Podcast appearances and mentions of geoff watts

Gary Buxton admits he spends his life stuck in rabbitholes. As a psychologist and executive coach, he loves nothing more than to geek out about the evidence base for coaching, ensuring his own practice is built on the latest science.While Gary is a firm believer that coaching is always a process and never a destination, in this episode of The Coach's Journey Podcast he warns against the pitfalls of being overwhelmed by study, reminding us that it is through practice that we cultivate and nurture our own unique coaching stance.Gary's own journey has encompassed work as a director, CEO and head hunter in the private sector, as well as helping people back into work in the social impact sector, honing his coaching skills in diverse, challenging settings.Awarded an MBE in 2014 for Services to the Young People of England, Gary now trains new coaches on the Barefoot Coaching postgraduate programme, He is a qualified coach mentor and coach supervisor with ICF, and is on his way to becoming a chartered coaching psychologist with the British Psychological Society.In conversation with host Ruth Saville, Gary explores a vibrant array of concepts from psychology and coaching that centre around creating balance in our lives and having our value reflected in our work.In this episode, Gary and host Ruth Saville also talk about:· The benefits of keeping a third of your time free for play· How to nurture your task-positive and default mode networks· What psychologists have to teach coaches...and vice versa!· How to turn your friends into your marketing departmentGary also speaks about how to hold onto the value of your work in a coaching landscape filling up with new tools, technology and solutions, and how to put enough of yourself out into the world to allow people to choose you.Things and people we mentioned (that you might be interested in): Academy of Executive Coaching https://www.aoec.com/British Psychological Society https://www.bps.org.uk/Lisa Feldman Barrett https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/Barefoot Coaching https://barefootcoaching.co.uk/Robert Holden https://www.robertholden.com/ICF https://coachingfederation.org/Three Principles and Sydney Banks https://threeprinciplesfoundation.org/about-sydney-banksCoaching Psychology Network https://www.thecoachingpsychologynetwork.com/BetterUp https://www.betterup.com/en-gbCoachHub https://www.coachhub.com/en/Know You More https://www.knowyoumore.com/Rich Litvin https://richlitvin.com/The Little ACT Workbook by Michael Sinclair https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/michael-sinclair/the-little-act-workbook/9781780592435/The Coach's Casebook by Kim Morgan and Geoff Watts https://barefootcoaching.co.uk/product/the-coachs-casebook-kim-morgan-geoff-watts-2015/Simplifying Coaching by Claire Pedrick https://www.3dcoaching.com/shop/simplifying-coaching/Erik de Haan https://instituteofcoaching.org/erik-de-haan

Neil Mackinnon describes himself as a curious human, and his curiosity has guided him throughout a remarkable career in which he has been immersed in creative projects, surrounded by creative people, and focussed on creative potential.Crucially, he has also spent a great deal of his life listening and being truly present to what has occurred around him, and these qualities aided a sense of catharsis and newfound aliveness when he first experienced coaching.Neil is one of the new hosts of The Coach's Journey Podcast, and in this episode he gets to the heart of why coaching has become such a prominent focus of a life in which he has worked as a professional musician, a creative producer for Europe's largest centre for the arts, and now as a faculty member at the Academy of Executive Coaching.He explains how skilful coaches helped him access the power and potential of coaching to overcome profound challenges in his work, and how coaching appealed to his sense of adventure and his disposition as a man fascinated by all industries, all people, and all walks of life. In this episode, we also talk about:How to choose a coaching organisation to train withThe hidden messages that lie within our resistance to coachingBuilding autonomy through your locus of controlThe profound potency of core coaching competenciesCoaching as a relational business, in which your network really matters Neil, who has his own podcast called Creative Practice, also speaks to the deeper work of coaching, and the change that becomes possible when we find the courage to step into our shadow.For more information about Neil, visit https://neilmackinnon.net/For information about Robbie's wider work, his writing or to buy his books, visit www.robbieswale.com.Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQgTo support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community. Things and people we mentioned (that you might be interested in):- The Academy of Executive Coaching https://www.aoec.com/ - The Coach's Casebook by Kim Morgan and Geoff Watts https://barefootcoaching.co.uk/product/the-coachs-casebook-kim-morgan-geoff-watts-2015/ - Robbie appearing on Neil's Creative Practice podcast https://creative-practice.net/2021/01/29/robbie-swale-coach/ - Kate Rees - https://www.katereescoaching.com/- A Job To Love by Alain de Botton https://www.theschooloflife.com/shop/a-job-to-love/ - Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans https://designingyour.life/the-book/ - Richard Hawley - https://www.frycreative.uk/richard-hawley- Gaylene Gould on Neil's podcast, Creative Practice https://creative-practice.net/2021/08/12/episode-13-gaylene-gould/- Link to the art behind Neil on the wall: Jet propulsion library, NASA https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galleries/visions-of-the-future - Jude Kelly https://thewowfoundation.com/about-wow/about-jude-kelly - The WOW Foundation https://thewowfoundation.com/- RD 1st Coaching Training https://relationaldynamics1st.co.uk/- Theatre People, Greg Jauncey's cultural sector HR Consultancy https://www.theatrepeople.uk/who-are-we- Paul Williamson from The Ambassador Theatre Group https://www.associationforcoaching.com/members/?id=52110032- ABC Creative Music https://www.abcmusic.org.uk/- InterMusica https://www.intermusica.com/- Jerry Seinfeld on The Tim Ferris Show https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/485-jerry-seinfeld-a-comedy-legends-systems/id863897795?i=1000501727043 - The Prosperous Coach by Rich Litvin https://richlitvin.com/book/- Chilly's Water Bottles https://www.chillys.com/uk/categories/bottles- The quote Neil mentions at the end: in his book Reboot, Leadership and the Art of Growing Up, executive coach Jerry Colonna writes about this sort of radical self-inquiry: “I laugh loudly when folks suggest that this is some sort of yoga-inspired soft-bellied call to leadership. ‘Namaste my ass,' I say with my Brooklyn-born chip firmly, squarely, and proudly on my shoulder. ‘Try entering the cave, walking to the dark recesses, and retrieving the treasure wa-a-a-y in the back. Then come tell me about being soft.'”BIOGRAPHY FROM NEILNeil is a London-based leadership and executive coach, accredited by the International Coaching Federation and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council. He works with ambitious individuals, leaders and entrepreneurs, across the cultural and creative industries, tech and beyond. He coaches people to fulfill their potential through helping them establish clarity of purpose, supporting personal growth and enabling valued professional contribution and sustained personal fulfilment.Following an early career as a professional musician Neil worked in various management and leaders roles in the cultural and creative sectors, including 12 years at London's Southbank Centre, Europe's largest centre for the arts. During his time there he discovered coaching through a transformational experience of working with a coach. This sparked a journey of discovery that led to his initial coach training and building coaching skills into his style of leadership.He now splits his time between his private coaching practice and a part time faculty position at the Academy of Executive Coaching, a leading global coaching organisation offering executive coach training, coaching solutions, executive coaching certification.

00:00 Intro 00:45 Mastery of Skills 05:45 Discourse and Asynchronous Communication 14:45 Conflict and Safety from Judgment 21:25 Agile Mastery Institute Pathways 29:30 Coaching with Geoff 30:18 Outro Connect with Geoff at https://agilemasteryinstitute.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with us at the following places: Wisconsin Agility Training: https://wisconsinagility.com/training Advising: https://wisconsinagility.com/advising Merch: https://wisconsinagility.com/merch Jeff Bubolz Jeff Bubolz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffbubolz/ Jeff Bubolz Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffBubolz Chad Beier Chad Beier LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadbeier/ Agile Songs YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@agilesongs Agile Songs Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@agilesongs/shorts Agile Songs Twitter: https://twitter.com/AgileSongs The Agile Wire Web: https://theagilewire.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YKEHJtcJXZ55ohsUOvklI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-agile-wire/id1455057621 Agile Wire Clips: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLl0ryedF7y7HWTsbur4ysdpUcY7tniSG Agile Wire Twitter: https://twitter.com/AgileWire Make sure you subscribe to the channel! #Scrum #Agile #ProfessionalScrum #Kanban #BusinessAgility

