Agile and Project Management - DrunkenPM Radio

This is a completely unique version of the podcast. For the first time since 2008, I’m giving up control of the show and in this episode, Adam Weisbart interviews me about the session I’ll be leading at the Agile Virtual Summit [Bite-Size!], some of the changes in the new Scrum Guide, and iocane powder. The Agile Virtual Summit [Bite-Size!] takes place on March 31st. The event is Bite Size! because it is only 3 hours long (12 PM - 3 PM Eastern). I will be giving a presentation along with Tricia Broderick, Richard Lawrence, Nicole Spence-Goon, Dr. Dave Cornelius, and Heather Dunning. And the Keynote is being given by Lyssa Adkins, who you definitely do not want to miss. Also, it’s free! You can register for the event here: https://AgileVirtualSummit.com/Dave

The Scrum Guide got an update last November and one of the concepts introduced was the Product Goal. The Scrum Guide says: “The Product Goal describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. The Product Goal is in the Product Backlog. The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define “what” will fulfill the Product Goal. "A product is a vehicle to deliver value. It has a clear boundary, known stakeholders, well-defined users, or customers. A product could be a service, a physical product, or something more abstract. "The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team. They must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next.” For some, myself included, taking that basic definition, extending it, and creating clarity on how the Product Goal fits in with other ways we talk about the Product Backlog has been challenging. So, I reached out for some help... In this episode of The Reluctant Agilist, I'm joined by Ryan Ripley. Ryan is the co-author of "Fixing Your Scrum", the co-host of the Agile for Humans podcast and he's also a Professional Scrum Trainer. During the conversation, Ryan and I dig into what exactly the Prout Goal is, how teams can use it to deliver value and how it fits in with some of the other aspects of the Product Backlog. If you'd like to check out the podcast Ryan and I recorded on his book Fixing Your Scrum you can find it here: https://bit.ly/3vIWNJq Links from the Podcast: Agile for Humans Podcast https://ryanripley.com/agile-for-humans/ Fixing Your Scrum https://amzn.to/2PdBz5i Web: https://ryanripley.com/ Email: ryan@agileforhumans.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryanripley

Christine Converse and Ross Beurmann are back and this time we’re picking up the thread from something that came up during our previous interview. The title of the episode is Resistance to Change and the conversation centers around the problems we face when trying to create change within a team or organization. More specifically, we talk about how you can influence others to change when you have no authority, the people you are trying to help may have no desire to be helped. Whether you are working in an agile environment, a traditional organization, or something that is careening back and forth between the two, this interview is going to give you a lot to think about. CONTACTING CHRISTINE AND ROSS If you’d like to reach out to Christine or Ross, here are some ways to reach them: Christine Converse • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineconverse1/ • Email: cepichler@gmail.com Ross Beurmann • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossbeurmannzcea/ • Email: ross96h@yahoo.com • (Ross has joined me on a few other podcasts. If you’d like to check them out you can find them here: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=ross%20beurmann)

If you'd prefer to watch the video version of this interview you can find it here: https://vimeo.com/517256016 Mark Hodgdon is Product and Project Manager at Aspirent, an Atlanta-based management consulting firm focusing on Data Analytics, Cloud Development, and Project Execution. His role is also often called on to serve as Scrum Master and Product Owner. He also manages and plays in a band and has a family with two kids recently out of college. When you put all this together, it results in a MASSIVE list of things that Mark needs to do. And he manages it all using Personal Kanban. In this special video podcast interview Mark and I talk through the different ways he is using Personal Kanban to manage all the things on his plate. Mark shares the different boards he uses to keep his work sorted and also shows what he has started doing to track performance metrics on his use of Personal Kanban. If you are looking for a great example of how Personal Kanban or agile practices can be used on a personal level or to manage non-work projects, or if you are looking to get started with agile and either don't have an opportunity at work or don't know where to start, this podcast is for you! If you’d like to learn more about Personal Kanban, here are some links: Web: Personal Kanban (Modus Cooperandi): https://www.personalkanban.com Book: Personal Kanban: https://amzn.to/3somNXL And if you’d like to contact Mark Gmail: mdhodgdon@gmail.com Work Email: mark.hodgdon@aspirent.com  Aspirent Website: https://aspirent.com And if you want to check out Mark’s band, Brewery Road Web: https://www.breweryroadatl.com/

In this very special video episode of the podcast, I’m joined by Jesse Fewell, whose new book Untapped Agility is full of insights, tips, and tactics that you can use to help gain support for your adoption of Agile. Jesse and I go way back. We worked together a lot during the initial phases of getting The Project Management Institute and the Scrum Alliance to talk back in 2009-2010. It was great to catch up with him and I highly recommend his new book.  If you would prefer a video version of this podcast you can find it here: https://vimeo.com/user18705952/review/511843051/19600ec7cd You can find Jesse’s book here: https://amzn.to/2ZaWFTQ You can contact Jesse here: Web: https://jessefewell.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessefewell/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessefewell

