[22-Jul-24] No overnight transformations

There are no overnight transformations

The New Happy: "You might beat yourself up for this, believing that there is something wrong with you and the way you're approaching your goals. But there's nothing wrong with you—this is just how change works. We change through attempts and setbacks and unlearning and re-learning."

I have seen two surveys from Statista Germany lately, one about Homeoffice and the other one about the 4-Day workweek. As I could not find similar data in English, I did ask Gemini from Google for some insights and the used references and sources:

• See: Home Office vs. Hybrid: Survey Results, for interesting details

Perfect fit to the picture and headline today. It is not happening over night, because it will be a journey and people have to understand all Pros and Cons, to make a personal qualified decision for their best way forward. And just in case your purpose and the purpose of the company you are working for does not match enough, you have to take a decision and make a change. It is an employee market in the moment.

• Bravery, brilliance and RuPaul Charles | On the Spot | RuPaul Charles | TED2024 • April 2024

• The Pros and Cons of Sharing Interview Questions Early

• 10 Powerful Ways To Create Your Own Happiness 

[21-Jul-24] The week 29-2024 summary

Too much automation might be dangerous?

Just two out of several examples in the moment:

• BOEING DESPERATELY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THRUSTER ISSUE THAT'S STRANDED ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE ALL SUMMER --
  NASA STILL HASN'T ANNOUNCED A RETURN DATE.

• Crowdstrike: REMEDIATION AND GUIDANCE HUB: FALCON CONTENT UPDATE FOR WINDOWS HOSTS

For sure there are many more cases to be discussed in the moment, what do you think?

After lot of good insights into the world of knowledge workers last week, we will see what comes next. Maybe this?

• Video: How to Tap into the Hidden Potential of Your Brain

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (19-Jul-24)

• How to Build Psychological Safety Without Waiting for the Leader

• 9 mindsets of the most successful people, Credits to Lukas J.M. Stangl

• Paul Storm: Goodbye ChatGPT - Experience the future with AI Chrome extensions

[19-Jul-24] Just some pictures today ...

Many people are afraid to leave their comfort zones

Have a great sunny and relaxing weekend.

• 10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders

• Video: CrowdStrike CEO on global outage: Goal now is to make sure every customer is back up and running
• Bernard Marr: AI Politicians: The Future Of Democracy Or A Threat To Freedom?

• Open Source Databases: Powering Modern Data Solutions

[18-Jul-24] More knowledge workers ...

There is more to the topic coming my way

I did get really good feeback from my colleague doing the Master Thesis interview about my post from yesterday. It is also available on Substack.

As always when you focus on a topic in more depth, you will quickly realize a selective awareness. Yesterday it was SWOT and Personal Growth, today I found these:

• The NOISE Analysis Model, Credits to Jeroen Kraaijenbrink

• What does log felling have to do with personal development?

• Dan Rockwell: THE SURPRISING GUIDE TO LASTING IMPACT
• Tanmay Vora: The Iceberg of Organizational Knowledge: How to Unlock Tacit Knowledge
• The New Happy: Results are coming AND Your unique path

In addition to that Seth Godin did write in his daily newsletter:

Glib
One of the valid complaints about some AI systems is that they make stuff up, with confidence, and without sourcing, and then argue when challenged. Unsurprisingly, this sounds a lot like people.

We often end up with what we are willing to tolerate. Show your work and ask for receipts.

Interesting - Anyway, let's ask OpenAI about some insights:

When it comes to professional knowledge sharing, storage, and management in companies, having a structured approach is key. Establishing a centralized knowledge base where information is easily accessible to all team members is essential. Encouraging a culture of open communication and collaboration can significantly enhance knowledge sharing and retention within the organization.

Top 10 to 20 list for good practices in professional knowledge management:

1. Implement a knowledge management system

2. Organize information in a clear and systematic manner

3. Encourage employees to share their expertise and insights regularly

4. Provide training on knowledge management best practices

5. Utilize technology tools for efficient storage and retrieval of information

6. Regularly update and review the knowledge base content

7. Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement

8. Document processes and procedures for easy reference

9. Recognize and reward employees who actively contribute to knowledge sharing

10. Conduct regular knowledge sharing sessions and workshops

11. Establish clear roles and responsibilities for knowledge management

12. Develop standardized templates for documenting knowledge

13. Make knowledge sharing a part of performance evaluations

14. Ensure data security measures are in place to protect sensitive information

15. Create user-friendly interfaces for accessing and contributing to the knowledge base

16. Regularly assess the effectiveness of knowledge management practices

17. Implement a feedback mechanism for continuous improvement

18. Promote cross-functional collaboration to facilitate knowledge sharing across departments

19. Encourage peer-to-peer learning and mentoring within the organization

20. Emphasize the importance of knowledge management as a strategic asset for the company

A really good outcome and helpful hints, how to better prepare a supportive environment for knowledge workers ...

[17-Jul-24] About knowledge workers

There are a few ways to categorize job titles across industries

IBM: Knowledge workers, typically those with advanced training and years of experience, have become a valuable asset for companies worldwide. Businesses lean on these people who “think for a living” to drive innovation, solve problems and manage personnel.

See also other examples:

• Kolekti: What is a Knowledge Worker?
• Indeed: What Is a Knowledge Worker and What Do They Do? (With Types)

I had an interview with a colleague yesterday about the Knowledge Worker topic and my opinion about it. The content will become part of the investigation for a Master Thesis.

We covered aspects like status quo in the company, where am I coming from and going to, differences between Waterfall and Agile project management, the role of the individual employee and their management, industry trends, life-long-learning, talent and knowledge management, etc.

For me personally the answer is definitely driven by the years behind and in front of you in your working career. At the beginning you just finished your education and cannot wait to use the knowledge in real life. After 35 years, as in my current situation, you will see a lot of topics differently, due to your expertise, experience and learning over time.

• 3 years ago I started in the Agile world after 30+ years in Waterfall projects. Self-managed and organized teams, no line management anymore and Agile roles driving the project and organization forward would be my dream scenario. Without a change in mindset, culture and commitment, we will never reach this.
• Learning, un-learning and re-learning will be key to survive in the war-for-talent, to better handle a professional knowledge transfer, storage and management, to be prepared for the baby boomers leaving in the next 5 years, for smartly supporting up to five different generations in the work environment, to get ready for 2024 technology trends and most-in-demand skills. I did not even mention AI yet ...
• Learn all you can about yourself: Your personality and learning types, your attitude, mindset, values, motivation, way of handling change, your skills, experience and expertise. Your Strength and Weakness (SWOT), your IKIGAI, purpose and many more. You just have to start - in a world with Internet, ChatGPT and Gemini for example, there is no stopping anymore for personal growth ... 

[15-Jul-24] Looking forward ...

Starting the week with some AI related topics

Let's start with some articles from Bernard Marr, an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies:

• What Job Is Most Safe From AI?

• The Vital Difference Between Machine Learning and Generative AI

• AI Hype Or Reality: The Singularity – Will AI Surpass Human Intelligence?

Then proceed with some helpful videos and articles:

• Video: The 1-minute secret to forming a new habit | Christine Carter | TEDxMarin • September 2020

• Video: SUPERCOMMUNICATORS by Charles Duhigg | Core Message

• "For almost two decades, labor markets across advanced economies have tightened—and the trend is set to continue. This article provides a data-driven look via charts to understand the implications." - Help wanted: Charting the challenge of tight labor markets in advanced economies
  

• Why GAI and Boolean Search Is a Winning Approach to Sourcing

And something to think about and to investigate in more details:

• How To Speak Like A Master Communicator

• 50 LIFE RULES THAT ARE GOLDEN

• The Team Effectiveness Model, Credits to Timothy Timur Tiryaki

• Ready to lead change successfully? Here are 5 proven steps to navigate ambiguity, fatigue, and resistance

• In organisations, each individual brings a different set of skills

• 15 Signs You Are Emotionally Intelligent

• Optimism is a mindset, not a life sentence

[14-Jul-24] My week 28-2024 highlights

Following the UEFA EURO 2024 final

In the general interest of good soccer Spain should be the EURO 2024 champion as they showed a much better quality so far, and did win all 6 games before the final. England was very lucky and had only one good game. In the end all statistics will not count and any performance of the past is no guarantee for today. We will see ...

Monday will start with two System Demos in a row. After two weeks we have some good content to present to customers and stakeholders. The rest of the week will be a little bit more quiet as the school summer holidays just started.

Have a great week, relax and enjoy the better weather.

• [14-Jul-24] See India’s Population Density Visualized on a 3D Map

• Sketchplanations: Point Nemo

• How to Build a Culture of Mediocrity - 7 ways to keep your organization comfortably average (but please don’t)

• Interesting Engineering

  • Moon to have its own GPS soon, Chinese scientists reveal plan

  • Breakthrough AI model uses 93% less time to present perfect battery cells

  • World's first Guidelines for Humanoid Robot Governance - Analyzing doomscrolling - Apple partners up with Blackmagic Design to make 3D camera

  • How does Maglev trains work?

  • This self-balancing electric motorcycle uses gyros to stay upright

[13-Jul-24] B.R.A.I.N.S ...

B.R.A.I.N.S is a 6-step framework

1st step: Benefits
When you’re trying to make a decision about taking a certain action, first consider the benefits of the choice that you’re considering.
What is the good that could come from that choice?

I had an interesting discussion with GEMINI today, the Google large language model (LLM). See - Where do you see the main differences between ChatGPT and Gemini? - I like the level of self-awareness a lot, good insights shared and even references mentioned.

Since today my 7th-eBOOK is available with posts until 12-Jul-24 via Downloads. Have fun.

Ruth Westheimer (born June 4, 1928, Wiesenfeld, Germany — died July 12, 2024, New York, USA) with age 96.

• Twelve traits emotionally intelligent people share. Turning the tables on AI. Peter principle explained

• OpenAI Researcher Says He Quit When He Realized the Upsetting Truth

[12-Jul-24] Learn at all ...

Some examples today, diverse content

See the list of links below in random order:

• Dune come true: Sci-fi-like spacesuit turns urine into drinking water

• Video: Tim Cook’s HUGE Vision Pro revelation as he admits he's ditched TV for headset to watch top show

• NASA Says If Necessary, SpaceX Could Come Rescue the Astronauts Stranded by Boeing

• The New Happy: You’re in charge
• Video: "The Mysterious Dance of Noodles: You Won't Believe Your Eyes!"
• Dan Rockwell: UNLOCKING POTENTIAL: 3 UNCONVENTIONAL GROWTH STRATEGIES
• Grant Snider: We Are the Introverts

• Becoming a leader and being successful at it takes more than ascending to a position or title or having influence over those on your team

• The Future Of Customer Experience: AI, Data And Why Listening Is Key

• LinkedIn Learning: What Is Generative AI?
• Chris Stone: The Value Story Canvas

• ChatGPT Tone Guide: Master 12 essential prompt writing styles for better output

• Can a Simple Water Bottle Light Up Your Life? If you recycle, the planet loves you

• One of the coolest #Data visualization - A Day in the Life of Americans

“One hour per day of study in your chosen field is all it takes. One hour per day of study will put you at the top of your field within three years. Within five years you’ll be a national authority. In seven years, you can be one of the best people in the world at what you do.” — Earl Nightingale taken from 70 POWERFUL QUOTES ABOUT LEARNING TO INSPIRE YOU!

[10-Jul-24] Learn from other sources ...

Always good to know where to find the information

Let's start with two AI reports:

• THOMSON REUTERS: Future of Professionals Report 2024

• Elsevier: Insights 2024: Attitudes toward AI

Other opportunities are BLOGs, Newsletters and TED talks for example:

• More Than a 'Nice-to-Have': Why Mentorships Can Help Your Bottom Line

• Frank Sonnenberg: Where Does Confidence Come From?
• TED Talk: AI that connects the digital and physical worlds
• Or you can investigate my Interesting Links page?

And further ideas and sources:

• Interesting Engineering: China: Game changer solid electrolyte cuts solid-state battery price by 90%
• Lee Sampson: What gets you out of bed in the morning?

• Dr. Travis Bradberry: 10 Fundamental Truths That Will Change Your Life

• Eric Ries defines a startup as, " An organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. "

[09-Jul-24] Learn from other people ...

You do not have to like or marry them, but they might have a point or two?

Elon Musk is also a difficult character for me - Genius and madness go hand in hand - but he did accomplish a lot so far and has a clear way to make a vision a reality.

• Elon Musk sent an email to the staff at Tesla with his 6 rules for productivity. Unsurprisingly, it leaked

• Elon Musk is building two massive AI supercomputers for Tesla's Full Self-Driving and xAI projects

Another example is Lamine Yamal a 16 year old Spanish soccer player. He passed his school graduation during the UEFA EURO 2024 and will celebrate his 17th birthday on Saturday, one day before the final. In the moment Spain is 2 : 1 ahead of France in the Semi-Finals and Yamal did score a great goal. A good example and role model for kids, being a great soccer player and also having a focus on the graduation.

• 30+ Best Tips on How to Prepare for a Job Interview

• Tanmay Vora: Invisible Costs to Consider in Decision Making

• Productivity or pioneering? Your industry’s GenAI adoption play

• Talent Density: Solution to a Tough Labor Market or Just Another Buzz Phrase?

• Dan Rockwell: MASTERING EMOTIONAL AGILITY: TRANSFORM DESTRUCTIVE EMOTIONS INTO LEADERSHIP ADVANTAGE
• Generative AI: Choose the best AI application from over 2,500 AI tools
• Video: Great Leadership Is a Network, Not a Hierarchy | Gitte Frederiksen | TED

[06-Jul-24] The Day after ...

