Agile and Project Management - DrunkenPM Radio

Zach Stone, an AI expert, discusses the potential impact of AI on Scrum Masters and agileists. He explores the applications of AI in project management and emphasizes the importance of finesse and personal interaction in agile roles. The chapter also explores the potential implications of using AI to analyze team performance.

Times are weird in the land of Agile. More and more big companies are letting go of the people they’ve brought on to help them adopt agile practices, or replacing their Scrum Masters with Technical Program Managers, or creating a homegrown version of Agile by taking an established framework and bailing on the practices they don’t like. Is this just business accepting that what they’ve been trying to do for the past 10+ years was just too hard, have they achieved a level of agility that they are happy with, or have they decided to place different bets on what it will take to carry them into the future? In this episode of the podcast, Jesse Fewell joins me to explore different ideas about what is happening, why it is happening, and what this means for people who’ve spent years trying to establish a career in agile.  The conversation came about as a result of a post Jesse made on LinkedIn. He’s doing research on the topic and I asked him to join me to talk through some of the ideas. If you have stories to share, he’d love to hear from you. You can find his original LinkedIn post here: https://bit.ly/3EjRUf9 Towards the end of the podcast we also discuss a question that came up in one of my CSM/CSPO Lean Coffees: If you are hired as a Scrum Master into a mostly waterfall organization that still has traditional project managers, and the engineers are trying to treat you like a secretary, how do you establish your role and the value you can provide? Contacting Jesse Untapped Agility on Amazon: https://bit.ly/3PnjPBr Untapped Agility Website: https://untappedagility.com/ Jesse’s Site: https://jessefewell.com Jesse’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JesseFewell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessefewell/ Email: jesse@fewellinnovation.com

Jardena London is on a mission. After spending years helping organizations transform, adopt agile, and achieve business agility she realized there was something missing. Soul. Yes, change was happening, but at what expense? Were people any more able to bring their whole selves to work, authentically show up, rise to the challenge of the day, and fully contribute themselves to the work? Mostly, not so much. And that is what led her to shift her focus to helping create soulful transformation within an organization. This led to a book “Cultivating Transformations: A Leader’s Guide to Connecting the Soulful and the Practical” and her newly launched community Transformational Leader Community which is the primary focus of our conversation. During this interview, we talk about what Jardena means by “soulful”, how it is different from what many people experience during their normal work, and how the change has to occur on three levels, the me, the we, and the system. If you'd prefer to watch a video of this interview https://youtu.be/zOa4IZT_V2c Join the Transformational Leader Community https://learning.cultivatingtransformations.com/ Read Jardena’s book Cultivating Transformations: A Leader’s Guide to Connecting the Soulful and the Practical https://bit.ly/3QB72fo Links from the interview - 5 Steps to Soul https://www.rosettaagile.com/resources - Inner Workings - Pixar short about happiness at work https://vimeo.com/270992364 - Brave New Work - Aaron Dignan https://amzn.to/440LJHn - The Responsibility Process - Christopher Avery https://amzn.to/47o5AD6 - 4 Stages to Psychological Safety - Tim Clark https://amzn.to/47fnKqR Contacting Jardena - CultivatingTransformations.com https://www.cultivatingtransformations.com/ - RosettaAgile.com https://www.rosettaagile.com/ - JardenaLondon.com https://www.jardenalondon.com/

Agile 2023 is almost here! Mark Kilby, Tim Nolan, and I are putting the final touches on our session Tuning Your Distributed Team with a Right Environment Exercise. We are looking forward to sharing some of the things we learned in Modus Cooperandi’s Lean Agile Visual Management Certification program. The workshop will be held at Agile 2023 on Tuesday, July 25th from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. This video gives an overview of our workshop and some of the key concepts we will be covering with the participants. If you are attending the conference for the first time, it can be a rough week so we've also got tips for how to get the most out of the conference and how to best survive the week. This was originally recorded in video. You can find that version here:https://youtu.be/FKwIETj0xzM

Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the Agile and Project Management space has become a conversation most of us are now having daily. There are a number of products already on the market and more coming every hour. In the same way that several years ago everyone had an app, now everyone wants to have a product leveraging AI. Snehal Talati, the AI Agile guy, has an app he’s been working on, but he’s also working on something bigger… the question of how we will use AI, responsibly, to not just replicate the things we can already do, but help us advance the way we understand and approach work. In this interview, Snehal joins me to talk about https://www.aiagile.org. This is a community he has founded to start a conversation with four goals: - Develop principles and practices for human-centric AI - Learn and share how AI augments Agile methods to serve people - Pioneer an adaptive, collaborative model for progress - Ensure diversity and ethics in creating new tech During our conversation we talk about where AI is headed, what is happening to the job market, and how we can “reimagine agile” in a way that leverages the power of AI and Agile Principles to create another revolution in the world of work. Note: Towards the end of the interview Snehal generously offers a 10% discount on a course but unfortunately I did not finish editing the interview until after the course had run. Instead, he's offering a 10% discount on his ChatGPT Agile Mastery Workshop Series. All you have to do to receive the discount is use the promo code drunkenpm when you sign up here: https://www.boostaro.com/new-micro-certifications. Links from the podcast: AI Agile: https://www.aiagile.org/ Agile GPT: https://www.agilegpt.com/ ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt Spinach.io: https://www.spinach.io/ Socratic: https://socraticworks.com Contacting Snehal: Web: https://www.boostaro.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snehal-talati-124a38b6/

Johanna Rothman is one of my favorite people to interview and in this episode, she’s back to talk about her new book Successful Independent Consulting: Relationships That Focus on Mutual Benefit. The book is full of insights and practical tips not just for consultants but anyone looking to establish themself and make their presence known in their profession. The conversation also covers the book she published last year, Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer: Educate, Influence, and Entertain Your Readers because a big part of making your presence known is making sure your voice is heard. What's great about Johanna's books is that they are full of practical answers to the questions you show up with. But in reading Successful Independent Consulting I found it was also addressing the questions I hadn't figured out how to articulate yet, and the questions I didn't realize I was hiding from. She sent me an ebook version of Successful Independent Consulting to prep for the interview, and I was making so many notes in my Kindle that I had to order a hard copy as well, just so I could keep it all straight. During the interview, she shares some stories and examples of the challenges she faced in consulting and how she has overcome them. Whether you work in consulting or are just trying to carve out a space for yourself in the company you work for, you'll get a lot of value out of this conversation and her new book. I can't recommend the book enough. The advice she shares is already having a deep impact on how I approach my work. This podcast is also available in a video format: https://youtu.be/-H8F873dD10 The Books: Successful Independent Consulting: Relationships That Focus on Mutual Benefit https://bit.ly/3PODNFO Free Your Inner Nonfiction Writer: Educate, Influence, and Entertain Your Readers https://bit.ly/3PRZmoP Contacting Johanna Web: https://www.jrothman.com Amazon: https://bit.ly/44wqwWm Leanpub: https://leanpub.com/u/johannarothman LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/johannarothman

I’ve done several podcast interviews over the past few months about Flow Metrics. These podcasts are all pretty much aligned around the fact that if you want metrics you can rely on to predict what to expect from your teams in the future, nothing is perfect, but flow metrics are better than velocity. Since most of the people I meet while I am coaching, or teaching use Jira, I reached out to a friend at Atlassian to learn more about how to get this data. Here’s the best part… if you are using Jira, the system is probably already capturing the data for you, you just need an easy way to get at it… and this podcast Derek Huether and Sam Tsubota will show you just how easy it is to get at the information you need to understand more about you team’s flow. (This podcast was originally recorded in video. If you'd like to watch that version you can find it here: https://youtu.be/q86HXsvvv04 ) If you’d like to check out the other podcasts I’ve done recently on flow metrics: Story Points are Good AND Evil with Ryan Ripley https://bit.ly/3vZvDzk Enabling Change with Data Modeling and Forecasting (with Troy Magennis) https://bit.ly/3JypeSF For more on Atlassian Analytics: https://bit.ly/3oZiaYt If you’d like to contact Derek or Sam Derek Huether LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3poYSvF Web: derekhuether.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/derekhuether Amazon: https://bit.ly/3GPEQQQ Sam Tsubota LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/STsubota

