Agile for Humans with Ryan Ripley and Todd Miller

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Johanna Rothman Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley) and Johanna Rothman (@johannarothman) got together to discuss Johanna’s new book “Agile and Lean Program Management: Scaling Collaboration Across the Organization”. Johanna is known as the “Pragmatic Manager” who provides frank advice for difficult problems. She is a prolific author and blogger and also publishes a newsletter called The Pragmatic Manager. Johanna provides workshops, training, and other services to organizations looking to improve the way they get work done. In a previous post, I reviewed Johanna’s excellent book – Predicting the Unpredictable and still cannot recommend this important book on estimation enough. Overall, this is an immensely practical book that belongs on the shelf of anyone working on an agile team. The practical suggestions on how to handle providing estimates is worth the prices of the book, making the coverage of advanced topics like #NoEstimates a welcome bonus. Highly recommended! On this episode of Agile for Humans we talked about servant leadership at the program management level, metrics that matter and those that don’t, and where to focus your time and effort to effectively manage your project portfolio. Finally, we wrapped up with thoughts on management, cost of delay concepts, and #NoEstimates. And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes and Stitcher and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for all you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com The Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Agile 2016 – The Business of Agile: Better, Faster, Cheaper Johanna – http://www.jrothman.com/ Agile and Lean Program Management by Johanna Rothman Predicting the Unpredictable by Johanna Rothman Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management by Johanna Rothman & Esther Derby Diving for Hidden Treasures: Uncovering the Cost of Delay in Your Project Portfolio by Johanna Rothman & Jutta Eckstein The post AFH 034: Agile Program Management with Johanna Rothman [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Esther Derby, Stacy Johnston Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Esther Derby (@estherderby), and Stacy Johnston got together to discuss performance management, HR myths, annual reviews, and how teams can partner with their HR department to create better systems of work. A key concept throughout the show was the need for people to feel that they’ve been treated fairly. Much of what we do in the agile space relies on a culture that fosters trust and eschews cynicism. Treating people unfairly is one of the fastest ways to destroy teams and embitter people. We then talked about the shift away from the factory mindset to the new world of managing knowledge workers. And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes and Stitcher and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for all you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com The Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Agile 2016 – The Business of Agile: Better, Faster, Cheaper Esther – http://www.estherderby.com/ Coaching Beyond the Team Esther’s Free Q&A Teleconference What Did You Say? The Art of Giving and Receiving Feedback by Jerry Weinberg Stacy – http://audacityhr.com/ The post AFH 033: HR Insights with Esther Derby and Stacy Johnston [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Don Gray, Tim Ottinger, Amitai Schlair, Jason Tice Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Don Gray (@donaldegray), Tim Ottinger (@tottinge), Amitai Schlair (@schmonz), and Jason Tice (@theagilefactor) got together to discuss strategies for submitting talks to agile conferences and how to help the chances of your presentation getting accepted. **DISCLAIMER: This is an independent podcast that is not affiliated with or represents the views of any of the conferences mentioned on the show. Every person on the podcast speaks at conferences across the United States and around the world. We’ve also had our talks rejected at many conferences as well. While there isn’t a silver bullet that guarantees success in this space, there are ways to increase the odds that your talk will fit in with the needs of the organizers and delight the attendees. It’s our hope that this episode helps those new to public speaking get their ideas out in to the world and to give veterans of the conference scene fresh ideas on how to get more of their talks potentially accepted. And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes or Stitcher and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for all you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Don – http://www.donaldegray.com/ Coaching Beyond the Team Tim – http://agileotter.blogspot.com/ Industrial Logic Agile Otter Blog Agile in A Flash by Tim Ottinger and Jeff Langr Amitai – http://www.schmonz.com/ Agile in 3 Minutes on LeanPub.com [PODCAST] Agile in 3 Minutes Podcast Jason – http://www.thisagilelife.com/ [PODCAST] This Agile Life Agile Games 2016 Agile Coach Camp US 2016 The post AFH 032: How to Improve Your Agile Conference Submissions [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Ron