Agile 2017 Preview - Laura Powers

Laura Powers is has a LOT going on. She’s got a new role as Co-CEO of RADTAC US, she got classes coming up AND she has sessions set for Agile 2017 and the Scrum Gathering in Dublin. In this podcast I had the chance to catch up with Laura and hear about all she has going on, and we got to dig into the sessions she’ll be presenting at Agile 2017 and the Scrum Gathering in Dublin.

SHOW NOTES

00:10 Interview Begins
01:03 Laura explains her new gig at Radtac US
02:15 Laura’s experience London following the recent attacks
02:56 Laura and Kim Brainard are giving some Training From the Back of the Room classes
05:03 Laura’s participation in the Women in Agile Event at Agile 2017
07:24 Laura’s talks at Agile 2017
07:48 What about The Power of Play?
14:12 The Difference between Culture and Climate
18:02 Laura’s upcoming session at the Scrum Gathering in Dublin and Say Yes to No!
19:50 Improv,  the “Yes, and” culture and the Power of No
25:25 Saying YES! to more things than you can possibly do and how to fix that
27:58 Laura’s advice for newcomers attending Agile 2017
31:34 Getting in touch with Laura

CONTACTING LAURA

Radtac https://www.radtac.co.uk/about-us/page/3/
Twitter https://twitter.com/laurapowers

LINKS FROM THE PODCAST

• Radtac http://Radtac.com
• Training from the BACK of the Room
  Thursday, August 3, Orlando, FL
  Kim Brainard and Laura Powers
  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/training-from-the-back-of-the-room-tbr-1-day-graphic-facilitation-tickets-31829812827

LAURA’S PODCASTS

Agile Games http://agilegamespodcast.com
NLP Your Agile - Link will be updated soon

WOMEN IN AGILE

Women in Agile at Agile 2017
Date: Sunday, August 6, 2017
Time: 1-5 PM
Location: Orlando, FL - Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel (Agile2017)
https://www.agilealliance.org/women-in-agile-2017/

LAURA'S SESSIONS AT AGILE 2017

The Power of Play - Coaching Teams to Play at Work
Wednesday, August 9, 10:45 AM
http://sched.co/ATXu
It’s Not Just About Culture: Co-creating an Awesome Agile Climate in an Imperfect World
Thursday, August 10, 10:45 AM
http://sched.co/ATWv

Laura's Session at 2017 SCRUM GATHERING - DUBLIN

Say "Yes" to "No": The Power of the "No" in Agile
Tuesday, October 31, 11:00 AM
https://www.scrumalliance.org/sgdub

Personal Accountability Teams at Agile 2017

TLDR

Join a new experiment being run at Agile 2017! Get the most you can out of the biggest Agile event of the year by signing up with a Personal Accountability Team. Stick around at the end of the First Timer Orientation if you’d like to get set up with a team that will meet Daily in Orlando.

 Personal Accountability Teams at Agile 2017

The Agile Alliance is running an experiment to help interested First Timers form small teams who will hold Daily Standups each day in Orlando to get the most value they can out of Agile 2017.

We are just a few weeks away from Agile 2017. With over 270 sessions throughout the week plus a wide variety of other non-session activities, sponsor events, random unofficial activities, hallway conversations, late night "networking" activities, etc. There are LOTS of options. There are, in fact, more options than you could possibly take advantage of.

For many years, I attended big multi-day conferences with the same approach: throw myself headlong into it on Day 1 and participate in everything I could. This worked.... for most of Day 1. It started to fade on Day 2 and by Day 3 of whatever conference I was attending, I hid in my room a lot, I'd sit in the back of a session I was only partly listening to while I did work and often, and mostly just waited for it to be over so I could go home to my family.  Needless to say, this was not a very effective approach.

Several years ago, I tried an experiment at SXSW where I got together with a small group of people each morning for a Daily Standup. It was my first time at SXSW and I was completely overwhelmed. When I initially proposed the experiment at the end of a session on Project Management, I was looking for 2 things:

1. I wanted to have a group of people I could meet with each morning who would help ground me and who would listen to my goals for the day. For me, a big motivator on achieving those goals was knowing that I'd be facing the same people again the next morning.
2. I was looking for support. I didn't know a single person at SXSW and I wanted to have a small base of people I could sync up with. I hoped that we'd share tip and talk about what we had learned during the previous day, and that the collaboration would help us all get a better experience out of our time in Austin.