Germany lost against Spain yesterday

The German dream of the Home European Championship was over after 120+ minutes, and the Spanish team did kiss Germany good-bye in the end. Great game, team spirit and mindset. Could be a good basis and starting point for a successful future of the newly build German team, we will see in the coming months and years?

A Spanish player touching the ball with the hand did cause a lot of discussion and diverse perspectives of all asked experts after the game. With all the new technology used there are still human referees running around on the pitch taking factual decisions. In the round of the last 16 teams Germany was lucky, yesterday it was against us. To be honest when you have 120+ minutes to decide the game it should not be this one situation that everybody is focusing on!!

Now Germany will proceed to be a good host of the UEFA Euro 2024 until 14-Jul-24, and maybe the identification with the German team and the support from the general public and fans can be transfered to other areas? Where we are struggling in the moment, due to internal and external crisis. Hope is not a strategy, but could be a starting point.

• NO RESCUE NEEDED FOR STARLINER, SAYS JOHNS HOPKINS SPACE EXPERT

• Video: Rogue Runway: Genesis AND Intergalactic Edition
• Video: Parachutist drops 100 million seeds in Amazon

• This chart breaks down the hottest FREE and PAID AI tools for all your content creation needs

• Generative AI: Top 21 Essential Tools to Boost Your Productivity 

[04-Jul-24] My 8th BLOG anniversary

After 8 years writing my BLOG the visitor counter stands at 1,618,110 today

Unbelievable how fast 8 years are passing by. In 2016 I just left my job in the Automotive industry, today I am already working 6 years in my new  Telecommunication job.

I just realized that I did a recap by year on 04-Jul-2023 for all my 04-Jul posts. See in my 6th-eBOOK (2023) on page 31. For today I did copy one sentence from each of my seven 04-Jul posts so far. You can find all eBOOKs on the Downloads page:

• 2016: I am 50+ and start a regular blog now. Let's see how this goes, as this is not my day-to-day technology and regular writing not a familiar area for me so far. -- 1st eBOOK, page 693
• 2017: I am proud of 208 BLOG posts in the last 365 days and the growing interest in the thoughts, ideas and material -- 1st eBOOK, page 466
• 2018: Unbelievable that 2 years already passed by and 56,520 people did read my posts so far. Thanks a lot to all my one time, sometime and regular readers. -- 1st eBOOK, page 165
• 2019: What started at ZERO back in 04-Jul-2016 had an average of

  31 readers/day and 11k readers in total after one year. Now three years later the average readers/day is 135 with a total of 147,793 readers just 5 minutes ago. -- 2nd eBOOK, page 193

• 2020: If you are celebrating Independance Day today, have fun but take care of social distancing and apply the Corona rules -- 3rd eBOOK, page 203
• 2021: And to reach the next big milestone of #600k overall readers, we just need another 9k to go. Should be less than 2 weeks from now -- 4th eBOOK, page 186
• 2022: Disruption, crocodiles, and the law of unintended consequences -- 5th eBOOK, 183
• 2023: What a journey in the last 7 years? A lot of work, fun and appreciation that leads to valuable content, satisfaction and intrinsic motivation, to go on. Assuming an average of 5 posts per week, I have written 1,825 posts on 2,324 pages so far, stored in 6 eBOOKs. -- 6th eBOOK, page 31

I am enjoying a short time to celebrate and recap the accomplishments so far. Then I will be fully motivated for year nine of my BLOG, next big milestone is to pass 2,000k visitors on the counter. We will see when this happens?

• The New Happy: Your beautiful life
• Video: Magic and wonder in the age of AI | David Kwong TED@BCG • November 2023

• Move Over 70-20-10 Rule, 3-to-1 Is The New Model for Learning

• "The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday's logic." - Peter Drucker

• Generative AI: First Robotic Suicide , New Models and more

• 9 Mindsets of the Most Successful People

[02-Jul-24] From loser to leader

Ronaldo had another great evening

Portugal - Slovenia 3:0 after penalties. Ronaldo is a difficult character and I do not really like him, but he had another historical night yesterday. First he missed a penalty kick in the 105th minute of the overtime and even started crying. Then he took the leadership to shoot the 1st Portugese penalty after the overtime was finished into the goal this time. The start of a great result in the end, the Portugese goal keeper did catch three penalties and was player of the match in the end, well deserved.

The Quarter-Finals are just complete, Turkey was the last team to join. One of the two surprising teams, the other one was Switzerland. Friday and Saturday are the next games.

• Video: THE SCOUT MINDSET by Julia Galef | Core Message
• Video: Next Up for AI? Dancing Robots | Catie Cuan | TED
• Video: Lessons from people already adapting to the climate crisis 260,032 views | Dorcas Naishorua | TED Countdown 2024

• Key Elections in 2024: Winners, Losers, Upcoming Polls

• Dan Rockwell: GRATITUDE SHAPES YOUR FUTURE

[30-Jun-24] My week 26-2024 highlights

Germany in the Quarter-Finals since yesterday

Let's start with Cricket: India produced a brilliant performance to defeat South Africa by just seven runs in a dramatic men’s T20 World Cup final, ending a long 13-year wait for the cricket-obsessed nation since its last World Cup win. Congratulations and well done ...

After 8 difficult years the German team did win for the 1st time in the round of the last 16 at the UEFA EURO 2024 yesterday evening. Now in the knock out matches nobody cares anymore, if your team is one of the favorites or surprising teams. You have to win in the end, nothing else matters. The last EURO champion Italy is out against Switzerland and England did just win in overtime, still not showing a lot of their capabilities. But nobody will remember anymore tomorrow.

A lot of people are complaining about the more difficult side with Germany in the bracket for the last 16 teams. Same here, when you managed to come to the round of the last 16 after the group phase with 3 games, you deserve to play there. Just 4 more games to win and you are European champion 2024, when you lose you are out. As simple as that.

Finally a lot of new technologies are used during the tournament, yesterday an advantage for the German team against Denmark. Their coach was not at all amused about the outcome. Too much technology impact on the result in just 5 minutes.

• Cutting-edge technology on show at Euro 2024 is changing the face of soccer

Just watching the Spain - Georgia game. The "underdog" Georgia was leading 1:0, now it is 1:1, and the winner will play against Germany next Friday. We will see and wait ...

Tomorrow I will start a busy week with the onboarding of a new Intern and two System Demos in a row. We have interesting content to share, will be interesting for our customers and stakeholders.

• How To Build a (Truly) Purpose-Driven Team

• Andrew Scott is an emerging American artist, renowned for his innovative approach to "frame art"

• AI And Jobs: The Good And Bad News

• Why Smart People Don't Multitask 

[27-Jun-24] Sharing is still caring ...

Is it possible to coach a coach?

In all fairness I am not a certified COACH yet, might be changing in the future, but I had some valuable lessons, experience from past coaching activities plus 35 years in business, and a lot of common sense. A good mixture to share information and be a valuable sounding board for other people.

My answer to the "Is it possible to coach a coach?" question is definitely YES. Besides our official titles, roles or current assignments, we are also individuals and should take care of ourselves now and then. To find the right balance between WE and ME.

In my 18-Jun-24 BLOG post I did mention that I see three options to react to the current headcount reduction plans:

1. People leaving as quickly as possible, because it is just too much now for them
2. People who are struggling and who will be making up their mind in the coming month
3. People who will be relaxed and sit back, wait and see how it will be going (with 61+ this is my call for now)

I am in the option 3 area and had a discussion with a colleague being in 2 in the moment. Just listening, asking some questions about feelings and next planned steps, plus sharing some personal experience did help to understand the current motivation. We had a valuable session for both sides, more to come as we need to find a solution in the end.

• BOEING'S CURSED STARLINER SEEMS TO BE STUCK ON THE SPACE STATION INDEFINITELY

• The New Happy: Shrink it
• TED Talk: The last 6 decades of AI — and what comes next

• What Skills Do You Need To Work In AI?
  

• Re-release: Top 10 Mistakes Organizations Make to Become Agile

• Scrum Inc.: Evolution of the Scrum Master Role: From Facilitator to COO

• 8 Unrealistic Expectations That Hold You Back

• Albert Einstein said, "It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer."

[25-Jun-24] About communication, etc.

The 7 Cs of Communication for business and private lives

The heart picture is from my Scottish friend, a small thank you for hosting the Tartan Army in 3 different cities in Germany. Most of the time with enough beer. Now they have to go back to work to make the money they need to pay their credit card bills. We loved their friendliness, music, singing and dancing, really great guests and fans.

In my project the discussion about the new team names goes into the next round. My initial idea to use Philosopher names has several issues:

• They are mainly old white men
• The topic might be too high level for some people?
• People do not know how to pronounce some names
• A resistance against philosophy from the past
• Maybe it is a too large change from the current color names to something different?

A quick OpenAI summary about the topic:

Philosophy has a rich history with numerous influential figures shaping its evolution. Some of the most renowned founders of philosophy include Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Descartes, Kant, Nietzsche, Rousseau, Locke, and Hume. These individuals have contributed significantly to various philosophical concepts and schools of thought that continue to influence modern thinking.

In today's world, there is a new generation of promising philosophical talents making their mark. Among the rising stars are thinkers like Angela Davis, Kwame Anthony Appiah, Martha Nussbaum, Judith Butler, Cornel West, Slavoj Žižek, Amartya Sen, Avital Ronell, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and Charles Taylor. These contemporary philosophers bring fresh perspectives and insights to the field, inspiring ongoing conversations and debates about the nature of existence, ethics, politics, and more.

Tomorrow we will discuss alternative name ideas, hopefully we will not end up with One, two, three, ..., twelve, what was my working assumption at the beginning. Will be an interesting communication.

• TED: Leadership lessons from the prime minister of Canada | Justin Trudeau | ReThinking with Adam Grant • May 2024

• Infographic: The Next Characters to Enter the Public Domain

• Dan Rockwell: THE 4 TRAJECTORIES – SEIZING THE INTENTIONAL FUTURE

• 9 Mindsets Of The Most Successful Person

• World Economic Forum: Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2024

• #Infographics: Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions Of A Team

• How I regained control of my life. 18 Game-Changing Strategies to Win Back Your Time

• 15 phrases I hear great leaders say often

• Leadership is a choice. It's not something you're born with.

"Fear and monarchy pair nicely. But democracy means you have to work with people you may not like but you must still believe are your equals. And a fearful people never trust the other side." -- Martha Nussbaum, American - Philosopher Born: 1947

[23-Jun-24] The week 25-2024 summary

Several oracles around the UEFA EURO 2024

Tonight Germany is playing against Switzerland. There are many animal and non-animal oracles to forecast the result of games. My Scottish friend did post a picture this morning - two white crossing airplane contrails in a blue sky, like the Scottish flag. Could be a positive indication for tonight in Stuttgart? Anyway the Tartan Army is having fun once again. Now several animal oracles:

• Oracle sea lion tips Germany to beat Swiss in Euro 2024

• Euro 2024: Elephant Oracle predicts German win

• Walter the “oracle orangutan” predicts the result of Euro 2024 group match

In the end the players have to get the work done on the pitch, we will see.

Getting a job done is a good topic and sometimes not so easy. Let's take the two astronauts of the Boeing Starliner as example. After all the negative press and critical articles about the current Boeing quality levels, it must be hard to wait for the 1st start with astronauts. It finally happened some days ago and now going back to earth is delayed due to technical issues. Hopefully all will be fine in the end and the astronauts can return to earth without issues?

The changing work environment was one topic last week, we have to adjust to it, the sooner the better. Let's keep changing and learning:

• The future of Agile Coaching - Now that Agile delivery is the norm

• Deloitte: 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey - Living and working with purpose in a transforming world

• Storytelling: The Secret Weapon for a Successful Culture Change

• Video: Habit Stacking 101: A Beginner's Guide to Building Powerful Habits
• Once again: Think like a farmer AND 12 Skills that pay forever

  Credits to Véronique Barrot

Next week I will try to help a colleague to take a forward looking decision how to best proceed with the career. Could be in- or outside of the current company. An open ended approach. Besides that several follow up meetings to the announcements last week.

• How To Measure AI Success In Your Organization

• 6 Powerful Models To Decide When To Say No

• Create slide decks in minutes, not hours. 9 AI-Powered PowerPoint Alternatives

• This is a very good visual representation of Artificial Intelligence

[21-Jun-24] Happy International Yoga Day

It reminds us to develop a deeper connection with ourselves, others and the world around us.

There are many statistics available around soccer in general and especially during the UEFA EURO 2024 in the moment. Fun fact about the Germany versus Hungary game 2 days ago:

• In 1954 Germany played Hungary two times. We did win the 2nd game and did get the World Cup after the final for the 1st time
• The next game in an International or European tournament was 2021
• Finally on 19-Jun-2024, interesting ...
• See 11v11.com for all details

Interested to do some learning?

• Udacity: Google Cloud Digital Leader Training

• Top free IBM courses to boost your technical skills

• 8 Essential Soft Skills Of Ultra Productive People

• How Generative AI Will Change The Jobs Of Computer Programmers And Software Engineers

[20-Jun-24] It will get better again ...

Just relax and wait a little bit, until the "fog" clears

Difficult times for a lot of people since the announcement on Tuesday. They have to work themselves from the left to the right on the picture today. Some will be faster, others will need much more time, we have to

be patient.

