Author Archives: Jake Calabrese

Announcing New Company – Helping Improve LLC

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I wanted to take a few minutes to let you know about a big change, as if 2020 was not interesting enough. As most of you probably know, I’m not a big wordsmithed-announcement kind of guy, so this is my informal write up.

I started a new company, Helping Improve LLC, with longtime collaborator Paul Tevis. Paul and I have hit the ground running and are already working with clients while we continue to incrementally set up the company. We are still doing the same work as always–adding some new offerings to the mix (new leadership and organizational change services among other things), and providing new ideas and solutions on a number of fronts. At the end of the day, expect the same direct, no-nonsense approach I’ve always provided.

For those that don’t know Paul, he has the same passion I do for improving, learning, and helping others grow. He challenges ideas and assumptions in ways that help people (anyone he works with, including me!) to reach new limits. His passion for helping others unlock their potential is at the core of who he is. I look forward to you having a chance to get to know him if you have not already!

This obviously means I am moving on from Agile For All (the company I’ve been working with for the last 5 years). We all have had a chance to reflect on our lives this year and consider what’s next. This happened for us at Agile For All as well. For me, I wanted to expand on many of the things I’ve been doing in different ways and also do something new. Given that others also wanted to make various changes, it has worked out well for everyone.

One of the things I’m most appreciative of at this moment is that I’m able to make the change in a way that is transparent and supported. I have not experienced any of the common issues people have when moving on from an organization. I too often hear about people having to deal with a big mess (or worse) when leaving.

Over the past 5 years, I’ve had a ton of fun, grown a lot, challenged myself, challenged others (mostly usefully), and got to work with some people I might not have otherwise had a chance to work with. While there have been challenges along the way, the opportunity I had to join Agile for All helped me tremendously. I wanted to take a brief moment to thank Bob Hartman for that opportunity as well as to thank everyone I’ve worked with over the years: thanks to Bob Hartman, Richard Lawrence, Angie Ham, Laura, Peter Green, Henry Dittmer, Peter Saddington, John Miller, Rob Myers, Steve Spearman, Carol, Brian, and Tricia Broderick. I’ll still collaborate with many of these folks in the future, so I see it less as “goodbye” and more “I wonder what’s next.” In fact, Tricia and I have classes already scheduled in 2021 and will continue to train Leading Amazing Teams together.

Website and Upcoming Classes

I’ve included a number of links with updated information below, including one for upcoming courses. If you know someone who might be interested, please pass along the links. I appreciate it!

Connect

If you’d like to connect with us, feel free to use any of the links below, if you are not already connected.

Connect with Jake: LinkedIn Twitter Blog

Connect with Paul: LinkedIn Twitter

Take care and have a safe and fun holiday!

–Jake

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 →