Geoff and Paul, agile and leadership coaches, introduce a prioritisation technique Paul calls “Top Trumps prioritisation,” inspired by the card game where each card shares comparable attributes. Applied to product backlog items or user stories, the group first agrees 4–5 common value criteria (often aligned to product strategy or OKRs) that apply across all items, then scores each item against each criterion (e.g., out of 10) to reduce subjective debate. Scores can be agreed collaboratively, averaged from multiple stakeholders, and optionally weighted because criteria may not be equally important; the resulting total value score can be compared across backlog items and combined with estimates to consider ROI. They discuss running the exercise in workshops, anonymously, or online, and offer downloadable templates for listeners.

00:00 Sunny Welcome

00:26 Podcast Format

00:55 Top Trumps Prioritisation

01:47 How Top Trumps Works

03:49 From Game to Backlog

05:32 Pick Value Criteria

07:33 Score Stories and ROI

09:53 Weighting the Criteria

11:45 When to Use It

13:12 Templates and Download

14:13 Variations and Scaling

15:04 Wrap Up and Call to Action

Geoff and Paul discuss the “Wheel of Life,” a pizza-shaped self-assessment tool borrowed from life coaching that can be used with individuals or teams to visualise how different aspects of work or life are going. They explain setting context and psychological safety so it’s clearly for self-development, not performance management, then co-creating 6–10 segments, defining what 0 and 10 mean, and scoring subjectively. For teams, members score individually first to avoid bias, then compare results and focus on spreads rather than averages to surface differing perceptions. The coach prompts reflection on the shape, helps select one or two focus areas, and encourages small experiments to improve scores and revisit over time. They give an example team wheel (e.g., goals, collaboration, psychological safety, quality, stakeholder alignment) and a personal energy-level example, and mention downloadable templates and a request for listeners to share and rate the podcast.

Downloadable content here: www.inspectandadapt.com/podcasts/ep15-the-wheel-of-anything

01:17 Introducing Wheel of Life

02:28 How the Wheel Works

05:08 Safety and Confidentiality

06:13 Scoring and Reading the Shape

08:21 Team Use and Differences

11:29 Run Small Experiments

12:33 Team Health Example

17:23 From Two to Three Mindset

22:01 Templates and Wrap Up

22:17 Where to Find Us

22:51 Final Goodbye

Geoff and Paul discuss the long-running agile training exercise “The Ball Point Game,” often used in in-person Certified ScrumMaster courses to teach iterative improvement, inspect-and-adapt, and self-organisation. They explain the setup (typically 10–12 people and many tennis-ball-sized balls) and core rules: each ball must touch everyone, have airtime between people, not be passed to a closest neighbour, return to the starter, and dropped/removed balls incur a penalty while the team self-scores. The game is played over eight timed iterations with planning, running, scoring, and re-estimating, and teams usually improve after a chaotic first round. They highlight learning outcomes around experimentation, the dangers of targets and competition, facilitation/Scrum Master questioning, lean waste and flow, leadership dynamics, and contrasts with waterfall-style planning, and they plan to share a PDF of rules and invite listeners to submit scores or videos.

00:59 Podcast Intro Setup

01:25 Ball Point Origins

03:06 Game Rules Explained

06:18 Iterations Timing Format

10:09 Early Rounds Expectations

11:52 Experimentation Mindset

14:46 Targets Scores Psychology

18:00 Facilitation Prompts Tips

23:04 Variants Flow Competition

27:43 Wrap Up Resources Challenge

28:29 Final Goodbye

Geoff and Paul discuss “powerful questioning” in agile coaching and introduce a practice technique called Hot Seat Questions. They note the term “powerful questions” is often overused and shouldn’t be forced, but good questions can help shift thinking and open up new solutions. In the exercise, a group designates a “hot seat” where one person shares a coaching scenario for 30–60 seconds; each listener then asks one question that the hot-seat person does not answer, but instead gives feedback on the question’s impact (e.g., “That question was powerful because…” or “It could have been more powerful if…”). They emphasise psychological safety, letting go of the need to know, avoiding leading or rambling questions, and noticing nonverbal cues. They end with a brief example and mention downloadable guidance and a request for reviews.

