Systems Thinking Rant Redux Part III We’ve got examples! In the third episode of a three-part series, Squirrel and Jeffrey revisit the contentious discussion around system thinking and their reaction to an article by Ed Braden.They look

In the final part of our trilogy, spurred on by Ed Bradon’s article, Jeffrey and I look at examples of systems thinking implemented in both small and large government projects, highlighting successes like the UK's automatic enrolment in pensions.
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Systems Thinking Rant Redux Part II Systems thinking isn’t the problem! In the second episode of a three-part series, Squirrel and Jeffrey revisit the contentious discussion around system thinking and their reaction to an article by Ed

We’re back, and tackling our ongoing debate around Ed Braden’s article on systems thinking again. We clarify misconceptions about systems thinking, argue its benefits, and propose that it has shifted the 'Overton window' in project management.
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Systems Thinking Rant Redux Part I Were we wrong about systems thinking? In the first episode of a three-part series, Squirrel and Jeffrey revisit the contentious discussion around system thinking and their reaction to an article by Ed

In ep 1 of 3, we double down on our contentious discussion around Ed Braden's systems thinking article. We talk about the responses that we’ve had from our listeners, and from Ed himself, emphasising the importance of precise language and shared understanding.
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Live from CITCON: Listener Questions This episode, we are at CITCON 2025, answering listeners’ questions live. Join Squirrel, Jeffrey and our live audience as we discuss integrating tools from methodologies beyond Agile, borrowing practi

We’re live again at CITCON! For this episode Jeffrey and I talk about integrating tools from methodologies beyond Agile. Jeffrey elaborates on borrowing practices from different domains such as CBT, and I share my spontaneous approach for solving problems.
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Reflections on Episode 400, Live from CITCON This episode, we are at CITCON 2025, celebrating 400 episodes of Troubleshooting Agile. Tune in to this episode as Squirrel and Jeffrey look back on the past 400 episodes, discuss how the podcast serv

Celebrating 400 episodes of Troubleshooting Agile at CITCON! Jeffrey and I discussed the origins of the podcast and how the podcast served as a tool to flesh out ideas for our book ‘Agile Conversations’
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Someone Is Wrong On The Internet About Systems Thinking Have you got Systems Thinking all wrong, like the author of an article we read that got Jeffrey all riled up? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey explore how complex systems

Rant alert! Jeffrey is on a rampage about a recent article from Ed Bradon that's got systems thinking all wrong. While correcting Ed, we explore how complex systems evolve, referencing real-world examples like water systems, Facebook, and healthcare.gov.
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Disputatiousness For Scientists To lead effectively, you need critical thinking and a willingness to engage in productive conflict. It turns out, so do scientists! In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey discu

To lead effectively, you need critical thinking and a willingness to engage in productive conflict. It turns out, so do scientists! Jeffrey and I discuss the art of healthy intellectual disagreement, drawing insights from an insightful scientist's critique.
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Managing People Out Is being “nice” preventing you from being decent? In this episode, we are joined by guest Kevin Lucas to talk about “coaching out,” the importance of early communication and the balance between decenc

Our guest this week, Keith Lucas, talks to Jeffrey and I about his concept of 'coaching out,' the importance of early and clear communication, all themes from his new book ‘Impact: How to Inspire, Align and Amplify Innovative Teams.’
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Positively Egotistical Can having an ego be a good thing? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss how being egotistical can be a valuable trait and how to strike a balance between confident and humble. Tune in if you

Jeffrey and I discuss the concept of being "Positively Egotistical" and how it can be a valuable trait in a team setting. We also touch on CITCON and its relevance to fostering effective team dynamics.
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Interruption, Anyone? Can I just interrupt you there…? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey interrupt each other more than usual to demonstrate how you can use “consensual” interruption as a way o

How can timely interruptions enhance learning and retention? Jeffrey Fredrick and I discuss the importance of immediate feedback in teams, drawing parallels with learning physical skills like tennis.
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Type II Fun What can Whatsapp’s origin story teach us about adding business value - even when it doesn’t seem “fun”? Reflecting on two weeks' backpacking, Jeffrey introduces the concept of Type 1 and Type 2 fun a

With Jeffrey Fredrick being off adventuring without the internet for two weeks recently, what did he learn while he was away?
We discuss Type 1 and Type 2 fun, and why you should seek out Type 2 fun for adding business value.
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Centralisation For The Win What can the TV show House teach us about centralisation? In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about centralised communication, how it contributed to them first meeting

What can the TV show House teach us about the importance of central hubs to efficiently disseminate information and guide teams?
Jeffrey and I discuss the benefits of centralised communication in this week's Troubleshooting Agile.
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Information FAIRness In Your Organisation Are you being unFAIR with your information-sharing? In this episode, Jeffrey talks us through the F.A.I.R principles of scientific publishing and how they can be applied to software development. Learn

This week Jeffrey and I discuss how the principles of scientific publishing can be applied to software development. We cover reusability of work as well as the importance of open, accessible information for fostering innovation in teams.
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Sharing Models Forget the elevator pitch, you need a “napkin strategy!” In this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey explore the idea of using models instead of talking, which often leads to confus

This week Jeffrey and I explore the concept of using models over perceived 'truths' to foster better communication and collaboration.

