Earning the right to be heard

One very subversive way to get people together is to start a Lean Coffee approach to meetings. If you can convince a grumpy Eeyore to come to your Lean Coffee meeting and you just ask and listen, then you're already creating change. The change issue you're solving when you do this is that people want to be heard and they want to feel some interest or empathy from other people before they want to listen. But it's important, during change, to earn the right to be heard among each other—by first listening.

"It's important, during change, to earn the right to be heard among each other—by first listening."

—Kevin Behr

If somebody who has dealt with the operations and infrastructure side can come to the Lean Coffee, then everyone can listen to what that operations person is saying. People in both the development and the operations groups are likely to be cynical at first. To make progress...