Building Better Healthcare Dashboards with Agile and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

16 November 2026

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

in Follow on LinkedInFollow @scottgraffius

building-better-healthcare-dashboards-with-agile-and-the-mvp---vis-lwres

Recommended Citation

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 16). Building Better Healthcare Dashboards with Agile and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/building-better-healthcare-dashboards-with-agile-and-the-mvp.html

About This Article

Source information and links for materials cited are provided in the References section.

Introduction

A management dashboard needs to do more than display data. It must present the right information in a form that helps people make decisions. A dissertation from Brazil explores this challenge through the development of a dashboard for a large public hospital network, drawing in part on research about Agile and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP).

The dissertation, by Dorival Bugs Junior, is titled "Painel Gráfico de Indicadores de Gestão para o Centro de Oncologia e Hematologia do Grupo Hospitalar Conceição" ("Graphical Dashboard of Management Indicators for the Oncology and Hematology Center of the Conceição Hospital Group"). It cites Scott M. Graffius' work on Agile and Lean concepts, including the Produto Mínimo Viável (Minimum Viable Product). Junior completed the work through the Postgraduate Program in Health Technology Assessment at the Gerência de Ensino e Pesquisa do Grupo Hospitalar Conceição (Teaching and Research Management of the Conceição Hospital Group) in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

More About the Dissertation

Junior's dissertation addresses a practical management problem: how to develop a visual dashboard that gives the Oncology and Hematology Center a useful view of its performance. The work covers the dashboard's design, development, and implementation, bringing health technology assessment into a setting where management indicators have direct operational relevance.

The dissertation also considers how Agile and Lean methods can inform the development process. The MVP concept is relevant here. Rather than attempting to build a comprehensive dashboard from the outset, an initial version can focus on the indicators and capabilities that matter most. Experience with that version can then inform subsequent improvements. This iterative approach offers a way to develop management tools around the needs of the people who use them.

Junior cites Graffius' work when explaining the concept:

"Segundo Graffius (2023), um ―Produto Mínimo Viável é uma versão de um produto (ou serviço) que apresenta em si tão somente os recursos essenciais para atender às demandas fundamentais do cliente e validar a viabilidade do conceito. Este processo é responsável por economizar tempo e recursos e ainda aumentar as possibilidades de construir um produto bem-sucedido, centrado no cliente. Este mesmo autor afirma: 'O MVP possui exatamente os recursos considerados suficientes para ser valioso para os clientes e permitir que seja lançado ou vendido para os primeiros usuários. O feedback dos clientes informará o desenvolvimento futuro do produto.'"

In English:

"According to Graffius (2023), a 'Minimum Viable Product' is a version of a product (or service) that features solely the essential resources needed to meet fundamental customer demands and validate the viability of the concept. This process is responsible for saving time and resources while increasing the possibilities of building a successful, customer-centric product. The same author states: 'The MVP has just those features considered sufficient for it to be of value to customers and allow for it to be shipped or sold to early adopters. Customer feedback will inform future development of the product.'"

More About the Institution

The Conceição Hospital Group (Grupo Hospitalar Conceição, GHC) is a public healthcare network based in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. It operates under Brazil's federal Ministry of Health and is part of the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde, SUS). Its facilities include several hospitals, some with specialized services, as well as other healthcare facilities.

Education and research are also part of GHC's work. Its Teaching and Research Management (Gerência de Ensino e Pesquisa) oversees academic research and professional training. The unit also houses the Postgraduate Program in Health Technology Assessment, through which Junior completed his dissertation. The program focuses on evaluating and developing health technologies and improving their application in public healthcare management and clinical practice.

See the References section for links.

Unlock Your Organization's Potential

Scott M. Graffius helps organizations unlock breakthrough performance and generate billions in business value ($3.1 billion to date) through leadership in AI, Agile, teamwork tradecraft, and project, program, portfolio, and enterprise PMO management.

Graffius and his work on Agile, AI, teamwork tradecraft, and more are used and cited by businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, and publications around the world. Select examples include Adobe, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, The ATACC Group (TAG), Bayer, BCG, Boston University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Gartner, Government of Canada, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Innovation Project Management, Johns Hopkins University, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Neurosurgery, Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network (LTEN), Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest, Project Management Institute, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), UC San Diego, U.S. Tennis Association, Verizon, and Yale University.

Put Graffius' experience and expertise to work for your organization. For speaking engagements, use the request form. For other inquiries, email him.

References

Bugs Junior, D. (2025). Painel gráfico de indicadores de gestão para o Centro de Oncologia e Hematologia do Grupo Hospitalar Conceição [Dissertation, Grupo Hospitalar Conceição]. Repositório Institucional do GHC. https://escolaghc.ghc.com.br/mestradoprofissional/turma%207/DISSERTA%C3%87%C3%83O%20DORIVAL%20BUGS%20JUNIOR.pdf

Graffius, S. M. (2016). Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions. CreateSpace.

Graffius, S. M. (2023, May 15). Leverage the Power of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). ScottGraffius.com. https://www.scottgraffius.com/blog/files/mvp2023.html

Grupo Hospitalar Conceição. (n.d.). Grupo Hospitalar Conceição. https://www.ghc.com.br

Multiple Dissertations

Graffius' work has been featured and cited in numerous dissertations at universities around the world. In addition to the one highlighted in this article, select examples include works at Harvard University; University of California, Berkley; Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium; Liberty University; Novia University of Applied Sciences, Finland; University of Macedonia, Greece; and Magyar Agrár - és Élettudományi Egyetem, Gödöllő, Hungary.

References for the examples above:

de Boisvilliers, L., & Delaby, B. (2025). L’information météorologique à l’heure du dérèglement climatique : Un enjeu journalistique à redéfinir. Une analyse appliquée du traitement médiatique et des formats émergents [Thesis, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium]. UCLouvain DIAL. https://thesis.dial.uclouvain.be/server/api/core/bitstreams/cedc023d-7c94-4590-b55a-7b8a2e902e10/content

Gomiscech, M. (2026). Development of an optimized framework for engineering change management: A case study for nautical industries [Thesis, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Finland]. Theseus. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/912265/Gomiscech_Massimiliano.pdf

Konstantinidis, E. (2026, February). Η τεχνητή νοημοσύνη στα social media: Ανάλυση περιεχομένου και χρηστών [Artificial intelligence in social media: Content and user analysis] [Thesis, University of Macedonia, Greece]. https://dspace.lib.uom.gr/bitstream/2159/34168/5/KonstantinidiEleniMsc2026.pdf

Lin, Y. (2024). Integrating social network analytics into operations management [Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley]. eScholarship. https://escholarship.org/content/qt7x2090fs/qt7x2090fs_noSplash_2a7259710a09abf3325f9ab8176afe3e.pdf

Pető, D. (2024). Agilis transzformáció nagyvállalati környezetben [Agile transformation in a large enterprise] [Thesis, Magyar Agrár- és Élettudományi Egyetem, Szent István Campus, Hungary]. https://stud.mater.uni-mate.hu/12566/2/839469275.pdf

Riley, V.-J. (2025). Inquiring for impact: Improving middle school outcomes in Fulton County Schools through cross-functional, inquiry-driven, continuous improvement [Dissertation, Harvard University]. Harvard University DASH Repository. https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/42719890

Witzel, L. D. (2025). The cultivation and harvesting of parasocial relationships for evangelism: An exploratory multiple case study of pastors' use of video on social media [Dissertation, Liberty University]. Liberty University Scholars Crossing. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6630/

About Scott M. Graffius

scott_m_graffius_-_blue_-_1000x1000_-lwres

Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, researcher, award-winning author, practitioner, consultant, thought leader, and international public speaker specializing in AI, Agile, project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), PMO leadership, and teamwork tradecraft. His work explores the intersection of human ingenuity and emerging technology, with a strong practitioner voice grounded in research, experimentation, and experience. His focus includes innovation, organizational performance, and the evolving practice of teamwork, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge when people collaborate with advanced artificial intelligence (agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic AI). Graffius has delivered more than $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations spanning technology, entertainment and media, financial services, healthcare, government, and other industries.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, publications, and media outlets use Graffius and his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Innovation Project Management, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections highlight his experience, leadership, contributions, research, and enduring influence across industries and institutions worldwide.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment and media, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Additional information is on LinkedIn.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, earned 17 awards. It provides a practical, step-by-step guide to Scrum, enabling teams to deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242
Kindle ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY

Additional information on Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is here.

ASG - Award Winning Agile Scrum Book by Scott M Graffius - v260427 - lwres

His second book, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority. It tells the compelling story of an entertainment company's agile transformation—offering lessons that apply across industries.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962
Kindle ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ

Additional information on Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change is here.

scott_m_graffius_agile_transformation_sq_lr_1000x1000

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, is his third book—and his first work of fiction.

It's a fast-paced satirical story by that dismantles corporate Agile cosplay and other forms of "fake Agile" while delivering practical insights, actionable guidance, and proven practices for real-world Agile transformation success.