We chat about how making models explicit and visually mutable can enhance understanding and invite constructive feedback.

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Undemarcation Is demarcation stunting your business? In this episode, Squirrel tells us about how his 500-year-old house restoration reminded him of dealing with team members whose strict adherence to demarcation i

This week we discuss how strict adherence to demarcation can hinder effective collaboration. Jeffrey and I look at how to get team members to step outside their defined roles to foster better communication and problem-solving.
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Finding and Hiring the Best C-Suite Stars Squirrel Squadron

Hiring great executives is nothing like finding a team of individual contributors. Join me this Thursday on my executive Zoom call to see exactly how I guide clients to identify, filter, test, and hire the best executives in the world.

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Religion and Science The search for ultimate truth has no place in an effective business! In this episode, Jeffrey and Squirrel explain how to detect when your team are stuck in the “rightness” trap and how to move from a

We're all for religion at the appropriate time, but the search for ultimate truth has no place in an effective business.
Jeffrey and I explain how to detect when your team are stuck in the rightness trap!
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Revenge of the QA With so many great reader emails recently Jeffrey and I haven’t got around to discussing CitCon on the podcast yet! This week we do just that, with Jeffrey’s reflections from discussions on the evolvi

With so many great reader emails recently Jeffrey and I haven’t got around to discussing CitCon on the podcast yet! We do just that including Steve Yegge’s new article which revisits whether the ‘death’ of the junior developer will ultimately be a ‘revenge.’
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Juniors to Leaders Overnight Squirrel Squadron

There are talented people in your organisation who could be doing much, much more.
Join me this Thursday (5 June) to learn the signs of extreme promotability and to see how you can unlock astonishing value from hidden corners of your team.
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Fire Your Product Managers Squirrel Squadron

Join me on this week's livestream to discuss why you should fire your product managers.
Whether you're a product manager who would like to defend their position, or an engineer keen to know steps to make this happen, I've got something for you!
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The Expertise Gap Do ‘Experts Have It Easy’? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey discuss how experts and novices can overcome the empathy gap with rapid feedback, and breaking down complex problems into smaller steps

Do ‘Experts Have It Easy’? Jeffrey and I discuss Boyd Kane's article and how experts and novices can overcome the empathy gap with rapid feedback, and breaking down complex problems into smaller steps to facilitate understanding.
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Transform Your Business with Software Testing Squirrel Squadron

Just one practice can give you deep insight into what your product does, reduce the "tech debt" that slows down your engineers, and keep your software tuned and humming like a Rolls Royce engine. Join me on Thursday for this free executive Zoom call!
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Accountable Not Agreeable What is the true meaning of accountability? In this episode, Squirrel and Jeffrey share a real-life story that illustrates how it’s often misunderstood. Listen now to learn why it's not about blame or

What is the true meaning of accountability? Jeffrey and I use a real-life story to show how it's often misunderstood. We outline our unique perspective on accountability, explaining that it's not about blame or punishment but about 'rendering an account'

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Blameful Post-Mortems What can perverse incentives teach us about software development? Join Squirrel and Jeffrey for a discussion on the importance of personal responsibility and the potential benefits of 'blameful' postm

What can perverse incentives in academic research tell us about lax security practices and insufficient testing in software development? Jeffrey and I think quite a lot! We discuss an article by Tal Yarkoni in this week's episode.

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Topgrading and Storytelling Is topgrading a controversial topic? It seems so. In this episode, Jeffrey and Squirrel revisit the theme of topgrading in recruitment, featured just two episodes ago. Join as they discuss a listener’

You didn't hold back with feedback from our recent episode on top grading and interview storytelling. Jeffrey and I look at an insightful story from our listener Matt and we discuss the necessity for some structure in interviews.

Live in London Squirrel Squadron

What if you could have a free day every week to get into the deep and strategic work that you really need and want to be getting done?
Join me in Central London and I'll get that free day into your diary asap!
Sign up here:
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Events - Squirrel Squadron Squirrel Squadron

Never written a line of code but want to create an app! My event on Thursday this week will get you doing exactly that using vibe coding.

Sign up here to join me:

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Threats and Topgrading in Executive Hiring Is the use of threats to repel dishonest people a good idea? On this episode of Troubleshooting Agile, Squirrel and Jeffrey talk about the “threat of reference check” and whether the benefits of reduc

This week Jeffrey and I have a heated discussion about the ‘threat of reference check.’ Jeffrey and I disagreed on whether it was beneficial or counterproductive. Hear both sides and then get in touch to let us know what you think!
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Greatest Hits - Commitment: Engagement is (Still) Not Enough It's time to talk about commitment! Not engagement, which is insufficient to produce effective results. In this episode - a repost of a previous conversation - Squirrel and Jeffrey offer specific tool

It's time to talk about commitment! Not engagement, which is insufficient to produce effective results. In this episode - a repost of a previous conversation - we offer specific tools for effective commitments.

Storytelling Interviews for Executive Hiring Squirrel Squadron

You can't check an executive's skills with coding tests or design tasks, and a "90 day plan" is way too coarse-grained to be useful. This week on my free exec Zoom call, I'll show you the story-based methods I have used with clients on every continent.