Coach Dan Estby

Author: Coach Dan

  • We’ve Always Done It That Way…

     We’ve Always Done It That Way… I heard that phrase this week…. “We’ve always done it that way.” It was interesting, in an academic way, to observe the group I was with in the aftermath of those words.  I could actually see the body language of people change; people looking off screen, slumped shoulders, leaning…

  • A Perspective on Perspective…

    A Perspective on Perspective…  saw the best thing at a daily stand-up this week.  A squad member was asking about a story on the backlog that had NOTHING to do with their subject matter expertise or experience.  Do you want to know WHY that was such a great moment for me?  The person assigned to the ticket answered the…

  • Never be afraid

    📖 “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth.” – William Faulkner It takes courage to stand up and say something that may go against the grain, or be an unpopular…

  • True Leadership Is About Helping People To Grow

      📖 A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”
 -Lao Tzu True leadership is about helping people to grow, and enabling them to succeed. By creating a clear understanding of the goal, equipping people with the tools…

  • Share your thoughts!

    📖 “A drop of ink may make a million think.”- George Gordon Byron Sharing your throughts and perspectives, asking your questions… these are the things that can help your team unlock an innovative solution. Why do we find it so hard sometimes, to share something that may be counter to what the group says?  

  • Loud Does Not Equal Right

      📖 “He who establishes his argument by noise and command, shows that his reason is weak.” – Michel de MontaigneThose who belive the loudest voices have the best answer often miss out on hearing some of the most innovative ideas. Do not assign the highest value to the loudest idea. Ask the quiet people…

  • Purpose To Alignment To Engagement

      📖 “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich NietzscheA shared senses of purpose leads to alignment. Alignment, coupled with psychological safety leads to engagement. Engaged teams out perform when compared to disengaged teams. Are your teams aware of the purpose they serve, and how they solve…

  • Stop A Moment And Look Around You

    📖 “If I were asked for the most important advice I could give, I should simply say: stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” – Leo TolstoyTolstoy understood the importance of awareness and reflection. Pausing a moment and reflecting on your day is a vital way to continuously improve the way you work…

  • Learn, Unlearn, Relearn

      “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler Continuious Improvement means continuious learning. It means undderstanding that just because something worked yesterday, doesn’t mean it will work tomorrow. It means that everything should be on the table…

  • Happy National Awkward Moments Day

      🥳 Happy National Awkward Moments Day! – March 18Celebrate the day by Seeing the humor in awkward moments and have fun with them. Being vulnerable –Share stories about our own awkward moments with your team. Laugh over them and enjoy the memory. Helping someone else recover from an awkward moment. They may be embarrassing…