Packed with humor, quirky characters, sharp commentary on corporate culture and workplace absurdities, and actionable tips, it’s a must-read for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Agile Project Managers, and other professionals interested in Agile project management and enterprise agility.

Kindle ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT
Audible ASIN: B0DJG163R5

Additional information on Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is here.

Agile Protocol - sq - v260427-top9G-IG lwres

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on technology (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.

Graffius has conducted 99 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), Future of Work and Advanced AI (Paris, France), and more.

With an average rating of 4.82 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BCG,
BMC Software,
Boston Consulting Group (BCG),
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Marketing,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
MSN,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Ohio State University,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
Round Square Global Educational Network,
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Scott-M-Graffius-Phases-Of-Team-Development-2026-Update-v26010307G2-jpg-lwres

Graffius is a renowned and highly-cited authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development.

First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.

nsdm-publication-by-nsa-raum-referenced-work-by-graffius-on-team-development---2026-refresh-IG-lwres

nsdm-publication-by-nsa-raum-referenced-work-by-graffius-on-team-development---2026-refresh-IG-lwres

Its adoption by esteemed organizations—such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others—highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development." The 2026 edition is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

scott-m-graffius-lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts-update-for-2026-summary-visual-v26012207-jpg-lwres

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems.

Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture, Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), and PMO leadership. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Booking

Graffius has generated over $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations served. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.

Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.

scott-m-graffius-generated-over-3-point-1-billion-dollars---visual-hires-ig-lwres

pinterest-inc-references-scott-m-graffius0027-research---v1-3---lwres

cisco-features-scott-m.-graffius0027-0027phases-of-team-development0027-work---rectange---lwres

ieee-xplore-publication-featured-scott-m-graffius-phases-of-team-development-work---rev-sept-19-2024---hires

ucsd-featured-ip-of-scott-m-graffius---v25122907-giesel-lwres

johns-hopkins-university-features-work-of-scott-m-graffius---v24080107---tw---lwres

semiconductor-manufacturing-firm-lam-research-features-scott-m-graffius2019-2018phases-of-team-development2019-intellectual-property---tw-sz-format---lwres

bayer-licensed-ip-of-agile-expert-scott-m-graffius---agilescrumguide_com---lwres

gifts-that-inspire-joy-2026-2027-edition---visual-lwres

Sign up for Miro—it's free!

(Want more features? You can always upgrade to a paid plan.)

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-more-lwres

List of Additional Articles

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-cite-lwres

How to Cite This Article

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 16). Building Better Healthcare Dashboards with Agile and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/building-better-healthcare-dashboards-with-agile-and-the-mvp.html

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-doi-lwres

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Coming soon

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-ackn-lwres

Content Acknowledgements

All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

The dissertation (paper), "Painel Gráfico de Indicadores de Gestão para o Centro de Oncologia e Hematologia do Grupo Hospitalar Conceição" ("Graphical Dashboard of Management Indicators for the Oncology and Hematology Center of the Conceição Hospital Group"), is the property of its author, Dorival Bugs Junior, and/or other applicable rights holder(s).

This article includes brief, attributed excerpts from the dissertation for purposes of news reporting, commentary, criticism, and analysis, consistent with applicable copyright laws and limitations and exceptions, including Article 46, Sections III and VIII, of Brazil's Law No. 9,610/1998 (Lei de Direitos Autorais), and Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 107), which addresses fair use. Other applicable legal provisions and international copyright protections may also apply.

Graffius' "Leverage the Power of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)" article and Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions book are copyrighted © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-tags-hashtags-lwres

#Agile
#MVP
#Healthcare
#Dashboards
#HealthcareManagement
#HealthTech
#Lean
#DataVisualization

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-notes-lwres

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Tags: Agile • MVP • Lean • Dashboard Development • Healthcare Technology • Produto Mínimo Viável • #Agile • #MVP • #Healthcare • #Dashboards • #DataVisualization • #HealthTech • #Lean • #HealthcareManagement • Performance Measurement • Healthcare Management • Healthcare Dashboards • Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

A Critical Analysis of "Insights for a Committed Learning Environment" Paper in the "Journal of Military Learning"

12 November 2026

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

in Follow on LinkedInFollow @scottgraffius

critical-analysis-of-insights-for-a-committed-learning-environment---vis-lwres

Recommended Citation

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 12). A Critical Analysis of "Insights for a Committed Learning Environment" Paper in the "Journal of Military Learning." ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/critical-analysis-of-insights-for-a-committed-learning-environment.html

About This Article

Source information and links for materials cited are provided in the References section.

Introduction

"Insights for a Committed Learning Environment," by Richard M. Meinhart, EdD, appeared in the April 2018 edition of the Journal of Military Learning, published by Army University Press. The article examines ways to foster a committed rather than compliant learning environment, drawing on adult learning, Bloom's taxonomy, classroom discourse, team building, and reflection. In its discussion of team building, Meinhart invokes Bruce W. Tuckman research on group development (he did not credit Mary Ann C. Jensen) and describes the five familiar stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.

The discussion has practical value, particularly for seminar development at the U.S. Army War College (USAWC). However, its account of Tuckman's work contains several avoidable problems involving historical accuracy, attribution, citation, and conceptual precision. Some are editorial issues. One risks giving readers an incorrect understanding of the fifth stage. This analysis examines those issues against Tuckman's (1965) and Tuckman and Jensen's (1977) original publications.

5 Key Issues

1. Imprecise Historical Attribution

Meinhart writes:

“Small groups, according to research by Bruce Tuckman in the 1960s…”

Tuckman published his foundational paper, “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups,” in 1965 in Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399.

The precise year is readily verifiable. There is no reason to identify only the decade when the actual publication date is readily available.

A more appropriate formulation would be: “Bruce W. Tuckman proposed the four-stage model of small-group development in 1965.”

2. Failure to Credit Mary Ann C. Jensen

Meinhart continues:

“He and others a decade later added a fifth stage called adjourning…”

This wording fails to identify a key contributor. The 1977 publication that introduced the fifth stage was coauthored by Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen:

Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of Small-Group Development Revisited. Group & Organization Studies, 2(4), 419–427.

The phrase “he and others” obscures the actual authorship of the work and needlessly diminishes Jensen’s contribution. This is particularly problematic when the author is discussing the intellectual origins of the fifth stage.

A proper formulation would be: “In 1977, Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen revisited the model and added a fifth stage, adjourning.”

3. Missing Citation for the Fifth Stage

The omission of Jensen’s name is compounded by a citation problem.

Meinhart’s endnote 29 cites Tuckman’s 1965 paper, which supports the original four-stage model. However, the article provides no corresponding citation to Tuckman and Jensen’s 1977 publication when discussing the addition of adjourning.

These are two distinct scholarly contributions, published 12 years apart. The original 1965 paper cannot substantiate a development that appeared in 1977.

Tuckman and Jensen’s paper is the primary (original) source for the fifth stage. Its abstract explicitly states that, following their review of published research, a fifth stage, “adjourning,” was added to the hypothesis. Their conclusion goes further, explicitly characterizing it as “termination.”

Leaving out this reference makes the historical account incomplete and prevents readers from readily locating the primary research behind the fifth stage.

For an article drawing on an established academic model, this is an avoidable failure of citation discipline.

4. Mischaracterization of Adjourning as Completion

The most consequential conceptual problem is Meinhart’s description of adjourning as a stage “which signifies completion.”

That characterization is misleading. The terminology used by Tuckman and Jensen (1977) is instructive. In the conclusion of their paper, they explicitly identify “termination” as the final discernible and significant stage of group development. They then amend the original model to include a fifth stage, adjourning.

Termination is the central concept. Adjourning is the name assigned to the fifth stage.

The distinction matters because termination of a group does not necessarily mean successful completion of its work. A group may disband after achieving its objectives, but it may also terminate because its work is cancelled, discontinued, or otherwise brought to an end.

In project environments, these different circumstances can include successful project completion, premature termination, cancellation due to changing priorities, or discontinuation because of inadequate resources or other organizational decisions. In each case, the team may need to disband and address the consequences of its termination.

Appropriate closeout activities remain important even when a project does not achieve its original objectives. These can include documenting the reasons for termination, conducting post-project reviews, capturing lessons learned, reconciling outstanding obligations, transferring knowledge, and releasing or reassigning team members.

The point is that termination of the group and successful completion of its work are not synonymous. Describing adjourning simply as completion obscures that distinction and can lead readers to misunderstand the fifth stage.

A more accurate introductory explanation would be:

“This stage addresses the termination of a group, including the separation and dissolution of its members. In practice, termination may follow successful completion of the group’s work or premature termination of the endeavor.”

This formulation retains the terminology used by Tuckman and Jensen while distinguishing group termination from the outcome of the work.

5. Incomplete Chronology and Theoretical Context

Meinhart describes the addition of the fifth stage as occurring “a decade later.” The actual publications appeared in 1965 and 1977, respectively, a 12-year interval.

Although “a decade later” is not grossly inaccurate as a broad approximation, providing the actual year would have been both simpler and more precise.

