Andy Cleff aka Just Sit There
@andycleff.bsky.social
mindfulness • creativity • collaboration • resilience • agility
https://substack.com/@andycleff
https://substack.com/@andycleff
Are stakeholder expectations crushing your team's morale? Learn to say "no" without damaging relationships. Join me for a 3-hour workshop where you'll gain practical WIP limiting techniques that drive predictability while protecting team sanity.
The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams
Protect team capacity, sanity, and unlock predictable value delivery
buff.ly
February 5, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Are stakeholder expectations crushing your team's morale? Learn to say "no" without damaging relationships. Join me for a 3-hour workshop where you'll gain practical WIP limiting techniques that drive predictability while protecting team sanity.
Jasmine doesn't announce itself with bold colors or dramatic displays. Instead, it offers something more subtle and enduring—a fragrance that lingers, a steady climb that transforms whatever it touches. In our teams, we need people who embody this jasmine energy: building relationships slowly but
Trellises, Open Fields, and Tomorrow’s Blooms
Jasmine doesn't announce itself with bold colors or dramatic displays. Instead, it offers something more subtle and enduring—a fragrance that lingers, a steady climb that transforms whatever it touches. In our teams, we need people who embody this jasmine energy: building relationships slowly but
www.andycleff.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Jasmine doesn't announce itself with bold colors or dramatic displays. Instead, it offers something more subtle and enduring—a fragrance that lingers, a steady climb that transforms whatever it touches. In our teams, we need people who embody this jasmine energy: building relationships slowly but
Improving your team's performance by just 1% daily compounds to 37x improvement in a year! Join me to learn how strategic "no" decisions can catalyze this transformation in your agile teams. Live online workshop coming soon!
The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams
Protect team capacity, sanity, and unlock predictable value delivery
buff.ly
February 3, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Improving your team's performance by just 1% daily compounds to 37x improvement in a year! Join me to learn how strategic "no" decisions can catalyze this transformation in your agile teams. Live online workshop coming soon!
Is your team drowning in too much WIP? Learn how to escape the "Doom Loop" of overcommitment in my upcoming workshop: The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams. Discover practical techniques to improve flow and deliver what truly matters.
The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams
Protect team capacity, sanity, and unlock predictable value delivery
buff.ly
February 1, 2026 at 10:53 PM
Is your team drowning in too much WIP? Learn how to escape the "Doom Loop" of overcommitment in my upcoming workshop: The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams. Discover practical techniques to improve flow and deliver what truly matters.
The outdated 'lizard brain' myth is holding back your professional growth. Modern neuroscience shows our brains are prediction engines, constantly constructing emotional responses based on past experience. In my new field guide, discover how to scan your inner landscape, transform defensive
Tending To Your Inner Landscape
The outdated 'lizard brain' myth is holding back your professional growth. Modern neuroscience shows our brains are prediction engines, constantly constructing emotional responses based on past experience. In my new field guide, discover how to scan your inner landscape, transform defensive
www.andycleff.com
February 1, 2026 at 1:32 AM
The outdated 'lizard brain' myth is holding back your professional growth. Modern neuroscience shows our brains are prediction engines, constantly constructing emotional responses based on past experience. In my new field guide, discover how to scan your inner landscape, transform defensive
When you think about focusing, you think it's saying 'yes.' Nope. Focusing is about saying 'no.' Join my live workshop to master The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams. Protect team capacity, sanity, and unlock predictable value delivery!
The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams
Protect team capacity, sanity, and unlock predictable value delivery
buff.ly
January 31, 2026 at 2:30 PM
When you think about focusing, you think it's saying 'yes.' Nope. Focusing is about saying 'no.' Join my live workshop to master The Strategic "No" for Agile Teams. Protect team capacity, sanity, and unlock predictable value delivery!
