The following are documents, recordings, and other resources from our past events.
Past Meetups
“Systems Leadership can Change the World!”, according to the World Economic Forum.
Our guest speaker Lilo seeks to bring this powerful perspective to the forefront of project and product management. Through our interactive meetup session, participants will learn to see beyond the immediate and apparent, delving into the interconnectedness and potential leverage points within systems. This approach not only enhances the adaptability of Agile and traditional project management strategies but also enriches our capability to foresee and mitigate challenges.
Join us as we play with tools of Systems Thinking to refine our approach to scheduling, requirement gathering, and risk assessment for more effective project and product management outcomes.
Takeaways:
- Gain a deeper understanding of Systems Thinking principles
- Develop skills to apply Systems Thinking tools
- Learn to apply Systems Thinking practices for agile and traditional project management strategies
About the Speakers
Lilo Altali is an award-winning social innovator who has developed design and innovative processes for NGOs, including Ceres, United Way, and Mill City Grows. At Northeastern, he teaches graduate-level social innovation and business design and analysis, while leading the undergraduate project management program. He also serves as the Academic Director for the Inclusive Entrepreneurship Lab. Before Northeastern University, Lilo designed an innovation concentration for the MBA program at Nichols College and taught Innovation Portfolio Management at Clark University. Lilo also oversaw an innovation lab at Third Sector New England. Lilo is a certified Product Manager (CPM) and Project Management Professional (PMP). Lilo has lectured and spoken across the US and Canada and has given presentations in Portugal, India, and Australia. Lilo writes an innovation newsletter that has hundreds of weekly readers.
Attendees (91)
Summary:
Bill Pratt and Bob Payne will present what it took to convert the Department of Homeland Security from a waterfall methodology to an Agile organization, including SAFe principles.
Takeaways:
- Steps for Successful Organizational Transformations
- Demystify Agile, SAFe, and DevOps to the uninitiated
- It won’t happen overnight – be prepared for the long haul
- You need to figure out how to align with other ongoing initiatives
- You are never finished – your journey will morph with new technologies
About the Speakers
Bill Pratt:
Bill is the Executive Director of Customer Relations at the RELI Group Inc., a management consulting firm focused on Federal IT. Bill recently retired from the federal government, where he served for 22 years at the Department of Homeland Security, most recently as the Director of Enterprise Technology Governance. Bill managed the Agile transformation efforts at DHS, achieving a 100 percent level of Agile adoption for major IT programs in 2017.
Bob Payne:
Bob is an early adopter of Extreme Programming (XP), and is a seasoned Agile Coach and practitioner with 25 years of experience in project management, software development, engineering, and business. He is a leading trainer in SAFe® and Agile methodologies, participating in the GAO Agile Experts panel to develop guidance for Agile methods in Government agencies. Holding an MS degree in Computer Architecture for AI, Bob has served as a principal coach and consultant at government and Fortune 100 organizations, including USCIS, Nike, Nationwide, IRS, Geico, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and more. Additionally, as the host of the Agile Toolkit podcast, he has produced over 170 episodes featuring industry leaders and Agile practitioners, with over a million downloads. Bob is a speaker and organizer for national and international conferences and a Certifying Trainer for SAFe, Certified Scrum Master, Certified Scrum Developer, and Certified Agile Project/Program Manager classes.
Attendees (60)
Summary:
In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, Cloud Computing has transformed the way organizations manage projects and programs. This presentation will delve into how Cloud Computing principles influence and enhance Project and Program Management techniques. Through real-world case studies and best practices, attendees will gain valuable insights into leveraging the power of the cloud for more efficient and effective project and program management.
Takeaways:
By the end of this session, attendees will:
- Understand the Fundamental Principles of Cloud Computing: Explore the core concepts of Cloud Computing, including scalability, elasticity, and cost-effectiveness, and understand how they impact project and program management.
