with Dave Acraman:
Stuck happens. Whether it’s a stalled sprint, a tough conversation, or a moment of personal inertia, we all hit walls. What if you had a simple, reliable way to get moving again?
In this session, I’ll introduce the 5 Word Toolbox — a easy to remember micro-framework built around five action-oriented words: Push, Pull, Bounce, Roll, Twist.
Originally developed through my martial arts journey as a means to get unstuck, this toolkit has evolved into a practical, memorable approach for navigating stuckness not just in Agile environments but practically everything.
Each word offers a unique strategy:
- Push – Take one more step. What’s the one thing we haven’t done yet.
- Pull – Ask for help. Draw on others.
- Bounce – Properly use the momentum of failing to propel us forward
- Roll – Shift your perspective. See things differently.
- Twist – Find synergy. Leverage what’s around you.
This session is designed to spark fresh thinking and reignite momentum. Whether you’re a Scrum Master, developer, coach, or leader, you’ll leave with a versatile mental toolkit — ready to unlock movement in any moment and energise your approach to agility.
Learning outcomes
- A versatile mental toolkit that they can use for themselves and/or their teams
- Confidence for difficult situations and for coaching others in when stuck
- A reframe of failure and how to process the valuable feedback as part of inspect and adapt
- Realising that there is always another perspective