It worked pretty well. I have been refining this practice at every conference I've attended since. More than anything else, this is what helps me maximize the value I get out of any conference I attend.

In practice, it works just like holding a Daily Scrum, except the questions are a little different:

• What am I going to do today to get value out of my time here?
• What progress did I make on my goals from yesterday?
• What am I struggling with or what do I need help with here at the conference?

I think it is critical to keep in mind that "getting value" does not necessarily mean attending every session. Taking time for yourself, going for a walk, taking a nap before you head out in the evening, making sure you are eating right and hydrating... these are all as important as the conversations. With so much going on, it can be hard to give yourself permission to skip some stuff, but if you don't, you are going to miss a lot more.

This year at Agile 2017 the Agile Alliance is supporting an experiment in Personal Accountability Teams. If you would like to participate, all you need to do is to attend one of the First-Time Attendee Orientation Sessions being held at the start of the conference. As soon as the orientation is over we will walk over to the Open Jam, where we will help you find a small team you can meet with each day throughout the conference to support you and help you get the most value possible out of your time in Orlando.

If you'd like to know more, just reply to this post or attend one of the First-Time Attendee Orientation Sessions at Agile 2017.

AGILE 2017 First Time Attendee Orientation Sessions

• Sunday, August 6, 3:15 PM Panzacola F1&F2
• Sunday, August 6, 6:15 PM Panzacola F1&F2
• Monday, August 7 8:15 AM Panzacola F1&F2

Volunteering at Agile 2017

If you are involved with Agile, the biggest event of the year is the conference hosted each summer by the Agile Alliance. Agile 2017 kicks off on Sunday, August 6, 2017 and that means 2,500 Agilists will be descending on Orlando ready to pick up new techniques, share what they’ve learned and catch up with thought leaders and practitioners in the Agile space.

The conference is MASSIVE and it would not be possible without the Purple Shirt People who volunteer at the conference. In exchange for getting to attend the conference, the folks in the purple shirts are the ones who can help you navigate the week. Whether you are a first timer wondering where to go, or a seasoned veteran giving a talk, we all depend on the generosity of the folks who give their time to help make the conference happen.

In this podcast, Becky Hartman and Sarah Klarich share some details about volunteering at the conference, how it works, what you get in exchange for giving your time and how you can get more involved. If you are new to the conference, Becky and Sarah also share some tips on how to make it through the week and what to not miss.

SHOW NOTES

00:10 Podcast Begins
00:47 Background on Sarah and Becky
01:33 Getting involved with volunteering at the Agile Conference
02:58 How many people will be expected at Agile 2017
03:30 How many people are part of the Volunteer Team at Agile 2017
03:52 The time commitment and getting to see sessions at Agile 2017
05:13 The type of work the Purple Shirts are expected to do a the Agile Conference
06:19 The benefits of volunteering at the Agile Conference
10:18 Advice from Becky and Sarah on how to get the most out your week in Orlando
13:15 Tips for volunteers who are extroverts (like Becky)
14:05 Watch the Grandma comments!
14:18 Advice for introverts (like Sarah)
15:05 Get ready for Agile Therapy and some other new events at Agile 2017!
16:36 Dealing with FOMO at Agile 2017 (You can’t see it all - take care of yourself!)
17:40 Finding your conference wingperson
19:44 Sarah and Becky’s must see events at Agile 2017
21:36 How to get on the Agile 2017 Volunteer Wait List (or submit your name for next year)

Is PMP still worth it if I am doing Agile? - w/ Jesse Fewell

In each of my CSM and CSPO classes someone asks “Should I still get PMP?”

In this podcast I got the chance to check in with Jesse Fewell on the value of certification. Jesse and I have been friends since 2008 when we both started working on trying to find ways to get PMI to pay attention to Agile. We both come from a traditional background, have been heavily involved with PMI and now make a living teaching Scrum certification classes. 

Jesse and I debate the answer to the PMP certification question and along the way, discuss our differing views on the value of PMI-ACP, CSM and CSPO certifications. These are things we don’t always see eye to eye on, so regardless of your viewpoint, there is sure to be something in here to help you see things from a different perspective. 

We also have a brief conversation about what do to about PMO’s in Agile organizations.