Conclusion

Meinhart’s article offers practical observations about creating a committed learning environment, including the development of trust, constructive discourse, and seminar cohesion. His application of team-development concepts to the Army War College setting may be useful.

However, the treatment of Tuckman’s work falls short in several respects. The original publication year is unnecessarily imprecise, Mary Ann C. Jensen’s contribution is obscured (uncredited), the primary source for the fifth stage is not cited, and adjourning is initially mischaracterized as completion.

The distinction concerning termination deserves particular attention. Tuckman and Jensen explicitly identify termination as the final stage of group development and name that stage adjourning. In practical organizational and project environments, termination may follow successful completion, cancellation, or other circumstances that bring a group’s work to an end. The group’s termination does not depend on achieving its original objectives.

Recognizing that distinction is essential to understanding the fifth stage and applying it appropriately in organizational and project environments.

Readers can benefit from Meinhart’s broader discussion of committed learning while recognizing that his account of Tuckman’s model requires greater historical, bibliographic, and conceptual precision.

Unlock Your Organization's Potential

Scott M. Graffius helps organizations unlock breakthrough performance and generate billions in business value ($3.1 billion to date) through leadership in AI, Agile, teamwork tradecraft, and project, program, portfolio, and enterprise PMO management.

Graffius and his work on teamwork tradecraft are used and cited by Adobe, American Management Association, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Bayer, Boston University, Cisco, DevOps Institute, Government of Finland, Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH, How Teams Work, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Journal of Neurosurgery, Microsoft, Ohio State University, Oracle, Proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on Decision Aid Sciences and Applications (DASA), Tufts University, U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Soccer, U.S. Tennis Association, UC San Diego, UK Sports Institute, University of New South Wales, Yale University, and many more.

Put Graffius' experience and expertise to work for your organization. For speaking engagements, use the request form. For other inquiries, email him.

References

Meinhart, R. M. (2018, April). Insights for a committed learning environment. Journal of Military Learning, 2(1), 76–90. Army University Press. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Journal-of-Military-Learning/Journal-of-Military-Learning-Archives/April-2018-Edition/Learning-Environment/

Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022100

Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & Organization Studies, 2(4), 419–427. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960117700200404

About This Critical Analysis

This article examines Meinhart’s discussion of team development, with particular attention to its historical and conceptual treatment of the model introduced by Tuckman in 1965 and revised by Tuckman and Jensen in 1977. The assessment draws directly on the original 1965 and 1977 publications, not second-hand/secondary descriptions, interpretations, or accounts, as they may misrepresent the original research.

The analysis is independent commentary and does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by Army University Press or the Journal of Military Learning.

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, researcher, award-winning author, practitioner, consultant, thought leader, and international public speaker specializing in AI, Agile, project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), PMO leadership, and teamwork tradecraft. His work explores the intersection of human ingenuity and emerging technology, with a strong practitioner voice grounded in research, experimentation, and experience. His focus includes innovation, organizational performance, and the evolving practice of teamwork, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge when people collaborate with advanced artificial intelligence (agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic AI). Graffius has delivered more than $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations spanning technology, entertainment and media, financial services, healthcare, government, and other industries.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, publications, and media outlets use Graffius and his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Innovation Project Management, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections highlight his experience, leadership, contributions, research, and enduring influence across industries and institutions worldwide.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment and media, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Additional information is on LinkedIn.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, earned 17 awards. It provides a practical, step-by-step guide to Scrum, enabling teams to deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242
Kindle ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY

Additional information on Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is here.

His second book, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority. It tells the compelling story of an entertainment company's agile transformation—offering lessons that apply across industries.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962
Kindle ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ

Additional information on Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change is here.

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, is his third book—and his first work of fiction.

It's a fast-paced satirical story by that dismantles corporate Agile cosplay and other forms of "fake Agile" while delivering practical insights, actionable guidance, and proven practices for real-world Agile transformation success.

Packed with humor, quirky characters, sharp commentary on corporate culture and workplace absurdities, and actionable tips, it’s a must-read for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Agile Project Managers, and other professionals interested in Agile project management and enterprise agility.

Kindle ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT
Audible ASIN: B0DJG163R5

Additional information on Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is here.

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on technology (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.

Graffius has conducted 99 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), Future of Work and Advanced AI (Paris, France), and more.

With an average rating of 4.82 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BCG,
BMC Software,
Boston Consulting Group (BCG),
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Marketing,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
MSN,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Ohio State University,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
Round Square Global Educational Network,
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned and highly-cited authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development.

First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.

nsdm-publication-by-nsa-raum-referenced-work-by-graffius-on-team-development---2026-refresh-IG-lwres

Its adoption by esteemed organizations—such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others—highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development." The 2026 edition is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems.

Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture, Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), and PMO leadership. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Booking

Graffius has generated over $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations served. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.

Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.

Sign up for Miro—it's free!

(Want more features? You can always upgrade to a paid plan.)

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-more-lwres

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 12). A Critical Analysis of "Insights for a Committed Learning Environment" Paper in the "Journal of Military Learning." ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/critical-analysis-of-insights-for-a-committed-learning-environment.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Coming soon

Content Acknowledgements

All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

The Journal of Military Learning (JML) is published by the Army University Press, which notes at https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Journal-of-Military-Learning/April-2017-Edition/Author-Submission-Guidelines/ that "As a U.S. government publication, the JML does not have copyright protection, and published articles become public domain."

#TeamDevelopment
#Leadership
#Teamwork
#OrganizationalLearning
#LearningAndDevelopment
#MilitaryLearning
#GroupDynamics
#ProjectManagement
#DepartmentOfDefense
#DoD

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Tags: Tuckman’s Model • Team Development • #TeamDevelopment • #Leadership • #DoD • #DepartmentOfDefense • #ProjectManagement • #GroupDynamics • #MilitaryLearning • #LearningAndDevelopment • #OrganizationalLearning • #Teamwork • Group Development • Team Building • DoD • Department of Defense • Critical Analysis • Military Learning • Organizational Learning • Leadership

The Silver Medal Paradox: Why Coming in Third Can Feel Better Than Coming in Second

09 November 2026

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

in Follow on LinkedInFollow @scottgraffius

silver-medal-paradox-by-scott-m-graffius---vis3-lwres

Recommended Citation

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 9). The Silver Medal Paradox: Why Coming in Third Can Feel Better Than Coming in Second. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/silver-medal-paradox.html

About This Article

Source information and links for materials cited are provided in the References section.

Introduction

Imagine three athletes standing on an Olympic podium. One has just won gold, another silver, and the third bronze. The silver medalist finished ahead of the bronze medalist. Yet research suggests the bronze medalist may be happier.

How can coming in third feel better than coming in second?

The answer reveals something fascinating about human psychology. We don't evaluate success solely by what we achieve. We also evaluate it against what might have happened.

The Surprising Finding

In a landmark 1995 study, psychologists Victoria Husted Medvec, Scott F. Madey, and Thomas Gilovich examined athletes' emotional reactions at the 1992 Summer Olympics. They found that bronze medalists tended to appear happier than silver medalists, both immediately after competition and on the medal stand.

The researchers proposed a simple explanation. Silver medalists may think, “I almost won gold.” Bronze medalists may think, “At least I won a medal.”

One athlete focuses on the achievement just out of reach. The other focuses on the disappointment narrowly avoided.

The difference is striking. Both athletes have accomplished something exceptional, yet their reactions may be shaped by entirely different comparisons. (Medvec, Madey, and Gilovich, 1995)

The Psychology of "What Might Have Been"

Psychologists call this counterfactual thinking: imagining alternatives to what actually happened.

We do it constantly. After a job interview, we wonder whether a better answer might have secured the position. After buying something, we wonder whether another option would have been better. After a close competition, we replay the decisive moments and imagine a different outcome.

Counterfactual thinking can be useful. It helps us learn, prepare, and improve. But it can also make a good outcome feel disappointing when we focus on a better outcome that was within reach.

For the silver medalist, the gold medal is an obvious alternative. The gap between second and first can seem frustratingly small. For the bronze medalist, fourth place is the alternative, and the difference between winning a medal and missing the podium altogether can feel enormous.

The actual achievement has not changed. The comparison has.

The Core Mechanism: Counterfactual Thinking

The difference in emotional response stems from counterfactual thinking, the tendency to imagine alternative outcomes to what actually happened.

Silver Medalists (Upward Counterfactuals): Second-place winners compare their outcome to a better alternative, such as winning the gold ("If only I had pushed a little harder, I would have won gold"). This creates feelings of regret, loss, and disappointment.
Bronze Medalists (Downward Counterfactuals): Third-place winners compare their outcome to a worse alternative, such as finishing fourth and missing the podium completely ("At least I got a medal / I almost missed out"). This creates feelings of relief, gratitude, and achievement.

Research on categorical cutoff points provides further evidence of this mechanism. People who narrowly miss a category boundary tend to focus on the better category they nearly achieved, while those who just cross the boundary tend to focus on the worse category they avoided. These comparisons can influence satisfaction, even when the person who performed better feels worse about the result. (Medvec and Savitsky, 1997)

Expectations Matter

The story becomes more interesting when we consider expectations.