Quartel, Amitai Schlair Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Ron Quartel (@agileagitator) and Amitai Schlair (@schmonz) got together to discuss a real live #NoEstimates project, variable length sprints, the power of the sprint goal, and true software craftsmanship. Ron joined us back on episode 10 to discuss Fast Agile and came back to talk about a project he recently kicked off at a major corporation that uses #NoEstimates practices and modifications to the scrum framework. The concept of velocity and story points is a dirty, rotten hack. @agileagitatorTweet This We talked through common concerns and questions that come up when discussing these topics and even highlighted some patterns that seem to be emerging from these #NoEstimates experiments. And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes or Stitcher and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com AgileIndy 2016 – April 12 in Indianapolis, IN Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Ron – http://agileagitator.blogspot.com FAST Agile Stop Using Story Points by Josh Kerievsky Brotherhood of Code Craftsmanship Amitai – http://www.schmonz.com/ Agile in 3 Minutes on LeanPub.com Agile in 3 Minutes Podcast Agile Alliance Technical Conference 2016 The post AFH 031: Natural Software Development using #NoEstimates and Variable Length Sprints [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Tim Ottinger, Mark Davidson Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Tim Ottinger (@tottinge) and Mark Davidson (@AgileDelivery) got together to discuss the role of the Product Owner (PO) and Product Backlog Management. Topics ranged from Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Story Mapping, Product Backlog Item creation, and what to do when the backlog becomes unruly. A key take away form this episode is the power and importance of a physical card wall. Having a space where everything known about a product or project is visible can make or break an agile project. Such an area gives teams the space to discuss, solution, and celebrate. The tactile nature of cards also has an impact on team members that a tool cannot yet replicate. Alignment is a great benefit of card walls, as is the ability to ask a basic question: “How do we know that this product / project is a good idea?” We wrapped up with the psychological impacts of a backlog on a team. And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes or Stitcher and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for all you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com AgileIndy 2016 – April 12 in Indianapolis, IN Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Mob Programming Conference – May 1 & 2 in Cambridge, MA Tim – http://industriallogic.com 14 Weird Observations About Agile Team Velocity The Scrum guide Mark – https://www.linkedin.com/in/medavidson AFH 022 – The Product Owner Role with Mark Davidson Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product by Jeff Patton The post AFH 030: Product Backlog Management with Tim Ottinger and Mark Davidson [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, David Bernstein, Woody Zuill Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), David Bernstein (@tobeagile) and Woody Zuill (@WoodyZuill) got together to discuss legacy code, what it means to be a great programmer, test driven development, and how the principles that we adopt drive our practices. Software development is one of the few activities that requires us to use both halves of our…Tweet This At the center of our discussion was David’s new book: Beyond Legacy Code This book now has a prominent place on my desk next to Uncle Bob Martin’s classic book  Clean Code. David starts the reader off with the current state of software development and why many of the problems that we observe and experience still persist today. He calls this “The Legacy Code Crisis” and does a brilliant job of making the case for agile software development practices. Legacy code is code without confidence. @tobeagileTweet This The second part of the book covers 9 practices that “extend the life and value of your software”. The 9 practices are: Say What, Why, and for Whom Before How Build in Small Batches Integrate Continuously Collaborate Create Clean Code Write the Test First Specify Behaviors with Tests Implement the Design Last Refactor Legacy Code Each practice is explained clearly along with why each practice is important. The “why” is critical. It’s easy to explain the mechanics of TDD, but also showing the value that the practice provides makes the book appropriate for programmers, managers, and executives alike. My favorite aspect of this book is that David’s explanations and insights are infused with the values and principles of the agile manifesto. His prose is engaging and feels conversational. It’s a pleasure to read David’s thoughts on these topics as he is clearly knowledgeable and passionate about agility and creating humane systems of work. I love this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. As Woody Zuill noted on the podcast: “If I had what it takes to write a book, I would like to have written this book.” And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes or Stitcher and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com AgileIndy 2016 – April 12 in Indianapolis, IN Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH David – http://www.tobeagile.com/ Beyond Legacy Code: Nine Practices to Extend the Life and Value of Your Software by David Scott Bernstein Woody – http://zuill.us/WoodyZuill/ Mob Programming Conference – May 1 & 2 in Cambridge, MA The post AFH 029: Beyond Legacy Code with David Bernstein and Woody Zuill [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Don Gray, Tim Ottinger, Brad Rasmussen Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Don Gray (@donaldegray), Tim Ottinger (@tottinge), and Brad Rasmussen (@Rass30) got together to discuss “Where does work come from?”