The Focus

In which we interview Erich Bühler We discuss: Leading Exponential Change The impact of the neurochemistry of cortisol Kelly McGonigal's TED talk on How to make stress your friend Detecting organisational stress Techniques for reducing stress, like breath-work, physical workouts, cold and heat exposure Susan David's Emotional Agility Celebrating when we notice holding inaccurate ideas The trials and tribulations of interactions with people that have psychopathic habits The Huberman Lab podcast The Enterprise Agility World Conference - enjoy the discount code THEFOCUS for your registration We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Linda Rising We discuss: Effective ways of introducing new ideas, discovered through much struggle Fearless Change More Fearless Change Telling stories that involve people emotionally Attempting big change is usually unsustainable. Instead, growing ideas and approaches together organically works much better. We cannot take everyone with us. For any new idea, there will be champions and early adopters, but there will be laggards as well. What genuine diversity is about Braver Angels Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow Jonathan Haidt's Happiness Hypothesis Menlo Innovations Building trust by sharing food together The ease with which we get divided into groups, and yet we all overestimate the number of nickels in a jar The miracle of agape Embracing both the early adopters and the laggards Choosing worthy targets Dealing with ego The magic of hope Suzanne Simard's Finding the Mother Tree Peter Wohlleben's The Hidden Life of Trees Linda's intentions as a Mother Tree for us We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Tony Ponton  We discuss: The three-speed economy Transformation or transition? How do we fund agility? Understanding organisations and "Undercover Boss" Recreating watercoolers online for their social benefits Measuring for outcomes rather than outputs The Remote:af agility framework  Setting up home offices for healthy remote working Crafting teams as if for planning a heist Virtual Obeya rooms The Responsibility Process by Christopher Avery Finding the right person to get help from, in a distributed and dispersed environment Rewarding courage Genuine collaboration in leadership teams We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Renata Barcelos We discuss: Learning every day The dynamics of family businesses in Brazil and dealing with succession Pragmatic approaches to innovation The need for ambidexterity in modern business Leading from the future Being wary of people that are 100% certain How competence builds confidence Sense making and OKR networks The 4 stages of psychological safety The OODA loop, double-loop learning and changing goals Leadership is language Studying culture and embracing vulnerability We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Angus Muir We discuss: Going from "this is crazy" to "wow, this works" Being wary of Value Stream diagrams that are too pretty Overcoming "not my problem"-syndrome and learned helplessness Patterns of lean-agile leadership The lessons of the marshmallow tower TED talk, and developing the "assassination skills" to stop throwing good money after bad and pivot initiatives. Overcoming arrogance by creating clear accountability to our ultimate customers Noticing and adjusting for bias "Building bridges is a messy business; sometimes you have to deal with the mud" We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Clarke Ching We discuss: The Theory of Constraints Dollarising the prize Pre-crastination and procrastination The Ikea effect Test-first thinking The curse of excellence Being busy mistaken for productivity We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Shane Gibson We discuss: Making good decisions and sequencing work Data quality Frameworks and paywalls The necessity of context sensitivity - adapting practice guides to the local situation, iterate and experiment Using words that make more sense We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Ziaan Hattingh We discuss: Creative tension Tailoring rewards Strong teams Abstraction and frameworks Toxic cultures David Marquet's Intent-Based Leadership Stanley McChrystal's Team of Teams Seth Godin's The Practice Hiring for capability We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Andreas Drechsler We discuss: Organising for fluidity and change Hype and management fashions How languages shape how we see the world The nature of value Architectural thinking - a holistic view across the organisation and its partners Sensing at speed Ambidextrous organisations - explore and exploit in balanced measure Struggles with value streams and value networks We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Samuel Crescêncio We discuss: Structure & flow, organically evolving structures Creating virtual gembas (the actual places of work) Tips and tricks for visual management in remote working Building trust, leading by example Inner pressure from a common purpose Gratitude and changes of perspective The Obstacle is The Way Practicing curiosity Mary & Tom Poppendieck Opening spaces for change, and The Art of Holding Space The Lean Pyramid Sooner Safer Happier We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Johan Steyn We discuss: Why do so many incompetent men become leaders (and how to fix it)  K-waves or economic super-cycles Sapiens, the "useless class", and dystopia, utopia or something else? The hypothesis that "all sentiences are created equal" Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey How civilisation is quite thin, and we're only a few missed meals away from a riot. Hunger and privation are powerful motivators The Truman Show and how people accept the realities they are presented with The Theories of Everything podcast The original meaning of "blessed are the meek" Matthew 5:5 How we are excellent procrastinators The New Human Movement Corporate Rebels We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Scott Ambler We discuss: Agile modelling and agile data Short-termism Non-invasive data governance Truthfulness in work and data The Disciplined Agile governance process blade From PMO to VMO  Multi-disciplinary governance tribes Value streams begin and continue through to the customer Rapid adaptation including customer feedback and the example of Zara Building relationships and automation of governance with a human touch (see also autonomation or jidoka) We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Shane Hastie We discuss: Skills and titles Agile People #noprojects - A Culture of Continuous Value From Project to Product The code of ethical conduct for agile coaching Frederic Laloux's concept of teal organisations The Social Dilemma The Art of Holding Space Shane's upcoming book, The Rock Crusher - about a model for populating and managing product backlogs We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Alan Hesketh We discuss: How when we work better we enjoy life much better Alan's upcoming book "Start Fast. Achieving rapid impact from digital transformation" How the lessons of endurance swimming apply to leadership Making Work Visible The "Lemons and Roses award" idea John Boyd's OODA loop Paul O'Neill's keystone habits put into practice at Alcoa Beyond Budgeting Willful Blindness The Obstacle is the Way Management 3.0 The Bureau of Sabotage and Jorj X. McKie Leadership is Language We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Joanne Stone  We discuss: What Wick'd Agile is about How getting fired as an Agile Coach triggers deep insight and professional growth How people experienced in practicing an agile mindset may band together and help in more communities - with an invitation to join us in the World Café Event on September 10th. The Agility Impact Community Unintended consequences, and the story of the Cats in Borneo Leadership agility The inspirational example of José Andrés and the World Central Kitchen Going from bickering to feeling like we belong We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Carlos Andrade We discuss: The value-add of effective leadership The necessity of disciplined training to develop effective skills How great leaders create great professionals in their organisations Vicious and virtuous cycles  Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow The Inside the mind of a master procrastinator TED talk David Marquet's Intent-Based Leadership Jocko Willink's Extreme Ownership Corporate Rebels Humanocracy Steven Pinker Simon Sinek's Start with Why and Adam Grant's Think Again Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Hoshin Kanri or strategy deployment The role of the court jester We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Janet Gregory We discuss: Changing the perception of quality The role of the tester into the future Overcoming stigma How we might get emotions to help us make better decisions Seeing our teams as extended families Beyond zero sum Doing the work to get the benefits We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Al Shalloway We discuss: How logic isn't enough to achieve impact. An engaging conversation is essential. Cultivating empathy Echo chambers and how we might break out of them. Ways of dealing with complexity Systems Thinking and Russ Ackoff's "TED talk" How amazing instructors seem to be reading our minds Steve Tendon and The Book of TameFlow What makes a professional coach? Dealing with toxic cultures Stoicism and Ryan Holiday's work Trim tabs  The Amplio community of practice Success Engineering We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Dr. Isabella Allan and we discuss: Reading clues and cues Confirmation bias Network science and the need for social nodes Overcoming marginalisation Getting into flow together through song and rhythm Maintaining a shared context and discipline in group conversations Habit stacking Disruptors, dissenters and outliers The value of simulation and training for contingencies Thriving in an enduring crisis Turn Talk Into Action: Harness the power of dialogue and collective decision-making We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Kiron Bondale  We discuss: Risk management Cognitive overload Reframing combatants into partners - beyond us and them Turning lessons into gold Seeing learning as another type of work The Peter Principle  Noticing erosion and skills to stop wasteful initiatives We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Daniel Gagnon and we discuss: Ego struggles People impervious to argument When do we get to toxicity? Left-shifting oversight The four stages of psychological safety Agency and organisational agility Rasputin coaching Anti-fragility Escaping zero-sum thinking - there's nothing that has more room than a full heart We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which we interview Dawie Olivier, and we discuss: Classic governance as a process of progressive disappointment How the underlying foundations of governance and control are flawed How we may learn to embrace auditors and devise competence-based controls Hubris and fear How we may energise change agents by setting them gently asmoulder The vital importance of belief in the possibility of becoming better We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which Aldo and Horia explain what we found as we navigated the tension between safety and courage. We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What we found as we navigated the tension between following the new rules and changing the rules - from the combined perspectives of both oversight and initiative professionals How this contributes to balancing the maintenance of competent capability with exploration and innovation We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook  By visiting the home of The Focus Podcast you can find alternative ways to access this podcast. Thank you in anticipation for considering to support us.

