The Cynefin framework has had a huge impact on being able to talk about complexity in systems thinking, and its widespread use facilitates many of us situationally finding which approach might suit our current problems. However, as simple as it looks, it can be difficult to learn and use.

Sure, there are alternative ways of exploring Cynefin. I've used the corridor game, designed a 3D printed model (see below), and even scripted a Lego stop-animation movie for it -- but recently got a lightbulb over the head moment -- maybe it would be easier to learn as a board game?

I've had some initial thoughts, but thought it would be fun to collaborate with others on this, to co-design what it could look like. Dave Snowden is already on board and keen to see what could be developed (he's also keen on the Lego movie, but that's for another day).

At the core of Agile was the attempt to strip away the traditional hierarchical structures in order to empower people and help teams to succeed. However, just because some job titles and line management lines may have gone: power, rank and privilege can still stalk these organisations in many guises causing confusion, conflict and potentially toxic environments. Some might argue, that even with all the best intentions in the world, what we have actually created is a "Lord of the Flies" situation where that flat heirarchy and "empowerment" has actually stripped the support structures away from people who needed them most (such as minority groups, gender, race). Has "better ways of working" actually propelled us backwards? Have we forgotten to support and nurture the "people and interactions" piece with our focus on stripped down process? Or has helped shine a light on issues long covered up by making them more visible but we now have to find out new ways to approach power, rank and privilege in our modern environment. 

In this workshop we will explore this usually avoided topic in the modern Australian Workplace (and within the Agile community) using an organisation and relationship systems coaching (ORSC) approach where we can start to reveal a system to itself and then start to use the natural intelligence and creativity within the group to help address this difficult but fundamental issue.

This is a very interactive workshop, with no slides and those that will be attending will be expected to do most of the work(!) while guided by the experienced ORSC facilitator.  Therefore each session of these workshops can be profoundly different depending on the system of people who attend. However, all participants should leave with a deeper understanding (or at the very least a whole new set of questions) on the meaning of "power" within a working environment and also an experience of how a systems inspired approach can help address such "edgy" topics.

Learn how to run a workshop to build a collective vision of a team's dream workplace and then reveal their current state and collective agency to create their dream. This workshop was designed to help teams in their early forming stages, but can be used at any time that they are missing the spark and energy to work better together. 

The workshop uses a tool from Organization Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC)  called Informal Constellation. This tool is one of my favorite tools that I often design into various coaching situations. ORSC works with teams as a whole and seeks to improve the intelligence of the collective or system by revealing what is not seen.

This workshop works well as a precursor to creating a social contract, team agreement, team charter, or designed team alliance DTA (an ORSC tool ).

You will learn how to run the workshop by doing it. This workshop is a cut down version of the actual workshop that I use with teams.

Coaching is one of the biggest drivers of performance improvement.  This workshop will help everyone, in particular Team Leaders,  Technical Leads and Managers understand and practice the basics of coaching which will enable you to to be a more effective leader and coach.

International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.

LAST (Lean Agile & Systems Thinking) involves many changes in mindset, process, practice and ways of working.  We often get stuck as we try to figure out how to incorporate LAST into our daily work.  Coaching is an approach for helping people to get unstuck and trying to accelerate their transition to a different way of thinking and working.  In this workshop we will also move away from Agile and Agile Coaching and explore Professional Coaching as described by ICF and how it can help people's personal and work lives in general.  

In this workshop we will explore two parts of coaching.  The first part consists of supportive behaviours and the second part the coaching-specific skills.  We will then have the opportunity to practice coaching skills in pairs.