• Category Archives Personal

  • Oh Look, That Mask Is Off And He’s A Fraud

    Posted on by Tim

    It is hard being a novice in life. There is no easy way to navigate the feelings of imposter syndrome. Especially, when you are changing careers.

    I had a Zoom call with a retiring Master Chief Petty Officer I met during my first Afghanistan deployment. He has been highly success in his Navy career, carving out a place in the leadership triad both on ships and at shore commands.

    For me, this is both insightful and instructive. What if, after 20 or 30 years becoming one thing or charting a single career path you were compelled to walk away and start fresh?

    “I feel like I’m 18 year old again. I need to figure what I want to be when I grow up.” His words, my thoughts. It would be a bit scary. It could lead to imposter syndrome.

    What if they find out?

    Throughout my professional journey, I have struggled with imposter syndrome. It gets worse with age, because of higher expectations. Navigating it, after a successful ‘first career’, is worse than a continuation of a career.

    For retired military members, imposter syndrome holds them back from really going after a new career. They have all the ‘soft skills’ an employer could dream of, experience under pressure, and gut-grinding determination to see teams and the organization win.

    Yet, many military retirees question themselves. They question if they can transfer any of their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) effectively to create value as private sector employees.

    It might be a two-way street from the employer’s side. Fear may be influencing a hiring manager, as well?

    Ancient mask
    A burial mask on display in the Perrot Museum

    What if they want my job?

    A colleague, Mike, told me once that I intimidated and scared people. To look at me, I’m not physically imposing. What he meant was I get intense when I talk on subject where I have expertise.

    Deep expertise express with energy and enthusiasm can create missed opportunity. Some people feel threatened by women and men who built a career as military professionals. It’s not your fault or my fault, and we can do something about minimizing those concerns.

    How is your delivery?

    So, I learned to dial my intensity down. “I have you about an 11 and I need you at a five.” said Mike. Good advice for anyone who want to build rapport. Attitude is everything according to Keith Harrel.

    Keith is right and we can be meek so that people feel safe. Meekness is not weakness. It is strength restrained. Meekness is about creating comfort for others; looking out for their interests. It is about building bridge and revealing that we are all just humans being.

    Consider this point

    If you have all the KSA’s to do the job, should you be worried about being an imposter? I don’t think so, I would be more concerned about keeping a growth mindset.

    Be a life-long-learner, a student of life, and an engaged colleague. Show up like you are 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, or 23 years old, ready to learn and grow.


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  • A Few Unclassified Highlights Of My Veterans Story

    Posted on by Tim

    Celebrating Veterans Day

    My day, our day, as Veterans in the United States, is November 11th.

    It is the day, each year, where we are encouraged to share stories around our service. I take pride in the years I wore the cloth of my country. There is a humbling affect that comes with serving in uniform.

    As my career started, I wonder if I would earn more than a handful of medals and ribbons. Would I be recognized for individual accomplishment? More important, would our command be recognized as a high performing team?

    Now that I look back, I chuckle a bit. I joined the Navy as the first Gulf War ended and so I received the National Defense Medal after I completed bootcamp. One down, more to go.

    For a good while, I was authorized to wear just that one, lonely ribbon on my service uniform and dress uniform. That was until I earn my “dolphins”.

    Earning my Enlisted Submarine Warfare designation meant I was now a tribe member. Only a small number of men and women are capable of joining the Submarine Force. Few still, complete the qualifications to earn their warfare pin.

    Enlisted Submarine Warfare Designator

    The End Of The Beginning

    I recall transferring from the active duty component to the reserve component of the Navy. I felt a bit ashamed that I was not deemed worthy enough for a Navy Achievement Medal. It felt like an insult and it stung like a face slap.

    For years, I wore my dolphins and few ribbons with a grudging respect for teammates who were recognized as top performers. They had the chest hardware to prove they went above and beyond, or at least, were recognized for sustained, outstanding performance. Me, not so much.

    What I did earn, while in the Coast Guard Reserve, were a fair number of team commendations. Those ribbons mattered more than an individual medal could ever matter because we came together to get the job done. Before transferring back to the Navy Reserve, I earned my first personal ribbon.

    The ribbon, along with the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation, meant I was finally seen as a difference maker. I was more than supporting cast on the team, I was making an impact with the team. The funny thing is, I wasn’t allowed to wear the ribbon on my Navy uniform!

