Agile and Project Management - DrunkenPM Radio

This is the first part of a two part interview with Tony Johnson, Founder and CEO of Crosswind Learning. Crosswind is a PMI REP based in Carrolton, Texas, that has been providing instruction in project management for 20 years. In this part of the interview, we focus on the upcoming changes in the new edition of the PMBOK, including what that will mean for practitioners and especially how it will impact those preparing for the PMP exam. If you aren’t up to speed on how the new PMBOK is going to be different, you will definitely want to give this a listen because there are some significant changes being made to the structure of the standard and how things like Agile practices are being woven in. And make sure to check back next week for Part 2 where Tony will share his recent experience going through PMI’s Disciplined Agile training. If you’d like to reach out to Tony with follow up questions: Web: https://crosswindpm.com Email: tjohnson@crosswindpm.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/crosswindpm

“Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount 
of work not done--is essential.” ~From the 12 Principles of Agile Software https://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html It is one of the most basic responsibilities of the Product Owner and one almost every PO struggles with... saying "No" to people who ask for things. A Product Owner who can't say No is going to end up with a Product Backlog jammed full of things that can't be done. This puts the entire organization at risk. At the same time, a PO who is constantly telling Senior Management "No" to all their requests may find themselves "being offered the opportunity to enjoy working at another company." So, how do you go say "No" from a position of strength and safety? How do you know that saying "No" is really the right response? What kind of challenges do you need to be ready for? How can you prepare for those uncomfortable moments when you are waiting to see if you will be thanked for your honesty and candor, or told to leave your ID badge with HR on your way out? In this episode of the Reluctant Agilist, Tim Wise joins me to talk through various aspects of the challenge of saying "No." Links from the Podcast Agile Day Atlanta http://agiledayatlanta.com Books Mentioned Turn the Ship Around - L. David Marquet https://amzn.to/2QXOGWD Leadership is Language - L. David Marquet https://amzn.to/2w2mRFj Speed of Trust - Stephen Covey Jr. https://amzn.to/3439xgy 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey https://amzn.to/3bCsDMX Contacting Tim Twitter https://twitter.com/timswise LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwise/ Email: Tim@leadingagile.com

Towards the end of 2018, The Scrum Alliance restructured its organization around a new leadership model. Howard Sublett returned to the Scrum Alliance as Chief Product Owner and shortly after that, Melissa Boggs joined as Chief Scrum Master. In these new roles, they are truly leading an effort to change the world of work. In this episode of the podcast, I had a chance to check in with Melissa and Howard on how the change is going. We discuss the changes made to the way the Scrum Alliance is organized around a team model, where individuals select areas they are most passionate about and teams where they can add the most value. We also talk about how this change has impacted each of them personally, digging into the things they are most proud of, the areas they are still working on, and lessons they have learned along the way. You can catch up on all of this by checking out their Unscripted posts (see the link below.) The interview closes out with a little taste of what you can expect at the 2020 North American Global Scrum Gathering which is taking place in NYC this May. Check out Scrum Alliance Unscripted https://www.scrumalliance.org/unscripted Contacting Melissa Boggs Web: https://www.scrumalliance.org/community/profile/mboggs2 Twitter: https://twitter.com/hmngbirdagility Contacting Howard Sublett Web: https://www.scrumalliance.org/community/profile/hsublett Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/howardsublett The 2020 North American Scrum Gathering - New York City - May 11-13, 2020 https://events.scrumalliance.org/sgnyc20