Organizations aren't machines to optimize—they're living ecosystems to nurture. My latest series explores how teams can work WITH their brains, not against them, using five adaptive practices: Scan, Predict, Experiment, Reflect, Share. Ready to move beyond rigid frameworks toward cultivating
Beyond the Lizard Brain: Nurturing Adaptive Teams
Organizations aren't machines to optimize—they're living ecosystems to nurture. My latest series explores how teams can work WITH their brains, not against them, using five adaptive practices: Scan, Predict, Experiment, Reflect, Share. Ready to move beyond rigid frameworks toward cultivating
www.andycleff.com
January 29, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Organizations aren't machines to optimize—they're living ecosystems to nurture. My latest series explores how teams can work WITH their brains, not against them, using five adaptive practices: Scan, Predict, Experiment, Reflect, Share. Ready to move beyond rigid frameworks toward cultivating
With each unpacked box, I'm not just settling into this tiny home, but expanding into a more spacious version of myself.
Think. Read. Write. Listen. Draw. Walk. Run. Ride. Cook. Eat. Sleep. Ponder. Wander. I'm not sure what's next. Stay tuned, we'll see what emerges together.
Think. Read. Write. Listen. Draw. Walk. Run. Ride. Cook. Eat. Sleep. Ponder. Wander. I'm not sure what's next. Stay tuned, we'll see what emerges together.
Tending to My Inner Landscape
With each unpacked box, I'm not just settling into this tiny home, but expanding into a more spacious version of myself.
Think. Read. Write. Listen. Draw. Walk. Run. Ride. Cook. Eat. Sleep. Ponder. Wander. I'm not sure what's next. Stay tuned, we'll see what emerges together.
www.andycleff.com
January 26, 2026 at 1:32 AM
With each unpacked box, I'm not just settling into this tiny home, but expanding into a more spacious version of myself.
Think. Read. Write. Listen. Draw. Walk. Run. Ride. Cook. Eat. Sleep. Ponder. Wander. I'm not sure what's next. Stay tuned, we'll see what emerges together.
Think. Read. Write. Listen. Draw. Walk. Run. Ride. Cook. Eat. Sleep. Ponder. Wander. I'm not sure what's next. Stay tuned, we'll see what emerges together.
Shia from Progressive spent 15 minutes explaining interstate insurance database protocols I had no idea existed. Pablo from the DMV got on his hands and knees to verify my engine number. Lisa made the California DMV feel almost... human. In our rush to automate everything, here's what I learned
The Great Vespa Registration Saga
Shia from Progressive spent 15 minutes explaining interstate insurance database protocols I had no idea existed. Pablo from the DMV got on his hands and knees to verify my engine number. Lisa made the California DMV feel almost... human. In our rush to automate everything, here's what I learned
www.andycleff.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:33 AM
Shia from Progressive spent 15 minutes explaining interstate insurance database protocols I had no idea existed. Pablo from the DMV got on his hands and knees to verify my engine number. Lisa made the California DMV feel almost... human. In our rush to automate everything, here's what I learned
My brother claimed he knew a shortcut. Within three minutes, we were completely lost in the Maine woods. Then we heard rustling. "Bears?" one of us whispered. “Mom!!!???” the other yelled.
"Yes?" came my mother's voice from the clothesline not more than 50 yards away. "What is it?"
"Yes?" came my mother's voice from the clothesline not more than 50 yards away. "What is it?"
Between Getting Lost and Finding My Way
My brother claimed he knew a shortcut. Within three minutes, we were completely lost in the Maine woods. Then we heard rustling. "Bears?" one of us whispered. “Mom!!!???” the other yelled.
"Yes?" came my mother's voice from the clothesline not more than 50 yards away. "What is it?"
www.andycleff.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:32 AM
My brother claimed he knew a shortcut. Within three minutes, we were completely lost in the Maine woods. Then we heard rustling. "Bears?" one of us whispered. “Mom!!!???” the other yelled.
"Yes?" came my mother's voice from the clothesline not more than 50 yards away. "What is it?"