A welcome change is the UEFA EURO 2024 in the moment. Germany is still doing well and already qualified for the round of the last 16 teams. Other countries are having a singing, dancing and music contest in parallel. Two video examples below, cool stuff:

• Netherlands fans dance in the streets of Hamburg ahead of first Euro 2024 match

• Great Tartan Army Scotland Fanwalk Cologne Euro 2024

Some of you might remember that I am planning to restructure my Agile Release Train (ART) after 30+ month in the moment. We have the leading agile roles assigned and most of the team members are already distributed to new teams on paper. One remaining task is to agree new team names, a good approach to cut history and have a fresh start. We did already discuss several ideas, but nothing agreed yet.

Today I used ChatGPT to find new names that follow a common theme. We know what the new teams will be doing, so I asked the AI to propose some famous names out of different categories that would be fitting best. Categories are:

• Philosophers

• Nobel Prize winners

• Women in any sports category from the last 200 years

• Women international music stars in any music category, from classic, jazz, country to pop

Philosophers was my first idea, but as this is mainly old white men I wanted to look for some alternatives. After several hours I could pick up my initial ChatGPT interaction again and did just re-run the same questions for different categories. Did work smoothly, I am really impressed by the functionality. You can see the full chat here.

Pictures:

• 6 Tools To Lead Change, Credits to Vaughan Broderick

• The 3 Circles of Influence Model

• But you can change where you are heading

[18-Jun-24] Changes coming up ...

Announcement day today, how to handle it?

Our senior management did make two announcements today. More details about the headcount reduction in the next two years and an upcoming change to the ways of working. After getting the big picture in the morning we had two more session afterwards, to discuss all necessary details for our department and team.

I think the reaction of many employees was to be expected, as the coming back to the office for two days per week policy will be a big change after the COVID-19 full-flex office approach. Especially for our Gen-Z community, the young talents and all employees who did move to the location they wanted to work from in the past and that is too far away for a daily commute now.

My personal opinion with 35 years work experience, being in three different companies in two different industries, having seen several headcount reductions that impacted me for 2 times as well:

• I know it is an emotional topic, but please try to be more rationale and focus on what you can really control
• You have a contract with your company that is offering several benefits for your skills, expertise and experience in return
• When the conditions in the contract change you have to renegotiate. If this is not successful, both sides can cancel the contract
• We have a dramatic shortage of skilled workers and a war for talents, so when you cannot stand your current situation anymore, either emotional or rationale, please move on
• Taking action is something you can control!!

Going forward we will see three reactions:

1. People leaving as quickly as possible, because it is just too much now for them
2. People who are struggling and who will be making up their mind in the coming month
3. People who will be relaxed and sit back, wait and see how it will be going (with 61+ this is my call for now)

I know a job change is always a risk, especially when you have a family and high fixed costs to be covered every month, but being in emotional stress and uncertainty for several month can be tough as well. A balancing act and your personal decision in the end.

[16-Jun-24] My week 24-2024 highlights

Deal with challenges and problems

A week of learning, engagement and rethinking, plus the start of the UEFA EURO 2024 last Friday. And Ferrari did win the 24 hours of Le Mans for the 2nd time in a row today, well done.

Some interesting material for the Learning Zone:

• Steve Endacott, a Sussex Entrepreneur, has created many of the initial policy ideas and will “physically” attend Parliament to vote on policies as guided by AI Steve’s feedback from his constituents

• Generative AI And Data Protection: What Are The Biggest Risks For Employers?

• Justin Mecham: Change is hard. But guess what? You can't avoid it.

• The evolution of our understanding

• Requesting Feedback Isn't Enough – Show You Can Handle the Truth

• What are your companies' true colors? - 9 ways Agile leadership helps to overcome rough times

• Video: Tesla Optimus humanoid robot demo May 2024
• Simon Sinek Video: It's Not About Winning or Losing—It's About Momentum
• DIGITAL STORM weekly Newsletter

In the coming week the focus will be on new Interns hiring and handling the result of the last employee survey. Both Sprint demos have been canceled, as not enough valuable content was available for our  customers and stakeholders. Maybe more in two weeks from now?

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (14-Jun-24)

• Video: We Will OutSprint You - We Will Rock You Queen Parody - Scrum Team Building - Personal Agility

[15-Jun-24] Good start yesterday ...

Germany did win against Scotland 5:1

The German team did play well and made all 6 goals. A great start into the tournament. For Scotland the evening was not so nice, but their fans - the Tartan Army - did behave well as always. "They have won awards from several organisations for their friendly behaviour and charitable work." Some pubs in Munich did run out of beer due to the thirsty Scottish Bravehearts. The coming two stops for the Army are Cologne next Wednesday and Stuttgart coming week Sunday. Hopefully the pubs there are better prepared?

During the game yesterday I was in contact with my Scottish friend who stayed at home, he had a smaller can of beer but a much larger TV. You need to focus on the right stuff ...

Is AI able to forecast the result of the EURO 2024? Possibly not as you can see below. So we have to wait until 14-Jul-24 for the final outcome:

Artificial Intelligence has shown promising results in forecasting the outcome of soccer tournaments by analyzing previous team performances. By utilizing machine learning algorithms and data from past matches, AI can provide insights into which teams are more likely to succeed in upcoming games. Factors such as player statistics, team strategies, and even weather conditions can be considered to make accurate predictions.

Although AI can provide valuable predictions based on historical data, it is essential to remember that soccer matches can be unpredictable due to various unforeseen circumstances during gameplay. Factors like player injuries, referee decisions, and team morale can significantly impact the outcome of a match, making it challenging for AI to predict with absolute certainty. While AI can offer valuable insights, the beauty of soccer lies in its unpredictability and the element of surprise that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.

Today we did visit a tea-shop and my wife knows the owner. We had a discussion about the situation of the retail business in the moment and that he wants to retire in the next two years. A great plan but he does not find anybody who wants to buy his shop. Younger people seem to be more interested in 09.00 AM - 05-00 PM jobs with a good work-life balance lately, than owning retail shops or doing jobs where they are self-employed with the full risk? Might be just a very small view of the reality and world, but a first indication.

• Hemingway's lost suitcase. GenAI’s hype cycle. A multi-dimensional model for every leadership style

• The New Happy: We all need help

• Why Successful People Never Bring Smartphones Into Meetings

• 'After ordering a new pair of hiking shorts, his friend found this letter in the box. In this letter, the CEO of Fjall Raven asks to buy less stuff. How many times in your life have you seen this? A CEO of a company asking to buy less of their products?'

• 92% would stay with their company if leaders understood their needs. (research shows)

[11-Jun-24] Spirit Day ...

For learning and team building

We started our day today with a team breakfast. Everybody did add something to the table and we had a tasty buffet with interesting discussions. E.g. about the meaning of first names in different countries/languages and what could go wrong during cooking.

Afterwards I did join two information sessions, one about different generations in the workplace, and then about our top priority project in the moment that will transfer our data warehouse into the cloud in

Jul-2024. Explained in easy language for awareness purposes and to be as transparent as possible for our customers.

At the end I did one of our yearly mandatory trainings - healthy guidelines to best work in the homeoffice - ergonomic suggestions, proper lighting, work-life balance, not enough sitting during the day and so on.

A good use of our Spirit Day, next one is in 3 month from now.

Only three days to go until UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany. The German team starts against Scotland on Friday in Munich. All matches here, the tournament starts on 14-Jun and finishes on 14-Jul-24. Will be an interesting month.

• Mapped: Where Tesla and BYD Make Their Cars

• [11-Jun-24] ‘The Periodic Table of Leadership’

[09-Jun-24] The week 23-2024 summary

How to Develop and Improve Your Strengths

According to the quote besides the picture you have to find your right  element, to make best use of your strength. Besides the article in the headline, three more ideas to handle this topic as example:

• 10 Boundaries You Need

• Unlock Your Life's Purpose with This Ancient Japanese Secret - Find your IKIGAI

• Video: How Small Actions Can Create Big Ripples In Your Life

It is your decision how to approach this situation. You can either further strengthen your strengths or try to improve several of your weaknesses. There are different shapes of skillsets known, you just have to be clear where you are or where you want to be? It is your choice and call.

For the penguins the decision is easy, they cannot fly in the air but in the water. For us humans it is a little bit more difficult, we first have to find the right "element" for us and need to be open and honest about our capabilities and energy to change --> leaving our comfort zone.

Being honest and critical with yourself is a necessary skill that a lot of parties that participated in the 2024 European election in all EU countries need now, after a lot of dramatic results or changes. France and Germany are only two examples. We will see, what happens in the next days ...

[08-Jun-24] Ready for transformation?

Do you feel crushed, pressed, under pressure or in darkness?

“You can’t teach anybody anything, only make them realize the answers are already inside them.” – Galileo Galilei take from 27+ Powerful Transformation Quotes

Some more videos without any pressure :-)

• The Future is better than we think: Highlights from a recent keynote by Gerd Leonhard

• Lilium Jet | EBACE 2024

• New OpenAI Powered Robot Demos 44 Axes AI Using This Shocking New Tech (NVIDIA RUBIN AI)

• ‘Everything is Going to Be Robotic’ Nvidia Promises, as AI Gets More Real

• F1 Drivers Vs Soapbox Car Race 🏁

Next week Tuesday we have our #Spirit-Day, every quarter we get one full day for learning, training, team building and knowledge sharing. No meetings, no other distraction. A great initiative. In my team we will have a breakfast together and look into the employee survey results for the 1st time. A good opportunity to discuss my Circle of Control idea.

• Narrow the gap between company and employee purpose. How to choose your life pursuits. The great flattening.

• 11 advanced ChatGpt prompts that will make you better than 99% of ChatGPT Users

• Exploring the World of Machine Learning Algorithms & Models!

[07-Jun-24] Some AI topics and more

Get ready for the weekend with some helpful material

Starting with the pictures and some more:

• Visualizing the Training Costs of AI Models Over Time

• Charted: Countries Offering Digital Nomad Visas

• The State of AI at Work, Research Report 2024

• AI Innovations: Market Milestones and Technological Breakthroughs

• DigitalStorm: Forget Siri's Stumbles, Hello Supercharged Assistant! Plus, ChatGPT Goes Free: Is This a User Grab or a Game Changer? #61

News of the day: Jurgen Appelo's debut novel is finally out now. As promised I did deliver two feedback posts on LinkedIn and Amazon, my review and summary of the pre-read impressions. All four parts and the final summary are here.

On Sunday Germany and several other countries will be voting for the

European elections 6-9 June 2024. "In the European elections, people in the European Union vote for Members to represent them in the European Parliament. The European Union is known as the EU. Elections take place in all 27 EU countries."

• The Nature of Ambition - 15 Years of Drawing Comics by GRANT SNIDER

• Re-release - Scrum Master (And Agile Coach): Please Step Up Your Game!

• Talents are out there, just win them for your company -- How to Build a More Equitable Workplace for LGBTQ+ Employees, According to LinkedIn Survey Data

• Many people are afraid to leave their comfort zones

[05-Jun-24] Taking some accountability

Leaving the victim mindset behind ...

Some of you might remember my 05-May-24 post (scroll down a little bit, just one month)? See some sentences from the post below:

The Circle of Control and Influence is an ongoing topic in the moment. During my last workshop on 30-Apr-24 and the bi-yearly Employee Survey that finished last Friday. As I do not believe in the used process and valuable outcome of the survey anymore, I decided to use - the participation is voluntary option - and did not vote this time. Maybe when the overall participation rate is going down dramatically a rethinking process will be generated? I have time to wait ...

The results of the April survey are out now and they are not really good. No surprise due to the circumstances before the survey started, but a lot of people are not thinking about this anymore. Bad results lead to many  questions about the WHY and workshops to improve the situation. Exactly what the employees hate the most, more work ...

As mentioned in the post, I did not participate in the survey this time. I was the only one in the team by the way. Some will say I missed an opportunity to share my opinion, I think I can support the next steps out of a more neutral position now? Taking some accountability ...

The survey results are basically comparing the current with the 6-month ago answers for all questions asked. The result is either better or worse and the facilitating company is sharing the three strengths and weaknesses of each team. 

My idea is to let the team judge for each question, if they can control or influence a possible improvement in the future? Only when a change seems to be possible for the team members, it makes sense to work on the question. "Do not worry about stuff you cannot control or influence anyway, do not waste your time and energy for it".

Now I just need the buy-in of the team and my supervisor for the idea, will possibly happen next week. I keep you posted ...

• Charted: Declining Birth Rates in the Most Populous Countries (1950-Today)

• Frank Sonnenberg: The Costs of Poor Communication

• Your right to repair AI systems | Rumman Chowdhury | TED2024
  

• PwC’s 2024 AI Jobs Barometer reveals AI’s impact on jobs, wages, skills, and productivity

• Dan Rockwell:

  • 6 CORE COACHING SKILLS FOR LEADERS

  • FROM BURN OUT TO BRILLIANCE: STRATEGIES TO RECLAIM YOUR DREAMS

• Are Your Weaknesses Simply the Flip Side of Your Strengths?

• 12 Time Wasters, Credits to Véronique Barrot

“At the core, there is one simple, overarching reason why so many people remain unsatisfied in their work and why most organisations fail to draw out the greatest talent, ingenuity, and creativity of their people and never become truly great, enduring organisations. It stems from an incomplete paradigm of who we are — our fundamental view of human nature. The fundamental reality is, human beings are not things needing to be motivated and controlled; they are four-dimensional — body, mind, heart, and spirit.” -- 30 of The Best Stephen Covey Quotes

[02-Jun-24] My week 22-2024 highlights

Maybe one more argument to leave the Comfort Zone?

"The Village Venus effect describes the experience of someone living in an isolated village and knowing the most beautiful person there. Because the person is the most attractive person they've ever seen, it's easy to think that no one could be more so. Yet, beyond the village is a whole world of people, many of whom could be more beautiful."

