Have Slides—Will Travel
The Age of Agile, Five Flavors, Kathy Mattea, Homer Jones, Shoeless Reader
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. This week’s issue features highlights from my travels last week, Steve Denning on a better way to manage, five meals in Chicago and Ohio, a Grammy-winning singer, a Giants great, and a weighty matter. I hope you enjoy the picks and pics.
Fave Five 38: Have Slides—Will Travel. Agile Advice (The Age of Agile), Five Flavors (Robert’s, Jack Ruby’s, Joya’s, Whitney House, and Packo’s), Country Covers (Kathy Mattea), Speedy Spiker (Homer Jones), and a Shoeless Reader.
Fave Five Lists: Two Presentations
Last week I traveled to Chicago by Amtrak and to Ohio by car to give two presentations about knowledge management (KM). In keeping with the Fave Five theme, each one featured a list of five items.
Glean Insights Summit
The first was in Chicago on Wednesday at the Glean Insights Summit.
The Future of Knowledge Management: Five Foundations
Usability
User Experience
Design Thinking
Agile Development
Findability
Information Architecture
Enterprise Search
Curation
Communities
Unique
Comprehensive Set
Join, Subscribe, Read
Motivation
Recognition
Rewards
Gamification
Augmentation
Generative AI
Decision Support
Auto Classification
9th Midwest Knowledge Management Symposium
The second was in Kent, Ohio on Friday at the Midwest KM Symposium.
The Five Cs of Knowledge Management
Capture
Curate
Connect
Collaborate
Create
Book Best Bet
The Age of Agile: How Smart Companies Are Transforming the Way Work Gets Done by Steve Denning
I first met Steve when I attended his Ark Group one-day workshop in Chicago on September 29, 2005. His topic was Narrative Techniques for Leaders: Mastering transformational leadership through storytelling, and I was greatly influenced by Steve and his ideas. We have been friends ever since.
Whenever Steve publishes a new book, he asks me to help promote it by offering a gift to buyers. I have done this for his last four books:
I recommend these and his earlier books on storytelling (The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, Squirrel Inc, and Storytelling in Organizations). I just finished reading The Age of Agile. In the book, Steve prescribes three laws to follow (The Small Team, The Customer, and The Network), and four traps to avoid (Shareholder Value, Share Buybacks, Cost-Oriented Economics, and Backward-Looking Strategy). This is sound advice for all companies.
From Amazon: An unstoppable business revolution is under way, and it is Agile. Sparking dramatic improvements in quality, innovation, and speed-to-market, the Agile movement has helped companies learn to connect everyone and everything…all the time.
With rapidly evolving consumer needs and technology that is being updated quicker than ever before, businesses are recognizing how essential it is to adapt quickly. The Agile movement enables a team, unit, or enterprise to nimbly acclimate and upgrade products and services to meet these constantly changing needs.
Filled with examples from every sector, The Age of Agile helps you:
Master the three laws of Agile Management (team, customer, network)
Embrace the new mindset
Overcome constraints
Employ meaningful metrics
Make the entire organization Agile
Companies don’t need to be born Agile. With the groundbreaking formulas laid out in The Age of Agile, even global giants can learn to act entrepreneurially. Your company’s future may depend on it!