When it comes to introducing change into an organization you will frequently hear people talk about how critical it is to change the culture. They’ll tell you that nothing will happen until you change the culture. They’ll start quoting Peter Drucker: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Culture is definitely a concern, but it is not the ONLY concern. And it is definitely not an excuse for why organizational change is failing to take root. In this interview Dhaval Panchal and I explore the challenge of getting organizational change to stick, the impact of a culture that is not suited to the “new” organization, and some of the other facts that have an impact on changing the way people live, work, and think in a organization. Dhaval's Podcast Evolve Agility’s “Agile will fail because …” series of video case studies http://bit.ly/3p8vWCC Contacting Dhaval Web: https://www.evolveagility.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/evolveagility LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhavalpanchal/ Email: dhaval.panchal@evolveagility.com

In this episode, I am joined by my friends Richard Cheng and Karim Harbott for a discussion about Business Agility. Business Agility is something people have been talking about for several years but it is one of those terms that can mean different things to different people. During my conversation with Karim and Richard, we discuss what Business Agility is, why nailing down a definition can be so tough, why it is so important and how you can get started with helping your organization take steps in enabling it. You can pre-order Karim’s upcoming book “The Six Enablers of Business Agility” here (https://amzn.to/3qb4jZO). It will be out on June 1, 2021. Richard will be giving a free webinar called “The Perfect Product Owner” on February 17, 2021. You can find more information here (http://bit.ly/39kNHbi). Contacting Richard Web: https://nextupsolutions.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardKCheng LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardcheng/ Email: richard.cheng@nextupsolutions.com Contacting Karim Web: https://www.karimharbott.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarimHarbott LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimharbott/ Email: karim.harbott@agilecentre.com

In November of 2020, Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber released a new version of the Scrum Guide. The new version of the Guide introduces some important changes to how Scrum works. One specific area that changed was the Scrum Artifacts. In this episode of the podcast, I am joined by my good friend Chris Li. Chris is a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) and the Founder of SparkPlug Agility. During our conversation, Chris and I go deep on changes to the Scrum Artifacts. We cover what has changed, how the changes are likely to impact Scrum practitioners, and we share our thoughts on how the changes to the Scrum Guide may help and hurt. This interview is a follow-up to the one Eric Tucker and I did last fall that offered a wide-ranging review of changes to the Guide overall. Where that was more general this one is locked in specifically on the Scrum Artifacts. If you’d like to check out a copy of the new Scrum Guide you can find it here: https://scrumguides.org/ If you’d like to contact Chris Li with follow up questions, here is the best way to reach him: Web: https://www.sparkplugagility.com Email: chris@sparkplugagility.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realchrisli/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/realchrisli

Modus Institute recently introduced its new Certification and Accreditation Programs in Lean-Agile Visual Management (LA-VM). This is something they have been working on developing for 12 years. In this episode of the podcast, Jim Benson joins me to discuss Modus’s new offerings. During the interview we discuss Systems Thinking and how it figures into the LA-VM program. Jim also explains why it took 12 years to develop, how each program works, and the tools that these programs will add to a knowledge worker’s arsenal. This podcast is available in both video and audio formats. If you’d like to contact Jim for additional information: Web: https://www.modusinstitute.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbenson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourfounder Medium: https://medium.com/@ourfounder Jim’s music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ourfounder If you'd like to watch the video version of this interview, you can find it here: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/489954917 YouTube: https://youtu.be/r-QJOvjyK6U

Coaching people through an Agile transformation is a complicated thing. People within the organization may want the promise they see Agile offering, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to fight against the change every step of the way. Nobody likes change. It’s uncomfortable and scary and it’s sometimes it’s so much easier to just say, “Yes, this is the most uncomfortable chair/torture device a human could ever be forced to try and sit in, but I know this chair, I know this discomfort, I get how it works and it is easier to sit here than it is to try and change.” Inspiring them to want to change, standing beside them, and keeping them motivated as they struggle through the change is a big part of the job of an Agile coach and practicing this craft is an art. This week in the podcast I am joined by two Agile coaches, Ross Beurmann and Christine Converse. Ross and Christine both work as coaches helping organizations with Agile transformation. During the interview, we talk about the differences between coaching executives and coaching team members, how paired coaching works, and why it has become such a powerful approach for them. Along the way, they both offer lots of tips and techniques you can employ whether you are working as an Agile Coach or serving on a team trying to help them, and your organization raise its game with Agile. ALSO, this podcast features a brand new theme song for the podcast that was created by Chris DeMakes. If the music or Chris’s voice sounds familiar, that’s because Chris is in the band Less Than Jake. He also has a podcast of his own where he interviews songwriters and producers about the art of creating great music. The podcast is called Chris DeMakes a Podcast and it is definitely worth checking out. https://apple.co/2Jrejyz Contacting Christine and Ross If you’d like to reach out to Christine or Ross, here are some ways to reach them: Christine Converse LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineconverse1/ Email: cepichler@gmail.com Ross Beurmann LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossbeurmannzcea/ Email: ross96h@yahoo.com Ross has joined me on a few other podcasts. If you’d like to check them out you can find them here: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=ross%20beurmann