Quick recap of the sports yesterday:

• The 24h race was just a little bit longer than 8 hours, due to the weather conditions and a lot of fog
• And Real Madrid did with the Champions League final once again, decision happened in the last 15 minutes

The next 3-month project phase starts Tuesday and the first demo is scheduled for 18-Jun-24. Some time to get a little bit a break and to focus on other topics in the meantime. We plan to restructure our team setup in the middle of the 3-month phase, more than necessary after 30+ month. New opportunities for growth and to make a change. Some team members are very motivated and proactive to adapt to change, others need some external triggers to start their thinking process.

• Video: This amazing little robot can hop along at 10mph and jump to a height of 4ft | SWNS - Salto: Monopedal Jumping Robot

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (31-May-24)

• Transforming Culture Is a Team Effort – Here's How to Build Yours

• 10 elements of Scrum that will fail without Trust

• [02-Jun-24] 78 Habits Of Top Leaders

[29-May-24] Make learning a priority

Find at least one way to get better each day ...

The last 2-day planning phase was a good learning experience for all involved teams. The initial duration of the planning phase had been reduced from three to two days several month ago. Now some teams could be ready in one day already. Expertise and experience is helping them a lot. We just need to avoid that it is getting too boring, to avoid a drop in the motivation of the teams.

The picture today is showing several other ideas to "unleash your potential". Have a look.

I did start my long weekend today at 05:00 PM when the planning phase was over with a very good confidence vote. I will be away for a short holiday, so no BLOG post this Thursday and Friday!!

Some helpful material for you to check out, until Saturday:

• Dan Rockwell: STRATEGIC SILENCE: HOW TO EMPOWER NOT OVERPOWER

• Will AI do to expert professions what the Model T did to railroads?

• How global AI interest is boosting the data management market

• Generative AI: Weekly Tech Insights: Innovations, Trends, and Industry Updates

• 10 Courses to learn AI in 2024 for Free (Google AI courses)

• 16 skills that will pay you forever

• 13 things invented in India

• Video: CorPower Ocean - Introducing CorPower C4
• Video: Gerd Leonhard - The next 10 years: Yes, the Good Future is possible!

• Here are 25 harsh truths I would tell my 25-year-old self

• Positive Leadership Zoo - Great leaders drive success

[28-May-24] Murphy's law ...

10 Versions of Murphy's Law for Universal 'Truths'

Belief: "Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure."

1st day of our 2-day planning phase and several examples for the picture today. I support two groups, one is doing their 2nd planning and the other one their 11th this time.

• We made some changes in the group with the longer experience and two merged teams where struggling, to prioritize the necessary communication and knowledge exchange over process.
• One team is currently very small and was quickly finished with their planning work. A good opportunity to enjoy the moment and to prepare for more pressure in the near future.
• Another team is not using the tool we have to support our process, but they basically copied the main features in Excel.

• In the other group the team struggling the most with the process and tool approach the last time, was nearly done after one day. They deserved more and did learn fast ...
• One new team in this planning was struggling most, as the content expert was on holiday last week and ill today. Sh** happens, but they managed on their own. With team spirit and an agile mindset.  

Overall a successful 1st day for both groups, we will finish in time tomorrow. We are agile and work in 2-week iterations, no need for perfectionism during this 2-day planning phase. According to the Pareto principle, 80% is sufficient to be done.

• Seth Godin: Exceed or maintain?
• TED Talk: Are we celebrating the wrong leaders? Martin Gutmann | TEDxBerlin, February 2024

• 30 Hidden Messages In Logos of Notable Brands

• The Power Of Introverts Cheat Sheet

• 7 Challenges Smart People Overcome

[26-May-24] The week 21-2024 summary

"Glitches of Gods" - Part 4 (Final)

To have all in one place and as reference for you, all my previous posts related to Jurgen Appelo's first playspheres novel.

1. "Glitches of Gods" - Part 1

2. "Glitches of Gods" - Part 2

3. "Glitches of Gods" - Part 3

Jurgen did spend "four bloody years or four thousand hours to come up with a story as complex as it is crazy". I fully agree as I finished pre-reading the book yesterday night.

On page 465 the main character Julien explains the whole story of the book in one paragraph, sounds easier than it is. Like in a computer game there are several stories with different characters on different levels, living in parallel. Complex and crazy.

I know that Jurgen is a friend of gamification, as we did spend a longer period of time with learning and training together during the COVID-19 years. We met regularly for weekly exchanges/meetups and did also cover personal stuff and non-business related details. I am following him on LinkedIn and realized he likes fantasy books and films. Some of them are used as small references in his book. There is a Terminator like scene and getting his programming colleagues and friends together for the final show-down did remember me of either Sneakers or some All-Star movies. Might not work for everybody as both films are from the previous millenium :-)

In summary "Glitches of Gods" is a good start in an out of comfort zone area for Jurgen. Complex and crazy as he describes it in is initial author note. When you like computer games and fantasy topics this could be a book for you? And it will get a 2nd part to continue the story, as the 1st book finished with an open end, there is more to come. I did enjoy the pre-read time under pressure in a small group of volunteers. It was definitely out of my comfort zone from a book content perspective, but a time well spend. You can make up your own mind when the book is available in June 2024.

[24-May-24] The TRUST workshop today

Stilt fishermen of Sri Lanka by Ali Khataw

Today was the Teambuilding workshop about the TRUST topic. We just had 17 participants, but a lot of fun. I used my team as guinea pigs to test this kind of workshop as addition to my portfolio. When you plan a new topic, you spend a lot of time into a detailed flow planning and to simulate any possible scenarios that might happen. 

But still surprises can happen and you have to handle the situation when it occurs. I was in the home office today and my wife was wondering, why I was laughing several times. The team had to select one of four possible TRUST types and go to a meeting room afterwards, according to the selected number. Sounds easy, but leaves some grey areas. 

Two guys had the same type and did enter the same room that did NOT match their number. The third guy in the room was really surprised, what the other two were talking about. It happens ... Next time I have to be even clearer how to select the right meeting room, a great learning today. 

Next week I have only 3 working days. Thursday is a public holiday and I take a day off Friday, for a long weekend. Well deserved.

• Video: Frameless | Immersive Art Exhibition | London
• Video: Hopper - We reinvented the Bike! (english)
• Our World in Data: Share of electricity production from renewables

• Ranked: The World’s Largest Lithium Producers in 2023

• Generative AI: AI's Voice and Vision
• TED Talk: With AI, anyone can be a coder now (Apr-24)

• 5 proven models to boost your team's performance

[23-May-24] Team Building session ...

What happens when you remove trust?

FYI: Just uploaded the latest version of my 7th eBOOK (01-Jan until 21-May-24) in the Downloads section for your FREE usage, have fun.

Tomorrow is the next team building session with my Agile Release Train, this time the topic is about TRUST. As I did not host this session before, will be interesting to see the team dynamicsand if everything works out as planned?

Some Simon Sinek video insights about TRUST:

• What IS Trust Actually? | Simon Sinek

• Why Trust is Key to High-Performing Teams

• How Do You Build Trust with Remote Teams?

AND a short OpenAI statement about building TRUST:

Building trust in remote teams is crucial for their success. Communication and transparency play a significant role in fostering trust among team members who may be working in different locations. Regular virtual meetings, clear expectations, and open dialogue help establish a foundation of trust.

Additionally, demonstrating accountability and dependability through meeting deadlines and delivering on promises strengthens the trust within remote teams. Building personal connections through virtual team-building activities and recognizing individual contributions also contribute to creating a positive team environment based on trust.

Makes sense. I will keep you posted, how the session did go tomorrow.

"You can't trust water: Even a straight stick turns crooked in it." --  W. C. Fields, American - Comedian January 29, 1880 - December 25, 1946, taken from Brainyquote

• Dan Rockwell: HOW TO RUN STRATEGY MEETINGS LIKE A PRO
• Frank Sonnenberg: 20 Guiding Principles to Share with Your Kids

• ‘Stretch Your Cultural Comfort Zone’—Jane Hyun & Doug Conant on Cultural Fluency in Leadership

[21-May-24] "Glitches of Gods" - Part 3

An epic science fantasy book by Jurgen Appelo

In the meantime I am on page 341/565 and did already get two reminders from Jurgen Appelo, to be ready by 31-May-24, relax ...

For your reference and to have all in one place, here the links to my  Part-1 and Part-2. 

Yesterday I would have been happy to have OREC (here just a joke reference), the virtual personal assistant of the main character in the book. My father in law had switched the TV on-screen menu language to Mongolian and the sound was not working anymore. A manual was not available in the Internet and a hard reset button no possible option. In the end I had to use Google Image search and translate, to find the right page and place in the menu, to get back to German. Like in Putt's law - those who understand what they do not manage ...

By reading the book I was reminded of CATWEAZLE on the one side, as a witch is showing up in the story, coming from a different time line. She is pretty surprised about her new environment, but adjusts quickly and can appreciate some of the better/different/new technology.

On the other side the Groundhog Day, as the main character seems to restart a part of his life over and over again. Still 200+ pages to go for me, looking forward to the next surprises. I will keep you posted. 

[19-May-24] My week 20-2024 highlights

Jurgen Klopp's last game today ...

Three videos that perfectly summarize his last days with Liverpool:

• 'I Love You' | Jürgen Klopp's final post-match speech to his players

• FAREWELL SPEECH: Jurgen Klopp addresses Liverpool fans at Anfield for the final time

• 'It's difficult to say farewell, but let's remember the good times' | Jürgen Klopp

Today we did visit the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord for a wool market. An interesting contrast, the old factory environment versus the

warm and soft wool, as you can see on the picture.

Celebrating a public holiday tomorrow and looking forward to another 4-day work week.

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (17-May-24)

• The transformational power of ethical leadership. Zeitgeist inflection. What is machine learning?

• Life Expectancy by Region (1950-2050F)

• 5 of the most forgotten parts from the Scrum Guide

• How to Prepare Leaders for Culture Transformation: 5 Exercises

• 70% of business transformations fail (McKinsey): But agility is the key condition for business success

• Change has become the very air that businesses breathe; and developing a robust ‘change muscle’, embracing change as the core of what we do is key

"I have worked with wool all my life as a designer. There's so much more to it than knitwear - it's an amazingly versatile material and can be used in so many different ways from chic to rustic." -- Donatella Versace, taken from 25 Wool Quotes

[18-May-24] "Glitches of Gods" - Part 2

An epic science fantasy book by Jurgen Appelo

After my 1st post on Substack on 14-May-24 here the 2nd post about the new book from Jurgen Appelo.

In the meantime I am on page 204/565 and my review so far is a little bit similar to The New Happy picture today. Several bubbles or levels in the story are overlapping, and the pure number of different names used for all the people in the story are difficult to follow for me. Might be my personal issue?

But it is an interesting story with a lot of personal insights and hints from Jurgen. Banana bread is only one example.

• The Modern Proper: 10 Best Banana Bread Recipes
• BBC goodFOOD: Our top 10 best banana bread recipes
• The kitchn: Our 10 Best Banana Recipes (That Go Way Beyond Banana Bread)

The main character Julien is struggling with a lot of things, his life, his job, his family and the two dimensions/time levels he is acting in so far. A level-3 AI killed his father and now he is developing a level-4 AI together with his team. In an agile way of working, what makes most sense with Jurgen's past accomplishments :-) More to come ...

• The MITRE AI Maturity Model and Organizational Assessment Tool Guide

“Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So instead of artificial intelligence, I think we’ll augment our intelligence.” — Ginni Rometty, taken from 80 Artificial Intelligence Quotes Shaping the Future

[17-May-24] Great analogies ...

Jürgen Klopp's Final Premier League press conference

Juergen is super positive and goes left, when required. Here a comment of a fan under the press conference video from today. Enjoy:

@godfredjnr.9849

A Coach who never received a Financial Magic Wand,
A Coach who never received a team of superstars,
A Coach who was never treated as the favorite.
...
But,
He is a coach for the underdogs,
He is a coach for the impossible,
He is a coach for miracles,
He is a coach for the dreamers.
...
You came to Liverpool with ever longing dreams and hopes of millions of fans in the background. You gave us everything we could possibly dream for. Thank you, boss, for making us dream once again.

What a great summary of Juergen Klopp being nearly 9 years in the Premier League.

And it is also about TRUST, my topic for the next Team Building session on 24-May-24. Due to the last public holiday in May on 30-May-24, we moved the Team Building session forward, to finish the next planning session in two days and before the day off.

• Dan Rockwell: 4 SECRETS OF TRUST BUILDING

• 10 Proven Ways to Build Trust With Employees

• Tanmay Vora: How to Build Trust - The Trust Triangle
• Gustavo Razzetti: Building Unbreakable Teams: Why Both Trust and Psychological Safety Matter

“Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.” – STEPHEN M.R. COVEY taken from 52 Quotes about Trust and Leadership

Have a great long weekend.

• pwc: The big power of small goals
• Dan Rockwell: 4 MYTHS ABOUT COACHING YOU MUST REJECT

• The Ultimate Confidence Cheat Sheet

• Generative AI: Breaking AI Boundaries

• Top-down leadership is no longer useful. Good leaders take part in genuine conversation with their people

• Mistakes are expected, respected, inspected and corrected.

• Positive Intelligence is the mental fitness that enables us to thrive in challenging situations

[15-May-24] The TAO of Charlie Munger

A collection of the best blend of wisdom, life philosophy and wealth of the legendary value investor Charlie Munger (1924 – 2023)

Due to a technical issue on this platform yesterday I could not write, what I planned during the day. Here the content from Substack -

"Glitches of Gods" - Part 1 as alternative to read.