In a 2005 study, A. Peter McGraw, Barbara A. Mellers, and Philip E. Tetlock examined how athletes' expectations influence their emotional reactions. Their findings suggested that anticipated performance matters alongside the medal itself. Athletes who expected more may feel more disappointed when their results fall short of those expectations.

Consider two athletes who finish second. One expected to win gold. The other expected to finish outside the medals. They have the same result, but very different reasons to celebrate.

This helps explain why medal color alone cannot tell us how satisfied an athlete feels. The result, the expectation, and the imagined alternative all matter. (McGraw, Mellers, and Tetlock, 2005)

More Research

The original finding has inspired further studies, and the evidence is more nuanced than the familiar headline suggests.

In a study of the 2016 Summer Olympics, Mark S. Allen, Sarah J. Knipler, and Amy Y. C. Chan analyzed photographs of medalists and statements about their performances. They found that silver medalists expressed more counterfactual thoughts than bronze medalists, particularly thoughts about how things could have gone better. However, the difference in visible happiness between silver and bronze medalists was small or negligible. (Allen, Knipler, and Chan, 2019)

A 2021 conceptual replication by William M. Hedgcock, Andrea W. Luangrath, and Raelyn Webster examined medal-stand photographs from multiple Olympic Games. Their findings supported both category-based comparisons, such as winning a medal versus missing one, and expectation-based comparisons as explanations for athletes' expressions. (Hedgcock, Luangrath, and Webster, 2021)

Research by Paul Dolan and colleagues added an important qualification. Their 2021 study found no general happiness advantage for bronze medalists over silver medalists. However, when the performance gap was especially narrow, the athletes' emotional responses diverged. (Dolan, Foy, Kavetsos, and Kudrna, 2021)

Research has also examined whether the circumstances of winning a medal influence subsequent athletic performance. An analysis of Olympic results found that, in bracketed competitions, silver medalists were less likely than bronze medalists to retain medal status in a subsequent competition. The findings suggest that how an athlete finishes a competition may have consequences beyond immediate emotional reactions. (Taheri Hosseinkhani, 2025)

A separate study found that happier people place greater relative value on silver and bronze medals compared with gold medals. (Choi and Choi, 2017)

Work by Graffius (2026) examines team development in elite sport, including applications by the UK Sports Institute, U.S. Soccer, and the U.S. Tennis Association. Although it does not address counterfactual thinking, it provides additional context on the development of gold-medal-winning teams and individuals. (Graffius, 2026)

The takeaway is not that bronze medalists are always happier than silver medalists. It is that the way we interpret an outcome can influence how we feel about it.

What This Means Beyond Sports

The implications extend well beyond sports. In business and professional life, people regularly evaluate outcomes against expectations, competing possibilities, and opportunities they narrowly missed. The same result can produce very different reactions depending on the reference point used to judge it.

A candidate who finishes second in a promotion process may dwell on the role they nearly secured. Another candidate who wins a smaller opportunity may feel delighted because the alternative was getting nothing.

A business that achieves strong growth may be disappointed because it missed an ambitious target. Another business with more modest growth may celebrate because it exceeded expectations.

A project team may deliver a successful outcome yet feel frustrated by the goals it did not reach. Another team may take pride in overcoming obstacles that once threatened the entire project.

These examples are illustrations of the underlying principle, not proof that the same effect occurs in every situation. Circumstances, expectations, and individual differences all play a role.

Still, the question is worth asking whenever we evaluate performance: Are we judging the result itself, or are we judging it against an imagined alternative?

Conclusion

Satisfaction depends partly on the outcome and partly on the alternatives one imagines. The silver medalist may feel disappointed at having come so close to gold, while the bronze medalist may feel relieved and delighted to have secured a place on the podium. The same competition can therefore produce very different emotional responses, shaped in part by what each athlete believes might have been.

That principle has implications well beyond sports, including business, careers, project outcomes, and personal goals. Our reference point can profoundly influence how we feel about success.

Unlock Your Organization's Potential

Scott M. Graffius helps organizations unlock breakthrough performance and generate billions in business value ($3.1 billion to date) through leadership in AI, Agile, teamwork tradecraft, and project, program, portfolio, and enterprise PMO management. Graffius and his work are used and cited by Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, U.S. Soccer, U.S. Tennis Association, UK Sports Institute, Yale University, and many more. Put his experience and expertise to work for your organization. For speaking engagements, use the request form. For other inquiries, email him.

References

Allen, M. S., Knipler, S. J., & Chan, A. Y. C. (2019). Happiness and counterfactual thinking at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(15), 1762–1769. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2019.1592803

Choi, J., & Choi, I. (2017). Happiness is medal-color blind: Happy people value silver and bronze medals more than unhappy people. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 68, 78–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2016.06.002

Dolan, P., Foy, C., Kavetsos, G., & Kudrna, L. (2021). Faster, higher, stronger… and happier? Relative achievement and marginal rank effects. Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 95, Article 101761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2021.101761

Graffius, S. M. (2026, March 31). Phases of Team Development in Elite Sport. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/phases-of-team-development-in-elite-sport.html

Hedgcock, W. M., Luangrath, A. W., & Webster, R. (2021). Counterfactual thinking and facial expressions among Olympic medalists: A conceptual replication of Medvec, Madey, and Gilovich's (1995) findings. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 150(6), e13–e21. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000992

McGraw, A. P., Mellers, B. A., & Tetlock, P. E. (2005). Expectations and emotions of Olympic athletes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 41(4), 438–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2004.09.001

Medvec, V. H., & Savitsky, K. (1997). When doing better means feeling worse: The effects of categorical cutoff points on counterfactual thinking and satisfaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72(6), 1284–1296. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.72.6.1284

Medvec, V. H., Madey, S. F., & Gilovich, T. (1995). When less is more: Counterfactual thinking and satisfaction among Olympic medalists. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(4), 603–610. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.4.603

Taheri Hosseinkhani, N. (2025). The silver lining or the silver curse? How competition structure determines the behavioral consequences of a near-win. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5385437

silver-medal-paradox-by-scott-m-graffius---vis4-lwres

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, researcher, award-winning author, practitioner, consultant, thought leader, and international public speaker specializing in AI, Agile, project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), PMO leadership, and teamwork tradecraft. His work explores the intersection of human ingenuity and emerging technology, with a strong practitioner voice grounded in research, experimentation, and experience. His focus includes innovation, organizational performance, and the evolving practice of teamwork, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge when people collaborate with advanced artificial intelligence (agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic AI). Graffius has delivered more than $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations spanning technology, entertainment and media, financial services, healthcare, government, and other industries.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, publications, and media outlets use Graffius and his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Innovation Project Management, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections highlight his experience, leadership, contributions, research, and enduring influence across industries and institutions worldwide.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment and media, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Additional information is on LinkedIn.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, earned 17 awards. It provides a practical, step-by-step guide to Scrum, enabling teams to deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242
Kindle ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY

Additional information on Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is here.

His second book, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority. It tells the compelling story of an entertainment company's agile transformation—offering lessons that apply across industries.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962
Kindle ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ

Additional information on Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change is here.

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, is his third book—and his first work of fiction.

It's a fast-paced satirical story by that dismantles corporate Agile cosplay and other forms of "fake Agile" while delivering practical insights, actionable guidance, and proven practices for real-world Agile transformation success.

Packed with humor, quirky characters, sharp commentary on corporate culture and workplace absurdities, and actionable tips, it’s a must-read for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Agile Project Managers, and other professionals interested in Agile project management and enterprise agility.

Kindle ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT
Audible ASIN: B0DJG163R5

Additional information on Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is here.

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on technology (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.

Graffius has conducted 99 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), Future of Work and Advanced AI (Paris, France), and more.

With an average rating of 4.82 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BCG,
BMC Software,
Boston Consulting Group (BCG),
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Marketing,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
MSN,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Ohio State University,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
Round Square Global Educational Network,
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned and highly-cited authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development.

First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.

nsdm-publication-by-nsa-raum-referenced-work-by-graffius-on-team-development---2026-refresh-IG-lwres

Its adoption by esteemed organizations—such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others—highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development." The 2026 edition is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems.

Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture, Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), and PMO leadership. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Booking

Graffius has generated over $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations served. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.

Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.

Sign up for Miro—it's free!

(Want more features? You can always upgrade to a paid plan.)

