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Agile and Project Management - DrunkenPM Radio
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Summary
In this episode, Jimi Fosdick joins Dave for a conversation about his journey from traditional project management to agile. They discuss the challenges of applying traditional project management to software development, the importance of understanding the context and problem domain when choosing project management approaches, and the misuse of the term 'agile' in the consulting industry. They also touch on the legacy of Frederick Taylor and the need for a people-centered approach in project management. The conversation explores the challenges of traditional project management and the need for a more empirical and agile approach. They discuss the problems with big upfront planning, the importance of shorter cycle times, and the fear of failure. The conversation also touches on the need for more humane workspaces and the changing nature of work. The principal themes include the limitations of traditional project management, the benefits of an empirical approach, and the evolving workforce and work environment.
Takeaways
• Traditional project management is effective for problems that can be solved on paper upfront, but may not work well for software development.
• Agile approaches, such as Scrum, are better suited for software development and other complex, empirical problems.
• The term 'agile' has become an overloaded and misused brand in the consulting industry.
• Hybrid approaches that combine traditional project management and agile practices can be problematic and may not fully embrace the values and principles of agile.
• A people-centered approach is essential in project management, and the focus should be on collaboration, respect, and solving the right problems. Traditional project management relies on upfront planning, which can lead to longer cycle times and higher failure rates.
• An empirical approach, such as Agile, allows for shorter cycle times and the ability to adapt and change as needed.
• The fear of failure often hinders organizations from embracing more agile and iterative approaches.
• There is a growing emphasis on creating more humane workspaces and allowing for more flexibility and creativity in the workplace.
• The nature of work is changing, and organizations need to adapt to the expectations and needs of the new generation of workers.
Chapters
02:20 Introduction and Background
05:52 The Challenges of Traditional Project Management in Software Development
08:33 Differentiating Scrum from Traditional Project Management
12:13 The Misuse of the Term 'Agile'
14:38 The Problem with Hybrid Approaches
22:17 Legacy Code in Our Heads: Shifting the Project Management Paradigm
26:21 The Benefits of an Empirical Approach
28:46 Overcoming the Fear of Failure
33:18 Creating More Humane Workspaces
39:03 The Changing Nature of Work
Contacting Jimi
- Web: https://fearlessagility.com/
- X: https://x.com/FearlessAgility
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FearlessAgility/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realFearlessAgility/
- Courses on the Scrum Alliance site: https://tinyurl.com/yjc2rtmf
Links from Dave's Intro
- The Art of War for Collaboration Course http://modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration
- Guided Personal Kanban (September 2024)
http://modusinstitute.com/course/guided-pk-sep-usa
The Agile Network*
https://go.theagilenetwork.com/l/web-dprior
Use the discount codes below to get either 20% or 2 months of free access
2 Free Months - DRUNKENPM10CM
20% off Annual - DRUNKENPM10C20
Contacting Dave
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo
In this conversation, Dave Prior and Richard Chang discuss the challenges that product owners face when they don't receive the support and direction they need from their leadership. They explore strategies for product owners to navigate these situations, including having open and honest conversations with leadership, running experiments to validate assumptions, and finding mentors or support networks. They also emphasize the importance of understanding the needs and perspectives of stakeholders and users, and the need for product owners to manage their space and hold their ground, even in the face of power dynamics. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of effective communication, collaboration, and continuous learning in the role of a product owner.
Takeaways
* Product owners often struggle when they don't receive the support and direction they need from their leadership.
* Having open and honest conversations with leadership can help product owners gain clarity and alignment on product strategy and goals.
* Running experiments and validating assumptions can help product owners make informed decisions and mitigate risks.
* Finding mentors or support networks can provide guidance and help product owners navigate challenging situations.
* Understanding the needs and perspectives of stakeholders and users is crucial for product owners to make effective decisions.
* Effective communication, collaboration, and continuous learning are key skills for product owners to succeed in their role.
Chapters
04:55 Introduction and Background
07:12 Challenges of Product Ownership
11:49 Taking Initiative and Creating Strategic Direction
17:39 Validating Assumptions and Removing Bias
27:56 Coping Strategies and Social Engineering
31:01 Conclusion and Plug for Richard's Classes
Contacting Richard
Web: www.agilityprimesolutions.com
Email: richard.cheng@agilityprimesolutions.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richardcheng/
Twitter: twitter.com/richardkcheng
Contacting Dave
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/
Links from Dave's Intro
The Agile Network*
https://theagilenetwork.com/
*If you’d like a discount on an annual membership or want to try a month for free, send an email to dave@theageilnetwork.com and let me know.