Geoff is one of the most experienced Scrum coaches in the UK, a TEDx and Keynote Speaker and the author of the seminal best-sellers Scrum Mastery: From Good to Great Servant-Leadership, Product Mastery: From Good to Great Product Ownership and of course the award-winning The Coach's Casebook: Mastering The Twelve Traits That Trap Us which he co-wrote with Barefoot's Kim Morgan. In this episode, Geoff shares: ·      What Agile is and his journey into the world of Scrum ·      Why he is passionate about Servant Leadership ·      His experience of training with Barefoot Coaching ·      How he is using a blend of coaching and Agile methodologies in his work supporting organisations ·      His mission to disrupt the world of Agile certification Episode Links: The Servant as Leader, Robert K. Greenleaf: https://archive.org/details/20200601-the-servant-as-leader/page/4/mode/2up Inspect and Adapt: https://www.inspectandadapt.com/ Agile Mastery Institute: https://agilemasteryinstitute.com/guide/geoff-watts/

Harri Tunturivuori: When Suggestions Sound Like Orders, The Cost of Micro-Management in Agile Teams Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. In this episode, Harri recounts a challenging experience he had while working with a team that had a new manager. The manager was promoted from within the team and was a high-performing team member, but lacked good leadership skills. He couldn't let go of the technical skills and ended up micro-managing the team.  The manager would step in and give suggestions to the team members, but it came out as an order. He even wrote the solution in the user stories, which resulted in the team disengaging because the manager was bossing them.  Some team members quit their jobs, and others became demotivated. Harri felt helpless in the situation and eventually came up with tips to deal with it, including having a conversation with the manager, preparing for the conversation, and being understanding. The team's feedback was collected, and facts were presented to the manager on how this behavior was affecting the team.  This episode is a must-listen for anyone dealing with anti-patterns in their team dynamics. Featured Book of the Week: Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts Harri's most influential book is Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts, who has been a past guest on the podcast. The book offers many practical tips and advice for Scrum Masters, emphasizing the importance of being a servant leader. Harri found the book funny, which made it a pleasant read. He appreciated the tips provided in the book, which can help Scrum Masters go from being good to great. Geoff Watts is a well-known author in the field of Scrum and agile software development, and his book has been highly recommended by professionals in the industry. If you are a Scrum Master looking for practical advice to improve your leadership skills, Scrum Mastery is definitely worth checking out.   [IMAGE HERE] Do you wish you had decades of experience? Learn from the Best Scrum Masters In The World, Today! The Tips from the Trenches - Scrum Master edition audiobook includes hours of audio interviews with SM's that have decades of experience: from Mike Cohn to Linda Rising, Christopher Avery, and many more. Super-experienced Scrum Masters share their hard-earned lessons with you. Learn those today, make your teams awesome!     About Harri Tunturivuori Harri is an experienced leader, Scrum Master, and Agile Coach who was introduced to the world of agile software development in 2010. Since then, Harri has had the pleasure of leading great agile teams in various forms. Harri enjoys working in a fun environment where there is room for innovation, and Harri is driven by the challenge of growing a group of good people into a great team. You can link with Harri Tunturivuori on LinkedIn. 

Ryan and Todd suggest their own book, "Fixing Your Scrum," which could be suitable for someone who wants to learn about Agile software development and become a Scrum Master. They also recommend checking out the Scrum Guide, "Scrum Mastery" by Geoff Watts, and the Agile for Humans YouTube channel for additional information. They also mention a few other books, including "Mastering Professional Scrum" by Simon Reindl and Stephanie Ockerman, "Scrum: A Pocket Guide" by Gunther Verheyen, and "Scrum Insights for Practitioners" by Hiren Doshi. ⏩ Join Ryan and Todd for a Scrum.org course: https://buytickets.at/agileforhumansllc Todd and Ryan also co-authored a book - Fixing Your Scrum: Practical Solutions to Common Scrum Problems.

For the first time on the Culture First Podcast, we are doing a mini-series where we go behind the scenes of a company to learn how they put Culture First at all levels of the company.The first company that we will be exploring is Wilson Sporting Goods. While many people would know Wilson for its products, you probably don't know that they've been around for over 100 years, and it was only in the last few years that it launched retail stores. In the third episode of this series, we will be speaking with the Wilson Director of Retail for North America, Erin Pelton. In this episode, you'll hear Erin share her experience building a career in the retail industry, why Wilson was her dream opportunity and the importance of diversity, inclusion and belonging when you launch a new initiative within an established organization. If you'd like to hear more from Wilson Sporting Goods, register to attend Culture First Virtual Americas, where their VP of HR, Geoff Watts, will be joined live on stage with Damon Klotz.

For the first time on the Culture First Podcast, we are doing a mini-series where we go behind the scenes of a company to learn how they put Culture First at all levels of the company. The first company that we will be exploring is Wilson Sporting Goods. While many people would know Wilson for its products, you probably don't know that they've been around for over 100 years, and it was only in the last few years that it launched retail stores. In the second episode of this series, we will be speaking with the Wilson VP of HR, Geoff Watts.In this episode, you'll hear how Geoff thinks about company culture, measuring employee experience and what he's excited about as the company moves into retail. If you'd like to hear more from Geoff, register to attend Culture First Virtual Americas, where Geoff will be joined live on stage with Damon Klotz.

For the first time on the Culture First Podcast, we are doing a mini-series where we go behind the scenes of a company to learn how they put Culture First at all levels of the company. The first company that we will be exploring is Wilson Sporting Goods. While many people would know Wilson for their products, you probably don't know that they've been around for over 100 years, and it was only in the last few years that they launched retail stores. In the first episode of this series, we will be speaking with the Wilson CEO and Chairman Joe Dudy. In this episode, you'll hear how Joe worked his way up from an entry-level role in the company to eventually becoming CEO. Joe will talk about how he thinks about company culture, measuring employee experience and what he's excited about as the company moves into the retail space. You'll also have to listen to the end as Joe answers the question about the impact Wilson the volleyball from the movie Castaway had on the company culture and the bottom line. To hear more from the team at Wilson Sporting Goods, make sure that you register to join us at Culture First. Geoff Watts will join me live in conversation to discuss how Wilson put Culture First. Make sure you click the link above to get your free ticket.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. About Geoff Watts Geoff Watts is the founder of Inspect & Adapt, The Agile Licensing Library, ORGANIC agility and most recently Agile Mastery Institute and one of the most well-respected authors, coaches, trainers and speakers in the worlds of agile and coaching. Oh yeah - and he has also co-written an agile joke book as well! You can find out more about the Agile Mastery Institute, and Geoff Watts. 

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Shoaib took some time to learn to define success. He was inspired by Geoff Watts book “Scrum Mastery”, and started working on what success meant for him. With the idea that a great Scrum Master will, over time, become redundant, he explored the different lessons in the book, and started defining some questions he could use for his own reflection. Featured Retrospective Format for the Week: Appreciation Retrospective After working for a while on the project, the team members spent a lot of time, and many retrospectives discussing problems and challenges. When that happens, there's tension. The Appreciation retrospective is one way to create space for being grateful to each other for the help, and the solutions team members were able to come up with during the project. In the past, we've covered a similar format with the name: The Appreciation Shower Retrospective.  In this episode, we also refer to the Build Your Own Scrum Master retro.  Do you wish you had decades of experience? Learn from the Best Scrum Masters In The World, Today! The Tips from the Trenches - Scrum Master edition audiobook includes hours of audio interviews with SM's that have decades of experience: from Mike Cohn to Linda Rising, Christopher Avery, and many more. Super-experienced Scrum Masters share their hard-earned lessons with you. Learn those today, make your teams awesome!   About Shoaib Naik Shoaib is a Scrum Master with over 11 years in Software development with experience in different roles, from IT Account Manager, Product Manager to Project Manager in product as well services-based companies. You can link with Shoaib Naik on LinkedIn, and follow Shoaib Naik's blog. 