"Yes?" came my mother's voice from the clothesline not more than 50 yards away. "What is it?"
The best teams aren't just collections of great individual communicators—they're teams where information flows most effectively through the entire system. Learn how to diagnose your team's communication flow, spot the four essential currents (Direction, Building, Challenge, Reflection), and create
Communication Currents: How to Read and Enhance Your Team’s Information Flow Using The Kantor Four Player Model
The best teams aren't just collections of great individual communicators—they're teams where information flows most effectively through the entire system. Learn how to diagnose your team's communication flow, spot the four essential currents (Direction, Building, Challenge, Reflection), and create
www.andycleff.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:32 AM
The best teams aren't just collections of great individual communicators—they're teams where information flows most effectively through the entire system. Learn how to diagnose your team's communication flow, spot the four essential currents (Direction, Building, Challenge, Reflection), and create
We nurture the seeds of today for tomorrow's blooms. In our achievement-oriented culture, this requires patience and faith in processes that unfold over seasons we can't rush. The conversations we have today with struggling team members might not show results for months—but gardens teach us that
Trellises, Open Fields, and Tomorrow’s Blooms
We nurture the seeds of today for tomorrow's blooms. In our achievement-oriented culture, this requires patience and faith in processes that unfold over seasons we can't rush. The conversations we have today with struggling team members might not show results for months—but gardens teach us that
www.andycleff.com
January 14, 2026 at 1:31 AM
We nurture the seeds of today for tomorrow's blooms. In our achievement-oriented culture, this requires patience and faith in processes that unfold over seasons we can't rush. The conversations we have today with struggling team members might not show results for months—but gardens teach us that
What if organizational constraints could drive innovation rather than limiting it? Netflix's evolution reveals how thoughtfully calibrated boundaries—like tide pool walls—can create protected spaces where creativity and disciplined execution coexist. Explore how this balance might transform your
Netflix’s Organizational Resilience: Adaptation in a Changing Industry
What if organizational constraints could drive innovation rather than limiting it? Netflix's evolution reveals how thoughtfully calibrated boundaries—like tide pool walls—can create protected spaces where creativity and disciplined execution coexist. Explore how this balance might transform your
www.andycleff.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:31 AM
What if organizational constraints could drive innovation rather than limiting it? Netflix's evolution reveals how thoughtfully calibrated boundaries—like tide pool walls—can create protected spaces where creativity and disciplined execution coexist. Explore how this balance might transform your
"Everything people ever worry about doesn't happen. It's totally different things that happen. So you might as well do it and deal with the actual problems that happen, rather than the worries that never eventuate." – Sandy Mamoli. Forest fungi have been running the original agile organization for
Lessons in Self-Organization from the Fungus Among Us
"Everything people ever worry about doesn't happen. It's totally different things that happen. So you might as well do it and deal with the actual problems that happen, rather than the worries that never eventuate." – Sandy Mamoli. Forest fungi have been running the original agile organization for
www.andycleff.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:32 AM
"Everything people ever worry about doesn't happen. It's totally different things that happen. So you might as well do it and deal with the actual problems that happen, rather than the worries that never eventuate." – Sandy Mamoli. Forest fungi have been running the original agile organization for
With five concurrent tasks, you lose 80% of your capacity to context switching alone. Only 20% goes to actual productive work.
This isn't about discipline. It's about how human cognition works. Your brain can't instantly swap between processes like a computer. Every context switch requires
This isn't about discipline. It's about how human cognition works. Your brain can't instantly swap between processes like a computer. Every context switch requires
The Mathematics of No: Why Working Less Delivers More
With five concurrent tasks, you lose 80% of your capacity to context switching alone. Only 20% goes to actual productive work.
This isn't about discipline. It's about how human cognition works. Your brain can't instantly swap between processes like a computer. Every context switch requires
www.andycleff.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:32 AM
With five concurrent tasks, you lose 80% of your capacity to context switching alone. Only 20% goes to actual productive work.