Agile 2024 Interviews:
https://drunkenpm.blogspot.com/2024/07/agile-2024-all-interviews.html
The Art of War for Collaboration Course
https://modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration
Guided Personal Kanban (September 2024)
https://modusinstitute.com/course/guided-pk-sep-usa
Public Scrum Training CSM/CSPO/A-CSPO
https://www.scrumalliance.org/courses-events/search?tr=14153&cnty=US
Summary
In this conversation, Si Alhir discusses the concepts of agility, resilience, and anti-fragility and how they relate to navigating stress and achieving growth. He emphasizes the importance of embracing stress and using it as a tool for adaptation and evolution. Si also highlights the need for balance between order and disorder, and the dangers of too much of either. The conversation touches on examples such as vaccinations, exercise, and the impact of COVID-19 on individuals and organizations. Si Alhir discusses how ecosystem thinking and the concept of the edge play a role in increasing agility, resilience, and antifragility in organizations. He shares real-life examples of how organizations have leveraged these concepts to overcome challenges and achieve success. Si also introduces the Edge Collection, a set of instruments that help assess and cultivate agility, resilience, and antifragility at the individual, team, enterprise, and ecosystem levels.
Takeaways
- Agility, resilience, and anti-fragility are degrees on a spectrum, not absolute elements.
- Stress is necessary for growth and building resilience, but it must be leveraged intelligently.
- The key is to seek stress and disorder proactively, rather than reacting to it.
- The in-between, or the edge, is where the magic happens and where organizations and individuals thrive.
- Too much order or too much disorder can be debilitating, so balance is crucial.
- The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for adaptability and the challenges of navigating extreme situations. Ecosystem thinking is a worldview that can be applied to organizations, teams, technical architectures, infrastructure, and society.
- Increasing agility, resilience, and antifragility requires exploratory and discovery work to understand what factors contribute to these qualities and how to amplify them.
- The edge is where agility, resilience, and antifragility intersect, and maintaining the tension between these three is crucial.
- The Edge Collection is a set of instruments that assess and cultivate agility, resilience, and antifragility at different levels of an organization.
- Ecosystem enterprises are those that thrive on the edge, balancing stability and adaptability to navigate complex environments.
Chapters
00:00 Podcast Overview and Annoucements
03:08 Introduction and Origin Story
06:24 The Edge: Embracing Stress and Anti-Fragility
13:17 Agility, Resilience, and Anti-Fragility as Muscle Fibers
28:55 Navigating Extreme Situations: Lessons from COVID-19
30:50 Introduction to Ecosystem Thinking and the Edge
33:20 Understanding Ecosystems and Applying Ecosystem Thinking
35:45 The Five E's and Five C's of Ecosystem Thinking
42:26 Introducing the Edge Collection: Assessing and Cultivating Agility, Resilience, and Antifragility
46:24 The Edge: Where Agility, Resilience, and Antifragility Intersect
49:29 Cultivating Agility, Resilience, and Antifragility with the Edge Collection
52:13 Thriving on the Edge: Balancing Stability and Adaptability in Ecosystem Enterprises
Links from the podcast
Contacting Si Alhir
Si’s books on Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/salhir
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salhir/
The Art of War in the Wild
https://tinyurl.com/3abab6pb
The Edge Collection on Comparative Agility
https://www.comparativeagility.com/capabilities/team-edge-assessment
The Art of War for Collaboration
https://modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration
Guided Personal Kanban Class with Dave Prior and Mark Kilby
https://modusinstitute.com/course/guided-pk-sep-usa
The Agile Network
https://theagilenetwork.com/
Use Promo Code DRUNKENPM8C20 to get 20% off Annual Membership or DRUNKENPM8CM to get 1 Month Free
Summary
In this conversation, Dave Prior and Colleen Johnson discuss the concept of cumulative flow diagrams (CFDs) and their practical application in Agile methodologies. They explore the significance of CFDs in understanding work in progress, cycle time, and throughput. Colleen provides insights into the interpretation of CFDs and the implications for team performance and workflow management. The conversation delves into Little's Law, airport analogies, and the visualization of CFDs to identify patterns and bottlenecks in the workflow. The conversation covers the use of Cumulative Flow Diagrams (CFDs) as a tool for visualizing work in progress and identifying workflow issues. It also delves into the concept of accelerating product value and the importance of learning quickly in product development. The discussion emphasizes the need for small bets and fast feedback to drive product improvement. Additionally, it highlights the challenges of defining and predicting value in product development.
If you would like to watch the original video interview, you can find it here. https://tinyurl.com/55r86tah
Takeaways
- Understanding the practical application of cumulative flow diagrams (CFDs) in Agile methodologies
- Interpreting CFDs to identify patterns an bottlenecks in the workflow
- The significance of Little's Law and airport analogies in understanding CFDs
- Visualizing CFDs to gain insights into work in progress, cycle time, and throughput
- Implications of CFDs for team performance and workflow management CFDs provide a visual representation of work in progress and can be used to identify workflow issues.