- Explore Cloud-Based Project and Program Management Tools: Examine a range of cloud-based project and program management tools and platforms. Understand how these tools can streamline collaboration, improve data access, and enhance decision-making.
- Discuss Best Practices and Strategies: Identify best practices for implementing Cloud Computing in project and program management. Explore strategies for mitigating risks, ensuring security, and optimizing cloud resources.
- Enhance Flexibility and Scalability: Learn how Cloud Computing enables flexibility and scalability, allowing organizations to adapt quickly to changing project and program requirements.
- Prepare for Future Trends: Gain insights into emerging trends in Cloud Computing and their potential impact on project and program management. Stay ahead of industry developments.
About the Speaker:
Nate is an accomplished, results-oriented senior agile transformation leader and coach with comprehensive experience and proven expertise in the on-time delivery of technology-based solutions for domestic and international projects. Nate has demonstrated success in leveraging technology to enhance business operations and to impact the bottom line. Nate is also a respected leader in empowering cross-functional teams to drive organizational success that surpasses corporate goals.
As a technology instructor, he instructs and coaches students in business and technology concepts for the Caltech Center for Technology and Management and the University of California extension management programs. He teaches on-site and virtual courses for corporate clients worldwide like Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Chevron, Boeing, DirecTV, EMC, Southern California Edison, Mars, Northrop Grumman, St. Joseph Hospital, and Toyota.
Nate is an Enterprise Business Agility Strategist and a certified transformation and leadership coach with expertise in Team Performance coaching, Executive coaching, Organizational Development coaching, Life & Spirit coaching, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Math/Computer Science, a master’s degree in business administration, an Executive master’s in technology management from the Wharton School of Business, and a Ph.D. in Management/Information Systems Management and is a Doctor of Information Technology candidate. Finally, he has obtained a BRMP and CBRM from the Business Relationship Management Institute.
Dr. Nate Crew’s website: www.btcsllc.com
Attendees (48)
Summary:
Highly effective teams can accomplish what would be difficult, or impossible, for one person acting alone. Imagine a single human being building the entire interstate highway system, or writing all of the books in your local library. Impossible!
We must often collaborate with others to accomplish goals that only a group of people can achieve. But a group is not the same as a team, and there are many barriers to fully unleashing “group genius”. Even working with just one other person can be challenging, and the complexity of teamwork rises exponentially. An MIT study of global team effectiveness found that only 18% of teams considered themselves successful.
Takeaways:
Learn to overcome the most frequent causes of failure cited:
- They failed to build trust.
- They failed to overcome communication barriers.
- The goals of the individuals were not aligned with the team’s goals.
- The team goals were unclear.
About the speaker:
Kimberly Wiefling is the founder of Wiefling Consulting, co-founder of Silicon Valley Alliances, and ASVPM Board Member. She strongly believes that companies doing business across borders and boundaries of every kind are a powerful force for peace and prosperity in Our World. She is committed to supporting purpose-driven organizations in attracting high-quality investors and the most talented people through the competitive advantage of proven best practices in leadership and a healthy, vibrant organizational culture. She is known globally for her highly interactive, engaging, and transformative workshops, both virtual and in-person. – VIRTUALLY or LIVE IN PERSON (when it’s safe to do so):
* Keynotes
* Workshops
* Coaching
* Consulting
* Facilitated Working Sessions for Strategy & Projects
Her big dream is that one day, both investments and employees would preferentially flow to these kinds of organizations. The soul-sucking variety, and the sick, twisted, dysfunctional organizations of Our World will wither and die for lack of financial resources. The talented people they’ve driven away will get to more life-affirming workplaces . . . for a better world!
Attendees (56)
Summary:
Do you have, or want, a vision that takes you beyond high performing teams, to a high performing, resilient business? Come hear how you can help your organization shift from mechanics that “do” Agile, and walk away with a feel for what’s possible when not just development, but a whole organization surfs the flow of “being” Agile.
