#102: Communicating Agile Transformations with McCaul Baggett

06/12/24 • 31 min

Join Brian Milner and McCaul Baggett as they explore the power of empathy and storytelling in successful Agile transformations. Learn McCaul's five-step approach to effective communication and discover strategies to overcome common pitfalls in organizational change.

Overview

In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian Milner sits down with McCaul Baggett, Chief Agile Officer at CAVU, to discuss the intricacies of communicating change within organizations.

They delve into common pitfalls in Agile transformations and highlight the importance of empathy and storytelling in engaging teams. McCaul shares his five-step approach to effective communication, emphasizing the power of testimonials and spreading awareness.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tools for navigating and leading successful Agile transformations.

Listen Now to Discover:

[1:10] - Join Brian as he welcomes McCaul Baggett, Chief Agile Officer at CAVU and a master of Agile transformation, to delve into the secrets of successful Agile transformation.
[3:15] - McCaul emphasizes the critical role of storytelling in engaging and guiding teams through the process of Agile transformation.
[5:57] - Brian addresses a common challenge in Agile transformations: navigating the unknown and its impact on team dynamics.
[8:01] - McCaul explains how effective communication and a compelling narrative can help teams grasp their value during a transformation.
[10:40] - McCaul advocates for going beyond the basic 'why' by incorporating testimonial narratives to create more meaningful connections.
[14:39] - Brian suggests using these tools to foster empathy, advocating for their use in both top-down and bottom-up approaches when initiating a transformation.
[16:29] - Dive into Mike Cohn's book, Succeeding with Agile, for practical advice on navigating your transformation. Discover strategies for communication, overcoming resistance, and other key aspects of Agile success.
[17:54] - Brian inquires about effective ways to connect with and engage resistant individuals within the team.
[22:49] - Join McCaul and Brian as they discuss the importance of creating specific best practices that suit the unique needs of this particular team and organization.
[28:07] - Brian shares a big thank you to McCaul for joining him on the show.
[28:33] - Join Brian in attending Agile conferences to connect with and learn from Agile experts and peers, fostering valuable discussions and insights.
[29:53] - If you’d like to continue this discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community. You get a year of free membership into that site by taking any class with Mountain Goat Software, such as CSM or CSPO. We'd love to see you in one of Mountain Goat Software's classes, you can find the schedule here.
[30:35] - We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

McCaul Baggett
Communicating Change Made Easy with McCaul Bagget and Tom Bullock
Succeeding with Agile by Mike Cohn
Agile 2024
Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast
Certified ScrumMaster® Training and Scrum Certification
Certified Scrum Product Owner® Training
Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule
Join the Agile Mentors Community

Want to get involved?

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Overview

In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian Milner sits down with McCaul Baggett, Chief Agile Officer at CAVU, to discuss the intricacies of communicating change within organizations.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tools for navigating and leading successful Agile transformations.

Listen Now to Discover:

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Want to get involved?

This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input.

Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It real...

Previous Episode

#101: Fostering Sustainable Change with Leor Herzfeld

Join Brian as he discusses the crucial elements of sustainable agility with Leor Herzfeld, Agile Coach and CEO of Integral Agile. Dive into the human side of sustainability and discover the 14 dimensions essential for creating a culture that truly engages.

Overview

In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian Milner sits down with Leor Herzfeld to unpack the concept of sustainable agility from a deeply human perspective.

They explore why external changes often fail and how a focus on individual health—encompassing safety, autonomy, mastery, purpose, and accountability—can lead to genuine, lasting transformation within organizations.

Leor shares practical tools for leaders looking to foster an environment that supports continuous agile practices and nurtures employee engagement. Listen in as they discuss how to achieve a resilient and thriving workplace.

