Zach Stone: Overcoming Vision Challenges in Agile Teams, And The Key Role Of The Product Owner
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In this episode, Zach recounts a team's struggles with a platform and component-based structure. Despite having capable members, the team faced challenges surrounding unclear priorities and vision. Frequent changes in priorities left the team uncertain about their work's purpose after a significant launch. Communication issues arose as developers weren't grasping the vision. The absence of direction led to disengagement, arguments during refinement, and an overwhelming workload. Introducing a Product Owner with a clear mission restored commitment. A critical incident, the Ukrainian war, catalyzed a much-needed laser focus. This episode underscores the importance of a well-defined mission and external factors in shaping team dynamics.
Featured Book of the Week: "The Help Increase the Peace Program Manual" by the American Friends Service CommitteeIn this episode, Zach discusses some of his favorite Agile-related books. "The Help Increase the Peace Program Manual" by the American Friends Service Committee is praised for its insights into conflict facilitation and fostering healthy communities. This book transformed Zach's perspective on communities and equipped him to navigate groups with conflicts. Another book that Zach highlights is "Thinking in Systems" by Meadows explores various aspects of sociology, economy, and more, encouraging readers to view the world holistically. Zach values its ability to prompt a deeper understanding of "why" and uncover systemic factors. He emphasizes how external/systemic issues can impact team-level problems, shedding light on the interconnected nature of challenges.
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About Zach Stone
Zach has worked as a process facilitator for over 17 years, as a specialist in behavioral science. He co-founded a firm that uses techniques to rebuild war zones for organizational dynamics. He has been an agilist for the past 7 years and was recently a speaker at the Global Scrum Conference. He lives in Santa Fe with his Wife and spends his time exploring canyons and trails.
You can link with Zach Stone on LinkedIn.