    Go figure!

    Powered By Jet Fuel

    My first unit back in the Navy Reserve was one of several theater special operations commands or TSOCs. Applying what I learned in the Coast Guard and private sector, I joined my unit and looked for ways to be impactful. Thankfully, I had served in submarines and that proved to be a big advantage for my credibility.

    As I discovered, raw talent only gets you so far as a TSOC staff member. It take endurance, resilience, and the willingness to set personal priorities aside to thrive in the special operations environment. For me, it was a fertile environment, filled with opportunity to succeed.

    Then it happened, I earned my first achievement medal. It was, and still is, the medal I am most proud to wear. The story behind that medal is about humanitarian response and disaster recovery. My reason to serve, wasn’t about going to war, it was about doing good when I could.

    Following that achievement medal came commendation medal and more team recognition. Finally, I was being recognized for what I brought to the table. The more important point, for me, was it validated the work I had done and in the joint environment.

    Once, Twice Deployed To Afghanistan

    As an enlisted leader, my deployments to Afghanistan cemented my time in uniform. Earning awards and ribbons at the end of deployment, those awards are defining for service members. They mark significant moments in service.

    The way I see them, they are milestones or mile markers, for my military career. They remind me of where I came from and where I got to. As well, the medals, pins, and ribbons are backed by stories to be shared.

    In the military, it seems easier to connect experiences and share the meaning behind them. Now that I’m retired, those moments are harder to come by. For some brief time, what was done in uniform had significance that was larger than me.

    If you see or know a Veteran this November 11th, thank them for their service. I know I will be.

    Military ribbons and Navy warfare insignias
    Warfare designators and military ribbons

    Personal 📎and tagged

  • I Have Not Time For Experts, Only Expertise Full Stop

    Posted on by Tim

    Are you an expert who fully uses your expertise? I prefer expertise over being an expert.

    For me, this post has taken a while to publish.  Posts like this are a hot-button topic for many professionals in different fields. I supposed what I have written below is not going to win friends or influence people. 

    I am amused when someone calls me an “expert”. Privately, I will question why a person would consider me an expert in my profession.  Maybe, it is because I have met “experts” and I am mostly not impressed.

    I will admit to this, I am an “expert learner”. That is a title I am proud to receive from my colleagues and fellow industry professionals. I digress, back on topic.

    Both personally and professionally, I am a self-declared journeyman and proud of it.  As a result, I will always be a journeyman and have no plan to be anything other than, say, a skilled practitioner. 

    Kids learning
    My daughters learning expertise while building a rockbox.

    Prefer expertise. Does that make sense?  Does that connect?

    I read that at different points in time, the sum of human knowledge and gathered information is doubling at an amazing pace. A recent post highlights my point.  It is mind-blowing and mind-numbing at the same time.  With all this experience being cataloged, no one person can be an expert for any length of time.

    This has weighed on my thematic posts about “#humans_being” and “#showing_up”.  We have created a point of cause that has resulted in the pursuit of experts at the expense of humans being and developing expertise.

    I want you to take a moment to pause on this point.  Could all the experts in a given field be wrong because they are so knowledgeable that they have forgotten how to listen, learn, and connect to others with different experiences?


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  • Never Underestimate The Power Of Human Connection

    Posted on by Tim

    The company I work for, Improving Enterprises, sponsors an annual employee retreat. It might be the most anticipated event of the year and this year was not exception.

    It was my first year attending and I didn’t know what to expect. I was not really fired up about going, which is normal for me now, but not prior to 2020. To be honest, I was not happy about flying or spending time in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    It’s probably just me. I’m sure many, if not most, of my colleague REALLY look forward to the trip and the time in Vegas. Me, not so much, and I know why; PTSD.

    The stress of getting to and being in Frank Sinatra’s town was overwhelming. Part of it was the digital billboard on the buildings, part of it was the mass of people, and part of it was the smell of smoke from legalized marijuana being smoked.

    Hotels on the Las Vegas strip
    Taken on a bridge at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, US.

    So what about the human connection?

    Aside from the sensory overload, aside from the deliberate discomfort, I was in Las Vegas for one reason. I was there to connect with people I had been working with virtually for months, reconnect with co-works I had not seen in person (in some cases for a couple of years), and to meet other “Improvers”.