Note: You may hear some odd background noise. This time it isn't me slurping coffee … #blamethefidgittoys

Show Notes

00:08 Podcast Starts

00:34 An update on Jesse’s recent and upcoming Agile PMO sessions, VirtuallyAgile.com and his Certified Agile Leadership Training classes

07:53 Does PMP Certification still matter? And if you are working in Agile, do you still need it?

09:57 If you are a traditional PM, are you in danger of becoming unemployable if you do not have agile?

11:50 Can a traditional PM avoid the trap of thinking they “get” Agile before they actually do?

14:26 Jesse’s involvement with PMI-ACP, it’s evolution and current relevance

16:20 What can you expect of someone who has PMP or PMI-ACP Certification?

18:10 PMI and Agile Alliance collaboration and what we can expect to see from it

20:10 PMI is working with the Agile Alliance… “It’s like the X-Men and the Justice League tried to plan something together”

21:10 “Everyone has the same mission - improve outcomes and people doing their job well”

21:43 It’s not a “standard”, it’s a “guide”

22:07 How much Agile will be in the new (6th) edition of the PMBOK?

23:00 For the skeptics… there is good on both sides of PMI and the Agile Alliance working together

24:30 Understanding the distinction between the work done by PMI and the Agile Alliance (stabilize and align vs. disrupt)

26:42 Will there be a new Agile certification coming from PMI?

29:26 If you know a PMP trying to decide between taking a CSM or a PMI-ACP course and they need advice on what to take

32:42 Dave and Jesse debate whether getting PMP is still valuable for a CSM or CSPO

36:17 “Most Agile people are punching above their weight…”

39:18 What do we do about the PMO if our organization is adopting Agile?

44:22 Want more Jesse? Here is how to get it….

45:02 Interview Ends

Links references in the podcast:

The Hybrid PMO (part of Seminars World) http://bit.ly/2tbOvM5

Solving the PMO Paradox (at Agile 2017) http://bit.ly/2sJ8wJj

Certifications and Agile Organizations Mentioned in the Podcast

PMP Certification http://bit.ly/29NtawC

PMI-ACP Certification https://www.pmi.org/certifications/types/agile-acp

CSM Certification http://bit.ly/ZtotC1

CSPO Certification http://bit.ly/1HeXnC5

Certified Agile Leadership Certification https://www.scrumalliance.org/agile-leadership

Agile Alliance: https://www.agilealliance.org

Scrum Alliance: https://www.scrumalliance.org

PMI: https://www.pmi.org/

IC Agile: https://icagile.com

Contacting Jesse

Website: http://www.jessefewell.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessefewell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessefewell/

Contacting Dave

Website: https://drunkenpm.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrsungo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/

WTF is Cost of Delay?

At some point, seems like about 2 summers ago, it seemed like a lot of really smart people in Agile started talking about Cost of Delay as a great way to understand the relative value of work or projects within an organization. The problem I ran into was, whenever I asked about it, the people who explained it to me (who were always way smarter than me) would quickly leave me even more confused than I was when I started asking the question. For awhile I kind of let it go as "another one of those Agile things I just don't totally get" and resigned myself to just nodding my head when people talked about it. That approach was working pretty well, but it started to bug me that I was just kind of universally punting on the whole topic.

I am very fortunate to work at LeadingAgile where I have a lot of really smart colleagues who are open to letting me ask them lots of questions. So, I decided to take advantage of that and finally try to understand exactly WTF Cost of Delay actually is.  The result of those questions is 3 podcasts, which, if you listen to in order, should not only help you understand it at a conceptual level but also at a level where you can begin to practically apply it.

Each of these podcasts originally was posted on the LeadingAgile site. Links to the blog posts are listed below each podcast.

An Overview of Cost of Delay with Jim Hayden

Original blogpost

Calculating Cost of Delay with Marty Bradley

Original blogpost

"It's not a Math Problem" - Cost of Delay Part 3 with Dean Stevens

Original blogpost

Jimi Fosdick at SG2017 on going from PMP to CST

Fearless Agility’s Jimi Fosdick took some time out of during the 2017 Scrum Gathering in San Diego to let me interview him about what it was like to go from being a full on, old school, traditional PMP, to someone who spends his days helping individuals and organizations move to a more Agile way of working.

“It should feel counterintuitive awkward uncomfortable and maybe a little bit painful because anything that represents real change feels that way.”