Ryan Ripley wears many hats. He's a Professional Scrum Trainer, an Agile Coach, the creator of the Agile for Humans podcast, a blogger, a speaker, and now... author! Last month, Ryan and Todd Miller released Fixing Your Scrum (https://amzn.to/2Pi46En), a book chock full of real-life stories from two seasoned Agile coaches who spend their days helping organizations, teams, and individuals find a better way to work. In this episode of The Reluctant Agilist, Ryan and I talk about the book, what motivated them to write it, and how it can help you figure out ways to address some of the issues you and your Scrum Team are facing. During the interview, Ryan and I also discuss what led him to become a Professional Scrum Trainer and why he finds teaching Scrum and Agile to be such a rewarding way to spend his days. If you are going to be in NYC on February 20, 2020, Ryan and Todd will be speaking at the Agile NYC User Group. http://bit.ly/37EcB2C If you haven't checked out Ryan's podcast Agile for Humans, that is something you definitely want to do. https://ryanripley.com/agile-for-humans/ Links Fixing Your Scrum by Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller https://amzn.to/2Pi46En Agile NYC User Group Event with Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller http://bit.ly/37EcB2C Contacting Ryan Web: https://ryanripley.com/ Agile For Humans Podcast https://ryanripley.com/agile-for-humans/ Training https://ryanripley.com/training-classes/

Leadership is Language - L. David Marquet In 2013, David Marquet’s book Turn the Ship Around (https://amzn.to/3bbE2nk) was published, introducing intent based leadership to people all over the world. Since then David has worked with thousands of companies, teams, and individuals and helped them transform the way they think about and engage with others. His new book Leadership Is Language (https://amzn.to/3b6H3p7 ) digs even deeper into intent based leadership by focusing on the subtle ways in which the words we choose impact the message we are trying to send—how it is received and acted upon by others. In this interview, David and I talk about the new book and some of the key ideas he introduces in Leadership is Language. One of concepts we focus on in the interview is blue work vs. red work, or, the thinking work we do that embraces variability and the execution work we do where we want to limit variability. As an added bonus, David shares a a tip towards the end of the interview that is absolutely going to transform your ability to get people to arrive on time for events. Leadership is Language https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780735217539 Contacting David If you’d like to reach David or learn more about Intent Based Leadership here are some links to get you started: Web: https://www.davidmarquet.com Web: https://intentbasedleadership.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/ldavidmarquet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ldavidmarquet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmarquet/ Videos In addition to the book, David posts his “Leadership Nudges” on YouTube each week: Leadership Nudges Videos: http://bit.ly/2UlglmM Live Events And if you’d like to see David in person, here are some of his upcoming events: February 12 from 11:30 - 12:30 - Watermark Conference for Women https://www.watermarkconferenceforwomen.org/speakers/david-marquet/  February 16 from 1:00 - 1:40 PM Sunday Times Life Lessons; Choose Category Business https://www.lifelessonsfestival.com/programme   February 17 from 6:45 - 8:00 PM How To Academy https://www.howtoacademy.com/events/leadership-is-language-how-to-empower-your-team-through-better-communication/  February 20 - Stockholm (Crisp Event) https://www.crisp.se/kurser/intent-based-leadership-david-marquet-february-20-2020  February 21 goAgile Event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/david-marquet-brings-language-is-leadership-to-copenhagen-dont-miss-this-keynote-book-signing-and-tickets-83150069095

Gil Broza is back with a brand new book that answers a question that is asked in every single class I teach. Can you use Agile outside of software? The simple answer is yes. Agile practices are applied in a wide range of fields that are not IT related. What Gil has put together in his new book "Agile for Non-Software Teams: A Practical Guide for Your Journey" is a step-by-step guide to help you begin your non-software Agile journey, and in this episode of The Reluctant Agilist, Gil shares his reasons for writing the book, some of the key ideas and critical factors people should be considering before heading down this path, and when it is not a fit. Gil's Books: - Agile for Non-Software Teams: A Practical Guide for Your Journey https://amzn.to/30GLceF - The Human Side of Agile - How to Help Your Team Deliver https://amzn.to/2GnxgwZ - The Agile Mind-Set: Making Agile Processes Work https://amzn.to/2sHds4a Contacting Gil: (if you have stories to share about using Agile outside of software, he'd love to hear from you) - Web: https://3pvantage.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbroza/

