• 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.


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  • 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

    📂This entry was posted in Personal 📎and tagged

  • 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

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  • 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?


    📂This entry was posted in Personal 📎and tagged

  • 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.


    📂This entry was posted in Personal 📎and tagged

  • 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.


    📂This entry was posted in Personal 📎and tagged

  • Learning Made Easy For Hard Heads Like Mine

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn. A Scrum training learning enhancement tool I endorse.

    Actual game results

    Learning is my thing. It just is. I enjoy concept application as much as the experience of expanding the boundaries of my understanding.

    What about you?

    My interest leads me to continually improve my skills as a Scrum Master. As a result, playing games are complimentary to my willingness to learn. 

    I was introduced to a tool that may enable Scrum teams to learn by practice.

    Scrum training – online scrum card game

    Tim, the creator of Scrum Card Game – Scrum Simulation. Simple and realistic. He walked me, James, Sweta, and Valerie through the most recent updates to the simulation. 

    We learned the “why” behind its creation and had Tim as our coach while going through the Sprints.

    I’m not going to spoil the enjoyment you might receive from trying this experience out, so there are no details provided in the remainder of this post!

    I will give you a peak behind the curtain with this video. 

    Tim shared that the online version of the experience came from community feedback. He noted that the online game is based on iterative development of the original, physical product that he used in training classes.

    As the tool evolved, it was met with more positive feedback, going from a PDF file to a physical card deck to the online version of the same, but better!


    📂This entry was posted in Scrum Teamwork Training 📎and tagged

  • Team “Human” And How Co-workers Can Make You Laugh, Smile, And Be Happy

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn. Team human, we’re all on it.

    How were you this week with your team at #humans_being?

    To follow up on my post on Monday, I wanted to share my experience this week showing up with my colleagues. I didn’t experience tech issues this time around, which was wonderful!

    Our learning session on teamwork was thoughtful and thought-provoking.  We tested a couple of approaches in the process of creating the learning experience.  IMO, I’m happy with the outcome, but I could improve my timing and sharing.

    For me, using electronic tools is easy.  Mural, PowerPoint, and Teams are not overly challenging to get proficient at using.  They are and have been part of my way of working for a while and are an enabling constraint for me to deliver content and information that is intended to enable learning.

    Not everyone is so fortunate.  Not every electronic tool is built for #accessiblity or #ease_of_use.  I am mindful that while I might make training #look_easy, it is not easy to #create and #facilitate engaging training.  The electronic tools might hinder learning and prevent the experience of #humans_being.

    Here in the United States and Canada, we are heading into a holiday weekend.  I want to challenge you, my followers, and my connections to consider how the fall or spring seasons might be for you and your teams.

    Old Town Dubrovnik, Croatia

    Team human

    Be mindful that we are still moving through stressful times that serve to create PTS.  Be thoughtful about meeting people where they are at in their career journey, both at work and socially.  Take time to be empathetic and compassionate with yourself and with the people around you.

    Enjoy your weekend and please share your stories.  I have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth, so I should be listening and watching twice as much as talking!

    Huge thanks to Janelle, Lisa, Nicole, and the rest of my Improving colleagues for being a part of the learning journey and showing up!


    📂This entry was posted in Teamwork Technology Training 📎and tagged

  • When Technology Fails, Drink Adult Beverage And Have A Few Laughs

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn. Empathy and humanity are essential to “showing up”.

    “Showing up” can be frustrating and fun.

    On Wednesday evening, I planned on presenting training for my colleagues at work on “teamwork”.  I prepared, sourced the content and slides, set up exercises in Mural, and opened the Teams call 15 minutes before the meeting start.

    Teams would not let me into the meeting that I set up! Strike 1

    My colleague Ali scheduled another Teams meeting and I joined that call.  I was just getting started and after 15 minutes or so of delay when Strike 2 happened.  My computer froze up.  Reboot, nothing, crickets, another 10 or more minutes gone.

    I was finally able to rejoin after the second reboot, but only one screen was working with my WFH setup. I needed two to move between the Teams discussion and Mural to avoid delays.

    St. Mark’s Square, Venice, Italy

    Empathy and humanity

    Here’s where empathy and just “humans_being” kicked in.

    After a short discussion and out of respect for everyone and the remaining time, we agreed to reschedule the session.  To my amazement and delight Ali, Janelle, Lisa, Nicole, and Patrick stayed online to just talk and connect!

    What I thought was a bit of missed opportunity and wasted time turned into a chance to connect more, laugh more, and share more life.

    It was also the first time I talked about how I navigate life, finding my “new normal” daily, with the challenges around PTS.

    Oh, in case you are wondering, there wasn’t a Strike 3!  I plan to be up-to-bat next week swinging for the fences, “showing up”, all with other “humans_being”!


    📂This entry was posted in Technology 📎and tagged

  • 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.


    📂This entry was posted in Personal Teamwork Technology Training 📎and tagged