Below #89 from the TAO of Charlie Munger, a great story and perspective:

McDonald’s: (…) the really great educator is McDonald’s…I think a lot of what goes on there is better than at Harvard.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and it doesn't matter how strong the strongest links are if they're connected to the weakest. Here, Charlie explains that McDonald's strengthens the weakest links in our culture by hiring people with bad work ethic, giving them training, and teaching them good work ethic, like showing up to work on time and being friendly to customers. It can take credit for having taught literally millions of young Americans a good work ethic over the 60 years since it was founded. And since McDonald's has a presence in 118 countries and employs 1.7 million people around the globe, it can be said that it does this to people all over the world. That's an insane feat that not even Harvard can claim.

"If you rise in life, you have to behave in a certain way. You can go to a strip club if you’re a beer-swilling sand shoveler, but if you’re the bishop of Boston, you shouldn’t go." -- Charlie Munger taken from 14 Of Charlie Munger’s Funniest Quotes

[12-May-24] The week 19-2024 summary

Germany finished 12th at the 2024 ESC yesterday

Our 2024 song did get more than 2 times the points we did get for the last 5 participations together. Well done ...

The rest is history and all countries will start from scratch again the next time in Switzerland. The previous year's ranking is no guarantee for the next time in 2025, good to know. Even when Germany had a really bad series between 2019 and 2023!!

I am currently pre-reading Jurgen Appelo's 1st novel Glitches of Gods. I am on page 30 of 565 and need to be finished by 31-May-24. Challenge accepted.

One week with 5 working days next week, before we have 2 more weeks with just 4 days per week in my area of Germany. Busy times until end of May not only due to reading another 535 pages in 18 days. I have to prepare the next Team Building session and our 2-day planning phase on 28/29-May-24.

• Video: Why Successful People All Embrace Failure
• Video: Self-balancing Motorcycle of The Future By Lit Motors || Lit Motors C1 Most Unique Amazing Bike

• Seven questions that changed my life. Why you can't fake leadership. Who profits the most from generative AI?

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (10-May-24)

• The Most Disturbing 5 Mistakes Leaders Make When Promoting People (And How to Prevent Them)

[10-May-24] Emotional Intelligence

"Handle emotions, connect with people, make good choices, and stay calm when life gets complicated"

Two pictures say more than a lot of words:

• Emotional intelligence isn't just about being agreeable by Justin Mecham

• 16 Ways To Improve Your EQ by Jessica Luna

Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö tomorrow. The "unpolitical" event is very political this year. Song titles had to be changed, the same for parts of some song texts. Demonstration in front of the event hall and a whistling audience inside. Hopefully it will come to a good end tomorrow and Germany will not be on the last place again. We will see.

Some videos for your weekend:

• World’s Longest Ever Ski Jump (New Record)

• Tony Seba just revealed why Elon Musk is no longer interested in EVs

• BionicBee Makes Robot Bees Swarm

"Rival Kings is our most popular wildlife limited edition and shows the moment when a male king penguin holds off a suitor from his chosen female. This image was awarded Specially Commended in the 2006 BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year. This wonderful image will bring a smile to your face everytime you look at it!" by Andy Rouse another picture from the Planet Ocean exhibition yesterday.

Have a great weekend, weather is promising:

• Dan Rockwell: MY BATTLE WITH A TRACTOR: TOOLS MAKE THE JOB

• “Being vulnerable is kind of like opening a door a little bit at a time.” -- Steven Bartlett

• Generative AI: AI for Good...

• "Don't dig up in doubt what you planted in faith" -- Elisabeth Elliot

• Here are 5 Japanese techniques every leader should know

• 7 Things Deeply Intuitive People Do Differently

• Coleman’s Six Leadership Styles

[09-May-24] Father's Day 2024

Visiting the Planet Ocean exhibition today

Today we used the public holiday, what was also Father's Day in Germany, to visit the Planet Ocean exhibition in Oberhausen:

• Planet Ocean in the Gasometer Oberhausen

• Sharpear enope squid on a blackwater dive, Kona, Hawaii by Simone Matucci

• Here, a boy, the second of nine children in his family, spends the morning picking through the trash on shore looking for recyclable plastic, which sells for 13 pesos (35 US cents) per kilo by George Steinmetz

I made a lot of great pictures today and will use it in the near future with the correct references to keep the owners Copyright in mind.

Another great topic this week was the launch of a German Startup rocket - The HyImpulse small satellite launcher is powered by our innovative hybrid engine running on a paraffin-based fuel.

Paraffin fuels are safer to operate, are more efficient, and have lower environmental impact compared to kerosene propellants. - a great story, looking forward to the future news.

Next is our upcoming introduction of Microsoft Viva Engage at work, as replacement for the current Workplace solution (a Meta Facebook for business usage). In general I do not care about tools, just enablers to do the work. I am not using Facebook in private life, I am not a Microsoft fan, just use it because it is the company standard. The biggest issue with the migration is the short timeframe - Engage is available starting 20-May-24 and Workplace will be shutdown on 31-May-24. An export of existing posts is only possible for your own ones and you cannot migrate complete groups or environments. The best and most common sense approach is to start from scratch and just leave the history behind. Hard for me and my 3,000+ "5-minute-learning-bites" that I did post in the last 3 years.

Fun fact: A colleague from the UK did contact me this week and asked for my migration strategy, because he is a big fan of my posts. I did give him a personal export file of 440MB and the link to my BLOG, a happy customer.

• The Benefits of Building New Leaders Internally, According to LinkedIn Data

• The Why, What and How of Employee Listening

• The best alternative for a SWOT? Probably a NOISE Analysis

• Gartner: Top Strategic Technology Trends 2024

[05-May-24] My week 18-2024 highlights

Another 4-day workweek ahead of me ...

The next public holiday in Germany is on Thursday 09-May-24, Ascension Day. The three days before will be busy and even on Friday is a lot to be done. 

It starts with a brainstorming session tomorrow morning with my Scrum Masters and Product Owners. We are now in the 10th three month period and have enough topics to be discussed and maybe to be adjusted going forward. What is the future scope of our Agile Release Train (ART), which teams will be owning which content, and would it be a good idea to use new team names? Just some of the questions to be discussed and answered in the end.

Directly after this I will be hosting two Sprint-4 Demos, tomorrow another two weeks are over again. Two more weeks to go in Sprint-5 and then we have to prepare the next PI planning on 28/29-May-24 already. Time is running fast.

As 30-May-24 is another public holiday in Germany (Corpus Christi), we plan to do our regular team building session already on 24-May-24. Maybe something around TRUST, I found two helpful articles:

• How to Supercharge Your Team's Trust Battery (Exercise)

• 7 ways leaders cripple their organization by destroying trust

The Circle of Control and Influence is an ongoing topic in the moment. During my last workshop on 30-Apr-24 and the bi-yearly Employee Survey that finished last Friday. As I do not believe in the used process and valuable outcome of the survey anymore, I decided to use - the participation is voluntary option - and did not vote this time. Maybe when the overall participation rate is going down dramatically a rethinking process will be generated? I have time to wait ...

On 03-May-24 we had the purpose topic, I found a fitting picture today.

• Where Are You Placing Your Bets?

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (03-May-24)

• McKinsey & Company: Monthly Highlights, May 2024

• The surprising truth about emotions in the workplace. AI index: state of AI in 13 charts. Three types of friends

• 20 sentences that will 10x your productivity

• If you haven't yet incorporated AI into your smartphone, you're lagging behind by 50 years

• A Distributed Leadership Team

• Generative AI and Manga: Taking Advantage of Japan’s Strength in Refinement

[04-May-24] The Ivory Tower ...

Happy Star Wars Day once again

The picture is a great representation of the Ivory Tower idiom.

"Ever been accused of living in an ivory tower? Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean people believe you’ve moved into a pearly fortress with an excellent view. The phrase ivory tower is an idiom used to describe someone disconnected from the real world, often with a few scholarly or rich overtones."

Good examples are the central leadership organization in large corporations, or the difference in perspective between people living in a city or the country side. Politics are made in parliaments in larger cities for the whole region or country. A decision to protect e.g. wolves or bears is easily made in the city center where you are safe, but might mean something totally different when these wild animals are killing your sheep or cows? A good analogy for large corporations :-)

I had the idea for the topic today in the morning and it was enforced later when I was looking at an interview (see below):

• Video: Nordwolle-Chef über die Realitäten auf dem Land und die autoritäre deutsche Politik | Marco Scheel (you can auto-generate English subtitles)

• Nordwolle GmbH

[03-May-24] You can be anything ...

You do not know, if you can do it before you try ...

When you know your purpose you are clear about your drivers. To take the smallest step in the right direction. Go for it and give it a try.

Due to the latest short notice changes in the department, we are trying out a lot in the moment. Teams without a supervisor and even the department without a head for some month. Why not? All senior people with experience, self-managed and -organized. So far not an issue and we will see how it goes over a longer period of time?

Next is Murphy’s Law in large projects. When you think you have seen all possible issues already, you will be surprised what can still go wrong? We are close to the end of our 3 month project period and learned yesterday about a nearly 2 weeks freeze that was not even known when we planned the last time. So you can complain and escalate the issue, but as the enddate cannot be moved there is no option anyway. Just accept the situation and make the best out of it.

Balance the pros and cons and in our situation the urgently required technical readiness versus the potential business continuity impact. Our credo is to make the decision as easy as possible for the responsible stakeholders. Keep it simple and do not hide it behind unnecessary complexity. Enjoy your weekend.

• Amount of AI Content in Google Search Results - Ongoing Study

• The New Happy: Keep transforming

• It's Time to Prepare for the Great Reshuffle 2.0

• Generative AI: AI at the Helm

• You cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick

• Before the "May the 4th be with you" flood of content - with the Star Wars Retrospective

• The only leadership cheat sheet you will ever need...

[01-May-24] Back to the roots ...

Going back where you came from, to better understand and value the status quo 

The left picture shows the maypole my wife did get today. We are married since 20 years and I give her one every year on May 1st. As our garden is not that large, it had to be a smaller one this year. As a side note: Only in leap years women are giving a maypole to men, but we are skipping this tradition since 20 years.

On the right a pretty old coffee mill that we had to reuse again - going back to the roots of traditional coffee bean grinding - as the grinder in our Espesso machine is broken lately. Normally we put coffee beans and water into the machine, press the start button and get a freshly brewed Espresso. Now we can either buy Espresso coffee powder or use the mill, we decide for the one or the other based on availability.

More "back to the roots" quotes here and additional information about 

Matshona Dhliwayo. Have fun.

The offsite workshop on Tuesday was really successful with 50+ participants. Filling the Team Agreement Canvas with 8 teams and sharing the findings afterwards, did bring a lot of insights and good ideas. The retrospective afterwards - a really new approach for a department that is not working agile at all - did generate a lot of interesting ideas.

Getting from an idea to an actionable item in the end was much more difficult out of two reasons:

1. The most selected items were far out of the circle of influence of the teams
2. The remaining power of the participants on day-2 after a tough day-1 and a socializing night was a little bit reduced

In the end we decided to finish without action items, but a good feedback round. A good job done ...

• Generative AI: Weekly Dive into Future Tech

• 5 Keys to Emotional Regulation for Leaders, 6 CEO Strategies for Thriving in Chaos, & More

• Dan Rockwell: 4 WAYS “NO” MOVES YOU FORWARD

• Preparing for climate risks to key commodities: What businesses should know

• [01-May-24] 16 Qualities You Need to Be Productive

• 6 Free Harvard Courses To Future-Proof Your Career in 2024.

• The Best AI Tools – Paid vs Free!

• 10 Unmistakable Habits of Utterly Authentic People

[29-Apr-24] Prioritize and decide ...

Helpful frameworks, keeping it simple ...

Easy to understand and follow sketch notes or infographics are a good starting point to dig deeper into the details, have a look. And with the right headline a lot of articles will fit to the main theme:

• The Eisenhower Matrix
• The $100 technique

• [29-Apr-24] The Skill/Will Matrix

• Are You Leading or Just Have the Title?

• Customize Employee Development

• High performers aren’t born, they're built; here's how to be one:

  Elevating to high performance

• The Ultimate Cheat sheet for building habits

• Dan Rockwell: HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE

• A few Japanese concepts that could impacted your life, and might have a positive impact too?

As AI is one of the trend topics in the moment, some helpful material:

• Shaping the Future of Learning: The Role of AI in Education 4.0

• 101 real-world gen AI use cases from the world's leading organizations

• Demystifying AI: Perception vs. Reality

• YouTube has more than 2.70 billion monthly active users as of 2024. But most don't know the useful channels. Here are 7 best YouTube Channels on AI

And three videos to close the content for today:

• How to Bounce Back from Hard Times

• Simon Sinek Explains the "Friends Exercise"

• Simon Sinek । 50 Minutes for the NEXT 50 Years of Your LIFE

"A great leader doesn’t only inspire us to have confidence in what THEY can do. A great leader inspires us to have confidence in what WE can do." -- Simon Sinek

"A leader without a title is better than a title without the ability to lead." -- Simon Sinek

[26-Apr-24] #futureofleadershipsalon

My personal summary of the event yesterday

With a 24 hour break in between today my summary of impressions and thoughts triggered after the event yesterday. You can get the detailed agenda and list of participating thought provokers and leaders from the

Future of Leadership Salon 2024 homepage. 