    The experience with fellow Improvers was delightful. My personal, one-on-one conversations energized me. Finally, the weekend room mate paring was perfect as Andrew and I connected within minutes of his walking in the hotel room door.

    For me, hanging out and having fun with “my tribe” made my deliberate discomfort worth it. I’m not saying it was easy, it was easier. I got to recharge when I needed and to work with a minimal schedule.

    In my mind, I overcame myself to make the most of my first, Improving Las Vegas experience.


    Personal 📎and tagged

  • My Autograph Is In The USS WYOMING

    Posted on by Tim

    Let me tell you a secret, my autograph is in the USS WYOMING (SSBN 742). My signature resides in a classified space on board the ship.

    Not only is my name written in the ship, my name is forever cast in on a brass plaque hanging on a bulkhead (wall) outside the Crew’s Mess (cafeteria) onboard the USS WYOMING (SSBN 742). Mic drop, I’m out of here.

    Sea trials PCU WYOMING
    PCU WYOMING SSBN 742 performing sea trials prior to commissioning

    I am and will always be a part of U.S. naval history.  As a result, it is a story written in a book and it will outlive me. Heck, that brass plaque will certainly outlive me in a nautical museum somewhere at some time in the future!

    Commissioning crew plaque
    Commissioning crew plaque on board the USS WYOMING (SSBN 742)

    Is your name written in history?

    There are very few businesses today that have a place in history.  IBM is one of those companies, for instance. As well, Carnival Cruise Line has earned a spot in the books. Because I am an alumnus of both IBM and Carnival, I am a part of their history.

    As humans being, we desire to be part of something big. In some cases, we want to be a part of history!  The only way that can happen is if we show up, if we accept the challenge, if we have the courage, and can endure the setbacks that come with being part of the bigger picture.

    If you know your business can write history, what will you choose; to be or to do?

    I enjoy this quote from the book, Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Change The Art Of War by Robert Coran because it answers the question; to be or to do. –

    “Tiger, one day you will come to a fork in the road and you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.

    He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.”

    Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed in another direction. “Or you can go that way and you can do something- something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself.

    You will be true to your friends and to yourself. And your work might make a difference. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do? Which way will you go?”

    Boyd pages 285-286, 340

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  • Stop! Do Your Life Differently, With Coffee!

    Posted on by Tim

    Here’s my twist on a phrase. “Always be creating.”

    In the movie, “Glengarry Glen Ross“, Alec Baldwin’s character made an interesting point. “A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing, always be closing.” said Blake, Baldwin’s character.

    For context, closing is closing the sale. In this case, the real estate sale.

    A-B-C from Glenngarry Glen Ross

    I submit to you, dear reader, a variation of A-B-C.

    Always Be Creating.

    Always be collaborating, be communicating, be connecting, or be celebrating.

    Be human, humans being.

    My sense is we spend far too much time worrying about what may happen and not enough time making it happen. It could be “analysis paralysis” or fear. Trust me, analysis and fear have their place and time.

    In my office, I have a magnet on my whiteboard. Done > Perfect. What happens if I’m not getting work done, taking action, and doing “the thing”? In my understanding, I’m not in a state of “always be”.

    I do want to make an important point. Use this as a focus tool, mostly at work. At home, different contexts, and different focuses. Always be comforting, connecting, celebrating, or conscious are better than closing at home!

    If I’m focused on achieving outcomes in the team construct, at work, then “always be” and “done is greater than perfect” would get better results. Why do I write this? Because this might be a key to getting unstuck.

    Try it out! What do you have to lose?

    Colorful paint pallet on a wall
    Paint pallet – credit Dan Cook on Unsplash

    Personal 📎and tagged

  • Your Own Journey; Look for the Road Signs

    Posted on by Tim

    Are you willing to put in the work to find your next waypoint on your journey?

    I appreciate Pam Dukes.  In the process of getting to know her, she has become one of the people I bounce ideas off around professional development and growth.

    STW team Plano, TX
    Tim Dickey, Pam Dukes, Nigel Thurlow, and John Turner during the “Scrum the Toyota Way” beta update

    Pam and I were chatting this week on Slack.  I was asking her about a concept and how it might have influence her as an Olympic athlete.

    She asked a couple of clarifying questions and then shared this nugget.  It sums up what I have been posting about around the themes of #showing_up as #humans_being.

    This is a simple phrase that is worth considering and sharing.  My journey is not your journey. The opposite is the same, your journey is not my journey.