Through a series of short stories and exercises, attendees will explore 5 practices from that business which led to roaring success. We’ll probe their parallels in Lean / Agile practice. With each one, you’ll briefly self-inspect the state of your own organization, as well as create a backlog you can use to adapt in your “real world” beyond the conference.
Takeaways:
- Articulate the importance of a clear, shared purpose to guide Agility
- Describe the framework of Situational Leadership and how to apply it to your own leadership style
- Identify two ways to clarify decision authority and where that clarity can be improved in your business
- Apply a simple “big picture” model to help match the Agile mindset to traditional business / project management
About the speaker:
Bernie’s career started with a flash and a bang!!! Literally.
His first position was designing devices that protect telephone networks from lightning strikes. A few career pivots later, he had a flash of insight: it was possible to tap into latent potential in every person, every team, and every organization.
The teams he’s worked with have grown businesses to beyond $100 million, delivering products from consumer electronics to network infrastructure to services & payments at firms including TiVo, Cisco, Wells Fargo and more. He’s also a Certified Scrum Trainer® teaching private and public workshops, including Agile Product Development and Agile Leadership at Stanford Continuing Studies.
As an Agile Leadership Coach, Bernie helps clients achieve performance breakthroughs with their teams, their organizations and themselves. More, he believes that Accelerating Genius℠ is possible in every person and business, and leads both to outrageous effectiveness, and a whole lot more fun.
Attendees (54)
Summary: Unlock Agile Systems Engineering excellence!
Embark on an insightful exploration of Agile Systems Engineering (ASE), a crucial methodology designed to navigate the intricate landscape of system development and agile systems development efficiently. Agile practitioners will acquire a solid grasp of ASE’s transformative principles, adeptly blending the flexibility inherent to Agile with Systems Engineering’s rigorous, structured approach. With these pivotal insights, Agile practitioners will leave poised to incorporate Agile Systems Engineering principles effectively, driving project success and innovation in their professional environments.
Takeaways:
- Understanding ASE Principles: Dive deep into the essential principles of ASE, appreciating its incremental, iterative approach that fosters adaptability and customer satisfaction in the volatile engineering landscape.
- ASE Practices Integration: Discover practical strategies to seamlessly integrate Agile and Systems Engineering practices, enhancing team collaboration, communication, and productivity in delivering high-quality system solutions.
- Navigating Complexity with Agile: Unravel the potent techniques of effectively managing and navigating through the intricate web of complex engineering tasks and projects employing Agile methodologies, ensuring timely and efficient delivery.
- Risk Mitigation in ASE: Equip yourself with robust risk identification, assessment, and mitigation strategies in ASE, ensuring your engineering projects remain resilient to the dynamically changing requirements and market demands.
- Continuous Improvement through ASE: Learn to leverage the power of feedback and continuous improvement ingrained in ASE, driving excellence in system development and maintenance processes while adapting to evolving stakeholder needs and expectations.
About The speaker:
Dr. Nathaniel P. Crews Ph.D. (a.k.a. Nate) is an accomplished senior leader with comprehensive experience and is well known for delivering tech solutions globally. A tech instructor for Caltech and UC extension programs, Nate coaches corporate clients worldwide, including Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Chevron, Boeing, and more. Nate is an Enterprise Business Agility Strategist and a certified transformation and leadership coach with expertise in Team Performance coaching, Executive coaching, Organizational Development coaching, Life and spirit coaching, and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). He holds a Bachelor’s in Math/Computer Science, an MBA, an Executive Master’s in Technology Management (Wharton), Ph.D. in Management/Information Systems.
Attendees (64)
Summary:
What they didn‘t tell you about the 5 Scrum events?
Scrum is often misunderstood. A few common misconceptions arise in many Scrum teams. Detecting and understanding them can help you create more productive teams and better products. Approaching scrum with a different mindset can make it much easier.
Takeaways:
- Scrum is not as easy as it seems.
- Scrum is easier than it seems.
