FoBA 2026 · Adelaide
Second Lens
Six questions that cut through pattern blindness. Use them inside whatever framework you already run.
Is your project a watermelon?
Green on the outside, red on the inside. The status says fine while the work says otherwise. Each lens below shows you something the dashboard hides.
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One A4 page, ready to print or keep on your desk.
SEE
AdaptThe map is not the territory
AskWhat would I see if I went and looked?
- Trap
- Trusting the report, estimate or RAG status over what is really happening.
- Use in
- Status reviews, estimates, requirements sign-off.
Pattern or point
Regression to the mean
AskIs this a pattern, or a point?
- Trap
- Overreacting to one bad sprint, or explaining away the fourth slip in a row. Hindsight makes both look obvious later.
- Use in
- Retros, metrics reviews, steering updates.
DECIDE
AlignInversion
AskWhat would guarantee this fails?
- Trap
- False certainty. Optimistic plans that nobody has tried to break.
- Use in
- Kick-offs, pre-mortems, prioritisation.
Second-order thinking
AskAnd then what? Ask it twice.
- Trap
- Aligning around visible activity. Targets that get gamed once they become the goal.
- Use in
- Mandates, trade-offs, scope calls.
ACT
AccelerateVelocity, not speed
AskWhat outcome moved because of this work?
- Trap
- Motion without momentum. Story points measure speed. Value needs direction.
- Use in
- Sprint reviews, roadmap check-ins.
Bottlenecks
AskWhere is work waiting, and on whom?
- Trap
- Cognitive overload and hidden queues behind one person or decision.
- Use in
- Flow reviews, capacity planning, escalations.
Watermelon warning signs
- Status stays green while carry-over grows.
- Scope is fixed before the work is understood.
- People are “100% allocated” and still doing their day job.
- Numbers get tidied up before the review.
- Lots of output, no visible outcome.
Signal or noise? A quick test
SignalRepeats. Comes from independent sources. Lines up with other evidence.
NoiseSingle, loud or recent. One source. Fits what you already believed.
Make it a habit
When I open a status report, I’ll ask: is this the map or the territory?
Pick one lens. Attach it to something you already do every week.
Jason Cameron · ScrumCraft · From Pattern Blindness to Value Acceleration, Festival of Business Analysis 2026