Table of Contents
PART ONE: AGILE MANAGEMENT 1
Chapter 1: More Value from Less Work 3
BOX 1-1: Manifesto for Agile Software Development 22
BOX 1-2: Glossary: Definitions of Agile, Scrum, DevOps, Kanban, Lean 23
Chapter 2: The Law of the Small Team 27
Chapter 3: The Law of the Customer 49
BOX 3-1: Paradigm Shifts in Science 67
BOX 3-2: Ultimate Customers, Internal Customers, and End-Users 69
BOX 3-3: Practices of the Law of the Customer 70
BOX 3-4: Aligning People Management with Agile Management at Cerner 73
Chapter 4: The Law of the Network 81
BOX 4-1: Agility Through Market-Based Approaches 94
BOX 4-2: Achieving Large-Scale Operations Through Platforms 96
BOX 4-3: "Big Bang" Change: Six Mistakes Salesforce Didn't Make 97
Chapter 5: Implementing Agile at Scale: Microsoft 103
Get the Right Balance of Alignment and Autonomy 106
Master the Role of the Agile Manager 108
Handle Dependencies at the Team Level 108
Ensure Continuous Integration 109
Keep on Top of Technical Debt 110
Embrace DevOps and Continuous Delivery 110
Continuously Monitor Progress 111
Listen to Customer Wants, but Meet Their Needs 112
Deal with Directions from Above 113
Use Self-Forming Teams to Encourage Team Ownership 113
Recognize the Team Is the Product 114
Build Quality from the Beginning 114
Use Coaching Carefully 115
Ensure Top-Level Support 115
Box 5-1: Flattening the Hierarchy Isn't the Answer 116
Chapter 6: From Operational to Strategic Agility 119
The Principles of Strategic Agility 122
Four Components of a Market-Creating Value Proposition 127
BOX 6-1: The Collapse of Sector Boundaries 134
BOX 6-2: The Path from Operational Agility to Strategic Agility 135
Chapter 7: Changing the Organizational Culture 139
BOX 7-1: SRI's "NABC Value Proposition" for Siri 155
PART TWO: MANAGEMENT TRAPS 157
Chapter 8: The Trap of Shareholder Value 163
BOX 8-1: The Unsound Legal Case for Shareholder Value 182
BOX 8-2: What Is True Shareholder Value? 183
BOX 8-3: Adam Smith and the Philosophical Origins of Shareholder Value Thinking 185
BOX 8-4: The Unanticipated Risks of Shareholder Value 187
Chapter 9: The Trap of Share Buybacks 193
The Challenge for Public Policymakers 199
The Challenge for Agile Leaders in Dealing with the Stock Market 199
The Challenge for Agile Managers Within the Corporation 201
BOX 9-1: Defending Share Buybacks 203
Chapter 10: The Cost-Oriented Economics Trap 205
The Case of Dell Inc. 206
The Urge to Offshore 209
A Permanent Loss of Expertise 211
Explaining Agile Management to a CFO 213
Throughput Accounting 213
BOX 10-1: Technical Debt, Regulatory Debt, and Brand Debt 216
BOX 10-2: U.S. vs. German Manufacturing 218
Chapter 11: The Trap of Backward-Looking Strategy 221
BOX 11-1: The Strategy of "Doing More of the Same" 233
BOX 11-2: Options Reasoning and the Portfolio Approach 234
EPILOGUE 237
Chapter 12: Nuclear Winters and Golden Ages 239
BOX 12-1: The History of Golden Ages and Nuclear Winters 251
BOX 12-2: How the Change Might Happen: An Agenda for Action 255
Restaurant Recommendations
I visited multiple restaurants last week, five of which are featured here. One was in Chicago, three were in Worthington, Ohio (near Columbus), and one was in Sylvania, Ohio (near Toledo).
Robert’s Pizza and Dough Co. 465 N McClurg Ct, Chicago, IL 60611
The management and staff were very kind to let me sit at a table and work here on Tuesday afternoon after I walked over from Union Station. I met four KM colleagues for dinner later. It was very noisy, but we had a good time catching up.
The salads were the star. The thin-crust pizza was good, but Robert should have stuck with that and not attempted Detroit-style pizza. The five of us shared:
Caesar Salad: Bacon fat za dough croutons, anchovy aioli, parmesan
Mediterranean Salad: Romaine, Italian salami, cherry tomatoes, compressed cucumbers, pepperoncini, chickpeas, red onions, Manchego, black olives, and red wine vinaigrette
Detroit-style Cup & Char Pepperoni Pizza: Classic pepperoni, Calabrian peppers, and tomato sauce
Thin-crust Cali Italia Pizza: Asiago, mozzarella, and gorgonzola cheeses; fig preserve, prosciutto di Parma, balsamic reduction, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, and EVOO
Jack Ruby’s Barbecue Company 480 E. Wilson Bridge Rd, Worthington, OH 43085
After my conference ended at Kent State on Friday, I drove to Columbus to visit my sister Ann and her family. After arriving I searched for barbecue near my hotel in Worthington and this place was five minutes away, with decent reviews. The choice of name was surprising; the explanation is that it was founded by Jack and Ruby.