Jimi is not your run of he mill PMP turned Agilist. His outspoken style, views and approach are unique, but the reason I was so psyched to get to do the interview was the fact that despite all that, Jimi still shows a lot of respect and empathy for traditional minded folks and the challenges they face in making the switch… because he went through it himself.
If you are trying to move from a traditional way of working to someone who has adopted and internalized Agile, there is a lot of good advice in this podcast.

SHOW NOTES

01:40 - Interview begins
02:00 - Jimi’s work and his background
04:17 - Jimi’s experience of going moving from traditional PM work to Agile
06:35 - Advice from Jimi for those moving from traditional to Agile
07:46 - Knowing what you are arguing against, before you know what you are arguing for
09:30 - Embracing the crisis of faith
10:49 - Hyper-focus and the discipline required to make Scrum work
11:45 - The difference between a Project Manager and a ScrumMaster
14:44 - Why Scrum has no Meetings
16:47 - Jim’s work in the Enterprise
20:10 - Cargo Cult Scrum
20:30 - Advice for the PMO that exists in an organization transitioning to Agile
21:19 - Jimi (See the photo below for the more older and mellower Jimi)
24:44 - It’s more about people and change than governance
25:55 - If you have a time machine and could go back and meet Fredrick Taylor would you stop him?
26:42 - Breaking Gantt’s hands
26:55 - Finding Jimi

LINKS FROM THE PODCAST

Cargo Cults on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult
Cargo Cult Video: https://youtu.be/qmlYe2KS0-Y

CONTACTING JIMI

Web: FearlessAgility http://www.fearlessagility.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/fearlessagility
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FearlessAgility/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimifosdick/
Upcoming Events on the Scrum Alliance site: http://bit.ly/2srE7gU

Parikshit Basrur and the Agile Transformation Playbook

Parikshit Basrur works in Sydney, Australia as a Management Consultant who focuses on leadership, strategy and execution. He comes from a strong traditional project management background but for the past few years he has been working in a senior leadership role within an organization that has been undergoing a transformation to Agile. This work, and Parikshit’s unique way of looking at managing work has led him to develop an Agile Transformation Playbook. In this interview, we discuss his approach to working with and transitioning to agile, the importance of focusing on culture, his take on the agile vs. traditional debate and his upcoming sessions at the Hindsight Forum where he will be giving a presentation on how to establish agile practices in a well-established business.

Show Notes

00:12 Interview begins
00:33 Background on Parikshit
01:52 Parikshit’s transition from waterfall to Agile
05:00 The difference between being Agile and doing Agile
07:15 Finding the right tools and delivering work
08:12 Speaking with Stakeholders Executives about Enterprise Transformation
12:03 Responding to the “WE HAVE TO SHIP NOW!” attitude and understanding WHY Agile?
17:15 Helping stakeholders appreciate how hard transformation can be
19:10 The McDonald’s Drive Thru version of Agile
22:30 Agile needs to be like air
23:35 Change your culture first… help them stay away from the candy on the table
27:40 Creating the desire for change
29:50 How the Agile Transformation Playbook differs from other transformation approaches
32:35 Where to find the Agile Transformation Playbook, seeing Parikshit’s upcoming presentations
33:15 Where to reach Parikshit
33:39 Interview Ends

To learn more about the Agile Transformation Playbook

Slideshare: http://bit.ly/2s0TKvy
Medium: http://bit.ly/2rlv3YD
YouTube: https://youtu.be/js96mF3X_fw

Parikshit’s upcoming sessions at the Hindsight Forum

HindSight Forum http://www.hindsightforum.com/events/
Melbourne - June 21, 2017
Sydney - June 22, 2017

Contacting Parikshit

LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2rg8z06
Twitter: https://twitter.com/parikshitbasrur

Student QA: Design on the Scrum Team & Multiple Roles w/ Derek Huether

This post originally appeared on  LeadingAgile's Field Notes.
You can subscribe directly to these podcasts on SoundCloud or iTunes

Design and Cross Functional Teams (2:11 )

“Every time I hear you speak about cross-functional team I am not sure who these teams comprise of exactly. In my world the confusion here is most often related to design inputs. Any digital product will have a visual UI and thus its development will require design inputs. Do most of Leading Agile clients consider this a separate process that contributes to the readiness of stories for a technical Scrum team? Or do you normally assume designers are a part of a Scrum team?
In my view, the former creates waterfall-like dependencies and the latter gets in the way of confident estimations. So, even if both models are feasible, none of them seems ideal, because it leaves an are that has to be tightly managed.” Submitted by Sergey via Email

Multiple Roles - ScrumMaster & Product Owner for 3 Teams (8:20)

How do you deal with a manager who thinks you should be ScrumMaster for multiple teams AND Product Owner at the same time?

