EP14: The Ball Point Game - An Agile Training Exercise for Iteration, Flow, and Self-Organisation

EP14: The Ball Point Game - An Agile Training Exercise for Iteration, Flow, and Self-Organisation

Geoff and Paul discuss the long-running agile training exercise “The Ball Point Game,” often used in in-person Certified ScrumMaster courses to teach iterative improvement, inspect-and-adapt, and self-organisation. They explain the setup (typically 10–12 people and many tennis-ball-sized balls) and core rules: each ball must touch everyone, have airtime between people, not be passed to a closest neighbour, return to the starter, and dropped/removed balls incur a penalty while the team self-scores. The game is played over eight timed iterations with planning, running, scoring, and re-estimating, and teams usually improve after a chaotic first round. They highlight learning outcomes around experimentation, the dangers of targets and competition, facilitation/Scrum Master questioning, lean waste and flow, leadership dynamics, and contrasts with waterfall-style planning, and they plan to share a PDF of rules and invite listeners to submit scores or videos. 00:59 Podcast Intro Setup 01:25 Ball Point Origins 03:06 Game Rules Explained 06:18 Iterations Timing Format 10:09 Early Rounds Expectations 11:52 Experimentation Mindset 14:46 Targets Scores Psychology 18:00 Facilitation Prompts Tips 23:04 Variants Flow Competition 27:43 Wrap Up Resources Challenge 28:29 Final Goodbye

EP13: Hot Seat Questions: Practicing Powerful Questioning in Agile Coaching

Geoff and Paul discuss “powerful questioning” in agile coaching and introduce a practice technique called Hot Seat Questions. They note the term “powerful questions” is often overused and shouldn’t be forced, but good questions can help shift thinking and open up new solutions. In the exercise, a group designates a “hot seat” where one person shares a coaching scenario for 30–60 seconds; each listener then asks one question that the hot-seat person does not answer, but instead gives feedback on the question’s impact (e.g., “That question was powerful because…” or “It could have been more powerful if…”). They emphasise psychological safety, letting go of the need to know, avoiding leading or rambling questions, and noticing nonverbal cues. They end with a brief example and mention downloadable guidance and a request for reviews. Downloadable content: www.inspectandadapt.com/podcasts/ep13-hot-seat-questions 00:00 Welcome and Catch Up 01:06 What Makes Questions Powerful 03:57 Hot Seat Questions Overview 04:58 How to Run the Exercise 07:51 What Powerful Looks Like 09:22 Safety and Letting Go 11:13 Feedback Structure and Observations 12:35 Common Question Traps 15:05 Live Hot Seat Demo 19:19 Wrap Up and Resources

EP12: Exploring the 3D Team Dynamics Model

In this episode of the Agile Skills Library, hosts Paul Goddard and Geoff Watts introduce their audience to the 3D Team Dynamics model. They delve into the origin and application of this technique, which helps in assessing and improving team behaviours. The model categorises behaviours into developing, detailing, and disruptive actions, with subcategories for each. The hosts also discuss the concept of a team heat map, which tracks physical movement and airtime distribution within a team. Throughout the episode, they encourage listeners to try out these techniques and provide downloadable content for practical use. Downloadable content: https://www.agilify.co.uk/resources/the-agile-skills-library/ep12-exploring-the-3d-team-dynamics-model/ 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:35 Introducing 3D Team Dynamics 02:23 Developing Actions in Team Dynamics 05:42 Detailing Actions in Team Dynamics 08:47 Disruptive Behaviours in Team Dynamics 11:56 Using the 3D Team Dynamics Data 17:51 Team Heat Map: The Fourth Dimension 21:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

EP11: The Coaching Equation for Successful Change

In this episode of the Agile Skills Podcast, hosts Geoff Watts and Paul Goddard introduce a valuable tool they call the 'coaching equation for coaching change.' This equation helps coaches and individuals effectively implement desired changes by balancing benefits, costs, and the probability of success. They discuss the importance of internalising the benefits, acknowledging costs, and strategies to increase the likelihood of success. The episode also includes practical examples and emphasizes the emotional aspects of motivation. A downloadable canvas is provided to help practitioners put the technique into practice. Downloadable Content: www.inspectandadapt.com/podcasts/ep11-the-change-equation 00:00 Introduction to the Agile Skills Library 00:29 Welcome Back to the Agile Skills Podcast 00:39 Introducing the Coaching Equation 04:24 Understanding the Benefits of Change 09:01 Identifying the Costs of Change 13:46 Probability of Success in Change 16:01 Increasing Your Chances of Success 24:02 Conclusion and Next Steps

EP10: Collaborative Prioritisation with 'Pass the Cards' Technique

In this episode of Agile Skills Library, hosts Geoff and Paul introduce a collaborative prioritisation technique known as 'Pass the Cards,' also referred to as '35.' Originally mentioned by Jean Tabaka, the method is designed to engage multiple voices in prioritising product backlog items. The hosts provide detailed instructions on facilitating the game with stakeholders, including using different scales and rounds to derive a collective priority list. They also discuss the importance of having a north star or overall goal, managing subjectivity, and leveraging the technique for enhanced collaboration and effective decision-making. Practical tips and potential variations for the exercise are shared, along with advice for agile coaches and trainers. Downloadble content available at: https://www.agilify.co.uk/resources/the-agile-skills-library/ep10-collaborative-prioritisation-with-pass-the-cards-technique/ 00:00 Introduction and Greetings 00:10 Overview of the Technique 00:43 Origins and Acknowledgements 01:32 Why Use This Technique? 02:27 Step-by-Step Method 05:24 Facilitation Tips and Common Issues 11:22 Scaling and Group Dynamics 12:52 Learning Points and Practical Applications 16:45 Conclusion and Resources