Daniel Walters

What appeal does basketball have for systems thinkers? As I sit here watching Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals I thought I might describe what appeals to me about basketball from systems thinking…

As I sit here watching Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals I thought I might describe what appeals to me about basketball from systems thinking…

What appeal does basketball have for systems thinkers? part 2 The dynamics in the NBA in how teams form their rosters are another element of interest for systems thinkers.

The dynamics in the NBA in how teams form their rosters are another element of interest for systems thinkers.

The new orthodoxy is to orient work around outcomes Software product development is maturing and is giving rise to a collection of practices which help the people involved work together more successfully.

Software product development is maturing and is giving rise to a collection of practices which help the people involved work together more successfully.

"That's not my job!" This is quite a common phrase heard in the workplace. There maybe many reasons why someone feels this way. Let's look at some potential causes and what to do.

This is quite a common phrase heard in the workplace. There maybe many reasons why someone feels this way. Let's look at some potential causes and what to do.

What do we need to know to do something well? There are different types of context we can have for work we do and the more we have the better decisions we can make.

There are different types of context we can have for work we do and the more we have the better decisions we can make.

"Sorry we are too busy to help you" It's the top priority for your organisation and a potential collaborator responds "Can't do this for you" (busy doing what we are measured on).

It's the top priority for your organisation and a potential collaborator responds "Can't do this for you" (busy doing what we are measured on).

Not all approaches to OKRs are the same (and some are better than others) Objectives & Key Results (OKR) is not a formalised framework. There's lots of diversity in approaches and as a result there's a lot to consider when looking for reference material or coaching support.

Objectives & Key Results (OKR) is not a formalised framework. There's lots of diversity in approaches and as a result there's a lot to consider when looking for reference material or coaching support.

Don't start your OKR journey with an OKR tool Many start their OKR journey by looking at OKR tools. STOP! OKR tools aren't solving a problem you have yet.

Many start their OKR journey by looking at OKR tools. STOP! OKR tools aren't solving a problem you have yet.

Common problems in OKR reference material The state of OKR reference material available is not great. Here are some broad problem areas to be aware of.

The state of OKR reference material available is not great. Here are some broad problem areas to be aware of.

Visually aligning on your what and why OKRs can communicate WHAT you want to achieve. Causal chains can complement with WHY you believe your strategy will work.

OKRs can communicate WHAT you want to achieve. Causal chains can complement with WHY you believe your strategy will work.

Better decisions with line of sight The choices you make in the present will differ based on your understanding of where you are trying to get to in the future.

The choices you make in the present will differ based on your understanding of where you are trying to get to in the future.

Dumb stuff I did early in my career Mistakes are an even bigger waste if you don't learn from them.

Mistakes are an even bigger waste if you don't learn from them.

What to consider when deciding to prioritise work Decision quality is a critical factor in creating compelling software product experiences. Here are some factors to consider that can help frame decisions.

Decision quality is a critical factor in creating compelling software product experiences. Here are some factors to consider that can help frame decisions.

Writing OKRs: How to write an objective focused on an outcome It's easy to fall into the trap of writing an objective describing an activity you wish to undertake rather than an outcome to achieve. These tips can help.

It's easy to fall into the trap of writing an objective describing an activity you wish to undertake rather than an outcome to achieve. These tips can help.

Zuru vs Glassdoor lawsuit: A failure to lead? Zuru is in the news for its lawsuit against Glassdoor. Was this a smart move?

Zuru is in the news for its lawsuit against Glassdoor. Was this a smart move?

Writing OKRs: How to write key results focused on an outcome To write an OKR that describes an outcome there are specific things we should consider for how key results are written.

To write an OKR that describes an outcome there are specific things we should consider for how key results are written.

How to rally leaders around OKRs: test alignment of existing initiatives Ever struggled to get your full peer group of leaders to the same level of motivation to work together to set good goals? Try this activity.

Ever struggled to get your full peer group of leaders to the same level of motivation to work together to set good goals? Try this activity.

How leaders should invest their time: Walters' Lever of Improvement All things being equal, where can leaders exert their effort and have the most significant impact? Here's a simple model I call Walters' Lever of Improvement.

All things being equal, where can leaders exert their effort and have the most significant impact? Here's a simple model I call Walters' Lever of Improvement.

Edited: Teams with a shared vision of the future achieve more Recurring observation: teams invest in deployment tools and don’t improve delivery frequency. How can this happen?

Recurring observation: teams invest in deployment tools and don’t improve delivery frequency. How can this happen?

Edited: The side-effects of only having goals at team-level What happens when there are team-level goals but no organisational-level goals? This post looks into some side effects to be aware of.

What happens when there are team-level goals but no organisational-level goals? This post looks into some side effects to be aware of.

Two impactful ideas to apply in software product development (part 2) I go deeper into the two ideas I shared in an earlier post and the critical components of using each idea in software product development.

I go deeper into the two ideas I shared in an earlier post and the critical components of using each idea in software product development.

A leader's prime responsibility is to provide context A good use of a leader's effort is to provide their team context. So what is context, and what context is most useful for software development teams?

A good use of a leader's effort is to provide their team context. So what is context, and what context is most useful for software development teams?

Edited: The 'soil sample' technique as an alternative to firehose drinking Leaders have an overwhelming amount of information they could monitor about what is happening in an organisation. Here's an alternative.

Leaders have an overwhelming amount of information they could monitor about what is happening in an organisation. Here's an alternative.

Decisions within organisations are influenced by hard and soft incentives (part 2) In part 2 lets look at some examples of incentives which may be at play within any organisation and how they may inhibit or support change.

In part 2 lets look at some examples of incentives which may be at play within any organisation and how they may inhibit or support change.

The Principle of Least Astonishment and how it relates to outcomes-thinking Just because it can be done should always be balanced with should it be done. Thinking about what you are trying to achieve holistically can help detect when these are in conflict.

Just because it can be done should always be balanced with should it be done. Thinking about what you are trying to achieve holistically can help detect when these are in conflict.

Never waste a good crisis — part 3 — Failures & how we addressed them can teach us evergreen… What enduring lessons can be taken from how we respond to failure?

What enduring lessons can be taken from how we respond to failure?

The Principle of Least Astonishment and how it relates to outcomes-thinking Just because it can be done should always be balanced with should it be done. Thinking about what you are trying to achieve holistically can help detect when these are in conflict.

Just because it can be done should always be balanced with should it be done. Thinking about what you are trying to achieve holistically can help detect when these are in conflict.

You’ve basically encapsulated everything I’m seeing re: executive mandates for RTO. Near zero feedback on those “optimised” initiatives, but worse still, I suspect that it is entirely by design. The gulf is real.

Are you optimising for your own convenience? It's easy to unwittingly bias our choices towards our own convenience. It may be easier to do something one way but at the detriment to the intended outcome.

It's easy to unwittingly bias our choices towards our own convenience. It may be easier to do something one way but at the detriment to the intended outcome.

Begin with the end in mind, act on your present Beginning with the end in mind' is not the aspect of outcome-thinking people struggle with. Here's where many go wrong and what to do instead.

Beginning with the end in mind' is not the aspect of outcome-thinking people struggle with. Here's where many go wrong and what to do instead.