TLDR Regardless of whether you are a traditional PM or you are working in Agile, topics like emotional intelligence, creating safety and self-care are part of the current conversation about how we approach our work. This podcast presents another side of that discussion and focuses on how different experiences and events result in trauma that can leave lasting scars that we carry with us as we interact with others. Becoming more aware of different types of trauma, how it shows up in you as well as others, will help you become a more valuable and effective leader for your teams and organizations. In this episode of the Reluctant Agilist, Brandon Brown is back to talk about trauma. Trauma takes many forms and it is something that all of us deal with, but we may not think about how it pertains to our day to day work. As we move through life, each of us experiences different things that have a lasting impact. Sometimes, these things are very obvious, sometimes they are more subtle, and sometimes we don’t realize how deeply they’ve impacted us until much later. As an example, if you’ve ever worked in an organization where you felt that your contribution was not valued or your ideas were not heard, the impact of this may stick with you long after the conditions are no longer in play. You may find, even years later, that you are still reacting to the unfortunate previous situation. Recognizing the trauma you’ve experienced in the past and finding ways to work through it will help you show up in a more open and present state for your co-workers and your team. And recognizing that others have had different, but equally significant experiences can help us offer more empathy to the people we are interacting with. If you'd like to reach out to Brandon with follow up questions, here is how you can reach him: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brbphilly/
 Twitter: twitter.com/b_pbs
 AboutMe: about.me/brandonrbrown

It’s the start of a brand new year! And one of the best things you can do for yourself and your career is to start volunteering for a professional organization. By offering a little of your time, you can find a path into a community of passionate PMs and Agilists who can provide support, coaching and mentoring to you as you progress in your career. In this episode of the podcast Agile Coach, Reese Schmit shares her story of how she got involved in helping out with Burning Flipside (an Austin, TX-based Burning Man event), how that led her to start volunteering for local Agile and User Groups and how that led her to become part of the team of folks who plan and run the Scrum Gathering. In the interview, Reese shares her experience of volunteering and how that work has not only helped her create valuable experiences for others but has also helped her develop a wide network of seasoned professionals in the Agile space and all the benefits that can provide. I have talked about this in previous podcasts but volunteering is one of the best investments you can make in your career. It is about giving back to your professional community, but it is also about finding the group of people who might be able to help you land your next gig. So why not start off 2020 by reaching out to a local group, PMI, the Scrum Alliance or the Agile Alliance and find a way to invest in yourself by giving back to the community. Here are some links to help you get started: Volunteering for PMI https://www.pmi.org/membership/volunteer/opportunities Volunteering for the Scrum Alliance https://www.scrumalliance.org/get-involved Volunteering for the Agile Alliance https://www.agilealliance.org/the-alliance/volunteer-signup/ Meetup.com is a great place to start searching for local professional groups who could probably use your help. https://www.meetup.com Contacting Reese LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reeseschmit/ Email: reeseschmit@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/reesendesist

It has been 10 years since Jesse Fewell and I became Certified Scrum Trainers. We both came to it from backgrounds deeply rooted in traditional project management. We were both PMPs, which was something like a scarlet letter in the Agile community. Ten years… things have changed. In this episode of The Reluctant Agilist, Jesse Fewell and I close out 2019 with a retrospective of sorts, looking back at how things have evolved from a time where Agile and traditional project management were considered to be opposite approaches, to a place where practitioners are starting to understand how to use both for the benefit of our customers and clients. Jesse and I also look forward and share our opinions on where things are headed and what traditional and/or agile project managers need to focus on in order to stay relevant in the job market over the coming years. Happy New Year! And thank you for listening! Contacting Jesse Fewell Web: http://jessefewell.com/ 
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jessefewell
 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jessefewell/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jessefewell

When I am teaching CSM and CSPO classes I frequently get questions from students who have trouble understanding how work flows from the release level down through product backlog items like User Stories on down to the task level. I do cover this in class but for some, it is not so easy to see. 
In hopes of resolving this, I asked Judy Neher, a fellow Certified Scrum Trainer, to help me work through a metaphor that I hope will provide clarity on how we take work from Releases to User Stories to Tasks, how they tie back to strategy and vision and how Epics and Themes fit in as well.   If you'd like to reach out to Judy with follow up questions, here is her contact info: Judy Neher
 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judy-neher-22ab614/
 - - Twitter: https://twitter.com/judyneher