- Don‘t mechanically apply methods.
- It‘s about humans, not methods.
About The speaker:
Matthias Orgler is an Agile Coach, educating agile coaches, scrum masters and product owners to become unbelievable value creators. He is the author of the book “The Daily Scrum – is not a status meeting!”. He has seen a lot in over 20 years in the trenches of agile. He has helped by transforming several teams and organizations into agile power houses. Matthias had learned Scrum from the framework‘s co-inventor, and through his experiences by failing forward his own startups. Last year, Matthias was awarded as Agile Thought Leader 2022. Matthias is passionate about passing his knowledge, mistakes and experiences to others, so we all can make this world a better place.
Attendees (86)
Summary:
SAFe 6.0 helps accelerate the adoption of the latest advanced technologies through expanded guidance for integrating AI, Big Data, and Cloud into value streams. Applying these technologies has become critical for competing now and in the future. AI can revolutionize solutions developed by SAFe organizations. AI has the potential to dramatically influence the operational and business models of enterprises as well, during this call we will review the role of AI in Agile transformation.
Takeaways:
- Scaled Agile Framework 5000 feet’s overview
- Influence of AI on Agile Transformation Journeys
- Obstacles of implementing AI for Scaled Agile Framework
- Current AI products for Agile Transformation Journey
About The Speaker
Farzad Moshfegh Farzad is an innovative, strategic Agile practitioner with extensive experience in planning and executing high-profile initiatives and data-driven programs for fast-paced technology companies. He is seasoned in managing complex challenges, establishing alignment in virtual environments, and opening clear communication over cross-functional teams. Farzad has deep experience working with engineering, product, business, UX-UI designers, directors, and C-level executives. He is a Certified Scrum Master/SAFe POPM/SAFe SPC and earned his MBA in Agile Project Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, CA in 2015 with a focus on reengineering structures, processes, and tools to satisfy stakeholders’ needs and requirements.
Farzad has severed several global leading companies like Nokia, Siemens, Expedia, Hotwire.com, Western Union, First Republic Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Equinix within the last 19 years. Farzad currently works as a senior cybersecurity technical product/project manager at PG&E.
Attendees (98)
Summary:
Borrowing lessons from the Kanban method, we look at how to visualize a team’s backlog refinement process using a backlog refinement board – ultimately allowing a team to make work more visible to better meet its Definition of Ready. Benefits include improved understanding of work items, an “unhiding” of work, an appreciation for “where” refinement work resides – leading to greater confidence the work item has truly met the DoR prior to sprint planning.
We’ll examine how to identify the team’s refinement steps, how to turn those steps into a visual board, discuss whether a refinement board should follow the same cadence as the sprint board, and team interaction with the board. We’ll conclude with some real-world examples
Takeaways:
- Identify (at least) three patterns that suggest a visual backlog refinement board could be right for you and your team
- Learn how to create a backlog refinement board using ideas and techniques borrowed from the Kanban method
- Recognize benefits of creating a backlog refinement board
- Review some real-world examples I have used.
About The Speaker:
Mark Grove is an Agile Coach and Managing Consultant with Excella in Arlington, VA. He has over 25 years in the IT profession with the last ten years focusing on coaching individuals and teams while leveraging practices from both the Kanban method and Scrum framework. His coaching and mentoring focus on understanding the flow of work, system optimization, value delivery, and team dynamics. He has developed and delivered numerous interactive training sessions and has spoken at several agile conferences and meetups. Mark is a Kanban University Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT) and Kanban Coach, and a Certified Scrum Professional (CSP-SM, CSP-PO).
Attendees (71)
Summary
Building a team agreement is an opportunity to openly discuss mutual expectations, identify up front what we should do in certain scenarios to be effective as a team, on one hand, and turn our differences and cultural diversity into our benefits on the other hand. It is a chance to learn about each other and show appreciation for our diversity.