- Accelerating product value involves making small bets, learning quickly, and responding to feedback to drive product improvement.
- Defining and predicting value in product development can be challenging, and the focus should be on shipping fast, learning quickly, and enabling rapid response to feedback.
- The conversation also touches on the importance of understanding customer behavior and the need to pivot quickly based on feedback.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
03:16 Introduction to ProKanban
06:46 Understanding CFDs
09:37 Little's Law and Airport Analogies
04:14:24 Work in Progress and Work Item Age
16:53 Interpreting CFDs and Workflow Insights
27:46 Accelerating Product Value through Small Bets and Fast Feedback
40:48 Challenges of Defining and Predicting Value in Product Development
Contacting Colleen
ProKanban: https://www.prokanban.org
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colleen-johnson
Email: colleen@scatterspoke.com
Additional Links
The Art of War for Collaboration: https://modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration
Agile Alliance LinkedIn: https://www.agilealliance.org
Summary
In this conversation, Si Alhir and Dave discuss the Art of War, its application in transformation work, and the naturalness and unity found within its wisdom. They explore the concept of taking whole, the relationship with the environment, and the role of the Sage Commander. Si shares personal experiences and insights, emphasizing the transformative power of the Art of War. The conversation delves into the concept of enlightened leadership and the application of the principles from 'The Art of War' in organizational transformation. It explores the distinction between an enlightened ruler and a wise general, the importance of psychological safety, and the shift from a vicious ego-based reality control cycle to a virtuous eco-based reality navigation cycle. The conversation concludes with a powerful story of using the ordinary and the extraordinary to transform toxic organizational dynamics.
Takeaways
• The Art of War is a transformative wisdom that emphasizes naturalness and unity in its application.
• The concept of taking whole and the relationship with the environment are key elements of the Art of War's wisdom.
• The role of the Sage Commander involves patience, relaxation, and an understanding of the natural flow of time and energy.
• Leadership power lies in the individual's ability to navigate the world around them, working with the environment as a partner.
• The Art of War offers tools for practice and learning, requiring a mindful and respectful approach to its application. Enlightened leadership requires awareness and mindfulness in navigating the nature of things.
• Psychological safety should focus on building strong individuals to interact in an unsafe world.
• The application of 'The Art of War' principles can lead to successful organizational transformation.
• The distinction between the vicious ego-based reality control cycle and the virtuous eco-based reality navigation cycle is crucial for effective leadership.
• Using the ordinary and the extraordinary can transform toxic organizational dynamics.
Titles
• Tools for Practice and Learning in the Art of War
• Exploring the Transformative Wisdom of the Art of War Transforming Toxic Organizational Dynamics
• Navigating Psychological Safety and Reality in Leadership
Chapters
00:00 Preroll Intro
02:33 Introduction to the Art of War and Transformation Work
13:42 The Concept of Taking Whole and Unity
29:21 Navigating the Environment as a Partner
33:03 Tools for Practice and Learning
34:05 Enlightened Leadership and 'The Art of War' in Organizational Transformation
36:56 Navigating Psychological Safety and Reality in Leadership
43:43 The Shift from Vicious Ego-Based Reality Control to Virtuous Eco-Based Reality Navigation
59:39 Transforming Toxic Organizational Dynamics
The Art of War in the Wild (May 2024)
Panel #1 - Brad Barton, Mark Ferraro, and Si Alhir
https://lnkd.in/emmnxQut
Panel #2 - Cynthia Chambers, Christine Ferraro, and Holly Fiorello
https://lnkd.in/eZNX6mJB
Panel #3 - Chris Herring, Cynthia Chambers, and Mudasir Ahamed
https://lnkd.in/ed3kyMUB
Panel #4 - John Cherian., Chris Herring, and Dave Prior
https://lnkd.in/eXB7Mm5x
Si's Books on Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/6rjvkucw
Contacting Si
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salhir/
Dave's Links
Dave's upcoming classes: tinyurl.com/u2vh9zh8
The Art of War for Collaboration: modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration
Contacting Dave: linktr.ee/mrsungo
Summary
In this conversation, Dave Prior is joined by Jeff Leach and Sandra Cain to discuss the question of whether coaching has killed Agile. They explore the role of coaching in Agile transformations and the challenges that arise when underqualified coaches are thrust into coaching roles. They also discuss the difference between coaching and consulting, the importance of understanding one's place as a coach, and the need for range and adaptability in coaching approaches. The conversation highlights the need for a balanced approach that combines both coaching and consulting based on the specific needs of the organization and individuals involved. The conversation explores the importance of first and last impressions in building relationships and the role of emotions in our interactions. It delves into the distinction between coaching and consulting, emphasizing the need for coaches to be unbiased and focused on drawing out the best in others. The conversation also touches on the challenges of internal coaching and the importance of measuring the success of coaching engagements. It concludes with a discussion on the future of coaching and the need for a balance between task-oriented and relationship-oriented approaches.