In the moment Germany is falling more behind other countries like e.g. USA, China, South Korea, Taiwan, etc. with respect to economy, technology expertise & leadership, and in a lot of other areas as well. It feels more like a general lethargy than a mood of optimism. The right time to reboot and to make a wave. Starting with a small one that should become bigger and bigger. We started with one day per year yesterday (after a several year COVID-19 break for face-2-face salons), but need to make this an every day focus on future leadership as quickly as possible, to drive and make a change going forward. YES this is work, will cost time and money, and requires CHANGE, BUT there is no alternative and we need to get going quickly. Better start earlier than later, WHY not next week Monday?

And you do not need to own a box in an org-chart to start doing something - leadership is not a position but rather a mindset - so be the change you want to see and become a role model for other people, who are still behind in their thinking and personal development process. Below some of the notes I have taken and thoughts/ideas I liked a lot:

• you can be leading outside of a line management position

• we had the Earth Day lately (22-Apr-24), let's save mother earth before going to Mars
  

• we need 15 Gutenberg moments every day

• where is AI in your org chart?

• AI in sports: Wilson's basketball with sensors
• Book: Factfulness By Hans Rosling

• be more human centric by using technology

• LEAD approach: leadership - experience - authority - direction

• humans are not rational, especially parents

• 7-stages of AI

• learn - unlearn - relearn, collective intelligence: humans together with AI, soft skills are hard to learn

• emotional ability to learn will outsmart AI - if you have a brain you are biased - from homo sapiens to homo sensing

• leaders as agility alchemists

• Try this out: write yourself a letter from now to the future or from the future back to today
• Let's embrace PROTOPIA, a positive outlook into the future

[24-Apr-24] Master your time part II

A follow up to my 12-Mar-24 post

Another Justin Mecham infographic about time management today. Once again a good summary of several different approaches that can be helpful for you. Just be open for it and give it a try.

Does also fit to the other picture that I have taken yesterday -

Klaus Rinke created Zeitfeld / Time Field when the Duesseldorf Volkpark was being redesigned for the 1987 Landesgartenschau. The installation consists of twenty-four station clocks on tall supports. The field of four by six clocks transports the viewer to a surreal scene. All of the clocks are accurate, as they are connected to the Braunschweig atomic clock. Here, it becomes abundantly clear that time does not stand still – even while viewing art: it is impossible to observe all of the clocks at the same time.

The workshop yesterday did go really well. Some people were missing due to illness and some joined later due to the traffic situation in the morning. The downside of face-to-face meetings, when everybody has to be in the same room. Anyway, due to enough time buffer we could start 30 minutes later and did finish as planned.  

Guessing a colleague's personality type or social style based on past experience and a 4 minute introduction was the 1st challenge. A SWOT analysis to cover the status quo and a Team Agreement Canvas describing the future ways of working did generate good content. Some Canvas examples:

• Team Agreement Canvas Management 3.0

• Team Working Agreement Canvas Scrum Inc.

• Custom Team Agreement Canvas Templates EDIT.org
  

• Creating a Team Working Agreement Scrum.org

In the end we did brainstorm roles and responsibilities of the two departments coming together. What is clear already, where are overlaps to be solved and more urgently gaps to be closed?

The webinar today about the one week Silicon Valley visit did cover a lot of different topics. The big technology players versus small startups. Driverless taxis and of course the state of technology around AI. What is already available and what will be available shortly? Good insights.

• TED Talk: How AI will step off the screen and into the real world
• TED Talk: What is an AI anyway?

• Visualizing AI Patents by Country

• Mapped: The World’s Top 50 Science and Technology Hubs

• Grant Snider: How to Make Poetry Comics. Six Exercises in Creating
• Video: Optimize your workdays: MANAGE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY by Jocelyn Glei | Core Message
• Dan Rockwell: 10 PRACTICES FOR THE LEADER AS COACH

[21-Apr-24] My week 16-2024 highlights

Interesting to see projected changes in 100 years

China’s population boom has officially come to an end, with the country reporting two consecutive years of decreases (down 850,000 in 2022, and 2.1 million in 2023).

India’s population will not age as quickly as its neighbor. Those over the age of 65 will represent less than one-fifth of the population until 2060, and their share of India’s total number of people and will not approach 30% until 2100.

China stays roughly flat and India triples in 100 years, what is related to the aging of the population, also driven by politics as in China for example.

Motivated by the All New Atlas | Boston Dynamics video I did ask OpenAI about the remaining gap between Humanoid robots and US. Looking at the possible movements they are ahead already, but ...

Humanoid robots have come a long way in mimicking human movements and interactions. Despite advancements in technology, they still lack genuine emotions and human-like intuition. The ability to truly understand feelings, think creatively, and adapt to unpredictable situations is what sets humans apart from these robots.

Moreover, humanoid robots struggle with complex social cues, empathy, and moral reasoning. While they can perform various tasks efficiently, the essence of being truly human, with empathy, morality, and ethical decision-making capabilities, is yet to be fully embedded in their programming. As technology advances, the quest to bridge these gaps and make humanoid robots more human-like continues to be a fascinating challenge.

I had a busy week last week with only 3 posts and the next week will be similar. But it is not a matter of quantity anyway, quality counts for me and hopefully for you as well? System Demo on Monday, workshop on Tuesday, webinar Wednesday, The Future of Leadership Salon on Thursday and Friday still to be defined. I will see ...

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (19-Apr-24)

• The curiosity matrix. 10 ways to get started in AI. Leadership is a kind of love.

• Wisdom Made Easy: My Best Visual of 2024

• Animated Chart: The World’s Top 15 Carbon Emitters (1850-2022)

• How relevant is Agile today? An assessment of the current relevancy of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development

• Why Are We So Afraid of Women? (At Work and Beyond)
  It’s time to create a women-friendly workplace instead of one designed for and by men

• The best leaders don't create followers. They create more leaders.

• Ten visuals on the topic of innovation and entrepreneurship, illustrated by Roberto Ferraro

• How Generative AI Will Change The Jobs Of Journalists

• Your job isn’t just a job! Your job can put a smile on people’s faces! Your job can transform lives! Your job is your life PURPOSE and someone’s HOPE!

[19-Apr-24] Being in the right setting ...

"You can't pretend to be honey if you're a sausage"

I have taken the quote from a podcast I heard this week. Fits perfectly to the Albert Einstein quote. Today I was invited for a short podcast session during the Future of Leadership Salon 2024 next week Thursday. Three questions and three short answers, will be fun and I am looking forward to it. Always great to leave your comfort zone now and then.

Before the Salon I am hosting a 1-day team building workshop on Tuesday and listen to the FUTURE CANDY SILICON VALLEY INSIGHTS HOUR webinar on Wednesday. In the workshop we will be trying a new personal introduction approach, do a Swot analysis, fill a Team agreement canvas and clarify roles and areas of responsibility between the involved teams. A packed agenda for 7.5 hours.

Have a great weekend, even when the weather in Germany will be more winter than spring-time. Cold and rain, even snow when you are high enough.

• Video: @Barbie | The Dream Gap Project
• Video: Boston Dynamics NEW Humanoid Robot SHOCKS The ENTIRE Industry! (Atlas 2.0)
• Video: How artificial rain works

And some interesting graphics and articles:

• [19-Apr-24] Top strategies for balanced leadership you need to know

• Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in the Workplace

• The New Happy: From reaction to response

• A Sneak Preview: How Gen Alpha Will Disrupt the Workplace

• Dan Rockwell: POUR ENERGY INTO ENERGY

• The art of leading in the AI age

• How to hire the best people

• Companies that prioritize culture experience a 33% increase in revenue

• There are 5 types of skill sets depending on the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills

• Introverts & Extroverts Join Forces

• Generative AI: Frontiers of Innovation

• Perfect to become a better leader in 2024 (top free Ivy League Leadership courses)

[16-Apr-24] Just Do It ...

Agile Roles versus Line Management

Every time managers are deciding to change their line management positions, you end up with the same question. Should the position be filled with another manager or does it make more sense, to take a different more agile approach going forward?

Especially for a team of Scrum Masters, who are assigned to different project teams and are doing a lot of activities that are in scope of line management, is this an interesting challenge. 

Trusting in their capabilities/education/experience and assuming they are self-organized and self-managed did help to come to a solution without direct line management. Sometimes you just have to do it and find out during the journey, if some adjustments are necessary? The Scrum Masters are happy in the moment and we will see, how it works out. Required Mentors, Coaches or Role Models for the younger or less experienced members of the team are in the same organization. Sometimes older, or with more experience or seniority in this agile role.

• Always good to learn from role models

• The Power of Teams

• TED Talk: Lessons from my father, Alexey Navalny
• The New Happy: It becomes great

• Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2024, just 502 pages

• Dan Rockwell: FROM BOSS TO LEADER: HOW PERSPECTIVE TAKING ENERGIZES PEOPLE

• Coaching & AI | Part 3 of 4: AI is your CoPilot & Companion

  • Part 2
  • Part 1
• PWC: A bold new case for circular business models

• How to Stay Grounded Amid Uncertainty, According to 4 Talent Leaders

• Global Plastic Action Partnership

• 90% of top performers at work have high emotional intelligence

• Hands-Off Is NOT a Helpful Leadership Style

• Stephen Covey's "Circles of Influence" has long guided people in prioritizing their focus

• The AI Future of Marketing

[14-Apr-24] The week 15-2024 summary

Robot versus workout?

My father in law is normally cutting the grass, but he is not feeling well in the moment. As we had great weather yesterday I decided to take his job for now and the grass was already really long and needed a first cut in 2024. We are still pretty traditional and not using a mowing robot. You 1st have to connect a cable for electric power and move the mower back and forth. When the grass collecting basket is full you have to empty it. The longer the grass the more you have to empty the basket.

So, warm weather and a lot of physical workout for me, much better than an AI driven robot, deciding what and when to do it. When I was done my father in law did give me a thumbs up for the work, something that will never happen to a robot!!

Next week is the week between two Sprint demos, so time for the teams to make progress with their work and for me to focus on other tasks. Preparing the two upcoming workshops end of Apr-24, the last day of one Intern and the 1st day of a new one starting 02-May-24. Besides that a project review with the Senior Management team directly tomorrow. We have to get rid of some rumors about the current status quo and progress, and need to replace this with real facts and figures. Have a great and successful week:

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (12-Apr-24)

• The New Happy: You can do both

• Systems-based productivity. AI helps workers be efficient if they don't "fall asleep at the wheel". Is hybrid work the best of both worlds?

• Something You Might be Neglecting… 3 Tips for Better Wellbeing

• Video: How to Work on Yourself | 3 Key Strategies for Personal Empowerment
• Kevin Box: Productivity models I know at 50 that I wish I knew at 30

• The world needs Agility, but the world doesn't know. We need sustainable change

• How to Build a Culture of Ownership (Exercise)

• What Every CEO Needs To Know About The New AI Act

• Unlock this Japanese secret to non-stop improvement: The Kaizen Model.

• The Ultimate Productivity Cheat Sheet

[12-Apr-24] Not everything what is ...

... technically possible could make sense!!

We have the IKIGAI topic today, pictures from left to right:

• What career would you choose if money were not an obstacle?

• IKIGAI - The reason for being

• Roger Spitz (M.Sc., FCA, APF) is an international bestselling author, a celebrated futurist, and the president of Techistential (Climate & Foresight Strategy)

A great example video for the headline today, already 9+ years old, but really great. Not everything makes sense in all situations. See - French Toilet Paper Commercial With Tablet & Emma HD

I had another discussions with a Gen-Z guy yesterday, an Intern leaving next week. Besides some adminstration tasks we did discuss, what to keep in mind when you apply for a permanent position in Germany, and you are coming from a foreign country.

Good German is still a prerequisite for small- and mid-size companies. In large companies less or no German will work, especially with the "war for talents". In the end even HR departments have to change, if they like it or not. What should be in a CV and is a reference/introduction letter still required?

Optimize your resume to get more interviews. Jobscan helps you optimize your resume for any job, highlighting the key experience and skills recruiters need to see. A good way to come to a perfect match between your CV and the job posting. Give it a try.

An introduction letter is either requested by the company in the job posting or your own decision. When you decide to send an introduction letter, you should spend sufficient time to deliver something valuable with high quality. Do not waste your time and the time of the readers of the document, please. 

[11-Apr-24] Decision Making ...

3 pictures for the same idea today

Edward de Bono's 6 thinking hats from left to right:

• The most important skill we bring to work – and life in general – is our capacity to think flexibly

• Leaders - problem solving should not be complicated

• Each of us makes, on average, 35,000 choices a day

and some more ...

• India elections 2024

• New LinkedIn Product Innovations to Help You Reach and Attract the Right Talent

• The path to generative AI value: Setting the flywheel in motion

• Dan Rockwell: IMAGINATION – NOT LOGIC – DRIVES LEADERSHIP

[10-Apr-24] No coincidences ...

Sometimes the time is just right

Yesterday I did first get a PWC newsletter about - Organizational psychologist and best-selling author Robert Sutton discusses companies’ obstacles and catalysts for getting things done.

Later then Tanmay Vora's latest post - Mindset of Leaders who are Friction Fixers. What slows organizations down? Learn about the new book from Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao about Forces that create friction and what leaders can do about it.

Same guy (Bob Sutton), same topic (Friction Fixers) and same day. No coincidences, the time just was right ...

Today we had a department presentation for the other departments in our area. Nearly 220 people, what was a huge success. All teams had 10 minutes each for a short introduction about their mission statement and main tasks. Besides that a picture for every team member. In the end we did a short quiz as result checking, to verify if everybody was listening carefully. The winner did get a coffee chat with our department head. A prize we decided on demand during the quiz.

One of the explanations in the morning was about what is a Release  Train Engineer - The Release Train Engineer (RTE) is a servant leader and ART coach who facilitates ART events and processes, and supports teams in delivering value. They communicate with stakeholders, escalate impediments, help manage risk, and drive relentless improvement.