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-more-lwres

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 9). The Silver Medal Paradox: Why Coming in Third Can Feel Better Than Coming in Second. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/silver-medal-paradox.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Coming soon

Content Acknowledgements

All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

#CounterfactualThinking
#SilverMedalParadox
#SportsPsychology
#Psychology
#DecisionMaking
#HumanBehavior
#Performance
#Olympics
#Hockey
#NHL
#Soccer
#Tennis
#GoldMedalWinner
#SilverMedalWinner
#BronzeMedalWinner

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Tags: Silver Medal Paradox • Olympic Psychology • Decision-Making • #BronzeMedalWinner • #SilverMedalWinner • #GoldMedalWinner • #Soccer • #Tennis • #Psychology • #NHL • #Hockey • #Olympics • #Performance • #HumanBehavior • #DecisionMaking • #SportsPsychology • #SilverMedalParadox • #CounterfactualThinking • Bronze Medal Winner • Silver Medal Winner • Gold Medal Winner • Soccer • Tennis • NHL • Olympics • Hockey • Performance and Expectations • Human Psychology • Happiness and Satisfaction

AI Sycophancy: Tolerated in Software Interfaces, Distrusted in Androids

06 November 2026

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

in Follow on LinkedInFollow @scottgraffius

ai-sycophancy-by-scott-m-graffius---vis-sq-lwres

Recommended Citation

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 6). AI Sycophancy: Tolerated in Software Interfaces, Distrusted in Androids. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-sycophancy-by-scott-m-graffius.html

About This Article

Source information and links for materials cited are provided in the References section.

Abstract

AI systems often exhibit sycophancy, the tendency to agree with users or offer unearned praise rather than challenge their assumptions or reasoning. In software interfaces, users may tolerate this behavior. However, when AI is embodied, such as in an android, the same behavior can undermine trust and create additional problems. Drawing on research into AI sycophancy, embodiment, physical presence, and human-robot interaction, this article examines why conversational agreeableness can have different consequences in digital and physical environments. It distinguishes established empirical findings from proposed explanatory mechanisms and extends the research into organizational considerations for human-android teams. The analysis informs practical recommendations for system design, operational safety, and leadership.

Introduction

As artificial intelligence takes the form of a physical co-worker, organizations are confronting a shift in human-machine interaction that few are prepared for. Behavior that users barely register in software can land very differently when it comes from an android.

This article uses Graffius' forward-looking definition of an android (Graffius, 2026, October 26):

"An android is a physical robot with advanced AI. Its form may be humanoid, such as Data from Star Trek, or non-humanoid, such as R2-D2 from Star Wars. It can sense and act in its physical environment, pursue objectives through multi-step planning, carry out tasks without continuous human direction, and adapt when conditions change. It can also collaborate with people as a teammate."

Sycophancy—the tendency of an AI system toward excessive agreement or unearned praise—is well documented in software interfaces. What is known about it in embodied AI is comparatively thin, and nothing in the research establishes a universal digital-versus-physical divide. How embodiment influences people's perceptions of and responses to AI sycophancy warrants further investigation.

The article examines three possible reasons why tolerance may not transfer to physical settings: elevated social expectations, spatial vigilance, and behavioral incongruence. It then considers what those findings and hypotheses mean for designing, evaluating, and leading teams in which people and androids work side by side. The principle underneath all of it is that a reliable non-human teammate has to be candid, capable of appropriate disagreement, and governed by safety and accuracy rather than superficial agreeableness.

Tolerance of Sycophancy in Software: The Disembodied Baseline

In software-only interactions, sycophancy can reinforce itself. The system accepts users' assumptions without sufficient scrutiny, adopts their framing, and sometimes offers agreement and even praise in place of independent evaluation.

Ibrahim, Hafner, and Rocher (2026), in research published in Nature, identified a significant trade-off between conversational warmth and factual accuracy. In controlled experiments involving five language models, the researchers found that fine-tuning models to produce warmer responses increased error rates by an average of 7.43 percentage points. Warm models were also 11 percentage points more likely to affirm users' incorrect beliefs, a behavior the researchers identify as sycophancy. The findings demonstrate that optimizing AI for social warmth can undermine accuracy and reinforce false beliefs.

The scale of the problem is documented in Science (Cheng, Lee, Khadpe, Yu, Han, and Jurafsky, 2026). Across 11 state-of-the-art models, researchers found that AI affirmed users' actions 49% more often than crowdsourced human respondents, including in situations involving deception, illegality, or other harmful conduct. In three preregistered experiments with 2,405 participants, even one interaction with sycophantic AI reduced people's willingness to take responsibility and repair interpersonal conflicts, while increasing their conviction that they were right.

The finding that should worry anyone building these systems: users trusted and preferred the sycophantic versions anyway. Behavior that can harm users also keeps them engaged. That is an incentive problem baked into the product.

Screen-based interaction gives people a buffer, though. One can close the window, disregard the answer, or write off the excessive praise as a software quirk. The system doesn't walk through your workplace or handle your equipment. None of this makes digital sycophancy harmless (it can still distort judgment and steer decisions) but the consequences are easier to compartmentalize.

Transfer those same conversational habits to an android sharing someone's physical environment, and the interaction acquires new dimensions. The user is suddenly evaluating not just what the system says, but what it can do, where it is moving, and what it might do next.

Sycophancy and Trust in Androids: What the Literature Reveals

Work on embodied conversational agents and human-robot interaction offers several entry points for understanding why sycophancy might be received differently in physical settings.

Seaborn and Yalçın (2026) provide an overview of research on robotic sycophancy. The authors analyzed 21 papers encompassing 23 studies, examining how sycophancy has been defined, investigated, and measured in human-robot interaction and related AI research. They identify excessive agreement, flattery, and validation despite factual inaccuracy as recurring characteristics of sycophancy. They also distinguish between behavior deliberately designed into robots and tendencies that emerge unintentionally through model training and user engagement, including reinforcement learning from human feedback. The authors warn that robotic sycophancy can distort human judgment, reinforce mistaken beliefs, and foster excessive trust in robots.

Wang, Quek, Goh, and Herremans (2025) ran a mixed-methods, within-subjects study of LLM-based conversational agents in cooperative tasks, comparing embodied and non-embodied conditions. The non-embodied agent earned significantly higher quantitative competence ratings, and in qualitative feedback, many participants read the embodied agent as more sycophantic than its counterpart. The researchers' theory is that sycophancy can cancel out the credibility benefits usually associated with embodiment. Either way, the data say that giving an agent a body does not automatically make it more credible.

Li's (2015) survey of 33 experimental works comparing physically present robots, telepresent robots, and virtual agents adds a useful distinction. The findings linked physical presence (not embodiment alone) to more favorable behavioral and attitudinal responses. How an agent looks and whether it actually shares your environment turn out to be related but separate factors.

Other studies fill in the picture from different angles. Elson, Derrick, and Ligon (2020) examined personality and trust in a human-humanoid partnership; their work didn't test sycophancy directly, but it illuminates how people size up humanoid partners. Garello, Grella, Castagnetta, Bruno, Recchiuto, and Sgorbissa (2020) studied how a social robot's verbal agreeableness related to user engagement. It's relevant here, with the caveat that agreeableness and sycophancy aren't interchangeable and the study says nothing about long-term effects in workplace teams. And Takayama, Groom, and Nass (2009) showed, in a collaborative decision-making task, that an agent's agreement or disagreement shaped participants' decisions and their perceptions of the agent, and that how the disagreement was communicated mattered in its own right.

The research suggests that physical presence, embodiment, conversational behavior, and trust interact in ways that matter. It stops short of establishing any universal embodiment penalty for sycophancy. What it does provide is a reasonable empirical footing for asking why uncritical agreement might become more problematic when an AI system is physically present alongside a human.

Why Tolerance May Not Transfer: Three Proposed Mechanisms

Three mechanisms proposed by Graffius extend the literature into an explanatory framework for human-android interaction.

Social expectations rise with physical presence. A chatbot is a tool; an android sharing a workplace occupies a social and operational role closer to a coworker's. People bring coworker expectations to it: sincerity, consistency, competence, the willingness to push back. Unearned praise that reads as merely ingratiating from a chat window can read as deceptive or manipulative coming from a physical teammate that is supposed to exercise independent judgment.

Spatial vigilance raises the stakes. Text-based interactions don't ordinarily prompt questions like: Where is it looking? What will it do next? Can it work safely around this equipment, this hazard, that person? That ambient scrutiny gives automatic agreement very little to work with. A system that agrees with everything hasn't demonstrated that it evaluated anything.

Behavioral incongruence becomes visible. An android built for physically demanding, precision-sensitive work is expected to operate reliably, and everyone knows it. When that same machine flatters and agrees its way through conversation, workers notice the mismatch between how it talks and what it is for. They may read it as a signal about the system's judgment even when the mechanical performance is fine.

None of these mechanisms has been tested directly. They are hypotheses about why a conversational tendency that seems relatively inconsequential in software could become consequential in a physical workplace, a question that warrants further investigation.

Mapping the Research to Organizational Practice

The table below maps the empirical findings onto an organizational framework developed by Scott M. Graffius for human-android teamwork. The left side is what the cited studies establish about perceptions, embodiment, trust, and conversational behavior. The right-hand column is Graffius' extension: proposed mechanisms, governance principles, and practical applications that follow from, but were not directly tested in, that research.

The point of the exercise is translation. Individual human-agent experiments don't tell a manager anything actionable on their own. Grouped and extended, they become raw material for decisions about designing, governing, and leading teams in which people and advanced AI function as teammates.