In the classes I teach and the podcasts I record I talk frequently about how deeply Sun Tzu’s The Art of War has impacted the way I understand the opportunities that show up in my life. Once you get past the title, you can begin to understand how it is really a book about collaboration. I have MANY translations of the Art of War in my apartment but none of them have reshaped my brain as profoundly as the ones by Gary Gagliardi. His book The Amazing Secrets of Sun Tzu's The Art of War: The Mysteries of History's Most Powerful Strategy helped me to understand the work on a completely different level and was the basis for my Five Meaasures Canvas tool. And, he is the guest on this episode of the podcast!!!! If you are a fan of the Art of War or are curious about how a book called The Art of War could actually be about collaboration, this podcast is for you. I also want to say that I am so grateful to Gary for being willing to share his time with me and tolerate my questions. He definitely took me to school during this interview. I hope you will enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it. Links from the Interview The Amazing Secrets of Sun Tzu's The Art of War Contacting Gary Gagliardi Amazon Author Page: https://bit.ly/3CHgJkh LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyjgagliardi/ Web: https://scienceofstrategy.org/main/ and http://www.garygagliardi.com SubStack: https://practicalstrategy.substack.com Email: gagliardi.gary@gmail.com

Join us in this new episode as we welcome back Ross Beurmann, who takes us on an exploration in IT funding, and how the way we fund IT impacts how work gets done and the outcomes it delivers. Drawing inspiration from his thought-provoking LinkedIn post, Ross advocates for making intentional decisions about how we fund IT projects and products, ensuring their separation between operations IT projects and strategic IT projects. Discover how this distinction can impact the outcomes of our work, shaping priorities, staffing decisions, and resource allocation. Links: Ross’s original blog post: https://bit.ly/43SQNhq Contacting Ross • Podcast: Couple of Coaches: https://soundcloud.com/coupleofcoaches • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossbeurmann/ • Email: Ross@rossbeurmann.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)

Get ready for an electrifying episode of DrunkenPM Radio as I welcome the esteemed James Grenning to unravel the world of Test Driven Development (TDD). Agile 2023 is just around the corner, and during the conference, James will be leading a workshop called "Your First Test-Driven Development." While TDD is not a new concept, it remains unfamiliar to many tech professionals who didn't come from a development background. That's precisely why I reached out to James and invited him to join me for this inspiring podcast. If you're immersed in Agile or managing technology projects, and TDD is still a mystery to you, this is a must-watch. TDD is a game-changer, and understanding it is crucial for your professional growth. I assure you that this episode will significantly impact your job in the best way possible. Now, let's talk about the best part of this podcast: our incredible guest, James Grenning. He personifies the epitome of old-school OG Agile Royalty. Not only is James one of the co-authors of the Agile Manifesto, but he also penned the definitive book on TDD. That's not all—James is the brilliant mind behind Planning Poker, a technique that has revolutionized Agile estimation. Stay tuned as we delve into this fascinating topic towards the end of our conversation. But wait, there's more! At the conclusion of our interview, James will unveil a remarkable system he designed and developed for his training classes. When off-the-shelf solutions fell short of meeting his requirements, James took matters into his own hands. His ingenuity and determination to deliver top-notch training are truly awe-inspiring. Don't miss out on this captivating podcast episode. James Grenning's wisdom and expertise will reshape the way you approach your work. Join me as we embark on a journey of discovery and empowerment with one of the brightest minds in the world of Test Driven Development. (This podcast was originally recorded using video. You can find that version here: https://youtu.be/k5OaxLCIzzI) James’s Book Test Driven Development for Embedded C (Pragmatic Programmers): https://bit.ly/43CMsP0 James’s session at Agile 2023 Your First Test-Driven Development at Agile 2023 https://events.agilealliance.org/Agile2023/session/1423798/your-first-test-driven-development-james-grenning Monday, July 24, 2023, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM Lafayette 4 Contacting James Web: https://wingman-sw.com/about LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwgrenning/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jwgrenning Agile, Extreme Programming, XP, Scrum, TDD, Test Drive Development, James Grenning, Dave Prior, Reluctant Agilist, drunkenpm, Drunken PM Radio, Planning Poker, Estimation, Wingman-SW, Agile Development and Design Techniques,