Geoff Watts is the Global VP of HR at Wilson Sporting Goods. He's also a runner, cyclist, and coffee addict. Geoff's favorite book is Legacy by James Kerr, an incredible book about the New Zealand All Blacks and their approach towards not only sport, but life in general. Get in touch with Geoff Watts: Website: https://www.wilson.com/en-us LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-watts-aaa8792 Book your free Strategy Flow call today! https://www.outfieldleadership.com/#call Purchase Dave's book The Self-Evolved Leader here- https://www.amazon.com/Self-evolved-Leader-Elevate-Develop-Refuses/dp/1626346801 Get in touch with Dave: Website: https://www.davemckeown.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/davemckeown Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davemckeown1/?hl=en

In the fall of 2021, Geoff Watts and I recorded this conversation exploring what it means to cultivate leadership in various contexts.  We also explore concepts of ORGANIC agility that encourage healthy change and better transformational behaviors within business settings.   Geoff Watts is among my all time favorite thought leaders and influencers among teachers, mentors, and coaches improving our concepts of business value and agility throughout the VUCA world.   Despite the slight background interruptions of chainsaw or weed trimmers emanating from a landscape gardener near Geoff's home in the northern UK countryside, this episode was also edited a bit further from a source file intended to be featured on the Becoming A True Agile Leader podcast.  Since there's been a delay in seeing that episode released, I was able to repurpose most of the conversation for the Quokka-Cast so that listeners can benefit from Geoff's tremendous insights sooner.   Please be sure to visit Geoff Watt's website:  https://www.inspectandadapt.com/ Geoff's books, which I highly recommend for repeat reading, studying, meditating, and gift-giving: Team Mastery - amazon link Product Mastery - amazon link The Coach's Casebook - amazon link Scrum Mastery - amazon link ORGANIC agility Foundations - amazon link Pun Mastery - amazon link Quokka-Cast music supplied by Epidemic Sound Intro and outro featured track: The Last Guardians, by Coma Svensson --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/quokka-cast/support

Hello there, and welcome to the Agile Pubcast. In this pubcast, two agile coaches Geoff Watts & Paul Goddard meet in a pub and discuss all things agile in the time it takes to drink a pint of our favourite drink.In order to subscribe to our pubcast feed just head over to patreon.com/theagilepubcast and by becoming a patron you will get the latest episodes downloaded automatically to your smartphone AND you can also gain access to our entire back catalogue of over 100 episodes recorded over the last 5 years as well as many other benefits too!!So, on behalf of Geoff and myself, thank you for searching out the world's favourite pub-related agile podcast and we hope to connect with you soon through our new patreon.com website.Thanks for listening and… CHEERS!! Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Dan Neumann is joined by a first-time guest and AgileThought colleague Jesus Gerardo De La Fuente Garcia. Thanksgiving is here, and a lot of what Coaches and Scrum Masters do is about giving.   In this episode, Dan and Gerardo dive deep into the role of a Scrum Master as a teacher, leaving for a future episode the two other roles, being one as a coach and the other as a mentor. They explain the meaning of a team, the values implied in it, and how a Scrum Master can foster a safe environment for a team to thrive.   Key Takeaways How is giving perceived by a Scrum Master? Scrum Masters are in a great position to help others to be successful. A Scrum Master can cover three important positions: Coach, Teacher, and Mentor. What does it mean to be a team? Clear is kind: It is a great way to start to clarify the principles and values of the Scrum Framework for the team to know, not only what they are doing, but why they are doing it. Then they can start to share identity as team members. Working in collaboration to achieve a shared goal effectively. Listening to other team members. Taking everybody's ideas under consideration. Accountability and candid respect need to be present at all times among team members. Sharing best practices as well as the bad habits that need to be avoided. A team needs to be taught how to be self-organized and be able to make decisions when needed. A gift that a Scrum Master can give to a team is having fun! Strengthening collaboration bonds and enhancing the team spirit. Using mindful techniques and games can help to bring a team together. Every member is a crucial part of the team. Thankfulness Nothing is for granted; gratefulness needs to be practiced at all times. Openness and trust given by team members are well appreciated.   Mentioned in this Episode: Scrum Mastery: From Good to Great Servant-Leadership, by Geoff Watts     Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!

The people at Wilson Sporting Goods have been navigating a world of work turned upside down, much like the rest of us, over the past 20 months. But, they've made a few critical decisions along the learning curve to help galvanize their new way of working together. At the core of their new hybrid work culture is constant communication. Geoff Watts joins me on People at Work to share what this looks like in practice. Connection at every level, starting with individual employees, is their sweet spot. Not only does this ensure that people are heard and given space to shape their own work experience, but it enables tremendous value creation for employees and consumers. And that leads to a crystal clear understanding of the company's vision, and every person's role in achieving it. We're living through interesting times, and the need to look after our people increases daily. Geoff also has some thoughts on employee care, retention, and satisfaction, against the backdrop of “The Great Resignation”. As he puts it, the grass is greenest where you water it. Give this episode a listen and you too can tend to your lawn, and ensure that your people don't need to head to the other side to see if it's greener. About our guest: Leader at Wilson Sporting Goods. Runner, cyclist, and coffee addict. Geoff's favorite book is Legacy by James Kerr. An incredible book about the New Zealand All Blacks and their approach towards not only sport, but life in general. You can contact Geoff on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/geoff-watts-aaa8792/

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. From the many Scrum team anti-patterns, Richard highlights the “order taker” anti-pattern. When the Scrum team accepts that the Product Owner knows everything, and gives them already pre-digested features they just need to deliver. In this episode, we discuss why some teams adopt this anti-pattern, and what we can do as Scrum Masters to help them understand what they are missing. Featured Book of the Week: Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts The book Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts, gave Richard that “aha!” moment he was looking for. In the book, Geoff Watts goes over the differences between doing a good job, and being a great Scrum Master and that helped Richard grow in the role of the Scrum Master.  How can Angela (the Agile Coach) quickly build healthy relationships with the teams she's supposed to help? What were the steps she followed to help the Breeze App team fight off the competition? Find out how Angela helped Naomi and the team go from “behind” to being ahead of Intuition Bank, by focusing on the people! Download the first 4 chapters of the BOOK for FREE while it is in Beta! About Richard Lizama Before becoming a Scrum Master, Richard spent time as a college counselor, then a small business owner, then a tech support rep. Once he found Scrum and Agile, he knew it was where he needed to be. You can link with Richard Lizama on LinkedIn.

Have you ever been told you're a perfectionist? Is that really common for Product Owners? Is perfection even possible? In this episode, Geoff Watts joins the show to talk about how this is a trait that can sometimes trap us in our work and with our teams. Also, we discuss some areas where it might be a good thing and how POs can leverage it for a benefit. Feedback: twitter - @deliveritcast email - deliveritcast@gmail.com Links: PO Coaching and Consulting - seek taiju Geoff Watts - @geoffcwatts on twitter - https://www.inspectandadapt.com/ Geoff Watts and Kim Morgan - The Coach's Casebook  Sean Durham - Why Your Progress is more Important than Perfection  Kevin Wang - The Product Manager's Guide to Combating Perfectionism  Elizabeth Scott - Perfectionist Traits: Do These Sound Familiar?  Julian Treasure - How to speak so that people want to listen  John Cutler - The Form That Stole 20,531,250 Seconds  James Hoffman - Understanding The AeroPress (Episode #2) with Triangle Test  Society of Sensory Professionals - Triangle Test

This is the summary episode of our Prestigious Pints chat with Esther Derby.   In the fourth episode of our Prestigious Pints series, Geoff Watts and Paul Goddard got together (virtually in lockdown) with one of their heroes and inspirations Esther Derby.   They chat about how Esther is most widely known for her work in retrospectives even though this is only a fraction of what she has done and continues to do before explaining how she got into that space.   Be sure to check out the full video interview at https://www.patreon.com/theagilepubcast   Enjoy!

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website. Ludmila has experienced how unhappiness and frustration with the environment can do to a team. We talk about the team member that was trapped in a cynical state of mind and discuss the consequences that can have for the individual and the team. We discuss how to prepare for those situations in which the team is in a less than perfect environment, and starts to react negatively. Featured Book of the Week: Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts Ludmila found important guidance in Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts and recommends the book for Scrum Masters getting started in their journey. In this segment, we also refer to The Coach’s Casebook by Geoff Watts and Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins.   About Ludmila Reyter Ludmila started as a project manager and became a scrum master early on, and has been working with teams in the software development sector for 7 years now - but with other teams in general (basketball, studies) much longer.  She loves to see people working together successfully, which of course means going through some tough times, too. Ludmila realized that the things she once learned somehow rearrange, and has a thought for us: never be sure that what you think you know will always be true! You can link with Ludmila Reyter on LinkedIn and connect with Ludmila Reyter on Twitter.

