Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life

368 Pages·2010·2.41 MB·English

by  J.D. Meier, Michael Kropp

Table of Contents

Foreword
A Word from the Author
Introduction
Part I – Approach
Chapter 1 – Why Agile Results?
Chapter 2 – Agile Results Overview
Chapter 3 – Values, Principles, and Practices of Agile Results
Chapter 4 – Hot Spots
Chapter 5 – Monday Vision, Daily Outcomes, Friday Reflection
Part II – Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly Results
Chapter 6 – Design Your Day
Chapter 7 – Design Your Week
Chapter 8 – Design Your Month
Chapter 9 – Design Your Year
Part III – Results Explained
Chapter 10 – Results Frame, Personas, and Pitfalls
Chapter 11 – 25 Keys to Results
Chapter 12 – 25 Strategies for Results
Chapter 13 – Motivation
Chapter 14 – Mindsets and Metaphors
Appendix
Cheat Sheet – Agile Results at a Glance
Cheat Sheet – Supporting Practices Defined
Template – Daily Planner
Template – Weekly Planner
Template – Monthly Planner
Template – Yearly Planner
Template – Schedule at a Glance
How To – Adopt Agile Results
How To – Adopt the 12 Core Practices of Agile Results
How To – Have a Strong Week
Additional Resources

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Copyright
Getting Results the Agile Way

A Personal Results System for Work and Life

by J.D. Meier
Getting Results the Agile Way
Copyright © 2010 by Innovation Playhouse LLC

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, except
for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without permission in writing
from the author or publisher.

For information, please contact us:
Innovation Playhouse LLC
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readers should be aware that information in this book, including URL and other
Internet Website references, is subject to change without notice.

Neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility or liability
whatsoever on behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials.

The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of
these materials and information. Please remember that each individual’s success
depends on his or her background, dedication, and motivation; there is no certain
guarantee that you will get specific results.
To Eileen, Mom, Dad, Beck, and Brad
Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank the following people for help with this book:
Adam Grocholski, Alik Levin, Andrew Kazyrevich, Andy Eunson, Andrea Fox,
Anutthara Bharadwaj, Brian Maslowski, Chaitanya Bijwe, Chenelle Bremont,
Daniel Rubiolo Mendoza, David K. Stewart, David Wright, David Zinger,
Dennis Groves, Don Willits, Donald Latumahina, Dr. Rick Kirschner, Eduardo
Jezierski, Eileen Meier, Erin M. Karp, Ethan Zaghmut, Gloria Campbell, Gordon
Meier, Janine de Nysschen, Jason Taylor, Jeremy Bostron, Jill Heron, Jimmy
May, John Allen, John deVadoss, Julian Gonzalez, Juliet du Preez, Kevin Lam,
Larry Brader, Loren Kohnfelder, Mark Curphey, Michael Kropp, Michael
Stiefel, Mike de Libero, Mike Torres, Mohammad Al-Sabt, Molly Clark, Olivier
Fontana, Patrick Lanfear, Paul Enfield, Per Vonge Nielsen, Peter Larsson, Phil
Huang, Prashant Bansode, Praveen Rangarajan, Richard Diver, Rob Boucher Jr.,
Rohit Sharma, Rudolph Araujo, Samantha Sieverling, Sameer Tarey, Scott
Hanselman, Scott Stabbert, Scott Young, Sean Platt, Srinath Vasireddy, Steve
Kayser, Tom Draper, Vidya Vrat Agarwal, Wade Mascia
I would also like to thank my loyal readers of my blog, Sources of Insight
(http://SourcesOfInsight.com), for their helpful feedback.
Foreword

One thing is certain—change happens. It happens in your job and in your
personal life. One of my favorite quotes on change is from John F. Kennedy:
Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are
certain to miss the future.

As is the law of nature, our ability to adapt to change determines our success. To
that end, we seek out the tools and practices that will bring about that success.
When it comes to books, there are a wide variety of books that describe the next
new “approach” or “method,” promising to improve efficiency and effectiveness
if we just follow their prescription for success. Most of these models usually fall
short because they fail to factor in the “ability to adapt” as a primary premise.

Getting Results the Agile Way has “adaptability” baked into the entire
framework so you’ll be able to factor in and manage changes when they happen
instead of them managing you. One of the things I like most about the book is it
has simple tools and techniques to help you break a problem down, determine
the key outcomes, and think through what’s most important to get done daily,
weekly, and monthly—all without losing sight of the end game or your long
term objectives. Having these great tools and practices that really work will help
you to embrace change.

Although written for a wider audience, those of us in software development will
find some of the concepts in the book familiar. With agile software development
techniques, there are several core premises that we follow to make impact and
get results. When we recognize we aren’t getting the right result, we adapt and
change our documented plan that is no longer working for us. If it has become
out of date, we don’t necessarily throw everything out, but we evaluate our
standing plan. These Agile practices have become mainstream in the software
development arena because they really help you get better results and have a
greater impact.

Bottom line is it’s all about the impact—not the activities. This is precisely
where Getting Results the Agile Way can help.

I’ve seen J.D. Meier time and time again use the core principles outlined in
Getting Results the Agile Way to deliver outstanding value which has had a
positive impact for our customers and partners across the world. In the past, he
has shared the approach with anyone who has asked. Now, he shares it with the
rest of you. May you enjoy the rewards of bringing value, making an impact, and
getting results!

Sincerely,

Michael Kropp
General Manager, Microsoft Corporation