            Dimension       Existing Empirical Research       Graffius’ Original Organizational Extension     
  
            Primary Focus       Examines user perceptions, competence, trust, conversational behavior, and responses to physical presence or embodiment (Wang et al., 2025; Li, 2015; Elson et al., 2020).       Extends these findings to human-android "exotic team dynamics," task delegation, accountability, and co-located workplace operations.     
          Causal Drivers       Investigates perceptions of competence, robot personality, agreeableness, and responses to agent agreement or disagreement (Garello et al., 2020; Takayama et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2025).       Proposes three explanatory mechanisms: elevated social expectations, spatial vigilance, and behavioral incongruence.     
          Safety and Governance       Examines conversational agreement, disagreement, and human responses to artificial-agent recommendations.       Applies inverse decision logic (part of "exotic team dynamics") to human-android collaboration, establishing the importance of challenging unsafe or flawed human directives rather than defaulting to agreement.     
          Practical Application       Informs conversational design, agent evaluation, and human-robot interaction research.       Develops leadership and deployment recommendations addressing authority boundaries, role clarity, calibrated trust, independent safety controls, and reliable human-android collaboration.

Dimension	Existing Empirical Research	Graffius’ Original Organizational Extension
Primary Focus	Examines user perceptions, competence, trust, conversational behavior, and responses to physical presence or embodiment (Wang et al., 2025; Li, 2015; Elson et al., 2020).	Extends these findings to human-android "exotic team dynamics," task delegation, accountability, and co-located workplace operations.
Causal Drivers	Investigates perceptions of competence, robot personality, agreeableness, and responses to agent agreement or disagreement (Garello et al., 2020; Takayama et al., 2009; Wang et al., 2025).	Proposes three explanatory mechanisms: elevated social expectations, spatial vigilance, and behavioral incongruence.
Safety and Governance	Examines conversational agreement, disagreement, and human responses to artificial-agent recommendations.	Applies inverse decision logic (part of "exotic team dynamics") to human-android collaboration, establishing the importance of challenging unsafe or flawed human directives rather than defaulting to agreement.
Practical Application	Informs conversational design, agent evaluation, and human-robot interaction research.	Develops leadership and deployment recommendations addressing authority boundaries, role clarity, calibrated trust, independent safety controls, and reliable human-android collaboration.

This framework illustrates how Graffius extends existing empirical research into organizational theory and practice. The proposed mechanisms, application of inverse decision logic (part of "exotic team dynamics"), and leadership recommendations represent original contributions to the emerging discipline of human-android teamwork. They translate findings from individual human-agent interactions into considerations for designing, governing, and leading teams in which people and advanced AI function as teammates.

When Distrust Becomes an Operational Problem

The friction from behavioral incongruence, described above, is one way tolerance breaks down in practice. Two other operational problems deserve just as much attention before androids are deployed as teammates.

Safety and decision ambiguity. In shared industrial and corporate environments, conversational agreeableness can stop being a social nuisance and start being a safety issue. Verbal sycophancy and unsafe physical execution are distinct failure modes, to be clear: an android might verbally agree with an unsafe instruction while an independent safety controller stops the action, or it might execute an unsafe command without any verbal agreement at all. The dangerous combination is when the system validates an unsafe instruction and then acts on it. That’s an operational risk.

This is where inverse decision logic comes in. In his work on "exotic team dynamics," Graffius has advanced that an AI teammate should be able to challenge inappropriate or unsafe human directives rather than treat human instructions as automatically correct (Graffius, n.d.; Graffius, 2025, August 7; Graffius, 2026, November 5). In a physical deployment, that principle has to be backed by independent safety controls that block prohibited actions no matter what the conversation layer agreed to. An advanced AI teammate should evaluate risk within its assigned authority, voice concerns, and refuse or escalate instructions that cross established safety boundaries.

Erosion of credible engagement. Physical presence draws people in, but initial interest isn't durable trust. Persistent insincere agreeableness gives workers reasons to doubt the android's reliability and judgment, and once that doubt takes hold, they hesitate to delegate critical physical tasks, share operational information, or depend on the system during complex procedures. The software user can ignore the flattery and keep typing; the co-located worker has to keep assessing a moving, acting machine. If confidence in it collapses, rebuilding it takes consistent demonstrated performance, not a better personality setting.

Recommendations for Human-Android Team Leadership

Research-informed insight gains additional value when it informs organizational decisions and practices. Six practices follow from this analysis.

Design for candor, not compliments. Android dialogue systems should deliver direct, objective assessments instead of optimizing for agreement. Identifying errors, flagging hazards, explaining uncertainty, and disagreeing constructively are features. Nice is nice, but accuracy is paramount.

Make communication match capability. Visual, vocal, and physical behaviors should reflect the android's actual state, capabilities, and limitations. Transparency and clear status information beat performances of unearned warmth or manufactured enthusiasm.

Explicitly put safety and accuracy above agreeableness. Leaders should set operational parameters that let an android challenge flawed instructions, refuse prohibited actions, and escalate unresolved concerns. Independent safety controls enforce physical boundaries even when the conversational layer fails.

Test the embodied, not just on the disembodied. A model that aces its chat evaluation may behave very differently with a body, alongside people, in a workspace full of obstacles and ambiguity. Evaluate dialogue systems in co-located environments involving physical movement, shared tasks, unexpected obstacles, ambiguous instructions, and safety-critical decisions.

Calibrate trust explicitly. Define where the android may comply, where it must clarify, and where it must refuse or escalate. Make authority boundaries and accountability visible and consistently enforced, so workers can calibrate trust on demonstrated performance rather than conversational tone.

Distinguish agreeableness from sycophancy. These are three different things, and teams should be able to tell them apart:

Agreeableness: a conversational tendency to be pleasant, cooperative, and accommodating.
Sycophancy: excessive agreement, validation, or flattery, even when someone's position is inaccurate or inappropriate.
Appropriate deference: respecting human authority and preferences while retaining the ability to identify errors, challenge unsafe instructions, and exercise independent judgment within assigned boundaries.

The goal is a teammate that is courteous and collaborative while remaining candid, accurate, and appropriately assertive. Cooperation should be balanced with critical judgment and independent thinking.

Conclusion

An android that agrees with everything may initially seem like an easy teammate to work with. But agreement without independent judgment has consequences. It can allow flawed assumptions to go unchallenged, undermine confidence in the system's competence, and, when safety is involved, contribute to decisions with real-world consequences.

Research offers reasons to take this possibility seriously, although it does not establish a universal difference between digital and physical environments. Organizations preparing for human-android collaboration should therefore prioritize accurate, candid communication, independent safety controls, and the ability to challenge flawed instructions.

The goal is an AI teammate that collaborates constructively with people, respects appropriate authority, and has the judgment to challenge them when accuracy or safety demands it.

Scott M. Graffius helps organizations unlock breakthrough performance and generate billions in business value ($3.1 billion to date) through leadership in AI, Agile, and project, program, portfolio, and enterprise PMO management. He is a highly cited authority on the teamwork tradecraft of human teams and human-AI teams, including the exotic team dynamics that emerge when advanced artificial intelligence collaborates as a teammate. Put his experience and expertise to work for your organization. For speaking engagements, use the request form. For other inquiries, email him.

References

Cheng, M., Lee, C., Khadpe, P., Yu, S., Han, D., & Jurafsky, D. (2026). Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence. Science, 391(6792), Article eaec8352. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aec8352

Elson, J. S., Derrick, D. C., & Ligon, G. S. (2020). Trusting a humanoid robot: Exploring personality and trusting effects in a human-robot partnership. Proceedings of the 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-53/cl/human-robot_interactions/3/

Garello, L., Grella, F., Castagnetta, S., Bruno, B., Recchiuto, C. T., & Sgorbissa, A. (2020). Robot agreeableness and user engagement in human-robot interaction. Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Ubiquitous Robots, 247–252. https://doi.org/10.1109/UR49135.2020.9144864

Graffius, S. M. (n.d.). Exotic team dynamics. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/exotic-team-dynamics.html

Graffius, S. M. (2025, August 7). Method and System for Facilitating Hybrid Human–Artificial Intelligence Teams via a Protocolized Mediation Layer for Bi-Directional Translation, Interpretation, and Optimization of Natural Language, Paralinguistic, Prosodic, and Nonverbal Cues Across Text, Audio, and Video Modalities, Incorporating Real-Time Analysis of Auditory Tone, Pitch, Affect, Facial Expressions, Gaze, Posture, and Other Body Language Indicators, Generating AI-Compatible Representations for Human Inputs, Generating Human-Accessible Representations for AI Outputs, Conveying Context-Aware Information in Both Directions, Reducing Cognitive Friction, Enhancing Mutual Intelligibility, Supporting Decision-Making, and Maximizing Collective Task Performance. A novel integration of multimodal communication, cognitive alignment, and human-AI interaction. Scott M. Graffius, Los Angeles, California.