Welcome to a season of Q&A episodes on the Amazing Applications podcast where Neil Benson, Microsoft MVP, will do his best to answer your questions about building amazing applications.Neal Carty, a Business Solutions Consultant at Traction On Demand in Toronto asks:How does the Professional Scrum Product Owner certification compare to the Professional Scrum Master certification, and is it relevant for Dynamics 365?What's the best way to acquire the knowledge required for PSPO certification?How can we accelerate our learning and avoid high-fees for generic, in-person PSPO courses?Can we mix certifications between Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance?Resources mentioned in this episodeScrum.org Professional Scrum Master I training and certificationScrum.org Professional Product Owner I training and certificationScrum Alliance Certified Product Owner training and certificationProfessional Scrum Product Owner by Don McGreal and Ralph Jocham (affiliate)Product Mastery: From Good to Great Product Owner by Geoff Watts (affiliate)Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/amazingapps)

Get the book: https://inspectandadapt.com/product/team-mastery/7892/Remember, this podcast uses chapters, so you can skip straight to the interview if you'd like.Support the show (http://patreon.com/agilebookclub)

Get the book: https://inspectandadapt.com/product/team-mastery/7892/Join our reading community: https://join.slack.com/t/agilebookclub/shared_invite/zt-hkzuf5hj-lsuqevKUIw5ugLQzGQG0NQErratum: I mistakenly attributed the book "Agile Retrospectives" to Rachel Davies. It was written by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen. Rachel is the author of Agile Coaching.Support the show (http://patreon.com/agilebookclub)

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website. When we start out as a Scrum Master we might not yet be able to detect the anti-patterns that may develop in teams. That lack of experience can turn against us. One anti-pattern that emerges over and over again is that of the “hero”. In this episode, we explore what leads people to assume the “hero” role and how that negatively affects the team.  In this episode, we refer to the graphic novel series Asterix and Obelix.  Featured Book of the Week: Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts In Scrum Mastery: From Good To Great Servant-Leadership by Geoff Watts, found many good stories and examples that make a difference between “good enough”, and “really great” Scrum Masters. The book does this via many short stories that illustrate the differences.  In this segment, we also refer to The Scrum Guide as well as Gunther’s Scrum - A Pocket Guide.  Both Geoff Watts and Gunther Verheyen have been previous guests on the podcast.    About Thomas Kofoed Passionate Agile Coach / Scrum Master. Thomas focuses on engaging people while helping organizations and teams evolve their products guided by the feedback from their customers/users.  Thomas switches between Facilitation Coaching and Teaching (sometimes Mentoring). He's open about his purpose and that he strives to get his teams to where they don't need him but might miss him :-)  You can link with Thomas Kofoed on LinkedIn

I talk with Scrum Coach, Geoff Watts, about his book “Team Mastery”. We discuss SQUAD (Self-Improvement, Quality, Unity, Audacity, Delivery), trust, individual & team values, personalities on teams, equality on teams, individual flow vs team flow, work transparency, asking for help, remote work, healthy team environments, advise for new Scrum Masters and more!

Geoff Watts and Paul Goddard are the hosts of the Agile Pubcast. Both are authors in the space and trainers with Scrum Alliance. Find all the show notes and links at https://www.theagilewire.com

Today, I’ll be speaking with the UK’s leading Agile Coach and author of several books, Geoff Watts on Organic Agility and Change Management. Geoff’s mission is to help individuals create great teams by developing a culture of reflection, empowerment and engagement. Having started using Scrum at British Telecom, one of the first large-scale Agile adoptions,…… Continue reading Episode 22: Change Management and Organic Agility with Geoff Watts

Geoff Watts is an Agile Leadership Coach over at Inspect & Adapt Ltd. He is a certified Scrum Master Trainer, and he also runs and hosts The Agile Pubcast podcast. Geoff has written four books on the topic of agile in coaching and what makes teams great. In this episode… For your SaaS product to succeed, there are underlying considerations that you need to have in place in order to maximize all the potential possibilities that your product has to offer. And according to Geoff Watts of Agile Pubcast, one of the things you need to keep in mind from the designing process all the way up to launch is that you don’t know everything. That in itself can open a whole new world of possibilities for you, your product, and your business. It’s nearly impossible to know everything that your potential customers want and need from a SaaS product and the best way for you to get those answers is by getting a Scrum which can help you either deliver the Most Viable Product (MVP) or de-risk the riskiest part of what you're doing. Tune in to this episode of the Big Break Software Podcast where Geoff Watts discusses his agile coaching business, all things Scrum related, how to improve your SaaS product to match your target group, and the vital role of Scrum Masters. Stay tuned.

Read the full Show Notes and search through the world’s largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website.  You only know a good team when they are under pressure. It’s easy to “follow the process” if you have a lot of time, and little pressure. However, as a Scrum Master, you know you’ve done good work when the team sticks to the process (and even improves it) when they are under pressure. I advocate using self-imposed pressure to get better, I’ve written and recorded a video about that based on my own experience as a runner. The same is true in your work as a Scrum Master!  Featured Book of the Week: Agile Actionable Metrics For Predictability by Dan Vacanti In Agile Actionable Metrics For Predictability by Dan Vacanti, Darren found the inspiration to start using and learning from metrics. It also got Darren started on Probabilistic Forecasting, a method he uses regularly.  In this segment, we also refer to Agile Retrospectives by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen, and to Scrum Mastery, but Geoff Watts. Both Diana Larsen and Geoff Watts have been guests here on the Scrum Master Toolbox podcast.    About Darren Smith Darren, aka the Naked Scrum Master, has been helping teams and organizations be better than they were by exposing dysfunction and helping people to remove obstacles from their path so they can be happier and more fulfilled in their working lives. You can link with Darren Smith on LinkedIn and connect with Darren Smith on Twitter.   

After the huge success of last year's Christmas single, agile coaches Geoff Watts and Paul Goddard have put themselves out there again in order to raise money for charity. Please visit the Just Giving page and donate what you can (even if it's just £1) for a great cause and help us beat last year's total. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/theagilepubcast-xmas-2019-shelter And if you want to see an "alternative" version of this song then head over to patreon.com/TheAgilePubcast and become a patron. For the full video version, go to https://youtu.be/0HXnFmsBdI4 Original backing track: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir Recorded at Yellow Shark Studios, 121 Promenade, Cheltenham Twitter: @TheAgilePubcast @geoffcwatts @paulkgoddard Happy Christmas!

We are very proud of our first international interview. Probably our English should improve a bit, but we hope it will be the first of a long series. We thank Denis Salnikov for the interview he gave us at the last Italian Agile Days in Modena. We talked about how, as a scrum master or agile coach we should aim to bring the teams to a high level of self-organization because "A good Scrum Master will be indispensable to a team. A great Scrum Master will become both dispensable and wanted" [Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts]

We are very proud of our first international interview. Probably our English should improve a bit, but we hope it will be the first of a long series. We thank Denis Salnikov for the interview he gave us at the last Italian Agile Days in Modena. We talked about how, as a scrum master or agile coach we should aim to bring the teams to a high level of self-organization because "A good Scrum Master will be indispensable to a team. A great Scrum Master will become both dispensable and wanted" [Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts]

Smiling is one of the fundamental ways people communicate, so what happens if your face can’t do it? Written by Neil Steinberg Read by Charlotte Hussey Produced by Graihagh Jackson For more stories and to read the text original, visit mosaicscience.com Subscribe to our podcast: Apple Podcasts itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/mosai…id964928211?mt=2 RSS mosaicscience.libsyn.com/rss If you liked this story, we recommend The engineer who fixed his own heart, by Geoff Watts, also available as a podcast.

Sooner or later, Scrum Masters will face the micro-management anti-pattern. What should Scrum Masters do in that case? In this episode, we talk about the anti-patterns that can emerge in a team that is subject to micro-management and some of the tools that Scrum Masters can use in those situations.  We discuss the Game of Trust and the Niko Niko Calendar.  Featured book for the Week: Scrum Mastery by Geoff Watts Geoff Watts has been a past guest of the Scrum Master Toolbox podcast, and is also the author of Scrum Mastery: From Good To Great Servant-Leadership. In that book, Dirk found out about servant leadership and how that could change his approach to the Scrum Master role.  In this segment, we also mention Scrum for the people by Tobias Mayer and Product Mastery by Geoff Watts. About Dirk Fabricius Dirk has worked in jobs with IT focus for 20 years. He has had the roles of Project Lead, Developer (Backend), Product Owner and Scrum Master. He’s also been a Teacher in Public Schools for 7 years. You can link with Dirk Fabricius on LinkedIn.