Join this session to learn about the importance of team agreement for establishing and fostering team trust. Gain some insights on how to facilitate team agreement discussion
Takeaways:
- Building trust when people have different cultural backgrounds and different expectations.
- Cultivating psychological safety as a key for team performance.
- Creating a team agreement – step by step
About The Speaker:
Alexander (Sasha) Frumkin (CTC, CSP-SM, CSPO, CSP-D, CAL-1) is a passionate agile coach and trainer. He has over 25 years of experience in software development, including senior management roles. Ever since discovering the Agile Manifesto in 2007, Sasha has lived and breathed agile and scrum. He believes psychological safety is a foundation for a house of scrum. Sasha partners with his clients to create a culture of brutal transparency, experimentation, and learning by doing. Currently Sasha is a principal agile coach at Bank of the West and facilitates the Agile Practitioner Online Special Interest Group. He is an inspired CST candidate who has already co-trained a few CSM classes.
Attendees (61)
Summary:
Measuring Agile is not simply about watching velocity and sprint commitments. In an increasingly customer-obsessed and data-driven world, teams and organizations must have a much more holistic view of the metrics needed for successful outcomes.
If you are picturing a sea of metrics that need to be turned green then you have the wrong picture. What is needed is a surgical focus on the metrics that matter to our teams that deliver customer value
Takeaways:
- How to start with the outcomes you desire and back into the agile practices along with their associated metrics.
- How to drive from a user obsession perspective by starting with the problems, ideal state, and into the value we will deliver (stories, etc) along with the metrics at each step.
- How teams and leaders can use metrics in a healthy way and what to not do.
- How to build metrics into a healthy agile cadence.
About The Speaker:
Ian is an experienced global technology leader, trainer, agilist, and keynote speaker who has led and worked with teams and organizations of all sizes around the world.
Ian resides in Silicon Valley California where he spearheaded the enterprise agility programs for large technology companies including Workday and Intuit.
Attendees (120)
Summary:
We’ll explore four decades of research into developmental psychology as applied to the Scrum Master role. You’ll learn how Scrum Masters fulfill their roles at each level of maturity, how to assess your own maturity, and you’ll leave with tools you can use to take the next leap in your journey as a Scrum Master and as a human.
Takeaways:
- Explain the foundations of developmental psychology and stage theory.
- Identify the impact each stage of maturity has on your ability to fulfill the Scrum Master role.
- Self-assess your current stage of maturity.
- Identify the next step to take in your Scrum Mastering.
About the Speakers:
Erkan Kadir is co-founder of Superheroes Academy and is an experienced international speaker. He shares new perspectives on agility at many meetups and conferences each year and his talks have been accepted at every major international agile conference including both North American and European Global Scrum Gatherings. Full list of talks available on his website: https://www.superheroes.academy/events
Erkan’s at his best when he is working with teams and talking about big ideas. He draws on many years of experience building products, managing teams and leading organizations to catalyze growth. He excels at coaching teams into a greater understanding of themselves. Erkan’s work has benefited many companies including: Digital Oilfield, ADP, Enverus and Suncor. He is a Scrum Alliance Certified Enterprise Coach℠ (CEC), Certified Team Coach℠ (CTC), Certified Organization and Relationship Systems Coach (ORSCC), ICF Professional Certified Coach (ICF-PCC), Certified Leadership Maturity Coach™ and an ICAgile Certified Coach (IC-ACC).
Brock Argue takes a holistic approach to agility – recognizing that all aspects of the business benefit from the application of agile values and principles. His style of facilitation creates an environment in which high-performing organizations can emerge. Brock’s work includes agile transformations at Digital Oilfield, ADP, Benevity and Suncor. Brock seeks to support the ongoing development of coaches as they seek to transform the world of work and as such, he actively mentors aspiring coaches each year. Brock is a Certified Enterprise Coach℠ (CEC) and Certified Team Coach℠ (CTC) through Scrum Alliance, a Certified Leadership Maturity Coach™ through the Vertical Development Academy, an Organization and Relationship Systems Coach, an ICAgile Certified Coach (IC-ACC), and holds his ICF-PCC.
