Agile2013

At Agile 2011 I gave a talk about the Agile Mindset. That talk was surprisingly very well received and I have given it many times since. I have continued to keep up with the research on mindset and have incorporated that new research into the evolving presentation. Some years ago I gave another talk at Agile on Who do you trust, which has also proved a popular topic. Now I'm learning that the two talks are related, so I have combined them. To summarize the Agile Mindset Talk: Researchers have identified that we hold one of two mindsets toward ability: (1) that we have a fixed amount of talent or intelligence, what we are born with and there’s nothing we can do about it; (2) that we are born with a certain amount of talent or intelligence, but we can all improve by working hard. These two mindsets: “fixed” and “agile” not only determine how we feel about our own success or failure but also how we feel about others. To summarize the Who do you trust Talk: Researchers tell us that we are hardwired to stereotype others based on a very small amount of information. Now they say there is a connection between our mindset and how quickly we judge others and how open we are to seeing how others can improve. If we can do a better job of holding an agile mindset, imagine how much more creative, innovative, and cooperative our workplaces and homes could be. Having an agile mindset means more openness means better collaboration means better agile team work. There is now research that shows mindset can even affect our ability to bring peace in areas of long-standing conflict. It's a very hopeful topic.