    As a #veteran, I did not have a guide in my transitions off active duty.  I transitioned 3x, once after my time in the submarine force and twice after my deployments to Afghanistan.

    Transition is a constant in the private sector as well.  No guide from Carnival Cruise Line to government contracting.  No guide from Miami to Dallas to Verizon, Navy Reserve retirement, etc.

    I found guides in the #Agile community who helped me as I moved into my current role at Improving Enterprises.  It took discipline, dedication, effort, energy, and time to get to this waypoint on my journey.

    My journey is and will always be unique to me, original.  So distinctive that Hollywood could not write a script for it!

    I want to challenge you to think about these questions.

    What is unique about your journey?  Could you use a guide to help you along the way?


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  • Finding Furry Animals In Unusual Places Like The Home Vacuum

    Posted on by Tim

    During my weekend cleaning routine, I finally solved a problem I had been avoiding for a few years.  I hate to remove waste, especially when it’s not mine.

    I regularly vacuum the common areas of our home while our daughters take care of their rooms respectively.  There’s only one issue that neither of my teenagers sees as something to fix.  It might be considered a humans being thing.

    The photo for this post is one where I removed an impediment to completer and more efficient floor cleaning.  I spent about one-hour removing hair from the rotating brush head and the resulting pile of hair was about the size of a small, furry household pet.

    Remove waste - Hair removed from vacuum
    Removed waste from vacuum. Looks like a furry animal

    Remove waste

    So, I wonder, how much waste (Muda) did I allow by not cleaning the hair off the brush head? What sort of long-term cost had I created for myself over the last three or four years by not keeping the brushes clean? I may never know.

    Learning to see waste is challenging. Toyota works at it daily. We should to.

    When it comes to teams and teamwork, do you think similar situations exist? Just asking for a friend interested in large hairballs.


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  • The Fear Of Feeling “Less Than” In A New Position Or Role

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn. Changing roles creates mental conflict. My colleague wrestled with perception versus reality which prompted this post.

    Are you conflicted?

    Professionals can become conflicted for many reasons.  The potential list is nearly endless, because we are humans being.

    I attended a “lean coffee” session at lunchtime with my colleagues at Improving.   I join the Teams meeting when I’m able. Because these calls surface thoughtful discussion around challenges and insights within our Agile coach and Scrum Master community.

    One topic came up that led to this post.  A colleague wanted feedback.

    He is considering a role change from a technologist to an Agile coach at his current client.  Certainly, he was concerned about being perceived as “just a technologist”, not truly an Agile coach.

    Wow!  What a conflict!

    Volcanic eruption Sicily, Italy

    Perception versus reality

    During the 5-minutes timebox, we discussed how there may not be as much of a conflict between the roles of technologist vs. Agile coach.  Importantly, he had valid concerns about how his current role, as a technologist, might diminish his future influence as an Agile coach.

    Do you think his concerns are valid?  How might you coach him past his conflict?

    I can understand his concern. I faced similar feelings when I accepted a management role.

    Would I be accepted? What happens if I make a huge mistake? How will I deal with people problems?

    The waves of conflict can overtake anyone. Find an anchor, phone a friend, there’s plenty of help to around.


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  • Conference Speaking Really Wasn’t Part Of My Professional Plan, But Hey!

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn. Conference speaking, for me? No, not really.

    What did you do to show up? 

    I showed up this week (8/19/2021), in a personal way and professionally.

    My professional moment was during the 2021 Summer UACon.  I have Derek Lane to thank for that opportunity.

    My neighbor and I met for coffee last week.  It was a deliberate appointment as he and his family were completing the pack-out of their home to move to Arizona.

    We talked about several topics which have been consistent themes in our conversations over the 4+ years we’ve known each other.  We created space and we showed up, for each other.

    It was a simple way to be “#humans_being”.

    Mozart Café, Salzburg, Austria

    Conference speaking

    Admittedly, it’s kind of cool speaking at a conference. There is something special about sharing insights.

    Above all, it’s about inspiring people, being human, and showing up. In addition, each story shared is unique providing insight that might not be known.

    Before speaking, I have to prepare. It takes time to get a session “just right”. In addition, I rehearse before delivering or recording my session. Further, I have to be in the moment for the time in the session.

    In the end, it’s not about me. It’s about the message being delivered and received by someone who can use it.


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