Jake Calabrese – Helping Improve LLC

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I help organizations move beyond frameworks to solve the real challenges of product delivery and leadership. Through Helping Improve LLC, I support clients through consulting, reality-based training, implementation, and coaching.

My Approach

I bring knowledge and practical experience, not just theory, to every engagement. My direct, no-nonsense approach helps organizations tackle their most problematic areas. I pair my expertise with your people’s knowledge about your business, industry, and challenges to create lasting change.

How I Help

I work with organizations to:

  • Build internal capabilities through leadership development
  • Implement effective change management strategies
  • Improve product management and delivery processes
  • Establish sustainable practices for continuous improvement
  • Reduce waste and optimize workflows
  • Create environments where teams can deliver better products

I focus on using practical methods that help you meet business goals rather than implementing frameworks for their own sake.

Connect With Me

For more information about how I can help your organization:

Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to helping you improve!

Global Listening While Remote

Global Listening When Remote

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Global Listening When Remote

Many people are working from home at this point and this will obviously continue for a while. Many organizations had already been working remote. I’ve worked on a number of remote teams and with a number of remote organizations well before the current situation we are in. I’ve done remote work as a coach, trainer, product manager, and team member well before the current situation we are in.  Each of those instances I found myself enjoying some aspects of the work and also wishing for aspects to be in person. One of the most challenging things to do remotely is to listen. Continue reading →

A Short History of Kanban (and Lean) (Part 3)

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The history of lean and kanban is a challenge to boil down, so inevitably, I know there are aspects that are missing here. The title says “short” because, while there is a lot of information here, it is short in terms of how more is out there!  Additionally, there are often disagreements on certain aspects and points around the history, and we’ve sourced the various elements included in this outline.  A key part of understanding kanban is going beyond the principles and practices, to understand what is behind it work. The history points us to a critical key. 

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what is kanban

What is Kanban (看板)? [Part 1]

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This is a common question, since Kanban can have several word uses and meanings in the agile space. The term gets thrown around a lot, making it even more confusing. In order to understand Kanban and where it comes from, let’s start with some basic definitions and the foundations. We start with the basics, because there is often confusion around what kanban is. 

Simple definitions of kanban:

  • a signboard or billboard in Japanese
  • a just-in-time method of inventory control, originally developed in Japanese automobile factories
  • a Japanese lean manufacturing system in which the supply of components is regulated through the use of an instruction card sent along the production line
  • an agile approach or framework

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Metrics Checklist

What to do when someone asks for an agile checklist or agile metrics checklist?

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I hear these requests all the time. “What are the best agile metrics?”, “How can we measure an agile team?” and “I know we can’t just measure agile. . . but, what should be on an “organizational agility checklist?”

There are so many places you can go with these questions and there are even various companies selling ways to measure agile organizations and agile teams. When someone asks me about agility checklists or agile metrics, I tend to start with a few core themes of elements. I use these themes to have conversations with the people who want the measurements and the people who will be measured (before anyone starts using them).

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Myth 3: Leaders & Managers will figure out what their agile role is magically

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We have done a huge disservice to leaders and managers, as well as teams.  There are plenty of people that will say we don’t need managers and leaders. People can lead themselves. While there is an aspect of this that may be true, there are a lot of steps to get close to that idea.

This article will explore what leaders and managers need to do to succeed as they get started with agile or to help teams move from individuals to a team or even a high-performance team. It builds on Agile Leadership Myth #2: Self-Organizing Teams Don’t Need Any Help.    Continue reading →