Takeaways
• Coaching and consulting are both important in Agile transformations, but coaching should not be led with and should be used when appropriate.
• Underqualified coaches can hinder Agile transformations and fail to deliver the promised value.
• Coaches need to understand their place and have humility, as well as the ability to adapt their approach based on the needs of the organization and individuals.
• There is a need for range and adaptability in coaching approaches, as different situations may require different approaches.
• A balanced approach that combines coaching and consulting based on the specific needs of the organization and individuals is crucial for successful Agile transformations. First and last impressions are crucial in building relationships.
• Coaches should be unbiased and focused on drawing out the best in others.
• Internal coaching can be more complex and requires careful design around confidentiality and safety.
• Measuring the success of coaching engagements should focus on moving towards the desired culture and operational rhythm.
• The future of coaching requires a balance between task-oriented and relationship-oriented approaches.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
04:07 The Question: Did Coaching Kill Agile?
05:59 The Challenges of Underqualified Coaches
08:45 Defining Coaching and Consulting
15:32 The Importance of Range and Adaptability in Coaching
28:05 The Power of First and Last Impressions
31:48 The Challenges of Internal Coaching
37:44 Measuring the Success of Coaching Engagements
47:35 The Future of Coaching: Balancing Task and Relationship
Contacting Sandra
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandracain/
Email: coachcain@gmail.com
Contacting Jeff
Web: https://www.adaptivitygroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefferyleach/
Email: jeff.leach@adaptivitygroup.com
Dave's Links From The Intro
Certified Scrum Product Owner July 1-2, 2024 (Use PRIOR50 to get $50 off the list price) https://tinyurl.com/2r8af3uk
Dave's upcoming classes: https://tinyurl.com/u2vh9zh8
The Art of War for Collaboration: https://modusinstitute.com/course/art-of-war-collaboration
Contacting Dave: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo
Summary
The conversation explores the concept of being a hero or a villain in a team and how awareness of one's role can lead to more intentional actions. The guests, Jesse and Carl, share their perspectives on this topic. Jesse discusses his experience running an agency and how he developed a marketing approach for supervillains. Carl talks about his role at the Bureau and the challenges of being a leader. They also discuss the importance of empathy and self-reflection in avoiding villainous behavior. The conversation highlights the need for leaders to be aware of their actions and the impact they have on others. They also explore the challenges of leadership and self-awareness, particularly in relation to the younger generation. It delves into the importance of difficult conversations, honest feedback, and effective reward systems. The fear and pressure of being in a position of power are discussed, along with the potential for toxic leadership. Strategies for improving self-awareness include having a coach, seeking unfiltered feedback, and using AI tools. The concept of decommoditization is introduced as a way to differentiate oneself in a competitive market. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the supportive and inspiring nature of the Bureau community.
Takeaways
• Being a hero or a villain is subjective and depends on the perspective of others.
• Leaders should be aware of their actions and the impact they have on their team.
• Empathy and self-reflection are important in avoiding villainous behavior.
• True communication and understanding can help build stronger relationships within a team. Difficult conversations and honest feedback are crucial for effective leadership.
• Fear and pressure can lead to toxic leadership, and it's important to find healthy ways to manage negative energy.
• Having a coach and seeking unfiltered feedback can help improve self-awareness.
• Decommoditization is a strategy to differentiate oneself in a competitive market.
• The Bureau community is a supportive and inspiring network for professionals.
Chapters
03:23 This dude is like Batman...I'm somebody's Joker
07:50 When you think you're a hero, but maybe you're a villain
10:40 The 3 brains in side every organization
11:05 Being conscious of an advanced perspective
13:53 Knowing when you've slipped into villain mode
20:36 Ways to increase your level of self-awareness
26:35 Decommoditization: Differentiating Yourself in a Competitive Market
31:24 The Supportive and Inspiring Nature of the Bureau Community
Jesse's book
Web: https://marketingforsupervillains.com
Amazon: Marketing for Supervillains https://tinyurl.com/59tkjs39
Contacting Jesse
Web: https://decommoditized.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-wroblewski/
Contacting Carl
Web: https://bureauofdigital.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-w-smith/
Summary
In this conversation, Dave Prior interviews Chris Hadnagy and Dr. Abbie Maroño about social engineering and human hacking. They discuss the definition of social engineering and how it differs from human hacking. They emphasize the importance of intent in social engineering, with the goal being to influence someone's actions for their benefit rather than to cause harm. They also explore the concept of imposter syndrome and how it affects different generations and genders. The conversation concludes with a discussion on how self-awareness can be used to be a better servant leader and understand others. In this conversation, Dr. Abbie and Chris Hadnagy discuss the importance of understanding human behavior and communication in various contexts. They emphasize the need to look beneath the surface when someone behaves badly and to consider their underlying needs. They also discuss the importance of self-awareness and understanding one's own communication style. They highlight the value of seeking credible information and avoiding misinformation, especially in the field of psychology. They provide insights into their courses and books that can help individuals improve their communication skills and become more effective in their personal and professional lives.
