Congratulations! THE BIG DAY you’ve been training for for the past 364 days will soon by upon us. It’s time to cash in on the benefit of the thousands of Agility exercises you’ve been putting into practice at work. Let’s hope all the agile flexing of both brain and brawn pays off. 
Ho! Ho! Ho! Contenders [...]

The first and most important thing I share with any team I work with are the Agile Values, also known the XP Values from Kent Beck and Cynthia Andres.
The Five Agile Values
1. Communication is a two way thing. It’s about talking and listening.
2. Simplicity is about simple solutions that do what’s required, no more, no [...]

Half way through my Christmas shopping mission, I meet up for coffee with my friend TJ, even though he drinks neither tea nor coffee. I tell him about an article I’d just been reading about people’s fitness and gyms.
‘According to the highly experienced instructor in the article, most people put in around 7/10 amount of [...]

Playing to learn about the Theory of Constraints
It’s 5 pm on a Thursday night and everything’s already pitch dark outside. We need at least 7 players to play the Bottleneck Game created by Pascal Van Cauwenberghe but we only have 6 eager participants. Being an Agile Coach has taught me to be resourceful (think Macgyver), [...]

Reader to Writer - Yet another comic Agile moment
M: I’ve read your blog.
P: What do you think about it?
M: I’m not sure if I’ve got the right word for it. (Long pause)
P: Go on.
M: What I like about it is that I can tell you’re obsessive about what you do.
P: (Stunned silence. Then) Thank you [...]

Writer to Reader
P.: I compare Agile to a pair of socks.
J.: I know, I read your blog.
P: What do you think of it?
J.: I like it. It’s quirky. And it’s based on genuine coaching experience. (Pause) I’ve often thought of writing my own.
P.: That’s a great idea! For years, I didn’t think I had anything [...]

‘To some, responsibility is a burden. To others, responsibility is a reward. For many, responsibility means having someone to point to.’
- Christopher Avery
It was great to finally meet Christopher Avery at the Agile Business Conference this Wednesday. His presentation on the Responsibility Model, delivered in person, was every bit as insightful and entertaining as I [...]

One Agile coach says to another, ‘How do you find the strength to carry on?’
The other coach replies, ‘I believe in “happily ever after“‘.
Going Off the Rails
In my experience, the toughest period on any Agile Enablement gig is the first two iterations. Some have described it as a rollercoaster ride - the corkscrew-space-mountain type where [...]

Rejection’s tough to take. More often than not, it’s painful, humiliating and disappointing. Sometimes even devastating. It can get really ugly, not just for you, but for all parties involved.
Now we’re all agreed on what rejection feels like, here’s how to best deal with it: Avoid rejection by improving your interviewing technique.
Rejection Can Be Avoidable
In [...]

Why Exoftware?
So that on a beautiful summer’s day I find myself cycling along the low road on one of the Aran Islands to spend time with the most diverse, smart, nice and fun bunch of Agilistas I know.