Mike Burrows is founder of Agendashift, the wholehearted, outcome-oriented engagement model. Mike is the author of the Lean-Agile classic Kanban from the Inside (2014) and Agendashift: Outcome-oriented change and continuous transformation (1st edition 2018, a 2nd edition due soon); his third book Right to Left: the digital leader’s guide to Lean and Agile was published in 2019 and as an audiobook in May 2020. Outside of Agendashift, he is known for Kanban’s values model, the Featureban and Changeban games, and as a strong advocate for participatory and outcome-oriented approaches to change, transformation, and strategy. Prior to his consulting career, Mike was global development manager and Executive Director at a top tier investment bank, CTO for an energy risk management startup, and interim delivery manager for two of the UK government’s digital exemplars.

Good Obstacle, Bad Obstacle

If, as the old saying goes, "what stands in the way becomes the way", it pays to choose the right obstacles! And we've found it to be true: with agreement on outcomes as the most powerful basis for change that we know, it's important to start with obstacles that are real, relevant, and that don't constrain solutions unduly. Sounds easy, but there are some common traps to avoid. Learn how to recognise them and how to frame your obstacles for maximum impact.