This podcast was originally recorded in video format. You can find the video here: https://youtu.be/71cZz-ac-zc
Takeaways
Social engineering is the act of influencing someone to take an action that may or may not be in their best interest.
Intent plays a crucial role in determining whether social engineering is positive or negative.
Imposter syndrome is a universal human experience, but the way it is expressed can differ between generations and genders.
Self-awareness is key to understanding and managing imposter syndrome and can be used to be a better servant leader.
Understanding the emotions and motivations of others can help build empathy and improve relationships. Look beneath the surface when someone behaves badly and consider their underlying needs.
Understand your own communication style and be aware of how it may impact others.
Seek credible information and be cautious of misinformation, especially in the field of psychology.
Take courses and read books to improve your communication skills and personal development.
Chapters
00:18 Introduction and Background
10:26 Exploring Imposter Syndrome Across Generations
24:11 Understanding Others: Building Empathy
31:50 Seeking Credible Information
39:57 Challenging Simplistic Explanations
Links from the podcast:
Foundational Application of Social Engineering
https://www.social-engineer.com/product/foundational-application-of-social-engineering/
Chris’s books on Amazon
https://tinyurl.com/mrx6umcb
Dr. Abbie’s Book
Work in Progress: The Road to Empowerment, The Journey Through Shame
https://tinyurl.com/jzbsu2ev
Social-Engineer YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@Social-Engineer
Dr. Abbie’s TEDX Manchester talk
https://www.tedxmanchester.com/abbie-marono/
Contacting Chris Hadnagy
Web: https://www.social-engineer.org/
Blog: https://www.social-engineer.org/blog/
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/christopherhadnagy
Contacting Dr. Abbie Maroño
Web: https://www.abbiemarono.com
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dr-abbie-maroño-phd-35ab2611a
I’m testing out the AI Generated Summary…
In this conversation, Dave Prior and Scott Sehlhorst discuss the importance of improving the product plan while executing it. They explore the common problem of companies jumping straight into execution without considering what they should build and why. Scott emphasizes the need to shift from a mindset of control to one of influence, where product managers focus on solving problems and creating value for customers and the business. They also discuss the concept of uncertainty and sensitivity and how to navigate it using impact mapping to identify needs and changes. In this conversation, Scott Sehlhorst discusses the importance of shifting into a business model and the need to create changes and hypotheses. He emphasizes the process of narrowing down the target population and quantifying the impact of changes. Scott also highlights the significance of determining sensitivity and making connections between cause and effect. He introduces the confidence rubric and explains how to prioritize experiments. The conversation concludes with the idea of constantly improving the plan and focusing on the next most important thing to learn.
Takeaways
Companies often jump straight into execution without considering what they should build and why.
Product managers should shift from a mindset of control to one of influence, focusing on solving problems and creating value for customers and the business.
Uncertainty and sensitivity are inherent in product development, and it is impossible to know everything before building a product.
Using impact mapping can help identify needs and changes, allowing for experimentation and learning in an uncertain environment. Shifting into a business model involves creating changes and hypotheses.
Narrowing down the target population is crucial for effective experimentation.
Quantifying the impact of changes helps determine the potential outcomes.
Using a confidence rubric can aid in decision-making and prioritization.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:00 The Fear of Being Late vs. the Fear of Being Wrong
05:58 Backlog Rationalization Workshop
10:00 Moving from Control to Influence
13:07 Building the Right Things
20:00 Navigating Uncertainty and Sensitivity
29:11 Using Impact Mapping to Identify Needs and Changes
31:56 Shifting into Business Model
33:05 Creating Changes and Hypotheses
34:32 Narrowing Down the Target Population
35:15 Quantifying the Impact
36:34 Determining Sensitivity
38:21 Making Connections and Causal Relationships
39:36 Confidence and Uncertainty
43:00 The Confidence Rubric
44:23 Prioritizing Experiments
49:29 What's the Next Most Important Thing to Learn
53:28 Improving the Plan
Links from the Podcast
The Empathy Map Podcast where Scott and I discuss Impact Mapping
https://on.soundcloud.com/szLXeqe5Q6t2Tf9b8
Scott’s blog post about using a Confidence Rubric
https://uxpressia.com/blog/make-decisions-about-business-experiments
Contacting Scott:
Scott’s Blog at Tyner Blain: tynerblain.com/blog/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sehlhorst/
Twitter: twitter.com/sehlhorst
Email: scott@tynerblain.com
Alan Dayley is back to help me continue the quest of figuring out why so many companies are struggling with PI Planning or quarterly planning. During the interview, we discuss some of the reasons organizations struggle with this type of planning. We address the topic from the perspective of senior leadership, why they want it, how they often approach it, and the challenges that creates. We also explore the way the request is often interpreted by the Development Teams, how they often respond, and how critical it is that they have the time needed to understand the request and the freedom to respond in a way that is responsible to the organization.