Brock has been a regular on the international conference and meetup circuit. He’s spoken several times at Global Scrum Gatherings and Agile Alliance conferences. Full list of talks available on his website: https://www.superheroes.academy/events
Brock provides coaching, mentoring and certification programs to individuals and organizations as the co-founder and coach at Superheroes Academy (https://superheroes.academy).
Attendees (126)
Summary:
Can Retrospectives be more than just “what went well” and “what can we improve”?
Effective, impactful retrospectives don’t happen by accident. Deliberate design and skillful facilitation can lead participants down new though paths to incredible team improvements.
Come learn to cultivate better retrospectives.
Takeaways:
- Learn an important aspect of effective retrospectives
- Facilitating differentiation between observation and interpretation
- Gain some new insights and ideas for retrospectives
About the Speakers:
George Dinwiddie helps organizations develop software more effectively. He brings decades of development experience from electronic hardware and embedded firmware to business information technology. He helps organizations, managers, and teams solve the problems they face by providing consulting, coaching, mentoring and training at the organizational, process, team, interpersonal, and technical levels. Involved in the Agile community since 2000, he has helped organizations ranging from a 6-person startup to a Fortune 100 company and a billion-plus dollar federal program, either directly or in partnership with other companies. He is the author of Software Estimation without Guessing: Effective Planning in an Imperfect World (Pragmatic Bookshelf), Evolutionary Anatomy of Test Automation Code (LeanPub) and co-author of Patterns of Agile Journeys (LeanPub).
Eric Rapin is a consultant through his company Lucid Agile, Inc. and a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Trainer®, leading efforts to adopt and improve organizations use of Scrum and other Agile methods. He has been working in software product development in various roles for over 30 years. Beginning his career as a software engineer and moving through various product development roles from dev to test to release and performance, Eric has covered the gamut in the software world, half of that time in various management roles. Eric discovered that many things he had started doing were articulated best by the Agile world and found a natural home there. Eric has worked at many leading companies such as Nortel, Apple, Sun Microsystems, Openwave, Adobe, Tableau, and Salesforce.
Attendees (67)
Summary:
Communication skills are among the most powerful tools available to leaders. Study after study reveals that communication skills are one of the top skills required for success in life and on the job. In fact, the #2 reason global teams don’t achieve their goals is due to ineffective communication. (The #1 reason is that they fail to build trusting relationships, which ALSO depends on skillful communication!) And VIRTUAL communication creates huge, but NOT insurmountable, challenges.
We will engage in an interactive, experiential session that demonstrates that permanent virtual teams CAN build strong relationships, trust, good communication, clear goals, and persistent plans…and execute with excellence together!
Takeaways:
- Think you can’t engage and connect meaningfully virtually? You can! We’ll prove it.
- Tackle complex problems and make decisions together by interacting visually.
- Work in massively parallel ways that will make you wonder if virtual is better than live!
- Learn to lead effectively in this virtual world by engaging & connecting to people.
- Avoid F.A.I.L.-ing for entirely predictable and largely avoidable reasons!
About the Speaker:
Kimberly Wiefling is the founder of Wiefling Consulting a Silicon Valley-based global consultancy. A physicist by education, she recognized long ago the crucial role of human skills – what her engineering friends sometimes call “the touchy feely crap”. Kimberly enables managers to become leaders and groups of people to become a true team, who can achieve TOGETHER what would be impossible to achieve alone. She has worked with companies from startups in Silicon Valley to the Global 1000, including over 50 globalizing Japanese companies.
Kimberly has worked with people from over 50 different countries. Her book, Scrappy Project Management, has gotten her invited to speak to audiences globally. She works globally with valued colleagues at Silicon Valley Alliances.