In the afternoon one of our discover trainees, who was also part of the NextGenLab until end of Mar-24, wanted to know how I became an RTE? The short version: Nobody else wanted the job and I took the one time opportunity. Now I lead two trains with 15 teams in total.

And the longer version: I started to work in 1989 ... Always be open for a new perspective, mindset has nothing to do with your day of birth in your passport. I did lead Water Fall projects for 30 years and started to look closer into Agile in 2020. Became a Scrum Master in Jan-21 and now I am leading two forward looking projects as Release Train Engineer. It is all about people and giving them a good feeling, by being successful and delivering on commitments.

My advice to the guy was to start with a personality test, get more clarity about short-, medium- and long-term goals and a target role. You are young and have time to test different roles. Keep learning and be open for change. More to come ...

[07-Apr-24] My week 14-2024 highlights

Holiday is over, back to work tomorrow ...

Being at home is always an opportunity to repair or improve things around the house. As the modern chimney sweepers are in the meantime also environmental protection and sustainability advisors, I had some tasks to be done to improve the level of our house for the next review in autumn 2024. Easy to do, but takes time.

The summer temperature day yesterday was our family ice cream opening day. Good for us and the ice cream shop a well, so early in the year.

Just watching the last James Bond film No Time to Die with Daniel Craig, the first time on free TV today. As he died (spoiler alarm) in the last film, a new James Bond is required for the next film. But the discussion is still ongoing - British yes/no, male/female, person of color  yes/no and many more characteristics - what could be the accepted / expected 2024+ version of James Bond? A good question, but as the distance between films is 3 - 6 years, we still have time until 2027 latest.

The Global Senior Population picture fits well to the notice we did get shortly before the Easter holidays. More people have to be released in the coming two years in my company. The early retirement program will be picked up again and even the guidelines might be adjusted, to find more volunteers? This approach makes a lot of sense to renew/refresh the thinking process, ways of working and handling history on the one side, but you are losing a lot of experience, expertise and skill sets on the other side that might still be useful? We will see ...

With the upcoming retirement of the Baby Boomer generation, the

exodus of knowledge has already been started. I have 5.5 more years to go.

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (05-Apr-24)

• McKinsey & Company: Monthly Highlights, April 2024
• Video: Knowledge VS Experience
• Video: Arnold Schwarzenegger Leaves the Audience SPEECHLESS | One of the Best Motivational Speeches Ever
• Video: Xiaomi Automobile Super Factory, Producing One SU7 Every 76 Seconds

[05-Apr-24] Getting ready for the weekend

With 25 degrees celsius on Saturday ... 

After the hottest March ever the April seems to go into the same direction temperature wise. We will start tomorrow.

Just in case your temperature or weather is not as good as our forecast, some nice videos below:

• 5 Mindset Shifts to Change Your Life

• The Power of Scrum

• How Taipei 101 Resists Earthquakes: The Role of Its Giant Steel Sphere

• FLY HARD | Illumination Mini-Movie (HD)

• BOOM

I hope you like my picture creation? A creativity picture from Pixabay with a quote from Pablo Picasso in a Chilanka text font.

"Stuck in patterns" is a great analogy to the bank visit I had with my wife yesterday for a financial advisory discussion. The whole giving advice process in banks is so much restricted and guided by law that you have minimal to no flexibility, when you follow the official recommendations. You can always take a different route on customer request, but on your own risk. No risk no fun.

The tool used during the consultation was not at all intuitive and user friendly from my perspective and all official information had to be printed out. No paperless office and just conditionally sustainable.

Have a great weekend.

• [05-Apr-24] Top AI Tools

• Generative AI: AI Innovations

• [05-Apr-24] Which type of employee are you?

• The Wheel of Wellness Can Help You Create a Balanced Life

• 6 Key Traits to Creating a Winning Team

• Did you know that 72% of the world's innovators attribute their success to a 'Think Different' mindset?

• Imagine if everyone in your company had their own Personal Productivity Improvement Plan...your business productivity would likely soar!!

[03-Apr-24] You got the power

Are you also part of the quiet people community?

I am, a lot of the strengths do also fit to me. e.g. Effective Listening, focused worker and calm under pressure. 

Today I did get an email with a positive feedback about a post from 17-Jun-23 covering Japanese Methods and Frameworks. Besides some general statements I got an interesting Infographics offered that covers 6 Productivity-Boosting Japanese Techniques. See all details below:

• Wordpress: [03-Apr-24] 6 Productivity-Boosting Japanese Techniques
• Substack: 6 Productivity-Boosting Japanese Techniques

I like the Shoshin idea a lot, exactly why I selected this picture from the Infographics. "Derived from Zen Buddhism, Shoshin refers to the “beginner’s mind.” It embodies the idea of approaching life with a fresh, open, and receptive mindset, free from preconceptions and assumptions."

• Ever heard of “T-shaped” employees? Meet their innovative successor: the “V-shaped” employee.

• Frank Sonnenberg: Beware: Bad News Travels Fast
• Dan Rockwell: CULTURE BUILDING IN THE REAL WORLD

"Just because you don’t say much doesn’t mean people don’t notice you. It’s actually the quiet ones who often draw the most attention. There’s this constant whirlwind of motion and sound all around, and then there’s the quiet one, the eye of the storm." ― Amy Efaw, taken from 91 Quiet People Quotes (That Introverts Can Relate To)

[01-Apr-24] The week 13-2024 summary

Happy April Fools Day ...

I fully agree with the statement from Eve Simon, but there were some nice ideas today. I will see her again on 25-Apr-24 for the Future of Leadership Salon 2024 in Duesseldorf. 

Examples for some cool pranks (maybe or maybe not):

• My pen friend from Scotland did visit London over the weekend and shared that he will go to New York on short notice today. A great idea and all his friends did congratulate him, a little bit too early, but great fun
• The unFIX Company and Jurgen Appelo are now offering their unFIX model in grey-scale, as customers do not like the colorful pictures. Might be right or you just print colors with a grey-scale setting
• To avoid searching for the TV remote control Vodafone is offering today the necessary technology integrated in house slippers, cool stuff

In one of my upcoming workshops in April I will be using a SWOT analysis to clarify the differences between 3 teams coming together, to build a new department going forward. "A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique that puts your business in perspective using the following lenses: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Using a SWOT analysis helps you identify ways your business can improve and maximize opportunities, while simultaneously determining negative factors that might hinder your chances of success."

An easy and simple to use tool or framework that even works for individuals. After noting down the details for the 4 focus areas you just have to decide, what is next? Strengthen your strength or improve your weakness, this is your call and might be seen differently by a lot of people? I am more a generalist kind of guy who has some broad knowledge that does not really go too deep in a lot of areas. Works well for my current agile role and avoids a lot of technical discussion with the experts. From your point of view this could be seen in a totally other way? There are 4 fundamental behavior types for example.

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (29-Mar-24)

• Sketchplanations: Painkillers and vitamins
• Justin Mecham: No One Will Remember, Everyone Will Remember

• [01-Apr-24] 4 Questions to Jumpstart Culture Change …

• Dan Rockwell: WHAT WILL YOUR FUTURE SELF THANK YOU FOR

• Overlooked leadership traits - Empowering employees

• The 10 Worst Culture Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

• McKinsey & Company: Top Ten Newsletter │ First Quarter 2024

• 10 Unmistakable Habits of Irresistible People

[30-Mar-24] Getting ready for Easter

Family meeting tomorrow, there might be no summary?

PENGUIN LEADERSHIP CARTOONS by Lee Sampson - Fun and thought-provoking leadership cartoons featuring penguins for a cheerful, daily dose of self-reflection.

Enjoy the Easter time when you are celebrating it. If not have a great relaxing and quiet period.

• Why Most Leadership Training Is Not Effective for Product Companies – Sequel

• You're only as good as your worst day. The rise and fall of giants? The scare them away letter: a recruitment tool.

• It Was All in My Head: 3 Visuals to Reframe Your Relationship with Stress

• 10 simple rules to transform your life forever. Ikigai isn't just a concept

• This is why I disagree with anyone trying to convince people that testing and experimentation with your (public) self is not good.

• 24 Ted Talks To Change Your Life In 2024. Which one are you getting started with today?

• 7 Powerful Ways To Mold Children Into Leaders

[28-Mar-24] The Tuckman Model

Does the Team Development Lifecycle also work for Individuals?

With the latest reorganization in the company some colleagues did decide to take the early retirement program. You have to be 10+ years in the company and 58 years old or older.

In the last two weeks 2 colleagues had their last working day and we also had a discussion about what they are planning to do when they are off work? Taking the decision some month ago and now having the last day makes a difference,  it becomes reality.

A little bit like the Tuckman Model:

• You start to learn about the new situation - Forming
• You potentially feel a resistance to change your daily routine and have to push some old boundaries - Storming
• Old routines are replaced by new routines and another way of living - Norming
• You get used to the new changed environment and make use of new opportunities - Performing
• Opportunities become reality, you achieve new things and learn a lot. Your change process is concluded - Adjourning

Seems to work pretty well for Teams and Individuals?

An alternative could be - The Kubler-Ross Change Curve "model has been accepted worldwide to explain the change process. As the basic human emotions experienced during personal loss, change, death, or a dramatic experience remain the same, this model can be applied effectively in such situations."

My holiday starts tomorrow, will be a relaxing time.

• Japanese Life Concepts: Two Cheat Sheets provided by Igor Buinevici

• Top 10 Soft Skills Among AI Talent

• "You don’t inspire people by revealing your super powers; you inspire people by helping them reveal their own super powers."

• Is routine a good or a bad thing? I'm too easy-going not to be a fan of routine. - A new penguin cartoon by Lee Sampson

• AI 5.0 Leadership: Your 2024 Opportunity

• Dan Rockwell: 3 WAYS TO BECOME A LEADER PEOPLE LOVE TO FOLLOW

• Get Ahead of the AI Curve with These 250 (Free!) AI Courses

• Frank Sonnenberg: The 13 Key Ingredients of a Strong Work Ethic
• Dan Rockwell: HOW TO LEAD ONE-ON-ONES THAT CHANGE LIVES

• Gary Straughan: A SERIES of videos on everything I know about Agile Boards / Kanban Boards / Scrum Boards

• We need a mindset shift to create truly valuable organizations

• unFIX: Checklist for Workshop Organizers

[27-Mar-24] Circular images

A wide variety of topics, always on one page ...

Last day in the office tomorrow before my holiday until 05-Apr-24. We start the day and the Easter time with a team breakfast. Everybody adds something to the table, will be fun and tasty.

The German railway and the Union did finally agree a new contract for the next 24 month. Even the reduction of the weekly working time to 35 hours is possible now, on a voluntary basis. No strikes anymore, finally. 

[25-Mar-24] Quick Monday video post

About Self-Improvement and Motivation ...

Videos:

• 20 Powerful Concepts for Self-Improvement

• THE MOTIVATION MANIFESTO by Brendon Burchard

• FoL Salon 2024 - Einladung (15 minutes in German about the coming - 25-Apr-24 - and past Future of Leadership Salons)

The short restructuring of my website is finished, now all activities go much faster. Hopefully it will stay like this for some time?

• The New Happy: Notice the patterns
• Dan Rockwell: PLEASE PEOPLE AND OVERCOME PEOPLE-PLEASING

• Navigating the Corporate Landscape in the age of AI: SOARing Beyond BANI and VUCA in the Era of Perma-Crisis

• When we share our light with others, it brightens both their world and ours.

[24-Mar-24] My week 12-2024 highlights

List of International Days and Weeks

Short page restructuring in progress, please be patient. In order to speed up the page handling, I will now create one page per year. The Blog 2.0 page will show the current year, all previous years are in the menu bar under More or in the Downloads section with all available eBOOKs. I just uploaded the latest 2024 update until 23-Mar-24 yesterday there.

The latest Gustavo Razzetti post - How to Build a Culture of Mastery - fits perfectly to the 2-day offsite event on last Thursday/Friday. Different team members with different career pathes, levels of experience and expertise, education, attitudes, skill sets and talents together in one meeting. Like Shu Ha Ri - The Process of Mastery, follow the rules, make the rules and finally break the rules. All can learn something from each other, even the master could get a new perspective from a beginner.

Just a 4-day work week next week, due to Good Friday. The week after I have one week holiday. Looking forward to it.

• The 8 New Idea Books to Start Spring

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (22-Mar-24)

• Managing Gen Z: How to Get the Most Out of Your Team

• Free AI Courses from Google

• The Future Of Generative AI: 6 Predictions Everyone Should Know About

• Difficult conversations can be challenging. Here's how to navigate them better

"I don't think it's a Western thing to really talk about intrinsic motivation and the drive for autonomy, mastery and purpose. You have to not be struggling for survival. For people who don't know where their next meal is coming, notions of finding inner motivation are comical." -- Daniel H. Pink, American - Author Born: 1964

[23-Mar-24] Special Days ...

Earth Hour and World Down Syndrome Day 

The video is great and has a perfect story line - Assume that I can so Maybe I will - could be a helpful slogan for everybody. Start with a positive assumption in general and find out on the way, if it was a valid one or not? Have a great weekend.

• Video: Nvidia Reveals Project GROOT and Disney Robots at GTC Conference

• Disrupt your own narrative. Facilitation toolbox. The future according to Matthew Ball.

