Learning to be an Agile manager — Part 5: Stop and Start — The things that are more difficult to do.

This is Part 5 in a series on lessons I have learnt as a line manager for Agile teams. It takes the form of the “continue-stop-start” approach often used in retrospectives. See Part 1: Release Trains for background.

“Continue” is about the things that add value. “Stop” and “Start” is about the things that did not add value or that we should have done. Maybe not “we” in this case, but I. Most of the “Continues” are things that the team taught me, times that I listened and helped to bring about change. “Stop” and “Start” are about the times I did not listen.

At times I succumbed to someones expectation of how I am supposed to act, the organisations culture, my perception of what the person expects or just my own expectation of what I should be. I hear the judgement before I hear what the person says and become defensive.

This is possibly one of the most challenging things to learn, to really listen to the team. Listen not just to what is said, but the underlying need.

Do not “listen-evaluate” , learn to listen, understand (the need) and then evaluate. — “Non-violent” Communication.

This is Part 5 of 6 in a series, See Learning to be an Agile manager — Part 4: Continue — Let the team grow itself, hiring and Learning to be an Agile manager — Part 6: Manager as a Servant- Leader