Introduction To The Core

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Introduction To The Core

• Presented by Jeremy Walker
• (for Internal Staff at Ubisoft Vancouver)
• August 25, 2009
• October 15, 2009

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Jim Michele
Jim McCarthy
Michele McCarthy

• Podcast The McCarthy Show
• Book Software for your Head
• Web www.mccarthyshow.com

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Me
Jeremy Walker

• Member of C4 online Boot Camp with Jim Michele

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A Spectrum of Team Quality
Plan-driven Success requires control Predictive Hi
erarchy Politics Slow to change direction
Results-driven Success requires
trust Adaptive Collaborative teams Fast to change
direction
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Raise your hand if you

• can accomplish everything without any help from
  others
• have complete control over the people you work
  with
• always complete projects on time and within
  budget
• have ever been on a team with a shared vision

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What is Shared Vision?

• A state of being
• People feel connected to something bigger than
  themselves

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What is Shared Vision?

• A source of inner motivation
• Dissolves politics

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Characteristics of Teams with Shared Vision

• Strengths are aggregated within the team

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Characteristics of Teams with Shared Vision

• Emotions are valued, not shunned

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Characteristics of Teams with Shared Vision

• Conflict is not avoided
• Conflict is used to build the teams Alignment

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Why are Teams With Shared Vision Rare?

• Shared vision is a prerequisite to adopting
  Agile, not a result

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Why are Teams With Shared Vision Rare?

• Mediocrity is considered normal
• Greatness is reserved for fairy-tales

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Why are Teams With Shared Vision Rare?

• The chain of command rewards compliance, not
  maverick behaviour

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Why are Teams With Shared Vision Rare?

• Compartmentalization of responsibility

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Why are Teams With Shared Vision Rare?

• Drama
• As long as the failure is somebody elses fault
• Based on fear

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What is The Core?
The Core
11 Core Commitments
11 Core Protocols

• An evolved set of best practices to guide
  teamwork
• A proven system for cultivating shared vision

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The Core Commitments

• Engage when present.

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The Core Commitments

• Engage when present.
• Know and disclose
• what I want,
• what I think,
• what I feel.

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The Core Commitments

• Engage when present
• Always seek effective help.

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The Core Commitments

• Engage when present
• Decline to offer and refuse to accept incoherent
  emotional transmissions.

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The Core Commitments

• Engage when present
• When I have or hear a better idea than the
  currently prevailing idea, I will immediately
  either
• propose it for decisive acceptance or rejection,
  and/or
• explicitly seek its improvement.

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The Core Commitments

• Engage when present
• Personally support the best idea
• regardless of its source,
• however much I hope an even better idea may later
  arise,
• when I have no superior alternative idea.

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The Core Commitments

• Seek to perceive more than I seek to be perceived.

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The Core Commitments

• Use teams, especially when undertaking difficult
  tasks.

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The Core Commitments

• Speak always and only when I believe it will
  improve the general results/effort ratio.

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The Core Commitments

• Offer and accept only rational, results-oriented
  behavior and communication.

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The Core Commitments

• Disengage from less productive situations
• when I cannot keep these commitments,
• when it is more important that I engage elsewhere.

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The Core Commitments

• Do now what must be done eventually and can
  effectively be done now.

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The Core Commitments

• Seek to move forward toward a particular goal, by
  biasing my behavior toward action.

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The Core Commitments

• Use the Core Protocols (or better) when
  applicable.
• I will offer and accept timely and proper use of
  the Protocol Check protocol without prejudice.

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The Core Commitments

• Neither harm - nor tolerate the harming of -
  anyone for his or her fidelity to these
  commitments.

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The Core Commitments

• Never do anything dumb on purpose.

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The Core Protocols

• Pass (Unpass)
• Say pass
• Unpass if you change your mind.

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The Core Protocols

• 2. Check In
• State what youre feeling.
• Optional Say Im in. Listeners say Welcome.

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The Core Protocols

• 3. Check Out
• Say Im checking out
• Optional Say when you plan to return.
• Physically leave.

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The Core Protocols

• 4. Ask For Help
• Make a clear, actionable request Will you X?
• Other person responds with yes or no, or with
  alternative offer of help.

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The Core Protocols

• 5. Protocol Check
• Say Protocol Check
• Explain what protocol or commitment is not being
  followed.

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The Core Protocols

• 6. Intention Check
• Ask What is your intention with X?
• Or, ask What response did you want as a result
  of X?

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The Core Protocols

• 7. Decider
• Say I propose X.
• All vote thumbs up/down, two thumbs down, or
  flat-hand.
• Two thumbs down must be accompanied by a better
  idea.
• Use Resolution protocol.
• Proposer can withdraw proposal at any time.

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The Core Protocols

• 8. Resolution
• Proposer asks each outlier Whatll it take to
  get you in?
• Outlier states the required changes to proposal.
• Proposer accepts changes or withdraws the
  proposal.

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The Core Protocols

• 9. Perfection Game
• Present an object or idea for perfection.
• Other person gives it a 1-10
• What I liked about it is
• To make it a 10, you would need to

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The Core Protocols

• 10. Personal Alignment
• What do you want?
• Whats blocking you?
• What virtue would dissolve this block?
• Shift. Pretend that what you really want is the
  virtue.
• Repeat.

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The Core Protocols

• 11. Investigate
• Be like a detached but fascinated observer.
• Ask questions until your curiosity is satisfied.

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Extension Protocols

• Scary Idea
• Do not hold back any ideas!
• Say I have a scary idea

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Extension Protocols

• Meeting
• All Check In
• Each person says what they want from the meeting.
• Alignment Check 1-10
• Lowest score takes the lead.
• Repeat until all reach 10.

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Reference Material

• The Core Version 3.02
• Podcast The McCarthy Show
• Book Software For Your Head
• In depth training Boot Camp
• Video of Jims talk at Agile 2008 in Toronto
• Cheat Sheets (handout)

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Questions?