Ari & Maggie sit down with Geoff Watts, a man who knows more about coffee than most people know about anything. Hear about his travels and experiences searching for the best coffee in the world, the culture of coffee in other countries and learn once and for all what "direct trade" actually means!

Ethiopian coffee is one of the world’s great culinary treasures. It’s also extremely undervalued. Geoff Watts, cofounder of Intelligentsia Coffee, is on a mission to get you—and the $100 billion industry—to pay more. Much more.

  There is almost an incalculable number of ways a Product Owner can feel stressed. It can be overwhelming if you do not find strategies and mindsets to deal with stress effectively.  In this episode, Geoff Watts joins the show again to discuss his recent thoughts on why we feel stressed and what control we have over how we respond. This was also a listener suggested topic and one that is truly helpful for PO’s to become more mindful and focused on.   Feedback: twitter - @deliveritcast email - deliveritcast@gmail.com   Links: PO Coaching and Consulting - seek taiju Geoff Watts - @geoffcwatts - @theagilepubcast - https://inspectandadapt.com/ Geoff Watts - Stress-Free Traffic | How To Find The Silver Linings Robinson, Smith, Seal - Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress Colleen O’Rourke - Coping with Product Manager Burnout Martin Stahl - The Product Owner cargo-cult detection checklist Dominica Degrandis - Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & Flow  

The Agile Pubcast presents Geoff Watts, Paul Goddard and a special guest singing for charity. Please donate to a charity of your choice after listening. For the full video version, go to https://youtu.be/AOgyh0LDKs0 Original backing track: Band Aid 1984 Do They Know It's Christmas Video: Luke Taylor Audio: Jordan Blackmore Filmed at Yellow Shark Studios, 121 Promenade, Cheltenham Twitter: @TheAgilePubcast @geoffcwatts @paulkgoddard This was a bit of fun in the hope of raising a bit of money for charity. No malice was intended and no disrespect was aimed at anyone. Merry Christmas FREE THE TEAM!

Former co-host of this show Lisette will be familiar to long-term listeners, who might have wondered where she’d got to – well, wonder no more! She was busy writing “Work Together Anywhere”, which gave us a great excuse to catch up in our featured segment today. And don’t forget to join us over on twitter (@PilarOrti or @Virtualteamw0rk), where one discussion this week has been all about what we call that bit on the screen where our colleague’s head appears. Not as obvious as it sounds! Can you add any suggestions? https://twitter.com/PilarOrti/status/1053025198188965891 Speaking of social media, we were so happy to be included in Geoff Watts’ video about his top 10 agile podcasts – he’s a great entertaining Youtuber and podcaster, and we’re in some great company here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYYxiqUdpp0&feature=youtu.be      The Voice Behind The Book: Lisette Sutherland, author of Work Together Anywhere   It’s been a long time since we had a ‘virtual coffee’ with Lisette, so this was a great trip down memory lane for us both!  We don’t always have this degree of intimacy with our interviewees, at least not to the extent that they admit they started writing their book as an excuse to talk to people who might hire them for a job…  But the director of Collaboration Superpowers soon realised there was a genuine demand for a practical ‘how to’ handbook, to underpin the workshops they delivered. Written over a span of 5 years in the end, the book project morphed from a neon coffee table design vision to a practical, highly-navigable and structured guide, to help readers solve their own problems by being able to find the information they need most in the moment. Lisette’s insight into the collaboration process with her designer and editor will be valuable to anyone embarking on challenge of bringing a book into the world. As well as the practical stuff, Lisette’s work with Happy Melly (and long-term quest for aligning work and personal fulfillment) helps keep the focus on why working flexibly and remotely is so rewarding. In her extensive career helping teams work better together online, she’s seen some changes, including improved acceptance and technology – but sees that there is still a long way to go, and lots of work to do.   But she also reminds us that nothing beats a direct conversation, when working remotely. We shouldn’t be afraid to get on a call – or to try something completely new and different. There are so many blended and creative ways to communicate now, from video messages to picking up the phone, so don’t think about a dichotomy between text and ‘real’ connectivity. Above all Lisette reminds us to keep learning, stay humble, and continually evolve our practice and mindset – so our work can stay fresh and at its best. However many years of remote work experience we might have, we can still grow and develop. We never said remote was easy – but work in general isn’t easy.  With the right tactics and information, we can make it better. And there is no universal formula or single right way of doing this stuff. Personalities, energies and motivations combine differently on every team, however they are located.  As well as the book, you can enjoy Lisette’s podcast https://www.collaborationsuperpowers.com/podcasts/ (and don’t forget our own archives, talking to Lisette, through to the end of 2017!)   Recommended Tool: Loom A powerful way to share little videos, recording your screen in real time along with narration – and it’s a great way to share learning and ideas in remote teams.  It’s available as a chrome plugin, free, and super-easy to share and distribute. There’s no need for an account to view the videos – in fact you can see one right here https://www.useloom.com/share/91a03bf43a0a49908368e3b1bc0530f7 Wellbeing: Are you a Lark or an Owl?  It’s been a while, and we should not take wellbeing in remote work for granted.  And today Maya and Pilar reflect upon is the tradition of the ‘work day’, and how we can still end up following a habit from the industrial revolution… Could we be more productive, fulfilled and effective, by listening to our own energy levels and circadian rhythms? We talk a lot about the tools we have to collaborate asynchronously with colleagues in different time zones, so perhaps we could use them to work more flexibly with each other, and ourselves? To create a culture where we share stuff like ‘I am going for a walk to clear my head’ or, have a special Slack status to signify a siesta?   Team leaders can take the initiative and make sure that true temporal flexibility is part of your “work day”.      

Geoff Watts and Julia Fowler co-founded EDITED, an innovative tech company that brings data analysis to the retail industry, nearly a decade ago. They tell Jonathan Moules that the toughest problem they've faced was when they hired someone who wasn't a team player. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Radioactivity stirs primal fears in many people, but Geoff Watts argues that an undue sense of its risks can cause real harm. Written and read by Geoff Watts Produced by Barry J Gibb For more great stories and to read the text original, visit mosaicscience.com Subscribe to the Mosaic podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your listens. Free to download and stream. Apple Podcasts itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/mosai…id964928211?mt=2 RSS mosaicscience.libsyn.com/rss

Fleet of foot and fickle of mind, consumers are flocking to retailers -- online, and to buy direct.  In the latest Data Drivers, EDITED CEO, Geoff Watts, tells Karen Webster retailers must learn to act like software companies and brands become retailers as data-driven direct consumer interaction emerges as a macro trend.  Three data points tell the story.

Fleet of foot and fickle of mind, consumers are flocking to retailers -- online, and to buy direct.  In the latest Data Drivers, EDITED CEO, Geoff Watts, tells Karen Webster retailers must learn to act like software companies and brands become retailers as data-driven direct consumer interaction emerges as a macro trend.  Three data points tell the story.

Jochen (Joe) Krebs speaks with Geoff Watts about Scrum Mastery (From Good to Great Servant Leadership), one of the 3 books Geoff has published. Geoff provides input in advancing the profession of a Scrum Master, reflects on the profession and provides 4 quick tips how Scrum Masters can quickly improve. He shares one tip per Scrum event in this episode. He also offers his opinion about metrics, the definition of done and working agreements.

Jochen (Joe) Krebs speaks with Geoff Watts about what makes skills and characteristics stand out of great Scrum Masters.

Geoff Watts helps us to better understand the Product Owner role and takes us from good to great product ownership. The post MBA121: Mastering Product Ownership appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis.

