Communication katas final w handout

transcript

Communication Katas Deliberate Practices for Shared Understanding

Andrew Annett Susan Johnston

Agile 2013 – August 7 – Nashville

Individuals and INTERACTIONS

over processes and

Agile Manifesto

Introduction

3 Introduction

Brooks’ Law

n * (n-1) 2

Introduction

KATA: A structured routine that makes skills and mindset teachable

Introduction

6 Introduction

S - Status C - Certainty A - Autonomy R - Relatedness F - Fairness

Kata 1 SCARF

Your brain is not your friend

Kata #1 - SCARF

S - Status C - Certainty A - Autonomy R - Relatedness F - Fairness

Kata 1 SCARF

Kata 2 Thought Balloon

Thought balloon exercise demo

• Think of a conversation that didn’t go so well.

• What were some unspoken thoughts?

• What can we improve?

11 Kata #2 – Thought Balloon

Get curious not furious

Kata 3 Ladder of Misunderstanding

FACT Generally agreed

FANTASY Myth or story

FICTION Key details altered

FACTION Personal spin

AGREED UPON FACTS

FANTASY FANTASY

FICTION

FACTION

FICTION

FACTION

WIDENING GAP IN UNDERSTANDING

Kata #3 – Ladder to Misunderstanding

Kata 4 Conversation for Commitment

Possible responses to a request

1. Yes

3. Postpone the decision

4. Request more information

5. Make a counteroffer

16 Kata #4 – Commitment Conversation

Checklist for a reliable promise

1. Performer is capable of doing the task

2. Performer has the capacity to do it

3. Agreed meaning of “done”

4. Performer is sincere in promising

5. Performer is accountable for delivery or ‘make good’

17 Kata #4 – Commitment Conversation

18 Kata #5 – Empathy Map

What does the person THINK + FEEL?

What does the person SEE?

What does the person HEAR?

What does the person SAY + DO?

GAIN? PAIN?

Kata 5 Empathy Map

Empathy exercise

• Think of someone with whom your conversations are not successful

• Imagine yourself in their context

• Complete the sensory information on the empathy map

• Insights?

• How will that change your communication?

20 Kata #5 – Empathy Map

The Communication Katas

1. SCARF

2. Thought Balloon

3. Ladder of Misunderstanding

4. Conversation for Commitment

5. Empathy Map

Practise and

repeat a new kata

Over time, this

changes people’s mindsets

Long term,

this can change a culture

References + Resources

Articles • Status and Self-esteem, David Rock

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-brain-work/200910/status-more-accurate-way-understanding-self-esteem

• SCARF, David Rock http://www.your-brain-at-work.com/files/NLJ_SCARFUS.pdf

• Securing Reliable Promises, Hal McComber http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/docs/securing-reliable-promises-on-projects.pdf

• Digital Empathy Map http://uxempathy.com/2012/10/digital-empathy-map

Thanks

Andrew Annett

andrew@leanintuit.com

@akannett

Susan Johnston

sue@itsunderstood.com

@itsunderstood

Agile 2013 Andrew Annett + Susan Johnston 1

Kata: A structured routine that makes skills and mindset teachable

SCARF Thought Balloon

Ladder of Misunderstanding

Conversation for Commitment

Empathy Map

Miscommunication creates waste. Where have you seen evidence of this? Kata 1 – SCARF S - Status C - Certainty A - Autonomy R - Relatedness F – Fairness

How can you use SCARF to reduce stress in important conversations?

Kata 2 – Thought Balloon Recognize the difference between your external dialogue and your internal monologue. Acknowledging what purpose you’re serving reduces your stress. Get curious, not furious. Probe for people’s thinking. Challenge your own thinking. Kata 3 – Ladder to Misunderstanding

To get back on track, when you or others have moved towards the top of the ladder, return the focus to the facts

Kata 4 – Conversation for Commitment A promise involves two parties, the performer and the requester. Both must be fully involved in the conversation.

Characteristics of a reliable promise

1. Performer is capable of doing the task 2. Performer has the capacity to do it 3. Both agree on the meaning of “done” 4. Performer is sincere in promising 5. Performer is accountable for delivery or make good

1. Say Yes 2. Say No 3. Defer the commitment 4. Request more information 5. Make a counteroffer

Kata 5 – Empathy Map Using the empathy map enables us to deliberately shift our perspective to the other person. It’s a great planning tool for a conversation. As you practise with it, you can do it in real time. Books

• Brain Rules, John Medina http://www.brainrules.net • Gamestorming, Dave Gray et al http://www.gogamestorm.com • Quiet Leadership, David Rock http://www.neuroleadership.com/global/home • Talk To Me, Sue Johnston http://talktomebook.com

• SCARF, David Rock http://www.your-brain-at-work.com/files/NLJ_SCARFUS.pdf • Securing Reliable Promises, Hal McComber

http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/docs/securing-reliable-promises-on-projects.pdf • Digital Empathy Map http://uxempathy.com/2012/10/digital-empathy-map

Presenters Andrew Annett is a facilitator and coach who believes conversations are the operating system of organizations. Andrew’s experience includes working with teams and organizations to adopt lean and agile methods of organizing work despite his long history in serial delivery. He is based in Waterloo, Ontario.

Susan Johnston, helps you talk so others listen and listen so others talk. As a coach and trainer, her focus is face-to-face communication. Her skills in change management and teamwork were built as an employee communication specialist in Canada’s banking industry. She lives and works in Waterloo, Ontario.