• The GROWTH Coaching Model

• Overcome These Fears to Unlock Your Company’s AI Potential

• Many Gen Z Workers Say They Get Better Career Advice from ChatGPT Than from Their Manager

• Frank Sonnenberg: The New Math Adds Up to More

• Need to Boost Your Company’s AI Skills? Hold an AI Learning Day

• 7 Tips For Implementing Generative AI In Your Organization

• 8 Powerful Habits of Profoundly Influential People

• These are the 21 Laws of Magnificent Execution

• Scrum isn't about adding meetings; it's about adding value.

• Future of Leadership Salon 2024 on 25-Apr-24 in Duesseldorf

[22-Mar-24] About commitment ...

Making 2024 Happiness Levels visible

Commitment: "a promise to do something or to behave in a particular way; a promise to support someone or something; the fact of committing yourself"

Back from the 2-day workshop today. A lot of sensitive and personal topics will not be shared so I will stay more general. What happens in the training center stays there.

Two quiet, in general introverted men, met at the train station in Cologne to go to the training location in Koenigswinter. During the journey they did come into an intense discussion and did miss to exit at the right train station. Thanks to yearlong experience and staying calm, we managed to go back and reached the training location in time. The story was a great opening joke and running gag during the 2 days.

We did collect the talents and needs of the two Scum Master teams in Germany and India. Another topic was to see The 4 Responses to Fear in different situations. Sharing a life changing moment was the most emotional topic, but very much appreciated and helpful to better understand the team mates.

Today we had to finish earlier to avoid the Easter Holiday traffic jams, and the India team with a 4.5 hour time zone difference wanted to go into their long weekend. They will be celebrating the Holi festival next Monday. 

My train to go back home had only one waggon instead of two, what caused some space issues for people with suitcases, because the train passed the Cologne airport and main station for the holiday traveler.

• These are the 21 Laws of Magnificent Execution

• Dan Rockwell: 3 CHALLENGES AN INTROVERT FACES IN LEADERSHIP

• TacticAI: an AI assistant for football tactics

• Is your environment stifling or stimulating? Time for a safety check

[20-Mar-24] About motivators ...

UN’s International Day of Happiness today

Finland is #1 in the country ranking, Germany did go down to #24. We might need to have less "German angst" and more motivators to be happy. For all details see the 2024 report. 

Looking at the picture we should be looking for more recognition, inspiration and autonomy, why not?

I had a great idea yesterday to motivate people in my Agile Release Train (ART). We normally have 5 two week sprints and the 6th sprint for exploration, knowledge sharing, brainstorming and training. During sprint 6 we have 5 full days for the none project activities. Why not turning it around and give dedicated team members the time to have 10 weeks for exploration tasks and let them explain their findings during the 5 days in the 6th sprint as usual?

Sounds crazy, but would be a great way to motivate people. Being selected for the small/special team is the recognition/appreciation, they get the autonomy to select their tasks and are inspired to present something new to their team members at the end.

So far we are sending out certificates with a personal note about the special accomplishments, what is very much appreciated by the recipients . Why not trying something new, what might be even more beneficial for the team?

I am away for the 2-day offsite event starting tomorrow, so no BLOG post on Thursday. Have a great time and be happy.

[18-Mar-24] Another anniversary ...

Three years ago my BLOG did path the 500k reader milestone for the 1st time on 18-Mar-21

Today in 2024 the counter is close to 1,500k readers, a huge achievement. Once again thanks a lot to the one-time, some time, several time and everytime readers, your support and interest is very much appreciated.

The concept proposals for the two April workshops have been approved today with some minor adjustments. Will be easy to implement, so I am ready to go. Now I am looking forward to the offsite event on Thursday and Friday, will be great just to be a participant like all the others in the audience.

• If you don't master motivation, anything and everything can be a struggle

• Dan Rockwell: 4 WAYS SADNESS LEADS TO GLADNESS

• 8 Stupid Workplace Rules That Drive Everyone Crazy

• Did you know that in 6 years (2030) the goal is to solve all the 17 UN sustainability goals?
  

• Remember...job skills and expertise is only a fraction of what it takes to be a talented employee!

"When a young person, even a gifted one, grows up without proximate living examples of what she may aspire to become–whether lawyer, scientist, artist, or leader in any realm–her goal remains abstract. Such models as appear in books or on the news, however inspiring or revered, are ultimately too remote to be real, let alone influential. But a role model in the flesh provides more than inspiration; his or her very existence is confirmation of possibilities one may have every reason to doubt, saying, ‘Yes, someone like me can do this." — Sonia Sotormayor taken from Top ​​70 Role Model Quotes

[17-Mar-24] The week 11-2024 summary

A little bit more about learning ideas ...

"The upward spiral is Stephen R. Covey's simple model of personal growth and change, which repeats the three steps: Learn, Commit, and Do."

When you read, write, think and talk about the learning topic, what I did last week, you will find even more material that fits. I am preparing two new workshops for April, with the option for a 3rd one, and will be just participating in a 2-day offsite event next Thursday and Friday. This is going to be fun and a learning experience:

• Video: How to Double Your Productivity

• How to Neutralize Proximity Bias and Create a Fairer Hybrid Workplace

• 6 Free Courses from Harvard

• Overlooked Leadership Traits - Part 1: Empathy

• Wisdom from a 1999 Classic Movie

• How to make better friends at work. Could you benefit from belonging to a peer-to-peer network? How to take the leap of faith.

• Jurgen Appelo: Common Stages of Writing Fiction

• 100+ Inspirational Quotes to Get You Through the Work Week

One of the workshops I will be hosting is for a team of 11 people for a whole day, the other one for only 3 hours, but with 50+ participants. The setting and logistics is driving the approach and content. The good thing is that I have a portfolio of topics and approaches in the meantime that I can select from. And when this is not sufficient I can copy and transfer a setting that did work in the past into a new environment. Reuse before creating something new from scratch, a good learning from the past.

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (15-Mar-24)

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” — Henry David Thoreau, taken from 100+ Inspirational Quotes to Get You Through the Work Week (Motivational quotes for Monday)

[15-Mar-24] Are you engaged?

Only 14% are engaged, according to the Gallup Engagement Index Germany 2023

A really dramatic number, nearly 26 million Germans aged 18 or older are not engaged in, what they are doing ~40 hours per week and, what they do for a living? On the other side a great potential for companies looking to fill their shortage of skilled workers and gap for new talents.

A focus area for the HR community in you company, but 86% might be disengaged as well, a vicious circle or catch-22. The faster you can fix this, the better for you and your company's future. As the majority of us is working for money and not for fun or personal fulfilment, your resistance to change level is mainly driven by the monthly fixed costs that have to be paid.

No guarantee that it will be better in a new company, it will just be different. Depending on your age, it might make a lot of sense to switch companies, or just to best manage the remaining time when you are close to retirement. This is your choice and decision in the end that nobody else can and should take for you.

It was a little bit different for our CEO today. He is possibly not only working for money anymore and did take the decision to step down from his position, as he did not agree with the organizational change coming 01-Apr-24. He has my full support and appreciation, I did not get the change either. Anyway, one guy is leaving and the organization is getting in motion to replace the free positions. Opportunities for a career change.

• How to Deal with People Who Undermine Your Confidence

• Why Gen Z Is the Most AI-Ready Cohort — and What That Means for You

• Reinventing? Ask yourself five questions

• unFIXed: We Have No Time (for Sustainment)

[12-Mar-24] Master your time better ...

As long as you can really control it

The German railway was on strike again today. The Union did not get a new offer by last Sunday 06.00 PM as expected and requested. So the strike started today morning at 02.00 AM for 24 hours.

The future green and sustainable transport system will become part of the critical infrastructure and the right to strike should be discussed again. Some more control of the general negotiation process and the proposal to come to an agreement faster should come from the Ministry of Transportation, is the latest discussion in the media.

Due to the strike, I had to take the bus today. Other people did take the car, what caused more delay for the bus. Additional 45 minutes where I could not master my time today ... Hopefully tomorrow morning all is back to normal, we will see? Other countries are much ahead in this topic.

• This is the world’s best-prepared city for the future of urban transportation (Helsinki)

• Urban Mobility Readiness Index 2023 REPORT

• The Urban Mobility Scorecard Tool: Benchmarking the Transition to Sustainable Urban Mobility

Besides that the next 3-month project phase started today, with some final clean-up activities and small hints to improve the overall data quality going forward. I did even provide a small Quality dashboard, to see the tasks that are still to be done and to control the progress over time. First I will recommend adjustments, then I will check the progress regularly. I can be really a pain in the neck, when it is necessary.

• Dan Rockwell: 5 UNEXPECTED QUESTIONS BEFORE REMOTE TEAMS MEET IN PERSON

• From function to discipline: The rise of boundaryless HR

• 60 Questions to Help You Hire for Consciousness

• 10 Ways Ridiculously Successful People Think Differently

• 3 Powerful visualizations of data when working agile

[10-Mar-24] My week 10-2024 highlights

Superpowers similar to organizations, why not?

Be open for problems/mistakes and understand/learn how to handle it. One argument why we do a Confidence vote after the PI planning and openly note down risks on team and release train (ART) level. General awareness helps to proactively take action and always be prepared.

• Video: If You Have An Idea - Stan Lee Inspirational Speech

• The State of Organizations 2023: Ten shifts transforming organizations

• The male blueprint: What it is — and how it stops women from reaching the C-suite

Our official next 3 month project phase starts on Tuesday, two weeks to have a little bit a relaxing time as the Sprint-1 demo will be two weeks later. Still time to close and cleanup the previous phase and to well prepare the new one.

The next 3 days I plan to be in the office after one week working from home. Hopefully no new strike of the public transport and German railway. But you never know ... Anyway, have a great and successful week.

• Sketchplanations: Impossible staircase

• The Must-Read Articles for Talent Professionals This Week (08-Mar-24)

• Meeting Culture: REDO Your Way to Better Collaboration

• Beyond Agile - 7 lessons from the Agile era

• AI Top Careers

• [10-Mar-24] Think outside the Box

• One must-read for this week: "The restorative power of small habits"

• The bridge between 'gonna' and achievement is built with action.

"For years, kids have been asking me what's the greatest superpower. I always say luck. If you're lucky, everything works. I've been lucky." -- Stan Lee, taken from 100 Stan Lee Quotes About Courage, Optimism and Success

[08-Mar-24] Bias in action ...

Men and women are judged differently when being considered for leadership roles

Another year gone and we have International Women's Day again. Celebrating one day out of 366 days in 2024, why are we doing this? It should become normal to treat ~50% of the world population like the other 50%. It is already noted down in the constitutions of several countries, but paper is patient and we have to just do it and make it real. More reality every day and not only once per year ...

• The Global Gender Parity Sprint

• Change isn't a straight line - it's a twisting, turning journey

• Do you have the courage of your convictions?

• Dan Rockwell: 4 RESPONSES TO COMPLAINTS ABOUT OTHERS
• Dan Rockwell: 7 WAYS TO ENABLE BOLDNESS

• STEM Gender Gaps Significant Among Gen Z

• The Path to Gender Parity in Leadership

• TED Talk: Why are women still taken less seriously than men?

SO much is still going wrong in politics, business and private life, you cannot just balance this with flowers on 08-Mar-24, sorry.

The Team Building session on Thursday did go really well, great that they can appreciate 90 minutes off business time really a lot and have some fun. "We could not focus on the task too much, we had to get to know each other" was the best comment. Thanks to the random breakout room assignment functionality, it always brings great groups together.

Besides that two workshop hostings planned after Easter in the 2nd half of Apr-24. And in two weeks I will just be a participant in an offsite workshop, all Scrum Masters and Release Train Engineers will be coming together, we are now in one team after the latest reorganization. Looking forward to it.

• Anthropic PBC: Introducing the next generation of Claude

• Imagine That It Takes Only Weeks to Pivot Strategy

• Without trust, organizations fail

• 20 benefits of knowing personality types as a leader

• Agile Is Not Dying; It's Dissolving

• Organizations with high performing teams report a 67% increase in efficiency and a 58% boost in employee satisfaction

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -- Michael Jordan taken from 35 Inspirational Quotes On Obstacles

[06-Mar-24] "The Dirt" In Your Life

Lesson: You're never too big for the dirt.

From the book summary - Legacy: What the All Blacks can teach us
about the business of life By James Kerr

"The idea that champions do extra shines through in every chapter of
this book. Whether it is showing humility by staying back to sweep the floors, establishing a culture of leading by example or practising that little bit more than the other team, champions push themselves in every area.

The lessons of the All Blacks can inspire almost every classroom, team
or workplace. The idea of working together with a shared goal and
purpose, expecting excellence and going the extra mile in all areas can
be applied to any situation for results which will leave a lasting Legacy."

Sounds like Japanese teams and fans in e.g. soccer - Japan celebrates World Cup win by cleaning their changing rooms and leaving origamis for Qatar hosts.

I finished the two planning activities successfully today, good job done after 2 days and a pretty high confidence in the results of the participants in the end. Finally the team building session tomorrow morning and then back to the daily business.

• 2024 Talent Reports: Insights and Actions for the Age of AI

• Frank Sonnenberg: Unlocking the True Meaning of Success
• Dan Rockwell: PERMA – 5 ELEMENTS TO THRIVE

• 8 Powerful Ways To Get People To Take You More Seriously

• Actively trying to control what you have no control over is a losing proposition

• Scrum Masters - Are you in "facilitating" the Daily Scrum?

• Being a "master of Scrum" is much more than just about understanding Scrum.

[05-Mar-24] Agile Disappointments?

What are the Root Causes ...

When you want to compare Amazing Ideas with Poor Execution, you can either read the latest article from Jim Highsmith (Co-author Agile Manifesto, Agile Pioneer, Writer, Storyteller, Agile Leadership Journey Guide, Thoughtworks Alumni)

• What are the Root Causes of Agile Disappointments?