This is a small BBQ operation inside of a bar called J&D’s place. I placed my food order at the stand at the back and they delivered it to me at the bar. Normally I would have tried Jack’s Sampler (1/2 pound of pulled pork, 1/2 pound of brisket, 3 rib bones, and 2 sides), but I only had a small appetite. So I opted for the chicken sandwich: smoked chicken thigh, BBQ sauce, and crispy onion. It was just right.
Joya’s 657 High Street, Worthington, OH 43085
On Saturday I walked with Ann from her home to High Street where the farmer’s market and art festival were in full swing. She suggested this popular place with an eclectic menu, which had opened recently in the former location of a bakery. I decided on the Crispy Chicken Manchurian Sandwich (Chai brined, twice fried, Manchurian glaze, tangy slaw, pickles, and chili aioli). It had a lot going on, and the flavors all worked well together.
The Whitney House Table & Tavern 666 High Street, Worthington, OH 43085
Ann and I walked back to High Street for lunch. Ann suggested a mocktail, so we both had the Pamplemousse and Ginger Seltzer (Fresh grapefruit and orange juices, ginger and basil) which was subtle but enjoyable. After spotting a waffle being delivered to another table, I decided to try the Belgian Waffle with berries and whipped cream, served with Berkshire bacon. It was a good choice.
Packo’s Eastern European Kitchen 5822 W Alexis Rd, Sylvania, OH 43560
On the drive home to Michigan, I stopped just before leaving Ohio when I spotted a sign for Packo’s. I have dined many times at the original Tony Packo's Cafe. This is the second satellite location in greater Toledo I have tried. They featured their take on the Polish Boy, a specialty I have enjoyed where it originated in Cleveland. I took advantage of Packo’s pickle bar to add pickles and peppers, put the slaw on top, and it hit the spot.
From the restaurant: What’s crispy, tangy, smoky, and savory? The Packo’s Polish Boy, that’s what. Our deep-fried Polish Sausage is loaded with golden Fries, smothered in Packo’s BBQ Sauce, and topped with homemade Coleslaw.
Marvelous Musician
Today is Kathy's 64th birthday. I love her voice, cover songs, and choice of collaborators. I saw her perform on April 20, 2008 at The Ark in Ann Arbor.
From Wikipedia: Kathleen Alice Mattea (born June 21, 1959 in South Charleston, West Virginia) is an American country music and bluegrass singer. Active since 1984 as a recording artist, she has charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including four that reached No. 1: "Goin' Gone", "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses", "Come from the Heart", and "Burnin' Old Memories", plus 12 more that charted within the top ten. She has released 14 studio albums, two Christmas albums, and one greatest hits album. Most of her material was recorded for Universal Music Group Nashville's Mercury Records Nashville 8division between 1984 and 2000, with later albums being issued on Narada Productions, her own Captain Potato label, and Sugar Hill Records. Among her albums, she has received five gold certifications and one platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). She has collaborated with Dolly Parton, Michael McDonald, Tim O'Brien, and her husband, Jon Vezner. Mattea is also a two-time Grammy Award winner: in 1990 for "Where've You Been", and in 1993 for her Christmas album Good News. Her style is defined by traditional country, bluegrass, folk, and Celtic music influences.
