We found this draft while shuttding down stigmergy.blog. This workshop happened in November 2023. It got stuck in the draft box, because of perfectionism. Stigmergy is something that we take with us as we co-create systems of software and of work, but have not found other conferences or user groups to run the workshop at. A micro site for stigmergy was an experiment, it seems more productive to continue with Stigmergy here.
On perfectionism: we would have liked to add more notes per story, but because we were so busy facilitating could not remember enough details when we got around to do the writing. Very much a luxury problem. We are grateful for all the contributions, and if you were there, and want to add details, we are happy to co-edit a follow up post with that particular story.
Marc Evers and Willem van den Ende ran a oversubscribed stigmergy workshop at XP Days Benelux last week. They turned people back at the door. They had seven tables, and seven stories, with some were easier fits for stigmergy than others.
Groups had lively discussions. They focused on facilitation, making sure everyone got their say. There was a good range of backgrounds, roles, and topics in the room.
“Stick Magic” Flex Desks
The group looked at the various strategies around flex desks:
- Allocate random desk (teams together)
- Digital photo frames that follow you
- Move personal items away from desk
- Put “managers” on claimed flex desks
- Change layout (desk, chair, light)
- Make each “virtual” space homely
Recycling containers herding
This group explored how the placement and design of recycling containers can influence behavior - a classic example of stigmergic action where the environment guides behavior.
Teams channels as a “camp fire”
The discussion centered on how Teams channels can serve as gathering places for informal communication, similar to how a campfire draws people together.
Self-replicating boards
This story examined how boards and templates can spread through an organization, with successful patterns being copied and adapted by others.
Obeya room dynamics
The group explored how physical spaces like Obeya rooms create traces that guide team behavior and decision-making.
Emerging working agreements
This discussion focused on how working agreements emerge organically through team interactions rather than being imposed top-down.
Comments on pull requests
The group examined how comment patterns on pull requests create norms and expectations within development teams.
Miro templates for workshops
This story looked at how workshop templates spread and evolve as facilitators reuse and adapt successful patterns.
Feedback and Reflections
It’s great when participants bring an attitude of experimentation. Kapellerput exemplifies this:
“I’ve never done this before, so I think I can do it!” – Pipi Longstocking
(From a bag at the venue)
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. This was the third run of this workshop, and the first where participants tried to apply stigmergy to their own context. As organizers, we found it a good, fun experience.
XP Days remains a place to run experimental sessions early and often, which is great to see. Also nice to see that they appreciate sessions that work on the whole and the parts (seeing, thinking, doing). Wouter Lagerweij and Willem will be running an experiment this november: eXtreme Vibe coding. See you there?
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