How mindfulness enables

the agile mindset

Kathy G. Berkidge

Agenda• Agile mindset

• Mindfulness

• How to use mindfulness techniques

• Creative thinking

• Customer empathy

• Collaboration and communication

Manifesto for Agile Software Development

We are uncovering better ways of developingsoftware by doing it and helping others do it.

Through this work we have come to value:Individuals and interactions over processes and tools,

Working software over comprehensive documentation,Customer collaboration over contract negotiation,

Responding to change over following a plan.

That is, while we value the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable

software

Customer

Value

Outcomes

Early

OftenLearning

TrustEmpathy

UX

Credibility

Customer Delight

2. Welcome changing requirements even late in

development. Agile processes harness change for the customers

competitive advantage

Flexibility

Outcome

Customer

Change Value

Adaptive

Learning

Growth

OpenRespond

Innovation

Uncertainty Pivot

3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of

weeks to a couple months, with a preference to the shorter

timescaleFeedbackDelivery

Frequent

CustomerTransparency

Trust

Learn

ExploreExperiment

Innovate

Reliability

Do

Make

Check

4. Business people and developers must work together

daily throughout the project

CollaborationTeam

Communication

Cooperation

Togetherness

Openness

Trust

TransparencyShared Goals

Understanding

5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and

support they need, trust them to get the job done.

Self organisation

Motivate

Support

Trust

DisciplineAutonomy

Engaged

Cross functional

Empowered

Focus

Goal Oriented

Responsibility

Commitment

6. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The

sponsors, developers and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

No burn out

Self organisation

Sustainable

Collaboration Team

Autonomy Discipline

Reliability

Reduce Stress

Attention

7. Working software is the prime measure of progress.

ValueOutcome

Progress

Transparency

Customer

Learn

Measure

Action

Credibility

Consistency

Trust

Build

8. The most efficient and effective method of conveying

information to and within a development team is face to

face conversation.

Collaboration

Communication

Team EfficientEffective

Understanding

Acknowledgement

Open

Honest

Share

Acceptance

Trust Respect

Dialog

Conversation

Connection

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good

design enhances agility.

Value Standards

Quality

Flexibility

Commitment

Responsibility

Integrity

Trust

Reliability

Continuous Improvement

10. Simplicity – the art of maximising the amount of work

not done – is essential.

ValueEliminate

Waste

Simple Optimise

Ease

Open

LEANClarity

Reduce Risk

Focus

11. The best architectures, requirements and designs

emerge from self organising teams.

Self Organising

Team Collaboration

QualityPerspectives

InnovationCommitment

Contribution

Shared decisions

Reliability

Equality

12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to

become more effective then tunes and adjusts its behaviour

accordingly.

TeamContinuous

Improvement

Self Organising

Honesty

AdaptiveShare

Learn

Growth

No blame

Accountability

Acknowledgement

Development

‘Be’ agile or ‘do’ agile?

Agile is a mindset

Executed via 100s of practices

Grounded in 4 values

Elaborated through 12 principles

Mindfulness• Quality or state of being aware

- without judgement or perception

• Deliberately paying attention to what is happening all around you

• Being open and present to what ‘is’ here and now – nothing else

How?

• Informal practice:

– Clear your mind

– Recall and focus

– Repeat and practice!

• Formal practice:– meditation

Everyday Mindfulness• Before each meeting or phone call

• Waiting for coffee or food

• As you prepare to speak with someone

• When you read an email

• Come back to the present

• Anytime

• Anywhere

Just take 3 breaths with

complete awareness

Let’s try it!• Sit comfortably• Rest hands on lap• Close eyes• Tongue placed behind teeth• Clear your mind• Focus on your breath• Don’t follow thoughts• If distracted or your mind wonders off

– gently come back to the breath

What did you notice?

Benefits• Beyond peace and stress relief

• Clarity, calm and awareness

• Creativity and innovation

• Focus and concentration

• Better communication

• Increased collaboration

• Other health benefits includinglower blood pressure andincreased immune response

Mindful Agile• Innovate – be creative without barriers• Think outside the square – remove the square• Customer & stakeholder interactions

– be present & listen fully• Story writing – real empathy• Testing – look, listen and learn • Workshops – let go and be open

Dead weight• How much junk are you

carrying around?

• Memories, perceptions, perspectives, projections, opinions, bias, habits

• Old ways may not be valid or useful now

Creative Thinking• Vertical and lateral thinking• Design thinking• Creative thinking techniques:

– Brainstorming

– 6 thinking hats

– Reverse brainstorming

– Random word association

– Brain writing

– Insight

Empathy

You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back towards the technology – not the other way around.

Steve Jobs

Mindful Empathy• Clear your mind• Let go• See through the users’ eyes• Open to new ideas

and possibilities• Allow space for learning

and creative thinking

Who has the answer?

Collaboration

Effective collaboration is a critical success factor in agile

product development

The team takes accountability for success and a shared approach to their work

Communication

The major problem in communication

is the illusion that it has occurred.

Albert Einstein

Mindful Communication• Clear your mind• Be aware of self• Be aware of other• Understand communication styles• Focus and concentrate

Be present

How will you implement mindfulness?

References• Mindful Work – David Gelles

• Mindful Leadership (for dummies)– Juliet Adams and Marina Grazier

• Mindfulness at Work – Dr Stephen McKenzie

• Leading Mindfully – Amanda Sinclair

• Mindset – Dr Carol Dweck

• siyli.org – Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute

• mindful.org

kathy@mindatworkconsulting.com.au

@KathyBerkidge