Diagnosing and Changing

Stuck Patterns in Teams

Marsha Acker
@marshaacker

Big Apple Scrum Day 2018

“The single biggest problem in
communication is the illusion
that it has taken place. ”
- George Bernard Shaw
What’s a work conversation you want to change?

Who What’s Said?

Person 1 We need these features completed and launched in 3 weeks.

Person 2 We could complete 3 of these, but not all 4.

Person 1 That’s not acceptable, we need them all

Person 2 It’s just not possible, the fourth feature will take more time.
Agenda

∞ What is Structural Dynamics?

∞ What is the Four Player Model?
∞ What is my most frequent action?
∞ How do you code a conversation?
∞ How do I change the conversation I’m
participating in?
∞ How can I develop this for myself and others?
Structural Dynamics

“Tone”: The
manner in
which it’s
said

A theory of face-to-face communications developed by David Kantor.

Structure Determines Performance
Two Realities – Visible and Invisible

Visible

Invisible

© David Kantor, Reading the Room

Working with 4 levels of structure…

Most Visible
1

Least Visible
Meaning

4 Childhood Stories

© David Kantor, Reading the Room

Kantor 4-Player Model

© David Kantor, Reading the Room

Common Stuck Patterns

Courteous Point- Covert

Serial Move
Compliance Counterpoint Opposition

M M M
M
M O
F F F B
M M O O
M F M
O
What percentage of your time do you spend…

% %
% %
Time to practice coding…
Fields of Conversation

© Otto Scharmer
Don’t let process get in the way of the real conversation
What’s the conversation you want to
change?
When you find yourself in a stuck
conversation, try this…

∞ Separate “What” from “How”

∞ Find the structural pattern

∞ What action is missing or

needed in the conversation?

∞ What could you do to change

the nature of the discourse?
• Reading the Room
– By David Kantor

• Where did you learn to behave like

that?
– By Sarah Hill

• Blogs @ www.teamcatapult.com

Where can I learn

• The Conversation Factory Podcast
http://theconversationfactory.com/podca more?
st/
Let’s Connect!

Connect with me @ Connect with TeamCatapult

macker@teamcatapult.com Teamcatapult.com

Marsha Acker @teamcatapult2

@marshaacker TeamCatapult