Alan is a SAFe Program Consultant, so during the conversation he also explains how PI planning is supposed to work if you are truly following SAFe.
… and, Developers are not batteries
Contacting Alan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alandd/
Email: alandd@DayleyAgile.com
You’ve decided to take a Scrum certification class. Now the question is, which one? If you are looking for something like Certified Scrum Master or Certified Scrum Product Owner, there are so many options to choose from that it can be overwhelming. All of them should result in certification and price is certainly a concern. But there are a number of other factors to consider when trying to find the Scrum training that is right for you.
When you take a certification class, whether its focus is on Scrum, Lean, Kanban, Project Management, whatever… you are investing in yourself and your future. In this podcast, Vic Bonacci and I talk through some of the key things you should consider when selecting a certification course. You are spending your time and money to obtain knowledge and validation (through certification) that you have a certain degree of expertise. Choose wisely… it’s your future.
Contacting Vic
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vbonacci/
AgileCoffee Podcast: https://agilecoffee.com
Online Scrum Class: https://onlinescrumclass.com
Contacting Dave
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo
Dave’s Classes listed on Scrum Alliance site: https://tinyurl.com/35pzsk5j
Keeping up with what is happening in AI is no small task. You probably know some folks who spend a lot of free time learning how to bend (insert AI flavor of the week) to their will, there are folks who are preaching to anyone who will listen about all the amazing things that are right around the corner, and then there are the folks who just periodically peek over their shoulder and say “Yeah, um… let me know when you’ve got this bit actually working.”
And then there are people like Snehal Talati. I met Snehal last year at the Scrum Gathering and we did a podcast about http://aiagile.org, the community he started to bring Agilists together to ensure that the intersection between the Agile space and AI happens in an intentional and thoughtful way.
It’s been 8 months since that podcast was posted and that’s like 20 years in the AI space. So Snehal is back to share what’s been happening in AI and Agile. and to talk about the free course he built for the Scrum Alliance to help folks get started. During our conversation, Snehal gives an update on some of the newer changes and challenges in AI and he also offers real-life examples of how AI is becoming a powerful part of his personal productivity.
If you’d like to check out the Scrum Alliance’s AI course, that is here:
• AI & Agility: A Comprehensive Introduction: https://resources.scrumalliance.org/Course/ai-agility-comprehensive-introduction
AI Links to get you started:
• AI Agile: https://www.aiagile.org/
• Agile GPT: https://www.agilegpt.com/
• ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
CONTACTING SNEHAL
• Web: https://www.boostaro.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snehal-talati-124a38b6/
If you are on one of those teams that has made a habit of dragging unfinished work from one Sprint to the next... YOU NEED TO STOP!
When you get to the end of a Sprint and have work that isn't done, you can't show it to the stakeholders in the Sprint Review. If you don't show it to Stakeholders in the Sprint Review, you can't get feedback. And if you can't get feedback, you can't inspect and adapt, and you negate the entire point of working in a Sprint.
This podcast offers five things that you and your team can do
right now to stop carrying over unfinished work and start enabling Scrum to provide you with the results you and your organization were hoping for when you headed down the path to agility.
This podcast was originally recorded in video. You can find that version here: https://youtu.be/df8Ig_KYPUg
If you liked this podcast, please click subscribe and let me
know so I keep adding more.
If you are interested in attending one of my upcoming CSM or
CSPO classes, just follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/yc5k84z5
And if you'd like to contact me, you can find all my links
right here: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo
At the Modus Institute, Jim Benson and Mark Kilby have created a new offering called Successful Distributed Teams. This new course focuses on how to build strong remote teams, how to create a humane, healthy balance of productivity and accountability, and what tools you can use to make it all work. In this interview, Jim and Mark join me to discuss what happened when they combined the many years of experience they each have in shaping remote teams that work. We cover how the idea of remote work has changed over the past few years, what makes it so challenging, and things you can start doing to foster a thriving collaborative remote team.