Geoff Watts (@geoffcwatts) joined me (@RyanRipley) to discuss Product Mastery. [featured-image single_newwindow=”false”]Geoff Watts[/featured-image]  is the founder of Inspect & Adapt Ltd and one of the most experienced and respected Scrum coaches in the world. Having started using Scrum at British Telecom, one of the first large-scale agile adoptions, he has since coached organisations large and small through their agile journeys. Geoff is the author of Scrum Mastery, The Coaches Casebook, and most recently Product Mastery. As well as his wealth of knowledge in the agile field, he is also passionate about promoting servant-leadership through his coaching practice.Geoff In this episode you'll discover: How difficult the role of Product Owner is to do well The tools, mindset, and techniques necessary to be a successful Product Owner Why the Product Owner needs the support of the whole team in order to get their job done Links from the show: Scrum Mastery: From Good to Great Servant-Leadership by Geoff Watts Product Mastery: From Good to Great Product Ownership by Geoff Watts The Coaches Casebook by Geoff Watts I, Pencil by Leonard Reed The Agile Pubcast [callout]Scrum is the most successful framework for agile product development and much has been written about how to follow the Scrum process but the key to success is in the leadership skills of the product owner. Product Mastery explores the traits of the best product owners offering an insight into the difference between good and great product ownership and explaining how the best product owners are DRIVEN to be successful. Click here to purchase on Amazon.[/callout] [reminder]What are your thoughts about this episode? Please leave them in the comments section below.[/reminder] Want to hear another podcast about the Product Owner role? — Listen to my conversation with Mark Davidson and Tim Ottinger episode 22. We discuss how to become a product owner and the many skills it takes to get a product delivered to your customers. One tiny favor.  — Please take 30 seconds now and leave a review on iTunes. This helps others learn about the show and grows our audience. It will help the show tremendously, including my ability to bring on more great guests for all of us to learn from. Thanks! This podcast episode is brought to you by Techwell’s Agile Dev West Conference. Techwell's Agile Dev West is *the* premier event that covers the latest advances in the agile community. Agile for Humans listeners can use the code AGILEDEV to receive $200 off their conference registration fee. Check out the entire program at adcwest.techwell.com. You'll notice that I'm speaking there this year. Attendees will have a chance to see my The #NoEstimates Movement presentation, along with my half day session on advanced scrum topics called Scrum: Answering the Tough Questions. I hope to see many Agile for Humans listeners in Las Vegas – June 4–9th, for this great event. The post AFH 059: Product Mastery with Geoff Watts [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  The latest offering from Geoff Watts is a great book for Product Owners about “Product Mastery”. Geoff offers some great insight into how PO’s can move from good to great through stories, examples, and some tried and true agile basics.  In this episode, Cory and Geoff talk about why the best product owners are DRIVEN to find success for themselves, the teams, and the customers.   Feedback: twitter - @deliveritcast email - deliveritcast@gmail.com   Links: Co-host Post - http://deliveritcast.com/looking-for-a-new-co-host Melissa Perri - The Lean Product Management Manifesto Michael Sahota - Top 10 secrets of agile transformation Geoff Watts - https://inspectandadapt.com/ - @geoffcwatts - @theagilepubcast Geoff Watts - Product Mastery: From Good to Great Product Ownership

Being a product owner is far more than just backlogs and Kano analysis, and Geoff Watts knows this. In this episode we discuss his newest book “ Product Mastery-from good to great product Ownership” and why he feels its what’s needed for Product owners today. He’s challenging PO’s to be DRIVEN. As an acronym, D.R.I.V.E.N. is Decisive, Ruthless, informed, Versatile, Empowering and Negotiable. We also speculate a bit on his prediction on the future needs of product owners in the coming decade.  The Agile Amped podcast series connects the community through compelling stories, passionate people, shared knowledge, and innovative ideas. Fueled by inspiring conversations with industry thoughtleaders, Agile Amped offers valuable content – anytime, anywhere. To receive real-time updates, subscribe at YouTube, iTunes or SolutionsIQ.com. Subscribe: YouTube, ITunes, Agile Amped Follow: http://bit.ly/SIQTwitter Like: Facebook

The Knight's Templar, Bristol, UKGeoff and Paul welcome back Nigel Baker, and try to get a word in edgeways for a bumper 45-minute episode of the Agile Pubcast!! Topics include: A Debrief of Agile Cymru 2016 * A short tirade on Agile Tools * Recent Changes to the Scrum Guide * Changes in the Scrum Alliance Board * Scrum Alliance UK Chapters * And an EXCLUSIVE from Geoff Watts for our Pubcast listeners!! Get bonus content on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Well, now. The similarities are astounding: clocking in at just over one hour and thirty minutes, the return of the (anti-)hero, adoration for a much-loved mentor, a feisty rebellion, a logical robot that inspires both love and hate… Yup, Episode 44 is none other than “Return of the Cho”. It also happens to be the 2015 Tampies! This week, Colin invites first guest of this year’s podcast reboot, Nick Cho of Wrecking Ball Coffee in San Francisco, back up to the mic to talk about all things 2015 and to help identify those who are taking active steps to move our industry from the realm of “specialty coffee” to that of “progressive coffee”, for better or worse. Join them as they romp through tangential systems of thought, including: mergers and acquisitions, cultural differences, the current state of coffee, the barista power shift, and the usefulness of innovation. Also covered: the-incident-which-shall-not-be-named, the state of the WBC, accidental and/or intentional waggling, the proliferation of the talk platform, gender imbalance, Geoff Watts vs. Peter G, James Hoffmann’s hair, and more. 

Well, now. The similarities are astounding: clocking in at just over one hour and thirty minutes, the return of the (anti-)hero, adoration for a much-loved mentor, a feisty rebellion, a logical robot that inspires both love and hate… Yup, Episode 44 is none other than “Return of the Cho”. It also happens to be the 2015 Tampies! This week, Colin invites first guest of this year’s podcast reboot, Nick Cho of Wrecking Ball Coffee in San Francisco, back up to the mic to talk about all things 2015 and to help identify those who are taking active steps to move our industry from the realm of “specialty coffee” to that of “progressive coffee”, for better or worse. Join them as they romp through tangential systems of thought, including: mergers and acquisitions, cultural differences, the current state of coffee, the barista power shift, and the usefulness of innovation. Also covered: the-incident-which-shall-not-be-named, the state of the WBC, accidental and/or intentional waggling, the proliferation of the talk platform, gender imbalance, Geoff Watts vs. Peter G, James Hoffmann’s hair, and more. 

Is our desire to wage war something uniquely human or can its origins be traced much further back in our evolutionary past? To suggest that warfare is a regular feature of human civilization would be to state the obvious. But just how deeply rooted is our desire to kill others of our species? Is lethal aggression a fixed part of our genetic code, something that has evolved from a common ancestor – and something therefore that has adaptive value? Or is warfare – and more generally, a predilection for lethal violence something that has emerged much more recently in human history? No longer the preserve of historians and philosophers, the question, as Geoff Watts discovers, is now argued over fiercely by anthropologists and biologists. Producer: Rami Tzabar Image Credit: Chimpanzee, courtesy of Getty

In recent years the term 'placebo effect' - the beneficial effects on health of positive expectations about a drug or some other treatment - has become familiar. It has also been shown to be a powerful aid to medicine. The nocebo effect is simply its opposite - it’s ugly sister. One difference is that its breadth and magnitude have been much less studied. Another is that it may be even more powerful than the placebo effect. It is easier to do harm than good. And this is worrisome because nocebo’s negative influence can be found lurking in almost every aspect of medical life – and beyond. From fears about side effects, to the abrupt bedside manner of unwitting doctors, to the health scares promoted by the mass media, the nocebo effect can create in us, a whole range of symptoms just as powerful as if they were being caused by an active treatment. But what if anything can be done about it? Geoff Watts investigates. (Image: Geoff Watts, BBC copyright)

In the second of two programmes, Geoff Watts continues to explore the science, history and cultural implications of gossip. Gossip has a bad reputation and for the most part, and deservedly so. Yet, on-going research appears to suggest that gossip does serve a useful purpose. Not least because our brains may be hard wired for it. Researchers in Boston have used a technique known as binocular rivalry (showing different images to left and right eye at the same time) to suggest that gossip acts as an early warning system, that the brain automatically redirects your attention onto people you've heard negative remarks about. Even though this process happens at a sub-conscious level, your brain is sifting through and weeding out anyone in your surroundings that you may be have good reason to distrust. Elsewhere, researchers in Manchester have been analysing what makes gossip memorable and are now scanning subjects brains to see if there are specific gossip networks which light up. From preliminary results it appears gossip activates areas in the brain similar to those that produce feelings of pleasure and reward. Next they plan to scan their subjects' brains as they tweet. Perhaps unsurprisingly, in many of these experiments, it is celebrity gossip that tends to produce the largest response. Thanks to what one commentator calls the perfect storm of 24-hour news, reality TV and social media, the all-pervasive celebrity gossip industry exploits our endless appetite for information about people we will never meet. But could even celebrity gossip serve a purpose? Or are we gorging ourselves on trivia whilst ignoring the plight of those closest to us? And can and should anything be done to stem the negative impact of gossip in a digital age?

