Webstock 2008: Getting Unstuck

by February 15, 2008

Kelly Goto’s Getting Unstuck presentation at Webstock 2008 discussed some of the factors that may cause teams to get stuck and a set of recommendations for getting beyond these circumstances.

  • If we can add more flow to our tasks, we can get more things done. If low skill and low challenge people may become apathetic. High challenge and low skill may cause anxiety. A high level of skills with low challenges will likely lead to boredom. We need a match between the challenges & skill levels.
  • Symptoms of being stuck: no vision, little support, insufficient knowledge, poor collaboration, etc.
  • It’s ok to fail. You need to try things out –get fearless.
  • Context matters for determining why/how you might be stuck
  • What helps you get unstuck:
    • Vision & Purpose
    • Support & buy-in
    • Knowledge & Ability
    • Collaboration & Synergy
    • Platform & Tools
    • Attitude & Fearlessness
    • Progress & Results
  • Any solution for becoming unstuck requires answer to full structure of culture, team, and process. Your context is the intersection of the three.