This podcast was originally recorded in video. You can find that version here: https://youtu.be/TnFzQr80tBg
To learn more about Successful Distributed Teams
https://modusinstitute.com/course/successful-remote-work-teams
To check out Mark Kilby and Johanna Rothman’s book From Chaos to Successful Distributed Agile Teams
https://tinyurl.com/5fbnynxe
Contacting Jim
Web: https://modusinstitute.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jimbenson
Email: jim@moduscooperandi.com
Contacting Mark
Web: MarkKilby.com
Mastodon: https://hachyderm.io/@mkilby
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mkilby/
Email: mark@markkilby.com
A few weeks ago I interviewed Gil Broza about his new book, “Deliver Better Results: How to Unlock Your Organization's Potential". The book was designed to quickly provide actionable practices that organizations can utilize to improve their value delivery system. It focuses on understanding the fitness for purpose of your system of delivery, and how to employ his ten strategies to improve your level of maturity. During my prep for the interview and during our conversation, there was one thing that was stuck in my head. None of this works without trust. How can a traditional, potentially toxic organization pivot into an approach that is mostly dependent on a certain level of trust?
So, during our first interview, I asked Gil if he’d be open to a second conversation where we focus on the question “How do you build trust in an organizational system that does not have it? Gil was kind enough to agree and that is where this podcast began.
If you’d like to check out our initial conversation you can find it here: https://on.soundcloud.com/Ed2C4
Deliver Better Results: How to Unlock Your Organization's Potential
You can purchase the book here: http://DeliverBetterResultsBook.com
Gil has made the first chapter of the book available for download. It provides an executive-level summary of the 10 strategies and how they work as well as an assessment that readers can complete to determine the maturity level of their organization and select strategies to help them improve. You can download it for free here: http://HeardOnPodcast.DeliverBetterResultsBook.com
Contacting Gil
* Work: http://3pvantage.com/
* LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbroza/
Dave's Upcoming Classes
In the introduction to the podcast I mentioned a few of my upcoming classes:
* A-CSPO February 29-March 1 http://tinyurl.com/bde5acnv
* CSM Atlanta - March 4-5 - http://tinyurl.com/yhwzr3bs
* CSPO Atlanta - March 6-7 - http://tinyurl.com/24be92zy
And you can find links to all of my upcoming classes here: http://tinyurl.com/4wbkkhra
Gil Broza joins me for a podcast about his new book, “Deliver Better Results: How to Unlock Your Organization's Potential". During the interview, Gil and I discuss how he designed the book to quickly provide actionable practices that organizations can utilize to improve their value delivery system. Our conversation includes details on how to understand the fitness for purpose of your system of delivery, and how to employ his ten strategies to improve your level of maturity.
The first chapter of the book provides an executive-level summary of the 10 strategies and how they work as well as an assessment that readers can complete to determine the maturity level of their organization and select strategies to help them improve.
Gil has offered an electronic version of the first chapter to listeners of this podcast. Just follow this link: http://HeardOnPodcast.DeliverBetterResultsBook.com
The Book
You can purchase the book here: http://DeliverBetterResultsBook.com
Other Podcasts About the Book
During the podcast, I mentioned that I had listened to a few other interviews with Gil about the book. They are definitely worth checking out because each one focuses on a different aspect of the book.
- Agile Uprising: https://agileuprising.libsyn.com/driving-better-results-with-gil-broza
- Tech Lead Journal: https://techleadjournal.dev/episodes/160/
- SPAM: https://spamcast.libsyn.com/spamcast-792-deliver-better-results-a-conversation-with-gill-broza
Contacting Gil
Work: https://3pvantage.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbroza/
Dave's Upcoming Classes
In the introduction to the podcast I mentioned a few of my upcoming classes:
A-CSPO February 29-March 1 http://tinyurl.com/bde5acnv
CSM Atlanta - March 4-5 - http://tinyurl.com/yhwzr3bs
CSPO Atlanta - March 6-7 - http://tinyurl.com/24be92zy
And you can find links to all of my upcoming classes here: http://tinyurl.com/4wbkkhra
With the state of Agile as it is today, I find myself frequently wondering, “Is this the Darkest Agile Timeline”? Things have been getting a bit bleak lately in the Agile space. With the layoffs, the job market, and the fact that the business world has change fatigue and is tired of not getting what they expected from a way of working they’ve mostly only kinda half-done...
Where’s the hope?
For this podcast (and to find some hope), I reached out to George Schlitz because 1. George is way smarter than me and sees things I can only vaguely sense the shape of, and 2. His new company Adaptivity Group has a mission statement that includes “an unquenchable thirst for ‘better’" and "a fearlessness about the unknown” that kinda smelled like hope to me.
During this interview, George and I discuss whether or not this is the darkest timeline, what that means, how we got here, where we can find hope, and what we can do to make things more better-er and think that little old ant can move that rubber tree plant.