If language elevates us above other animals, why does human society seem to spend so much time gossiping? Perhaps it's because without gossip there would be no society and language would be much less interesting. In the first of two programmes, Geoff Watts explores our fascination with small talk and chit chat. Where did gossip come from, why did it evolve and how has it changed (and changed us) in the digital age? If your guilty pleasure is rifling through gossip magazines, then here's a reassuring message: you are merely fulfilling an evolutionary drive. The brain is 'hard-wired' to be fascinated by gossip - which not only helps members of your social group to bond but can also help to police those in the group who transgress. Biologist call them ‘free-riders’ and in large social groups, free-riders can wreak havoc with the society unless they’re policed – by gossip. For anthropologist Robin Dunbar, author of the now classic text, Grooming, Gossip and The Evolution of Language, it is not the pearls of wisdom that makes the world go round but everyday tittle tattle: “We are social beings and our world is cocooned in the interests and minutiae of everyday social life. They fascinate us beyond nature”. Gossip, which Dunbar says can be traced back to social grooming in apes, makes up around two-thirds of general conversation according to his research. Without gossip says Dunbar “there can be no society”. Of course, historically, culturally, morally gossip has rarely been seen as anything but good. In Judaism where derogatory speech about another person has a special name – ‘Lashon Hara’ or 'evil tongue', it is, says Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “…regarded it as one of the worst of all sins’. Gossip is said to kill three people, “the one who says it, the one he/she says it about, and the one who listens in. Gossip is not just a sinful act but one that contaminates others”. Nowhere is this more evident than recent cases of internet trolling and cyber bullying. “we need a new ethic” argues Sacks. But are we even capable of changing our nasty habits? Producer: Rami Tzabar (Photo: A person whispering, Credit: Getty Images)

Geoff Watts investigates the latest thinking about our brain power in old age. He meets researchers who argue that society has overly negative views of the mental abilities of the elderly - a dismal and fatalistic outlook which is not backed up by recent discoveries and theories. Geoff talks to professor Lorraine Tyler who leads a large study in Cambridge (CamCAN) which is comparing cognition and brain structure and function in 700 people aged between 18 and 88 years old. He also meets scientists and participants involved in a unique study of cognition and ageing at the University of Edinburgh. It has traced hundreds of people who were given a nationwide intelligence test as children in 1932 and 1947. Since the year 2000, the study has been retesting their intelligence and mental agility in their 70s to 90s. The Lothian Birth Cohort study is revealing what we all might do in life to keep our minds fast and sharp well into old age. One new and controversial idea holds that cognitive decline is in fact a myth. A team in Germany, led by Michael Ramscar, argues that older people perform less well in intelligence and memory tests because they know so much more than younger subjects and not because their brains are deteriorating. Simply put, their larger stores of accumulated knowledge slow their performance. Their brains take longer to retrieve the answers from their richer memory stores. Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker

Geoff Watts investigates the latest thinking about our brain power in old age. He meets researchers who argue that society has overly negative views of the mental abilities of the elderly - a dismal and fatalistic outlook which is not backed up by recent discoveries and theories. Geoff talks to Professor Lorraine Tyler who leads a large study in Cambridge (CamCAN) which is comparing cognition and brain structure and function in 700 people aged between 18 and 88 years old. He also meets scientists and participants involved in an unique study of cognition and ageing at the University of Edinburgh. It has traced hundreds of people who were given a nationwide intelligence test as children in 1932 and 1947. Since the year 2000, the study has been retesting their intelligence and mental agility in their 70s to 90s. The Lothian Birth Cohort study is revealing what we all might do in life to keep our minds fast and sharp well into old age. One new and controversial idea holds that cognitive decline is in fact a myth. A team in Germany, led by Michael Ramscar, argues that older people perform less well in intelligence and memory tests because they know so much more than younger subjects and not because their brains are deteriorating. Simply put, their larger stores of accumulated knowledge slow their performance. Their brains take longer to retrieve the answers from their richer memory stores. Producer: Andrew Luck-Baker.

We like to think that we are in control of our lives, of what we do, think and feel. But, as Geoff Watts discovers, scientists are now revealing that this is just an illusion. A simple magic trick reveals just how limited our conscious awareness of the world is, and how easy it is to fool us. So if our conscious brain can cope with so little, what is responsible for the rest? Science is starting to reveal the crucial role of a silent partner inside our heads, that we are completely unaware of – our unconscious. In this programme, Geoff enlists the help of, not just brain scientists but, a conjuror and a musician to reveal the pivotal role the unconscious plays in pretty much everything we do, think and feel. This new-found knowledge is enabling scientists to harness its powers for both medical and military benefit.

We like to think that we are in control of our lives, of what we do, think and feel. But, as Geoff Watts discovers, scientists are now revealing that this is just an illusion. A simple magic trick reveals just how limited our conscious awareness of the world is, and how easy it is to fool us. So if our conscious brain can cope with so little, what is responsible for the rest? Science is starting to reveal the crucial role of a silent partner inside our heads, that we are completely unaware of - our unconscious. In this programme, Geoff enlists the help of not just brain scientists, but a conjuror and a musician to reveal the pivotal role the unconscious plays in pretty much everything we do, think and feel. This new-found knowledge is enabling scientists to harness its powers for both medical and military benefit.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a brain surgery technique involving electrodes being inserted to reach targets deep inside the brain. Those targets are then stimulated via the electrodes which are connected to a battery powered pacemaker surgically placed under the person's collar bone. Geoff Watts finds out how the technique has been used successfully for treating the movement disorders of Parkinson's disease, in patients with severe, intractable depression, in chronic pain and how it's also being trialled to see if it can also be successful in treating obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Tourette's syndrome and other disorders. Geoff meets patients who have had their lives changed by having deep brain stimulation. He also meets the surgeons at the operating table to find out how it works. At the moment no one has all the answers but one psychiatrist he meets says the success of deep brain stimulation means we should radically change the way we understand how the brain works: that the brain is governed by electrical circuitry rather than a chemical soup of neurotransmitters.Picture: Functional brain imaging allows scientists to see inside a living, human brain

A radically different approach to dealing with bacteria would be to stop them from communicating and coordinating attacks, rather than trying to kill them. The bugs would be rendered harmless and much less likely to develop drug resistance. This is the hope of researchers who are working on an aspect of bacterial life known as Quorum Sensing.Medical experts have warned that within 20 years, unless something is done, the spread of antibiotic resistance may have returned us to an almost 19th Century state of medicine. Infections following routine operations will be untreatable and fatal because so many common bacteria will have acquired immunity to all the available antibiotic drugs.The vast majority of the antibiotics we rely upon today were developed between the 1940s and 1970s. There has been no new class of antibiotic for 25 years.Bacteria may just be single-celled organisms but microbiologists now realise they have a kind of social life. They need to cooperate and coordinate their attacks on the bodies they infect. Many kinds of bacteria only become dangerous to us when they sense that their numbers are high enough. Only when they 'know' that there are enough of them to overwhelm human defences, do they release their toxins and cause illness and death.Geoff Watts talks to scientist and doctors who are exploring this phenomenon in disease-causing bacteria. They are trying to devise ways of interfering with microbial communications. One line of thinking is the development of drugs which stop the microbes from either 'talking' or 'hearing' the chemical messages. Another more radical idea, is to treat infected patients with doses of the kind of bacteria causing the illness - except that the 'medicinal' bugs would be ones that would subvert the communication system and bring the infection to an end.