NEVER BORING! Her keynotes and workSHOCKs enable people to make positive changes to overcome the predictable & avoidable leadership, team & organizational culture issues that damage or destroy organizations.
Attendees (64)
Summary:
The product owner role was introduced in Scrum in 1993. So, the role has been around for ~25 years. Yet, still we struggle with the nature of it. Is it simple or complex? Is it inward or outwardly facing? It is about backlogs and stories or something more? And is ‘ownership’ the whole point?
In this talk, Bob Galen will be sharing his 4-Quadrants model for what effective (good) product ownership looks like in the real-world. It will start with balance, because the role is so broad and deep in its nuance. The essence of the 4-quadrants says that there are product, project, analyst, and leadership parts to the role. We’ll explore each in turn and talk about cross-connecting each area. We’ll also explore the partnerships that are key to success.
You’ll leave this session certainly understanding what Product Owner Excellence looks like and how crucial it is for team succes
Takeaways:
- Introduce the 4-Quadrants of Agile Product Ownership as a framework for skills, responsibilities, and expectation management.
- Deep dive into each of the quadrants and explore that aspect of the role; wrapping up with quadrant interactions.
- Finally, explore Product Ownership at-Scale and the challenges associated with it.
About the Speaker:
Bob Galen is an Agile Practitioner, Trainer & Coach based in Cary, NC. In this role he helps guide companies and teams in their pragmatic adoption and organizational shift towards agile methods of working. Bob has been doing that since the late 1990s, so he’s deeply experienced.
He is the Director of Agile Practice at Zenergy Technologies, a leading business agility transformation company. Bob is also President and Head Coach at RGCG a boutique agile coaching firm.
Bob regularly speaks at international conferences and professional groups on topics related to agile software development, testing, scaling, and organizational leadership. He is a Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC), CAL I trainer, and an active member of the Agile & Scrum Alliances.
He’s published four agile-centric books: The Three Pillars of Agile Quality and Testing in 2015, Scrum Product Ownership, 3’rd Edition in 2019, and Agile Reflections in 2012, and Extraordinarily Badass Agile Coaching in 2022. He’s also a prolific writer & blogger (at – www.rgalen.com and www.agile-moose.com) and podcaster (at www.meta-cast.com)
Attendees (104)
Summary:
You’re going to be introduced to a few very simple criteria to assess your situation, make excellent decisions about how to approach that situation, and stay on course as you navigate our increasingly complex world.
Takeaways:
- A simple yet sophisticated situational assessment approach
- A fundamental reason for almost all misunderstandings in the workplace
- The core economic structure of worthwhile work.
Andrew Webster
A broad background in many different industries led Andrew Webster through software development and team leadership, to qualification as a senior Scrum Master and Product Owner and eventually to being an enterprise Agile and organizational coach, trainer, and consultant, working with a full range of clients, from individuals to major Silicon Valley corporations.
He’s lived and worked in three countries and Alabama, and now lives semi-retired with his wife in the San Francisco East Bay, writing his first novel, running a meet-up (Wisdom at Work), and still working as a personal coach to a select few. His greatest desire is to ease the experience of everyone involved in corporate life, from customer to management to worker to neighbor to environment.
Attendees (71)
Summary:
Agile is the four values and twelve principles outlined in the Agile Manifesto. Therefore, at its most basic, it is a philosophy. Would it be possible to take this philosophy, the four values and twelve principles and distill them into a single phrase? Maybe, maybe not, but wouldn’t it be interesting to see what one Agilist has come up with? Larry Apke presents his version of the “Golden Rule” and talks about his own Agile journey which includes over a decade as an Agile coach and a running a nonprofit called The Job Hackers that has provided over $4 million of free Agile and Scrum classes to people all over the world.
Takeaways:
- What is the Golden Rule?
- How do we operationalize the Golden Rule through backlog management?