Downloadable content: www.inspectandadapt.com/podcasts/ep13-hot-seat-questions

00:00 Welcome and Catch Up

01:06 What Makes Questions Powerful

03:57 Hot Seat Questions Overview

04:58 How to Run the Exercise

07:51 What Powerful Looks Like

09:22 Safety and Letting Go

11:13 Feedback Structure and Observations

12:35 Common Question Traps

15:05 Live Hot Seat Demo

19:19 Wrap Up and Resources

In this episode of the Agile Skills Library, hosts Paul Goddard and Geoff Watts introduce their audience to the 3D Team Dynamics model. They delve into the origin and application of this technique, which helps in assessing and improving team behaviours. The model categorises behaviours into developing, detailing, and disruptive actions, with subcategories for each. The hosts also discuss the concept of a team heat map, which tracks physical movement and airtime distribution within a team. Throughout the episode, they encourage listeners to try out these techniques and provide downloadable content for practical use.

Downloadable content:

https://www.agilify.co.uk/resources/the-agile-skills-library/ep12-exploring-the-3d-team-dynamics-model/

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:35 Introducing 3D Team Dynamics

02:23 Developing Actions in Team Dynamics

05:42 Detailing Actions in Team Dynamics

08:47 Disruptive Behaviours in Team Dynamics

11:56 Using the 3D Team Dynamics Data

17:51 Team Heat Map: The Fourth Dimension

21:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode of the Agile Skills Podcast, hosts Geoff Watts and Paul Goddard introduce a valuable tool they call the 'coaching equation for coaching change.' This equation helps coaches and individuals effectively implement desired changes by balancing benefits, costs, and the probability of success. They discuss the importance of internalising the benefits, acknowledging costs, and strategies to increase the likelihood of success. The episode also includes practical examples and emphasizes the emotional aspects of motivation. A downloadable canvas is provided to help practitioners put the technique into practice.

Downloadable Content:

www.inspectandadapt.com/podcasts/ep11-the-change-equation

00:00 Introduction to the Agile Skills Library

00:29 Welcome Back to the Agile Skills Podcast

00:39 Introducing the Coaching Equation

04:24 Understanding the Benefits of Change

09:01 Identifying the Costs of Change

13:46 Probability of Success in Change

16:01 Increasing Your Chances of Success

24:02 Conclusion and Next Steps

In this episode of Agile Skills Library, hosts Geoff and Paul introduce a collaborative prioritisation technique known as 'Pass the Cards,' also referred to as '35.' Originally mentioned by Jean Tabaka, the method is designed to engage multiple voices in prioritising product backlog items. The hosts provide detailed instructions on facilitating the game with stakeholders, including using different scales and rounds to derive a collective priority list. They also discuss the importance of having a north star or overall goal, managing subjectivity, and leveraging the technique for enhanced collaboration and effective decision-making. Practical tips and potential variations for the exercise are shared, along with advice for agile coaches and trainers.

Downloadble content available at:

https://www.agilify.co.uk/resources/the-agile-skills-library/ep10-collaborative-prioritisation-with-pass-the-cards-technique/

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:10 Overview of the Technique

00:43 Origins and Acknowledgements

01:32 Why Use This Technique?

02:27 Step-by-Step Method

05:24 Facilitation Tips and Common Issues

11:22 Scaling and Group Dynamics

12:52 Learning Points and Practical Applications

16:45 Conclusion and Resources

In this episode of the Agile Skills Library, hosts Geoff Watts and Paul Goddard introduce the 5-5-5 technique, a simple yet powerful method to boost confidence and alleviate imposter syndrome among agile practitioners. The technique involves asking five trusted individuals five specific questions that highlight personal strengths, which they then verbalise back to the requester. This personalised feedback aims to help individuals internalise positive traits, creating a balanced self-perception. This method can be used by individuals or teams to cultivate a more confident and effective agile environment.

Downloadable Content:

www.inspectandadapt.com/podcasts/ep9-555-technique

00:00 Introduction to the Agile Skills Library

00:17 Introducing the 5-5-5 Technique

01:02 Why the 5-5-5 Technique is Essential

02:34 How to Implement the 5-5-5 Technique

04:42 Questions to Ask in the 5-5-5 Technique

06:02 Receiving and Internalising Feedback

10:57 Applying the 5-5-5 Technique in Teams

12:00 Conclusion and Additional Resources