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What we found as we navigated the tension between keeping things steady and inviting exploration - primarily form the perspective of the people involved in the work that creates value How this contributes to balancing the maintenance of competent capability with exploration and innovation We are: Aldo Rall https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldorall/ Horia Slușanschi https://www.linkedin.com/in/slusanschi/ Gareth Holebrook https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethholebrook/ Find us at https://novavi.co/the-focus-podcast/

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What we found as we navigated the tension between preserving the status quo and creating a better way of working  - primarily form the perspective of the people involved in oversight activities How this contributes to balancing the maintenance of competent capability with exploration and innovation We are: Aldo Rall https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldorall/ Horia Slușanschi https://www.linkedin.com/in/slusanschi/ Gareth Holebrook https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethholebrook/ Find us at https://novavi.co

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What we found as we navigated the tension between optimising utilisation and optimising flow in an attempt to sustain a dynamic balance We are: Aldo Rall https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldorall/ Horia Slușanschi https://www.linkedin.com/in/slusanschi/ Gareth Holebrook https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethholebrook/ Find us at https://novavi.co

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What we found as we navigated the tension between personal interest and organisational purpose in an attempt to sustain a dynamic balance We are: Aldo Rall https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldorall/ Horia Slușanschi https://www.linkedin.com/in/slusanschi/ Gareth Holebrook https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethholebrook/ Find us at https://novavi.co

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What is the Iron Triangle What is the Agile Triangle What we found as we navigated the tension between the two triangles in an attempt to sustain a dynamic balance We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook Find us at https://novavi.co

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What we discovered as we navigated the tension between Control and Trust in an attempt to sustain a dynamic balance We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook Find us at https://novavi.co

In which Aldo and Horia explain: What we mean by Adaptive Oversight How we navigate tension between polarities in order to sustain a dynamic balance The six main polarities that we use to make sense of Adaptive Oversight We are: Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook Find us at https://novavi.co

In which Aldo and Horia explain: Why we're creating The Focus and why we named it this way;  A bit about Adaptive Oversight and what to expect from this podcast; Our fundamental values and principles, and some expectations about how we will interact with our guests and audience. We are:  Aldo Rall Horia Slușanschi Gareth Holebrook Find us at https://novavi.co