Mattea participated in several collaborative works, primarily in the 1990s. In March 1991, Mattea was one of several artists on "Voices That Care", a charity single to help boost the morale of U.S. troops involved in Operation Desert Storm. Dolly Parton's 1993 single "Romeo" featured guest vocals from Mattea, Tanya Tucker, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Pam Tillis, and Billy Ray Cyrus. Mattea appeared on two tracks from the 1994 Red Hot + Country compilation, put out by the AIDS activism group Red Hot Organization. The first of these was a cover of "Teach Your Children" which also featured Suzy Bogguss, Alison Krauss, and Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the second was a duet with Jackson Browne titled "Rock Me on the Water". The former, credited to "The Red Hots", charted at No. 75 on Hot Country Songs dated for October 22, 1994. Also in 1994, Mattea sang duet vocals on Johnny Hallyday's "Love Affair", which made No. 35 on the French Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) charts. In 1998, Mattea recorded a duet with Michael McDonald titled "Among the Missing", a charity single to help benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). It was written by Peter McCann and produced by George Massenburg, and a video of the performance was also issued on DVD. The song charted for a single week at No. 73 on Hot Country Songs dated for March 27, 1999.
In 2021, Mattea became the new host of the Mountain Stage, a program that is aired by West Virginia's NPR network. The program broadcasts once a week in two hour-long episodes that are aired on 280 stations.
Goin' Gone
Teach Your Children (with Alison Krauss and Suzy Boggus)
Rock Me On The Water (with Jackson Browne)
My Playlist
Sports Star
Homer died one week ago at the age of 82. He was a hero of mine. After I moved to New Jersey in 1964, I became a fan of the New York Giants NFL team. Their most exciting player was Homer Jones. When I played backyard touch football with my friends, we would pretend that we were Fran Tarkenton throwing “the bomb” to Homer Jones. And when we scored a touchdown, we would gleefully spike the ball in the endzone, as Homer had pioneered.
Homer Jones Dies at 82; Wide Receiver Specialized in Bombs and Spikes by Bruce Weber
For a few years with the Giants, he was among the most feared pass catchers in the NFL—and the acknowledged inventor of an end-zone celebration. For his career, Jones gained an average of 22.3 yards per catch, which, more than 50 years later, remains the highest in history for receivers who caught at least 200 passes.
At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, he was big enough to break tackles, and he was astonishingly fast. A world-class sprinter who once ran 100 yards in 9.3 seconds, Jones was a contemporary of Bob Hayes, the Olympic champion known as “the world’s fastest human,” who played for the Dallas Cowboys. A popular debate within the league was which of the two was faster; many thought that in football pads it was the bigger and stronger Jones.
At one point a race between the two men was planned for the 1968 Pro Bowl, with a reported $20,000 to go to the winner. But it was called off when the Giants’ owner, Wellington Mara, fearful of injury to his prized receiver and of cheapening the occasion, paid Jones not to participate.
He had told himself that when he caught his first touchdown pass, he would express his joy, in the trendy manner of the day, by hurling the football into the stands. His chance came against the Philadelphia Eagles at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 17, 1965, when he scored on an 89-yard pass play. The problem was that the league had forbidden that practice and threatened to fine any player who contravened the order.
So instead, after he crossed the goal line, Jones threw the football down hard to the turf, performing what has been widely credited as the original end-zone “spike,” a term that Jones himself coined, ushering in an era, now 58 years along, of ever more elaborate end-zone celebrations.
Homer Carroll Jones was born on Feb. 18, 1941, in Pittsburg, Texas, a small town east of Dallas, the son of a steelworker, Horse Jones, and a schoolteacher, Beulah (Aldridge) Jones. As a youth he was more interested in music than sports, playing the saxophone in the high school marching band for two years before trying out for football as a senior. At Texas Southern University, he starred in track as well as football, playing linebacker, running back and flanker.
Faster than "Bullet" Bob Hayes? (Homer Jones, wide receiver, 1964-1970)
Picture Pun
Shoeless Reader is a Weighty Matter
Lifting weights while reading Organizational Reality can transport you out of your shoes into an alternate reality.