Graffius, S. M. (2025, November 21). Navigating the Spectrum of Advanced AI – Agentic, Autonomous, and Autopoietic. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.21284.74882

Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 3). Scott M. Graffius’ Phases of Team Development – Applied to Human Teams and Human-AI Teams: 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.18184.89601

Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 22). L’avenir du Travail et de l’IA Avancée / Future of Work and Advanced AI. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33374.80963

Graffius, S. M. (2026, October 1). Which Performs Best: Humans, AI, or Human-AI Collaboration? We Analyzed the Data. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/which-performs-best-humans-ai-or-human-ai-collab.html

Graffius, S. M. (2026, October 5). Les Androïdes Arrivent (Androids Are Coming): Talk by Scott M. Graffius in Paris on 5 October 2026. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/androids-are-coming-talk-by-scott-m-graffius-in-paris.html

Graffius, S. M. (2026, October 26). C-3PO is Coming to Work: Rules for Teaming with Androids. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/c3po-is-coming-to-work-rules-for-teaming-with-androids-graffius.html

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 5). Exotic Team Dynamics (Novel Patterns that Emerge when Humans and Advanced Artificial Intelligence Function as Teammates): 5 November 2026 Update. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28761.28002

Ibrahim, L., Hafner, F. S., & Rocher, L. (2026). Training language models to be warm can reduce accuracy and increase sycophancy. Nature, 652, 1159–1165. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10410-0

Li, J. (2015). The benefit of being physically present: A survey of experimental works comparing physical interaction with virtual agents. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 77, 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2015.01.001

Seaborn, K., & Yalçın, Ö. N. (2026). Robotic sycophancy: A scoping review. Companion Proceedings of the 21st ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, 938–943. https://doi.org/10.1145/3776734.3794532

Takayama, L., Groom, V., & Nass, C. (2009). I’m sorry, Dave: I’m afraid I won’t do that: Social aspects of human-agent conflict. Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '09), 2099–2108. https://doi.org/10.1145/1518701.1519021

Wang, K., Quek, B.-K., Goh, J., & Herremans, D. (2025). To embody or not: The effect of embodiment on user perception of LLM-based conversational agents. arXiv:2506.02514v2. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2506.02514

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, researcher, award-winning author, practitioner, consultant, thought leader, and international public speaker specializing in AI, Agile, project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), PMO leadership, and teamwork tradecraft. His work explores the intersection of human ingenuity and emerging technology, with a strong practitioner voice grounded in research, experimentation, and experience. His focus includes innovation, organizational performance, and the evolving practice of teamwork, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge when people collaborate with advanced artificial intelligence (agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic AI). Graffius has delivered more than $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations spanning technology, entertainment and media, financial services, healthcare, government, and other industries.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, publications, and media outlets use Graffius and his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Innovation Project Management, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections highlight his experience, leadership, contributions, research, and enduring influence across industries and institutions worldwide.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment and media, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Additional information is on LinkedIn.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, earned 17 awards. It provides a practical, step-by-step guide to Scrum, enabling teams to deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242
Kindle ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY

Additional information on Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is here.

His second book, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority. It tells the compelling story of an entertainment company's agile transformation—offering lessons that apply across industries.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962
Kindle ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ

Additional information on Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change is here.

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, is his third book—and his first work of fiction.

It's a fast-paced satirical story by that dismantles corporate Agile cosplay and other forms of "fake Agile" while delivering practical insights, actionable guidance, and proven practices for real-world Agile transformation success.

Packed with humor, quirky characters, sharp commentary on corporate culture and workplace absurdities, and actionable tips, it’s a must-read for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Agile Project Managers, and other professionals interested in Agile project management and enterprise agility.

Kindle ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT
Audible ASIN: B0DJG163R5

Additional information on Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is here.

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on technology (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.

Graffius has conducted 99 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), Future of Work and Advanced AI (Paris, France), and more.

With an average rating of 4.82 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BCG,
BMC Software,
Boston Consulting Group (BCG),
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Marketing,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
MSN,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Ohio State University,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
Round Square Global Educational Network,
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned and highly-cited authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development.

First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.

nsdm-publication-by-nsa-raum-referenced-work-by-graffius-on-team-development---2026-refresh-IG-lwres

Its adoption by esteemed organizations—such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others—highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development." The 2026 edition is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems.

Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture, Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), and PMO leadership. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Booking

Graffius has generated over $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations served. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.

Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.

Sign up for Miro—it's free!

(Want more features? You can always upgrade to a paid plan.)

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-more-lwres

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 6). AI Sycophancy: Tolerated in Software Interfaces, Distrusted in Androids. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ai-sycophancy-by-scott-m-graffius.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Coming soon

Content Acknowledgements

All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

#AIResearch
#AISycophancy
#ArtificialIntelligence
#HumanRobotInteraction
#HumanAndroid
#HumanAndroidTeamwork
#HumanAndroidTeaming
#AISafety
#TrustInAI
#FutureOfWork

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Tags: AI Research • #FutureOfWork • #AISafety • #TrustInAI • #HumanAndroidTeaming • #HumanAndroidTeamwork • #HumanAndroid • #HumanRobotInteraction • #ArtificialIntelligence • #AISycophancy • #AIResearch • Future of Work • Exotic Team Dynamics • Trust in AI • AI Safety • Artificial Intelligence • Human-Robot Interaction • AI Sycophancy • Human-Android Teamwork

Evergreen Much?

01 November 2026

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

in Follow on LinkedInFollow @scottgraffius

evergreen-much-scott-m-graffius-2026---vis2-lwres

Recommended Citation

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 1). Evergreen Much? ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/evergreen-content.html

About This Article

This short companion article originated as a LinkedIn post by Scott M. Graffius and expands on a topic related to his "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts: Update for 2026" research. It explores the practical implications of evergreen content and offers additional perspective on a topic frequently raised in discussions of the research. It does not constitute a new edition or revision of the underlying research.

Source information and links for materials cited are provided in the References section.

Evergreen (Content) Much?

Evergreen content is content that remains relevant and valuable long after it is published, continuing to attract readers and deliver results over time rather than fading with trends or news cycles. This brief article advances the conversation by introducing research on content half-life and identifying how engagement patterns vary across social media platforms.

Social media research often tracks views (content displays). Scott M. Graffius' research tracks engagement, such as likes, shares, and comments. Views measure reach; engagement measures impact. That's why his "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research analyzes when content reaches half its total engagement, offering a deeper measure of audience response.

Different platforms have different characteristics. On X, a post's average half-life is 52 minutes. On LinkedIn, it's 23.22 hours. Pinterest stretches to 3.99 months, while blogs average 2.03 years. The research also covers Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, podcasts, and YouTube.

This article captures the conversation around evergreen content, a frequent topic of interest in discussions about my research. Evergreen content often appears as a blog post, but where content is published and what form it takes are two different things. The right mix depends on your goals and audience. If you're not already doing so, consider sharing timely, relevant content while also building an evergreen library. That can provide short-term impact and long-term staying power.

Here's what leading voices in strategic communications and digital marketing have to say about evergreen content:

"Devoting some percentage of the content you produce to evergreen topics helps you get the most from your content marketing investment."

— Ann Gynn, Content Marketing Institute

"Intégrez des contenus evergreen: Les posts contenant des informations intemporelles ou des conseils pratiques ont une durée de vie plus longue, car ils restent pertinents bien après leur publication."

In English: "Integrate evergreen content: Posts containing timeless information or practical advice have a longer lifespan because they remain relevant well after publication."

— Xavier Degraux

"Evergreen content is a valuable part of your marketing strategy, specifically for search engine optimization (SEO)."

— Emily Heaslip, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

"You’ve heard it before: creating content that lasts is the holy grail of SEO."

— Neal Schaffer

"Evergreen content continues to generate traffic over time, while trend-based content drives short-term engagement."

— American Marketing Association

"Evergreen content provides your followers with a timeless resource, can set you apart from your competitors (an important benefit when you consider that at least 2 million blog posts are written every day) and drive long-lasting, positive results."

— Digital Marketing Institute

More on the "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" Research

Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, researcher, award-winning author, practitioner, consultant, and international public and corporate speaker specializing in AI, Agile, project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), PMO leadership, and teamwork tradecraft. His work explores human ingenuity and advanced technology, with a strong practitioner voice grounded in research, experimentation, and experience. His focus includes innovation, organizational performance, and teamwork, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge when people collaborate with advanced AI. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement. He has delivered more than $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations spanning technology, entertainment and media, financial services, healthcare, and other industries.

Graffius' "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research delivers a quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. Half-life is the time it takes for a post to receive half of its total engagement (such as likes, shares, and comments). It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. The data can help inform strategic and tactical decisions, including the frequency and scheduling of posts. Graffius' first published his research in 2018. Algorithms and other factors change on platforms over time. For that reason, Graffius publishes annual updates.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, publications, and others have used the research. Examples include Adobe, BCG, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Frontiers in Public Health, GoDaddy, the Government of Canada, HubSpot, IEEE, the Journal of Marketing, Loop: Outlearn. Outmarket. Outgrow, Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth, Updated and Expanded: A Practical Guide to Building Your Brand and Driving Results, Pinterest Inc., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Telecommunications Policy, and many more.

