This session is an explanation and demonstration of Deep Democracy, primarily aimed at coaches interested in learning new techniques. Deep Democracy—originated by Arnold Mindell—maintains that a well functioning group is dependent on all the voices, positions and views in the group being heard and valued. We will start with the definition, origins and applications of Deep Democracy, then conduct a Large Group Process in which all can directly experience the power of this approach. In our debrief, we will harvest the wisdom of the group, and explore practical uses in Agile team situations.

Maintaining a good working relationship while also staying true to Agile principles can be extremely challenging at times. Over the last two years we have been using William Ury’s “Yes! No. Yes?” approach to confronting anti-Agile behavior to great success. This workshop will train participants in the approach and go through several role playing examples to help practice the technique.