Listen Now to Discover:

[1:01] - Join Brian as he explores the vital role of sustainability in Agile methodologies with expert guest, CEO of Integral Agile and author of the upcoming book Reimagine Transformation, Leor Herzfeld.
[2:09] - Leor delves into the meaning of human sustainability, explaining its significance and impact.
[4:33] - Brian discusses the inherent resistance to change, noting that even positive transformations require adjustments.
[5:22] - Leor poses the shift from thinking about only the holistic, healthy Agile culture and team to focusing on a healthy individual.
[7:14] - Brian and Leor explore what sustainability and sustainable pace practices entail in real-world scenarios.
[10:03] - Leor examines the reasons behind employees' lack of engagement in their organizations and work environments.
[11:49] - Leor discusses 14 key aspects of individual health that are essential for creating a sustainable and healthy environment at both individual and organizational levels.
[14:03] - Leor shares a tool to assess the Agile health of your team or organization.
[14:53] - Enhance your team's performance with Mountain Goat Software’s specialized private training, including exclusive classes for leaders that accommodate their busy schedules. Dive into training that promises to elevate your team and organizational health, ensuring success across the board. You can email the Mountain Goat Software team for detailed information.
[16:43] - Leor shares how he measures the sustainability and health of the teams and organizations he works with.
[18:46] - Brian highlights a frequent issue encountered in classes: Agile teams feeling unsupported by their organization's culture.
[22:27] - Leor delves into the evolving landscape of the Agile world, exploring how shifts can foster greater organizational support and, thereby, sustainable environments.
[28:58] - Brian shares a big thank you to Leor for joining him on the show.
[29:52] - If you’d like to continue this discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community. You get a year of free membership into that site by taking any class with Mountain Goat Software, where we get right into the good stuff and have some deep discussions. We'd love to see you in one of Mountain Goat Software's classes. You can find the schedule here.
[30:17] - We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast. If you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show, send us an email. We can’t wait to hear!

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Leor Herzfeld
Integral Agile
Integral Agile Health and Happiness Assessment
Reimagine Transformation by Leor Herzfeld, David Hersey, Ben Williams, and Julio Pizarro
Organizational Transformation: A ...

Next Episode

#103: Developer Relations and SQLMesh with Marisa Smith

Join Brian and Marisa Smith as they dive into the world of developer advocacy, the challenges of agile methodologies in data engineering, and the vital role of open-source communities. Discover how to better support and communicate with your developers in this insightful episode!

Overview

In this episode, Brian Milner interviews developer relations expert Marisa Smith to explore the vital role of developer advocates in bridging the gap between companies and their users.

Marisa shares her insights on the challenges of communicating with developers, emphasizing the need to create a welcoming environment for questions and feedback. She also discusses the unique difficulties developers face when implementing agile methodologies, particularly in the realm of data engineering.

They highlight the significance of open-source communities in fostering innovation and collaboration and provide a preview of Marisa's upcoming talk at Agile 2024 on enhancing data pipelines with SQLMesh.

Listen Now to Discover:

[1:08] - Join Brian in an engaging conversation with Dr. Marisa Smith, PhD, Developer Relations Expert, Developer Advocate, and Speaker.
[2:43] - Marisa Smith sheds light on the crucial role of a developer advocate, explaining how they bridge the gap between developers and the wider community.
[3:49] - Brian digs into common mistakes in how we communicate with developers and poses the question: what are we getting wrong in our interactions?
[5:57] - Marisa outlines the hurdles developers face in a Scrum team environment, shedding light on common obstacles.
[12:00] - Marisa explores the hurdles in developer communication, offering insights into improving dialogue and understanding.
[12:55] - Mountain Goat Software offers Working on a Scrum Team, a private class to help Scrum teams foster a team dynamic that supports the whole team, including bridging the gap in communicating with developer teams.
[15:00] - Marisa discusses how SQLMesh has empowered data engineers to streamline their tasks, sparking a sense of 'Marie Kondoing' their work.
[24:11] - Marisa emphasizes the vital importance of open-source developer communities for fostering innovation and teamwork.
[26:51] - Brian shares a big thank you to Marisa for joining him on the show.
[27:50] - We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email.
[27:54] - If you’d like to continue this discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community. You get a year of free membership into that site by taking any class with Mountain Goat Software, such as CSM or CSPO. We'd love to see you in one of Mountain Goat Software's classes, you can find the schedule here.