If you aren’t familiar with The Darkest Timeline, in the show Community there was a storyline where a random occurrence created multiple parallel timelines. A roll of the dice created six possible ways things could have gone… basically a six-sided multiverse.
And one of the parallels created is THE DARKEST TIMELINE. It’s basically the Lemony Snicket timeline of worst case scenario where Captain Kirk is sporting his Van Dyke beard, Thomas Wayne is Batman instead of Bruce Wayne, it rains all the time, you miss every bus, never made that play in the big game, never asked that person to the prom, never got that promotion… you get the idea.
During the podcast, George references his blog post on "Addicted to More" blog posts which can be found here: https://www.adaptivitygroup.com/insights/addicted-to-more
If you’d like to reach George you can find him here:
Adaptivity Group:https://www.adaptivitygroup.com
LinkedIn:http://linkedin.com/in/gschlitz
There seems to be a current trend where organizations that say they are doing PI planning or quarterly planning are making a decision for the teams about what must be delivered in the time box. The teams just accept the commitment because they either feel they do not have the agency to push back and say no to some of it or are too busy trying to finish up their last overcommitment to look at new work. So, they begin the new time box already behind and then assess the new work only to (shockingly) learn it is too much. Then they divide it up by the number of Sprints or weeks and that is how they plan out how to get it all done. Most of the time this results in developing a habitual practice of carrying work from one sprint to the next, continually trying to recover from the last overcommitment so they can get to work on the new overcommitment.
In this episode, The Agile Bear, Nigel Baker, joins me to sort through why this is happening, the harm it causes, and ways to fix it.
Video Version
If you'd prefer to view the video version of this interview: http://tinyurl.com/2eu5yucw
Contacting Nigel
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nigelebaker
What do you do when your Scrum Master’s understanding of their role seems to be less about acting as a servant leader to the Scrum Team and more about making the team to work in a way that is most convenient for them? In this episode of the podcast, Jeff Howey joins me to talk through the real-life case of a Scrum Master who seems to have lost their way.
Here are some of the concerns shared in the podcast:
- Dev Team is offshore and holds a Daily Scrum before 8 AM in Scrum Master’s time zone. Scrum Master requires that they hold a second Daily Scrum to provide status to Scrum Master.
- SM does not attend Sprint Planning. They require the PO to run it.
- SM requires the PO to run the Retrospective. All topics must be submitted in advance of the meeting and must be positive comments (not negative).
- Scrum Master does not like the way the Developers have set up their Task Board and requires that they change it to a format that works better for the Scrum Master.
During the conversation, Jeff and I unpack these and a number of additional concerns, talk through how they are out of alignment with Scrum and the role of the Scrum Master, and discuss suggestions we'd offer to help reset the understanding of what it means to be a Scrum Master who acts as a servant leader for a Scrum Team.
If you’d like to contact Jeff Howey.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhowey/
Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-agile-alchemist-7018992829091778560
For the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/pnmbdAxskXo
When an organization has taken the decision to switch an Agile way of working, they often get so caught up in trying to adopt the various practices and processes that they forget to stop and ask the question, “Is this providing the business outcome we need?”
Remembering to keep that question top of mind is important. Knowing what to pay attention to and how to understand the answer is even more important.
In this episode, Jessica Wolfe returns to the podcast so that we can discuss some of the things you might want to focus on, and how paying attention to areas that may be less obvious can give you greater insight into how agile is impacting your business and delivering the results you are looking for.
As we work through the topic, Jessica shows how Lean Agile Intelligence can be used to help discover and interpret metrics you need to see so that you can understand how agile is impacting your organization.
During the podcast Jessica was kind enough to offer a special 20% discount on an annual license to Lean Agile Intelligence if you purchase before the end of 2023. In order to get the discount go to https://leanagileintelligence.com/Account/Register?promoCode=DRUNKENPM6W and tell them you listened to the DrunkenPM podcast.
This podcast was originally recorded using video. If you would like to check out that version so you can see the demo of Lean Agile Intelligence, click here: https://youtu.be/pnmbdAxskXo
For more on Lean Agile Intelligence
Web: https://tinyurl.com/2p23z556
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mspwy5r7
Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/bdcs2fnd
Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3dkjwh9t
Contacting Jessica
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/erzxw66m
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Compare Celoxis, Microsoft Planner, and Microsoft Project to find the best project management software. This PPM tool comparison highlights features, usability, and pricing. https://www.celoxis.com/article/microsoft-planner-vs-project-vs-celoxis
I recall having to calculate the cost of the logistics application we were developing, which was really tough due to the lack of a suitable calculator. But then I was fortunate and discovered it here project cost calculator https://fulcrum.rocks/blog/software-cost-estimation/ , which I highly recommend. It will, in my opinion, benefit a vast number of people.