Larry Apke
Founder and Chief Agile Officer, The Job Hackers
Author of Understanding the Agile Manifesto: A Brief & Bold Guide to AGILE
Attendees (100)
Summary:
In this seminar we look at how understanding three important concepts can make Agile at small scale (3-9 teams) readily achievable:
- How to provide teams a way to align instead of having to have them coordinate
- What value streams are and why they are important
- The minimum business increment – how to track requirements and needs when creating enhancements to existing products
- The value stream impedance scorecard – how to tell if a change in your process will be an improvement
After this background, the seminar will review the dozen points of the BLAST approach.
Attendees of this webinar will leave with an understanding of what it takes to do Agile at small scale. Many of the concepts presented will be useful at both teams and even larger scales.
Takeaways:
- Why alignment is more effective than coordination
- How and why to use minimum business increments
- What value streams are and how to use them to improve your workflow
Al Shalloway is the founder and CEO of Success Engineering. Al is a recognized thought leader in the areas of Lean, SAFe, Kanban, Scrum, design patterns, Acceptance Test-Driven Development, Lean-management, value creation networks, Lean product management, and more. He is the creator of the FLEX system, which is the heart of the Disciplined Agile Value Stream Consultant workshop. He has co-written five books ranging from Design Patterns to Agile at Scale. He holds Masters degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Mathematics from MIT and Emory, respectively. He is an international speaker. He is a former SPC Trainer and contributor to SAFe. His current focus is on providing an effective Agile at scale approach to large organizations, which includes helping internal change agents be self-sufficient in training their teams in a cost-effective manner.
Attendees (87)
Summary:
In this talk, Rich explores his own journey to joy, focusing on how he had to learn to lead in a completely different way and, by doing so, witnessed results that exceeded his wildest expectations. Rich applies the analogy of flight to the teams we lead. His message is simple: when we finally understand the relevant principles (in flight or in teams), we can fly to heights and distances that were previously unimaginable. But to get there, you, as a leader, will need to create change. And you will need to undergo your own personal evolution as well.
Rich will share the personal and professional journey he has taken as a leader and invite you to join him at the vanguard of understanding what it takes to unleash the potential of the people who work for you and around you. Finally, Rich will discuss the simple, actionable things you can do to get your teams off the ground and flying.
Takeaways:
- Lead with joy
- Take concrete steps to elevate the human energy in your organization
- Change how you and your team see the role of a leader
- Turn your organization around to one that embraces action instead of meetings
Rich Sheridan, CEO and Chief Storyteller at Menlo Innovations, is a successful entrepreneur and author of two best-selling books—Joy Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love and Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear. Rich’s passion for inspiring organizations to create their own joy-filled cultures has led him to address audiences across the world—through four continents and 18 countries (and counting) as well as throughout the United States. What motivates Rich to speak to tens of thousands of people around the world in nearly every setting imaginable? What does he share with his audiences that make them jump to their feet with enthusiasm and return to their organizations on fire with inspiration? Simply this: joy. More specifically, that joy in your organization is not just possible but essential—essential to profitability, to productivity, to every measure of success. Rich and his message of joyful leadership have been featured in press outlets ranging from Inc, Forbes, and New York magazines to Bloomberg, U.S. News & World Report, NPR’s On Point podcast, NPR’s All Things Considered, and the Harvard Business Review. His videos for organizations such as Gemba Academy, VitalSmarts, and the Arbinger Institute continue to inspire audiences around the world. Rich doesn’t just talk about joy in the workplace. He lives it every day at Menlo, the custom software and consulting company he co-founded in 2001 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since then, Menlo has received worldwide notice for its unique culture, including recognition by Inc. Magazine as the most joyful company in America. Menlo has also been recognized by the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility for 11 straight years and has received a lifetime achievement award for Freedom at Work from WorldBlu, as well as five revenue awards from Inc. magazine. Today people come to Menlo from all over the world—nearly 20,000 in the past seven years alone—to learn about Menlo and how they can create a culture of joy in their own organizations.
Attendees (50)