This isn't about discipline. It's about how human cognition works. Your brain can't instantly swap between processes like a computer. Every context switch requires
This isn't about discipline. It's about how human cognition works. Your brain can't instantly swap between processes like a computer. Every context switch requires
Between Getting Lost and Finding My Way
A nine-year-old city kid discovers the Maine woods in 1969. Fifty years later, his father's fading memory holds onto "Gus's cabin" while everything else dissolves. A story about what stays, what goes, and finding one’s way. The post Between Getting Lost and…
A nine-year-old city kid discovers the Maine woods in 1969. Fifty years later, his father's fading memory holds onto "Gus's cabin" while everything else dissolves. A story about what stays, what goes, and finding one’s way. The post Between Getting Lost and…
Between Getting Lost and Finding My Way
A nine-year-old city kid discovers the Maine woods in 1969. Fifty years later, his father's fading memory holds onto "Gus's cabin" while everything else dissolves. A story about what stays, what goes, and finding one’s way. The post Between Getting Lost and Finding My Way appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
www.agileuprising.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Between Getting Lost and Finding My Way
A nine-year-old city kid discovers the Maine woods in 1969. Fifty years later, his father's fading memory holds onto "Gus's cabin" while everything else dissolves. A story about what stays, what goes, and finding one’s way. The post Between Getting Lost and…
A nine-year-old city kid discovers the Maine woods in 1969. Fifty years later, his father's fading memory holds onto "Gus's cabin" while everything else dissolves. A story about what stays, what goes, and finding one’s way. The post Between Getting Lost and…
Join me on 12/12/25 to explore how you can remove perverse incentives and instead provide healthier ways for teams to gain meaningful insights into the outcomes of their experiments. Then learn to put theory into practice by exploring metrics for your ecosystem
Metrics for Agile Teams
Forget Velocity: 42 Other Things to Ponder
buff.ly
December 2, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Join me on 12/12/25 to explore how you can remove perverse incentives and instead provide healthier ways for teams to gain meaningful insights into the outcomes of their experiments. Then learn to put theory into practice by exploring metrics for your ecosystem
Velocity is one of the most commonly used - and abused - development metrics. There's a better way! Join me on 12/12/25 to learn more:
Metrics for Agile Teams
Forget Velocity: 42 Other Things to Ponder
buff.ly
November 30, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Velocity is one of the most commonly used - and abused - development metrics. There's a better way! Join me on 12/12/25 to learn more:
Join me on 12/12/25 to explore an empowering, continuous improvement framework for building qualitative and quantitative feedback loops that guide organizational learning! Hands-on and highly interactive.
Metrics for Agile Teams
Forget Velocity: 42 Other Things to Ponder
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Join me on 12/12/25 to explore an empowering, continuous improvement framework for building qualitative and quantitative feedback loops that guide organizational learning! Hands-on and highly interactive.
Join me on 12/12/25 to learn about a comprehensive & holistic approach to exploring metrics applicable to all kinds of creative knowledge work. An empowering, continuous improvement framework for building qualitative & quantitative feedback loops that guide organizational learning.
Metrics for Agile Teams
Forget Velocity: 42 Other Things to Ponder
buff.ly
November 23, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Join me on 12/12/25 to learn about a comprehensive & holistic approach to exploring metrics applicable to all kinds of creative knowledge work. An empowering, continuous improvement framework for building qualitative & quantitative feedback loops that guide organizational learning.
