James King

What you do next matters.

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  • The paradox of the obvious

    I noticed something recently, which others may have seen before but which I had not really noticed. It may even have a name but I have not heard of it so I don’t know the name. The paradox is this: Sometimes I know what to do in a situation and indeed, it is obvious what…

  • Estimates and metrics are great – I think

    I was thinking about metrics and estimation approaches this week. Interesting topics to be sure. For reasons that are probably clear, I have decided that we need to keep reiterating what good metrics look like. I guess the summary is that good metrics are the ones that help us learn from them in order to…

  • Agile platitudes to share

    I was thinking about some agile platitudes that I like; some that I hate; and some that I hear without giving them any real thought. My interest was piqued when I saw a comment on LinkedIn about “Being Agile rather than doing Agile”. The article asserts that the phrase is lazy thinking and I agree.…

  • On metrics and compliance mindsets

    I had two very different experiences this week, that led me to think more about compliance. I was thinking about compliance as an attitude, rather than an obligation or set of rules to be followed. I wondered if there was such a thing as “having a compliance mindset”. I did extensive research, but unfortunately AI…

  • My customer journeys on Sydney trains

    I catch the train to work on the days that I am in the office. If you asked me to point of catching a train, I would say that it is to get to a destination But having said that, I also enjoy the journey itself. Or, at least, I enjoy the journey when the…

  • Utopia as a short term goal?

    People often refer to “Utopia” as a good idea, but not something real. Sometimes they go further and hold a meaningful discussion about what a (near) perfect world could look like, as in this book on the subject https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/everyday-utopia-kristen-ghodsee-sas This is a great topic for discussion, but I wonder if we can use a view…

  • Should we just manage AI like we do agile coaches?

    This is a bit of a worry. I have been getting into AI and finding it really good. There is hype but also surprising value. At the moment I am using Claude to clean up old content in Confluence and to summarise the outcomes of multiple workshops and interviews. I have also just been watching…

  • The confidence to be vulnerable

    I hear a lot about how leaders should show vulnerability in order to create psychological safety and an open, learning culture. I agree that we as leaders (and humans) will get better results from people when we are authentic, human and willing to admit we are flawed. I also agree that when in a position…

  • A post on politics

    I sometimes see Linkedin posts begin with the words “I am not usually political but …” and then I see a bunch of comments that, regardless of whether I agree with them, are nothing to do with work, networking and “Linkedin like things”. So it is with cynical joy that I post my own thoughts…

  • AI from tinker to handyman and beyond

    I have been toying with AI lately and I feel that I am learning a lot, but I have also realised that “learning AI” is not a goal. So far in using AI in the real world I have summarised documents; created superhero ideas and stories; and analysed some data. But really you could say…