The difference between transformation and traction

A few people asked after my last post (What does good look like?) how I decide what to focus on when I work with a team.

When I’m embedded with a team long-term, I’m looking for evidence of what good looks like — the positive signs that things are flowing. I strip those layers back until I find the team’s reality, then build from there.

But with Agile Second Opinion, I don’t have that luxury. Time is tight, and the goal is traction, not transformation. I look for the red flags — the three or four things holding a team back — and work with them to fix those fast.

Remove a few bad habits and things start to move. It’s not a full-blown culture change, but it’s a start: a nudge in the right direction that gives teams momentum again.

That’s what Agile Second Opinion is really about: insightful nudging — fixing what’s in front of you so the team can breathe, deliver, and build confidence for whatever comes next.