England's chief medical officer recently warned that within twenty years, the spread of antibiotic resistance may have returned us to an almost 19th century state of medicine. Infections following routine operations will be untreatable and fatal because so many common bacteria will have acquired immunity to all the available antibiotic drugs. The vast majority of the antibiotics we rely upon today were developed between the 1940s and 1970s. There has been no new class of antibiotic for 25 years. A radically different approach to dealing with bacteria would be stop them from communicating and coordinating their attacks, rather than trying to kill them. The bugs would be rendered harmless and much less likely to develop drug resistance. This is the hope of researchers who are working on an aspect of bacterial life known as Quorum Sensing. Bacteria may just be single-celled organisms but microbiologists now realise they have a kind of social life. They need to cooperate and coordinate their attacks on the bodies they infect. Many kinds of bacteria only become dangerous to us when they sense that their numbers are high enough. Only when they 'know' that there are enough of them to overwhelm human defences, do they release their toxins and cause illness and death. They monitor the number of their fellow bugs by sensing the concentration of a message molecule which they all manufacture and secrete into the environment. It's a rudimentary form of communication which many bacteria use to synchronise their activities. In Frontiers, Geoff Watts talks to scientist and doctors who are exploring this phenomenon in disease-causing bacteria, and trying to devise ways of interfering with the microbial communications. One line of thinking is the development of drugs which stop the microbes from either 'talking' or 'hearing' the chemical messages. Another more radical idea is to treat infected patients with doses of the kind of bacteria causing the illness - except that the 'medicinal' bugs would be ones that would subvert the communication system and bring the infection to an end. At least, that is the theory.

Although many animal species cry vocally, the production of tears in response to emotion, both happy or sad, is a trait unique to humans. So why do we cry? What could the evolutionary advantage be to producing tears in response to joy or despair? The science on this topic has been surprisingly sparse until very recently, but now new research seems to be shedding some light on some common preconceptions about the effect and consequences of our tears. Does having a good cry make you feel better, for example, or do women really cry more than men? Researchers in Israel have even discovered that our tears may contain hidden messages triggering surprising responses in those who come into contact with them. Geoff Watts gets the tissues ready as he investigates everything you ever wanted to know about weeping.

Can reading the mind allow us to use thought control to move artificial limbs? Neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis, is one of the world's leading researchers into using the mind to control machines. One of his aims is to build a suit that a quadriplegic person can wear and control so that he or she can kick a football at the opening of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. His lab is working on ways of providing a sense of touch to these limbs so that the prosthetics feel more like a part of a person's body and less like an artificial appendage. Geoff Watts visits Nicolelis' laboratory to see just how near we are to achieving his aim on the football pitch.

In this programme, Geoff Watts meets researchers attempting to unlock the mysteries of hallucination as well as some of those who experience the phenomenon. Geoff visits Dr Dominic Ffytche of the Institute of Psychiatry in London, and undergoes a stroboscopic experiment designed to induce hallucinations in subjects whilst their brains are being scanned. We hear some of the vivid accounts from hallucinators, including Doris, who has macular degeneration. Over the last year, her failing eyesight has resulted in an array of objects and images appearing before her with startling clarity, from relatively benign baskets of flowers to the rather more distressing sight of dark, haunting figures sitting by her bed. Her condition is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome and Dr Ffytche estimates that over two million people suffer from this in the UK alone, mostly in silence, due to the fear of being labelled as 'mad'. Geoff also visits Kelly Diederen's lab at Cambridge University, which is investigating the origin of auditory hallucinations - hearing voices. Common in people with schizophrenia, Dr Diederen is instead, scanning the brains of so-called "healthy hallucinators," individuals who otherwise lead perfectly functional lives save for the fact that they hear voices on a daily basis. Could they hold the key to understanding and treating a key symptom of psychosis?(Image: Close up of the face of an anonymous male. Credit: BBC)

Geoff Watts meets researchers attempting to unlock the mysteries of hallucination as well as some of those who experience the phenomenon. Hallucinations aren't what they used to be. Time was when reporting a divine vision would bring fame or fortune. The Enlightenment changed all that and nowadays you'd be more at risk of being handed a prescription for a major tranquilliser for reporting what you saw or heard. Hallucinating, in essence, the experience of seeing or hearing (and sometimes smelling or touching) something that by any objective measure, isn't there, has been linked to a wide variety of causes. But there are also examples of otherwise 'healthy' individuals who have experienced vivid and sometimes distressing hallucinations. With the advent of fMRI scanning, researchers can observe the hallucinating brain in action, it is these 'healthy' individuals who are beginning to open the doors of perception and which may provide new insights and treatments for psychosis and schizophrenia. (Image: Coloured lights and dots, Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

We are in desperate need of new medicines for the major diseases facing us in the 21st century such as Alzheimer's and obesity. And we are running out of antibiotics that are effective against bacteria that are now resistant to many old varieties. As bringing new and improved drugs to patients becomes more difficult and more expensive - it can take 20 years and around $1 billion to bring a medicine to market. In the second programme looking at the problem with drug discovery, Geoff Watts asks what can be done to get new pharmaceutical treatments to patients.He discovers that the industry is risk averse and regulations to ensure that drugs are safe and effective are burdensome. But there are pilot projects to speed up the process. Geoff finds out that the experts believe that there needs to be a fundamental change in the drug development process, and the key ingredient is collaboration - between industry and academia and between different drug companies. He also discovers that the medical charity, the Wellcome Trust, is putting money into the development of antibiotics, a field not of interest to many pharmaceutical companies. (Image: Pills in a jar, Credit: Getty Images)

We are in desperate need of new medicines for the major diseases facing us in the 21st Century such as Alzheimer's and obesity. And we are running out of antibiotics that are effective against bacteria that are now resistant to many old varieties. As bringing new and improved drugs to patients becomes more difficult and more expensive - it can take 20 years and around $1 billion to bring a medicine to market - Geoff Watts asks what's gone wrong and what can be done to get new pharmaceutical treatments to patients.Geoff talks to a number of researchers who have worked both within the pharmaceutical industry and publicly funded laboratories to get their views on why the source of drugs has dried up. These include Dr Patrick Vallance, of global pharmaceutical giant GSK, Professor Paul Workman of the Institute of Cancer Research, and Professor Chas Bountra of Oxford University's Structural Genomics Consortium. They argue that the age of the blockbuster drug which can treat millions of patients is over and that we don't know enough science to be able to find treatments for conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Tilli Tansey, Professor of the History of Modern Medical Science at Queen Mary University in London puts the state of drug discovery in its historical context.(Image: Pills and capsules. Credit: Science Photo Library)

Gene therapy - repairing malfunctioning cells by mending their DNA - offers an elegant solution to diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, caused by a single flawed gene. It's a very simple concept to describe - simply insert a 'normal' gene to do the job - but it's this process, the delivery of the gene, that's proving to be so difficult and time consuming. Since the first human study began in 1990 the field has struggled with various technical challenges and set-backs.But over a decade on, researchers are beginning to report successes in treating several devastating diseases. Geoff Watts finds out about some of the new techniques for gene therapy, and discovers how these are now being used in a trial of a new method of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. Twelve years ago, a group of scientists from Imperial College in London, Oxford and Edinburgh formed the Cystic Fibrosis Gene Therapy Consortium. This year they started the world's biggest trial of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis.Funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, the Medical Research Council and The National Institute for Health Research , the trial will treat 120 CF patients with either a placebo or a healthy copy of the gene that causes CF. The gene is wrapped up in a fat globule, or liposome and delivered in aerosol form directly to the lungs.(Image: Eric Alton)

Geoff Watts meets researchers trying to find a new way to fight depression by studying those who never get it. In the second of two programmes Geoff meets scientists at the University of Manchester, studying the brains of people who have undergone traumatic life events without becoming seriously depressed and comparing them to the brains of those people who do. The hope is that new psychological therapies or even preventative medications might be developed to treat the one in five people who will at some point in their lives, become clinically depressed.(Image: MRI scan of the head and brain. Credit: Corbis Royalty Free)

Geoff Watts meets researchers looking for clues to the origins of depression as a way of finding new solutions to treating it. In the first of two programmes Geoff talks to the father of evolutionary medicine, Randolph Nesse and asks why hasn't natural selection made us less vulnerable to psychological diseases? Could it be that depression is in some way useful to our lives?(Image: A depressed young boy. Credit: Science Photo Library)

Would you eat artificial meat, grown in a lab? Geoff Watts investigates.