Coach Dan's Blog

When I’m coaching leaders, I often see them fall into the "Compatibility Trap"—the dangerous assumption that a team’s success is built on how well everyone likes each other or how similar their backgrounds are.  Managers often rely on their "gut" to assemble teams, which is usually just a polite word for affinity bias. They look for "culture fit" but end up creating an echo chamber of people who think, work, and communicate exactly like they do. This doesn't just stifle innovation; it creates a structural weakness where the 3 Es begin to erode. You might have an Engaged group of friends, but you lose Effectiveness and Efficiency because no one is there to challenge the status quo or point out the blind spots in the room. The trouble starts when leaders assume that a high-performing individual in one context will automatically thrive in another without considering the systemic "swirl" of the new team. They ignore (or even be unaware of) the...

tldr; If your retrospectives have turned into a "complain-fest" with no action, you're missing the chance to teach your squads a valuable lesson. Use the 4 Rs (Reflect, Root Cause, Rethink, Retool) to turn data into insights and experiments that actually move the needle for your Squad and Crew. Healthy teams improve and balance their 3 Es: being Effective, Efficient, and Engaged. Agility isn't about getting the team to produce faster; it’s about creating empowered teams that produce results efficiently and indefinitely . I’ve shared before that high-performing teams must balance their 3 Es . They strive to be Effective (delivering the right value), Efficient (delivering with minimal waste), and Engaged (feeling safe and purposeful). But let’s be real—the "daily swirl" of doing can easily knock these pillars out of alignment. When you feel that friction, it’s not a failure; it’s an invitation to get curious. If your squads aren’t finishing retrospectives ...

Our Coaching Chapter has been engaged in a discussion on how best to articulate the value that our role brings to leaders and teams. We've had great, in depth discussions, and while we are still finalizing our shared framework for articulating our value, the exercise has caused ME to think deeply about the topic. Here's my take! It’s easy for a leader to get caught in the daily swirl of doing . We all feel the pressure to have the right answer, to make the right decision, to deliver results and to justify the resources we've been entrusted with. But true leadership isn't about getting the team to produce faster; it's about empowering the team to produce  results efficiently and indefinitely .  A coach doesn’t just show you what to do, they help to challenge your assumptions about how  things should work. They bring an external lens and a focus, not only on your growth, but to help you to step back and reflect. By partnering to explore new ideas, and challenging bias...

Greatness is grown     tldr;    It has been suggested that I type... a lot.  To that end - if you find that reading the whole article is untenable - I'm adding in a "Typed Long, Didn't Read" section to surface the main points of the writing.  Hope you find this useful too. Leaders create great teams by creating an environment where teams  can  be great.  They do this by setting the vision and the tone, and providing the resources necessary for the team to achieve their goals. People: do their best when they feel safe to contribute, ask questions, and offer new ideas. who feel like their work contributes to a larger goal will more often work creatively, think out of the box, and go out of their way to help their teammates. who feel challenged to experiment and learn new things will come up with creative ways to create value and solve problems.  will behave how you reward them to behave.  If you recognize them for doing tasks, they wi...