The Setup: A Seemingly Simple Session
Ah yes, the great Jira mystery—where does one possibly write acceptance criteria? A puzzle so perplexing, it has stumped even the most seasoned "agile-trained" professionals.
Yesterday, I led a training session for 150+ people covering the deceptively simple topic of Stories vs. Tasks. You’d think this would be a routine discussion. Oh, how foolish I was.
One particularly vocal attendee—a self-proclaimed agile expert—needed urgent clarification on where to enter acceptance criteria in Jira. (Spoiler: It’s in a field labeled ‘Acceptance Criteria’… I know, truly groundbreaking.)
Being the helpful person I am, I answered. Then answered again. And again. Yet, somehow, the confusion only grew stronger.
At this point, I suggested a one-on-one conversation to truly diagnose the root cause. But that wasn’t the goal. The real mission? A public showdown.
So, I had to firmly but professionally shut it down and redirect the session. Because, shocking as it may be, the other 149+ people were actually there to learn about Stories vs. Tasks, not witness an Agile Philosophy 101 debate.
The NoNo Effect—Why Some People Resist Learning
This moment reminded me of the NoNo archetype from Our Iceberg Is Melting—someone who resists progress, thrives on disruption, and desperately needs the meeting to be about them.
NoNos appear in different forms:
The Over-Confident Expert: Knows just enough to be dangerous but not enough to be productive.
The Meeting Monopolizer: Believes every question must be asked and debated in public.
The Persistent Resistor: Asks the same question repeatedly, hoping for a different answer.
But why do NoNos act this way?
Some genuinely struggle to process new information.
Others crave validation—they need their presence to be felt.
A few simply fear change and try to control the narrative.
The Leadership Lesson—Handling Disruptors Gracefully
As a leader, facilitator, or coach, dealing with a NoNo requires a blend of diplomacy and decisiveness. Here’s what works:
✔️ Acknowledge & deflect – Nod, smile, and redirect before the entire session is swallowed by a black hole of resistance.
✔️ Offer a private deep dive – Nine times out of ten, the real issue isn’t what they’re asking. ✔️ Set hard boundaries – Because letting one person hijack a session isn’t “collaboration.” It’s chaos.
At the end of the day, agile isn’t just about Jira fields and frameworks—it’s about guiding people through change. And sometimes, that means knowing when to say:
“Great question! Let’s take it offline.”
A Leadership Win: Post-Session Feedback
The silver lining? After the session, I received this message from an attendee:
“I attended the Story/Task Training session. You are a master, and not just in the subject matter. I think you masterfully handled a very challenging audience. I’m sure attendees were thankful for that. I wish I had more meetings with you to learn from you. This company is so lucky to have you here.”
Sometimes, the biggest wins aren’t about who asked the most questions—they’re about who walked away with real value.
What’s Your Experience?
Have you ever had a NoNo hijack a training? How did you handle disruptors it? Share your battle stories in the comments!
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