Workplace Limitations

Unofficial summary of a book and how it relates to Agile methodologies --JoshW 23:46, 24 March 2011 (PDT)

The book The Four Conversations discusses four different types of conversations used at work and outlines six common workplace limitations. Here's my outline of some pertinent parts of the book and Questions to think about in terms of using Agile methods to promote conversation and overcome those limitations.

The Four productive types of Conversations:

 * Initiative Conversations: start with new goal or future (least used conversation)
 * Understanding Conversations: support input from, and discussion with, the people who will work towards the goal (often overused)
 * Performance Conversations: request & promise of who will do what by when (work smarter, not harder)
 * Closure Conversations: recognize accomplishments, clean up unfinished business (often neglected)

Each type requires:
 * What-When-Why questions for what you want to accomplish or make happen
 * Who-Where-How questions for resources and methods involved to make it happen

Unproductive: complaining, blaming, and gossip.

Six workplace limitations

 * 1) Lateness needs Performance and Closure conversations
 * 2) Poor Quality Work needs all 4 conversation types
 * 3) Difficult People needs Closure on problems from the past and Initiative conversations to remind people of the new future we are working towards
 * 4) Lack of teamwork needs Initiative conversations to align interests, Understanding to clarify roles, Performance conversations for requirements, expected results, and goals, as well as Closure to complete conflicts and disappointments from the past.
 * 5) Poor planning and workload overwhelm needs performance conversations for complete & effective requests and promises.
 * 6) Insufficient resources and support needs Performance conversations to tie requests for more resources to promises for performance

Questions - in your opinion:

 * 1) How do Agile Methodologies in general handle these 6 workplace problems? Examples:  Sprint/Cycle/Iteration Planning or WIP limits being used to manage workload and improve planning (limitation #5).
 * 2) How and when do they encourage the four types of productive conversations [Initiative, Understanding, Performance, and Closure]? Examples: Retrospective or progress meetings meetings being an opportunity for Closure and Understanding Conversations, Engagement Meetings being an opportunity for Initiative Conversations, and so on.
 * 3) Finally, in terms of Agile Enterprises, how do you think Agile will need to expand & change to be applicable outside of Software Development? Can an entire corporation or non-profit be run in an Agile fashion? What (if anything) would need to change in terms of corporate structure, goals and roles?