Are you a Team Leader, Scrum Master, Product Owner, Project Manager, or part of a team that works in a complex adaptive system? Looking to develop insights that inform next steps for business strategy, and organizational transformation Join me on 12/12/25
Metrics for Agile Teams
Forget Velocity: 42 Other Things to Ponder
buff.ly
November 18, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Are you a Team Leader, Scrum Master, Product Owner, Project Manager, or part of a team that works in a complex adaptive system? Looking to develop insights that inform next steps for business strategy, and organizational transformation Join me on 12/12/25
Do you want to help individuals and teams build metrics dashboards to provide double-loop feedback systems for their experiments? How about catalyzing learning, collaboration, and innovation across teams and at scale? Join me on 12/12/25
Metrics for Agile Teams
Forget Velocity: 42 Other Things to Ponder
buff.ly
November 16, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Do you want to help individuals and teams build metrics dashboards to provide double-loop feedback systems for their experiments? How about catalyzing learning, collaboration, and innovation across teams and at scale? Join me on 12/12/25
The Great Vespa Registration Saga
A cross-country Vespa registration crisis turns into an unexpected lesson in leadership, persistence, and the power of asking the right questions at 8 AM. The post The Great Vespa Registration Saga appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
A cross-country Vespa registration crisis turns into an unexpected lesson in leadership, persistence, and the power of asking the right questions at 8 AM. The post The Great Vespa Registration Saga appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
The Great Vespa Registration Saga
A cross-country Vespa registration crisis turns into an unexpected lesson in leadership, persistence, and the power of asking the right questions at 8 AM. The post The Great Vespa Registration Saga appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
www.agileuprising.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:04 AM
The Great Vespa Registration Saga
A cross-country Vespa registration crisis turns into an unexpected lesson in leadership, persistence, and the power of asking the right questions at 8 AM. The post The Great Vespa Registration Saga appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
A cross-country Vespa registration crisis turns into an unexpected lesson in leadership, persistence, and the power of asking the right questions at 8 AM. The post The Great Vespa Registration Saga appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
The Mathematics of No: Why Working Less Delivers More
Discover why 100% utilization guarantees failure and how slack time creates improves throughput and predictability. Learn the mathematics behind strategic "no" decisions and practical experiments to build sustainable team effectiveness through…
Discover why 100% utilization guarantees failure and how slack time creates improves throughput and predictability. Learn the mathematics behind strategic "no" decisions and practical experiments to build sustainable team effectiveness through…
The Mathematics of No: Why Working Less Delivers More
Discover why 100% utilization guarantees failure and how slack time creates improves throughput and predictability. Learn the mathematics behind strategic "no" decisions and practical experiments to build sustainable team effectiveness through Kingman's Law, context-switching research, and flow metrics. The post The Mathematics of No: Why Working Less Delivers More appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
www.agileuprising.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:03 AM
The Mathematics of No: Why Working Less Delivers More
Discover why 100% utilization guarantees failure and how slack time creates improves throughput and predictability. Learn the mathematics behind strategic "no" decisions and practical experiments to build sustainable team effectiveness through…
Discover why 100% utilization guarantees failure and how slack time creates improves throughput and predictability. Learn the mathematics behind strategic "no" decisions and practical experiments to build sustainable team effectiveness through…
The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time
Discover how the "Yes Habit" invites five thieves of time into your team's workflow. Learn to transform overcommitment into strategic boundaries that protect capacity and enable flow. The post The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time appeared first on…
Discover how the "Yes Habit" invites five thieves of time into your team's workflow. Learn to transform overcommitment into strategic boundaries that protect capacity and enable flow. The post The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time appeared first on…
The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time
Discover how the "Yes Habit" invites five thieves of time into your team's workflow. Learn to transform overcommitment into strategic boundaries that protect capacity and enable flow. The post The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time appeared first on Andy Cleff. Powered by WPeMatico
www.agileuprising.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:03 AM
The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time
Discover how the "Yes Habit" invites five thieves of time into your team's workflow. Learn to transform overcommitment into strategic boundaries that protect capacity and enable flow. The post The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time appeared first on…
Discover how the "Yes Habit" invites five thieves of time into your team's workflow. Learn to transform overcommitment into strategic boundaries that protect capacity and enable flow. The post The Yes Habit and the Five Thieves of Time appeared first on…