Product development teams and innovation managers
When a team struggles to balance delivering current features (exploitation) with exploring new ideas (exploration).
About
The Lean Innovation with Kanban (LKCE 2015) mind map template, presented at the Lean Kanban Central Europe conference, explores how teams can balance efficiency and innovation using Kanban principles. With 37 nodes across a single sheet, it covers paradoxes like 'Efficiency & Innovation' and 'Stability & change', concrete problems such as 'Uneven flow' and 'Contradiction: commitments with uncertainty', and introduces the 'Complete Discovery Kanban' framework. Key concepts include 'Exploitation' vs 'Exploration', 'PDCA' and 'OODA' loops, and 'Path creation' for nurturing 'ugly ducklings'. This Lean Innovation with Kanban template serves as a cheat sheet for applying discovery kanban in knowledge work.
Terms and ConditionsWhen to use this template
Agile coaches and Kanban practitioners
During a retrospective or process improvement session to identify and address uneven flow and bottlenecks.
Product managers and UX researchers
When launching a discovery initiative to validate hypotheses and reduce uncertainty before committing to a full project.
How to use this template
Step 1
Open and Explore Template
Open the .xmind file in Xmind (desktop or web) to view the template structure.
Step 2
Identify Team Paradoxes
Review the 'Teams face paradoxes & dilemmas' branch and add your team's specific tensions.
Step 3
Define Concrete Problems
Under 'Concrete problems', replace examples like 'Uneven flow' with your team's actual issues.
Step 4
Customize Discovery Workflow
Customize the 'Complete Discovery Kanban' section with your own discovery workflow steps.
Step 5
Share for Team Collaboration
Export or share the mind map with your team for collaborative discussion and action planning.
Frequently asked questions
It's a template based on the LKCE 2015 talk, covering how teams can use Kanban to balance efficiency and innovation. It includes paradoxes, concrete problems like uneven flow, and the Complete Discovery Kanban framework.
It suggests using validated learning based on hypotheses (PDCA) and observations (OODA) to avoid false assumptions and reduce rework, helping teams commit with more confidence.
Path creation is the solution to fixed mindset, encouraging teams to explore ideas they don't fully understand ('ugly ducklings') to nurture a growth mindset and foster innovation.
Yes, you can edit the .xmind file in Xmind desktop or web, adding your own team's paradoxes, problems, and discovery kanban steps to tailor it to your context.
Yes, it's designed for knowledge work teams facing efficiency-innovation tensions, making it ideal for agile teams, product development, and innovation labs.
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