This question was submitted by a student in a CSPO class who allowed me to record the question being asked as long as I promised not to post the recording or identify the person by name. In order to honor that, I played the recording for Derek before hand, but in the podcast, what you’ll hear is me (Dave) relating the question.

The question shared by the student related to the fact that they are currently playing the role of ScrumMaster on three different teams and have also been asked to act as Product Owner for these teams. The person explained to their manager that the way Scrum is designed to work, a ScrumMaster is supposed to be dedicated to a single team, should definitely not be trying to support three teams and absolutely should not be playing the role of ScrumMaster and Product Owner at the same time. The manager responded by asking that the person give a detailed account what they are doing all day as a Scrum Master because the manager did not believe the person was too busy to be able to serve as ScrumMaster for three teams and Product Owner for as those teams as well.

Contacting Derek

You can reach Derek on the LeadingAgile site at www.leadingagile.com/guides/derek-huether/
On Twitter at twitter.com/derekhuether
Or on his personal site at www.derekhuether.com

Contacting Dave

You can reach Dave on the LeadingAgile site at www.leadingagile.com/guides/dave-prior/
On Twitter at twitter.com/mrsungo
Or on his personal site at: drunkenpm.net

Feedback/Questions

If you have comments on the podcast, or have questions for the LeadingAgile coaches that you’d like to have addressed in a future episode of LeadingAgile’s SoundNotes, you can reach Dave at dave.prior@leadingagile.com

LeadingAgile CSM and CSPO Classes

For information on LeadingAgile’s upcoming public CSM and CSPO classes, please go to: www.leadingagile.com/our-gear/training/
Use the discount code: LA_Podcast to receive a 15% discount on the class.

Catching Up...

I haven't been very diligent about keeping this blog up to date with all the posts I do at LeadingAgile each week, so I'm going to start scheduling those into the blog and get things caught up. Until I am caught up, I'll be adding one every few days.

Also, since ProjectsatWork is not part of ProjectManagement.com, the P@W podcasts will soon be adjusted a bit to reflect that.

Savannah Rayat - Enhancing your life with Personal Agility

During the 2017 Heart of Agile Conference in Pittsburgh, Savannah Rayat gave a presentation called “Enhancing your life with Personal Agility”. During the session she explained how she has applied some basic Agile practices from Scrum and Kanban to refine and focus her approach to life, deciding what is most important to her, and managing teams. Savannah has also applied Agile in other non-IT areas. During the interview, we talk about some of the Scrum practices she has applied in working with her team of Realtors.

Show Notes

00:10 - Interview Begins
00:52 - Background on Savannah
01:42 - How Day-Trading fits in with being a Realtor/IT Professional
02:15 - How Savannah defines Personal Agility
04:44 - Savannah’s approach to Personal Kanban and her issue with deadlines
05:31 - The important of setting and maintaining WIP Limits
07:06 - Reducing your WIP to 3-4
10:00 - Preventing the backlash of cutting stuff our of your life
12:15 - Having affection for your interests
12:42 - Deciding what you can live without
14:29 - Long term and short term road mapping
15:48 - Savannah’s  Day to Day practice of Agile
18:50 - The need for slack
21:35 - The benefits of self-reflection and coping with the guilt of doing unplanned stuff
23:16 - Making the time for Personal Kanban
24:19  - Accountability Partners
25:33 - How to get started with using Personal Agility
27:44 - How Savannah uses Scrum to support collaboration on her Real Estate team
32:38 - Getting in touch with Savannah
34:39  - Interview Ends

Contacting Savannah 

on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/savannah-rayat-8942b8120/
on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SavannahRayat
Savannah’s Realty site: http://rayatrealtygroup.com
Savannah’s Heart of Agile 2017 http://heartofagile.com/Session/enhancing-your-life-with-personal-agility/