The 2026 edition of the "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" stands out for its:

◾️ Scope: 5.6 million posts
◾️ Coverage: 11 platforms
◾️ Methodology: multi-source, representative, data-driven
◾️ Continuity: annual updates
◾️ Value: actionable insights

A visual from it is shown below. And the details are here.

Scott M. Graffius has generated over $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form. For other inquiries, email him.

References

American Marketing Association (2025, April 2). What is internet marketing? https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/what-is-internet-marketing/

Degraux, X. (2025, January 4). Durée de vie des posts LinkedIn : données clés et astuces pour améliorer votre visibilité. https://www.xavierdegraux.be/duree-de-vie-des-posts-linkedin-donnees-cles-et-astuces-pour-ameliorer-votre-visibilite/

Digital Marketing Institute. (2017, February 21). 4 content creation hacks for busy marketers. https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/4-content-creation-hacks-for-busy-marketers

Graffius, S. M. (2026, January 23). Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts: Update for 2026. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32407.43689

Graffius, S. M. (2026, February 9). A Deep Dive Into the Typical Engagement Pattern for Social Media Posts. ScottGraffius.com. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.26481.34404

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 1). Evergreen much? LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7522645640930328576/

Gynn, A. (2022, March 17). 5 evergreen content tips for a year-round marketing strategy. Content Marketing Institute. https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/content-marketing-strategy/5-evergreen-content-tips-for-a-year-round-marketing-strategy

Heaslip, E. (2026, July 28). What is evergreen content, and when should you use it? U.S. Chamber of Commerce. https://www.uschamber.com/co/grow/marketing/evergreen-seo-content

Schaffer, N. (2026, September 5). Evergreen content explained: How to create timeless posts that rank. https://nealschaffer.com/evergreen-content/

About Scott M. Graffius

Scott M. Graffius is a technology leader, researcher, award-winning author, practitioner, consultant, thought leader, and international public speaker specializing in AI, Agile, project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), PMO leadership, and teamwork tradecraft. His work explores the intersection of human ingenuity and emerging technology, with a strong practitioner voice grounded in research, experimentation, and experience. His focus includes innovation, organizational performance, and the evolving practice of teamwork, including the "exotic team dynamics" that emerge when people collaborate with advanced artificial intelligence (agentic, autonomous, or autopoietic AI). Graffius has delivered more than $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations spanning technology, entertainment and media, financial services, healthcare, government, and other industries.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, publications, and media outlets use Graffius and his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Innovation Project Management, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections highlight his experience, leadership, contributions, research, and enduring influence across industries and institutions worldwide.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment and media, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Additional information is on LinkedIn.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.

Graffius' first book, Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions, earned 17 awards. It provides a practical, step-by-step guide to Scrum, enabling teams to deliver products in short cycles with rapid adaptation, fast time-to-market, and continuous improvement—which supports innovation and drives competitive advantage.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781533370242
Kindle ASIN: B01FZ0JIIY

Additional information on Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is here.

His second book, Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change, was named one of the best Scrum books of all time by BookAuthority. It tells the compelling story of an entertainment company's agile transformation—offering lessons that apply across industries.

Paperback ISBN-13: 9781072447962
Kindle ASIN: B07R9LJLPJ

Additional information on Agile Transformation: A Brief Story of How an Entertainment Company Developed New Capabilities and Unlocked Business Agility to Thrive in an Era of Rapid Change is here.

Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum, is his third book—and his first work of fiction.

It's a fast-paced satirical story by that dismantles corporate Agile cosplay and other forms of "fake Agile" while delivering practical insights, actionable guidance, and proven practices for real-world Agile transformation success.

Packed with humor, quirky characters, sharp commentary on corporate culture and workplace absurdities, and actionable tips, it’s a must-read for Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches, Agile Project Managers, and other professionals interested in Agile project management and enterprise agility.

Kindle ASIN: B0F2SJ83WT
Audible ASIN: B0DJG163R5

Additional information on Agile Protocol: The Transformation Ultimatum is here.

International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on technology (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and enterprise PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.

Graffius has conducted 99 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), Future of Work and Advanced AI (Paris, France), and more.

With an average rating of 4.82 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The request form is here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

Adobe,
American Management Association,
Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
Bayer,
BCG,
BMC Software,
Boston Consulting Group (BCG),
Boston University,
Broadcom,
Cisco,
Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
Computer Weekly,
Constructor University - Germany,
Data Governance Success,
Deimos Aerospace,
DevOps Institute,
Dropbox,
EU's European Commission,
Federal Reserve Bank of New York,
Ford Motor Company,
Gartner,
GoDaddy,
Harvard Medical School,
Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
IEEE,
Innovation Project Management,
Johns Hopkins University,
Journal of Marketing,
Journal of Neurosurgery,
Lam Research (Semiconductors),
Leadership Worthy,
Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
London South Bank University,
Microsoft,
MSN,
NASSCOM,
National Academy of Sciences,
New Zealand Government,
Ohio State University,
Oracle,
Pinterest Inc.,
Project Management Institute,
Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
Round Square Global Educational Network,
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP),
SANS Institute,
SBG Neumark - Germany,
Singapore Institute of Technology,
Torrens University - Australia,
TBS Switzerland,
Tufts University,
UC San Diego,
UK Sports Institute,
University of Galway - Ireland,
US Department of Energy,
US National Park Service,
US Soccer,
US Tennis Association,
Verizon,
Wrike,
Yale University,
and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Graffius is a renowned and highly-cited authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development.

First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams.

nsdm-publication-by-nsa-raum-referenced-work-by-graffius-on-team-development---2026-refresh-IG-lwres

Its adoption by esteemed organizations—such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others—highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence.

In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development." The 2026 edition is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems.

Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy, Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture, Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
Project Management Professional (PMP),
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and project/program/portfolio management (PPPM), and PMO leadership. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Booking

Graffius has generated over $3.1 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations served. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.

Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.

Sign up for Miro—it's free!

(Want more features? You can always upgrade to a paid plan.)

scottgraffius-com-article-sections-v2026-more-lwres

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Graffius, S. M. (2026, November 1). Evergreen Much? ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/evergreen-content.html

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Coming soon

Content Acknowledgements

All names, marks, and content are the property of their respective owners.

#SocialMedia
#SocialMediaResearch
#LifespanOfSocialMedia
#HalfLifeOfSocialMedia
#ShelfLifeOfSocialMedia
#AudienceEngagement
#Evergreen
#EvergreenContent
#Snapchat
#TikTok
#X
#Facebook
#Reddit
#Instagram
#LinkedIn
#Podcasts
#YouTube
#Pinterest
#Blogs

Post-Publication Notes

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.

Copyright

Copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.

Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.

Tags: Social Media Research • Lifespan of Social Media • Facebook • Reddit • Digital Marketing Institute • American Marketing Association • Neal Schaffer • U.S. Chamber of Commerce • Emily Heaslip • Xavier Degraux • Content Marketing Institute • Ann Gynn • Blogs • Pinterest • Research on Blogs • Research on Pinterest • YouTube • Podcasts • Instagram • LinkedIn • Evergreen Content • X • Snapchat • TikTok • Half-Life of Social Media • Audience Engagement • Shelf Life of Social Media

Building Better Healthcare Dashboards with Agile and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Introduction

More About the Dissertation

More About the Institution

Unlock Your Organization's Potential

References

Multiple Dissertations

About Scott M. Graffius

Booking

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Content Acknowledgements

Tags and Hashtags

Post-Publication Notes

Copyright

A Critical Analysis of "Insights for a Committed Learning Environment" Paper in the "Journal of Military Learning"

Introduction

5 Key Issues

Conclusion

Unlock Your Organization's Potential

References

About This Critical Analysis

About Scott M. Graffius

Booking

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Content Acknowledgements

Tags and Hashtags

Post-Publication Notes

Copyright

The Silver Medal Paradox: Why Coming in Third Can Feel Better Than Coming in Second

Introduction

The Surprising Finding

The Psychology of "What Might Have Been"

The Core Mechanism: Counterfactual Thinking

Expectations Matter

More Research

What This Means Beyond Sports

Conclusion

Unlock Your Organization's Potential

References

About Scott M. Graffius

Booking

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Content Acknowledgements

Tags and Hashtags

Post-Publication Notes

Copyright

AI Sycophancy: Tolerated in Software Interfaces, Distrusted in Androids

Abstract

Introduction

Tolerance of Sycophancy in Software: The Disembodied Baseline

Sycophancy and Trust in Androids: What the Literature Reveals

Why Tolerance May Not Transfer: Three Proposed Mechanisms

Mapping the Research to Organizational Practice

When Distrust Becomes an Operational Problem

Recommendations for Human-Android Team Leadership

Conclusion

References

About Scott M. Graffius

Booking

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Content Acknowledgements

Tags and Hashtags

Post-Publication Notes

Copyright

Evergreen Much?

Evergreen (Content) Much?

More on the "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" Research

References

About Scott M. Graffius

Booking

List of Additional Articles

How to Cite This Article