. The conversation moved in multiple directions that included theories or work, what motivates people, management theory, and how to introduce agile at large organizations. The closest metaphor that I’ve found about knowledge work IS knowledge work – @donaldegrayTweet This This is the kind of podcast that I like to keep a notepad near by while I listen. There are a lot of interesting thoughts and insights from the guests that I hope you find useful. If you do hear something resonates with you, we’d love to hear about it in the comments section! Or you can leave us a voice message here – ASK A QUESTION – that could end up on a future episode. There is a big difference in the way you work when living among friends vs enemies – @tottingeTweet This And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes or Stitcher and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for all that you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com AgileIndy 2016 – April 12 in Indianapolis, IN Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Don – http://www.donaldegray.com/ Coaching Beyond the Team Tim – http://agileotter.blogspot.com/ Modern Agile by Joshua Kerievsky Maitria Geek Joy Podcast Agile Otter Blog 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni Brad – http://t.co/TLWbo8fp9n Connect with Brad on Twitter! The post AFH 028: Where Does Work Come From? [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Amitai Schlair, Woody Zuill Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Amitai Schlair (@schmonz) and Woody Zuill (@WoodyZuill) got together to discuss Mob Programming (#MobProgramming). Mob programming involves the whole team working on the same thing, at the same time, in the same space, and at the same computer. You can think of it as pair programming turned up to eleven. We talked about the benefits that mob programming can bring to a team, how it can simplify the hiring and on-boarding process, and what to do when the mob needs some alone time. We have to pay attention to what’s working and continually turn up the good!Tweet This We also learned about the Mob Programming Conference coming to Cambridge, Mass on May 1st and 2nd. Hosted by Agile New England and organized by Nancy Van Schooenderwoert, Llewellyn Falco, Woody Zuill, Kurt Kilpela, and Peter Carmichael this is shaping up to be the event to attend if you are interested in learning about and seeing Mob Programming in action. And then…we called it a night. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for all you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com AgileIndy 2016 – April 12 in Indianapolis, IN Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Amitai – http://www.schmonz.com/ Agile in 3 Minutes on LeanPub.com Agile in 3 Minutes Episode #32 – Mob How to Develop Humans Mr. Bunny’s Big Cup o’ Java by Carlton Egremont III Woody – http://zuill.us/WoodyZuill/ Beyond Legacy Code by David Scott Bernstein Mob Programming Conference – May 1 & 2 in Cambridge, MA The post AFH 027: Mob Programming with Woody Zuill [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Amitai Schlair, Jerry Weinberg Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Amitai Schlair (@schmonz) and Jerry Weinberg (@JerryWeinberg) got together to talk about how to be more self-aware, what it means to be a recovering perfectionist, making writing a little simpler, why errors are so difficult to deal with, and who should be on an agile team. Speaking with Jerry is a memorable experience. He is the author of more than 80 books, including the best-selling Secrets of Consulting, More Secrets of Consulting, and An Introduction to General System Thinking. One of my favorites is Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method. His books have had a profound impact on my career and writing as did getting to speak with him on this podcast. Will you help the Agile for Humans podcast grow? Please review Agile for Humans on iTunes and leave your comments on the blog site. Help your friends and co-workers find Agile for Humans by sharing your favorite episodes with them. Thanks for all you do to support the show. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com AgileIndy 2016 – April 12th in Indianapolis, IN Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Amitai – http://www.schmonz.com/ Agile in 3 Minutes on LeanPub.com Agile in 3 Minutes Episode #5 – Wrong Agile in 3 Minutes Episode #26 – Surprise TDD Saved My Brain Life Hacks for the Test Infected Problem Solving Leadership Post Jerry – http://www.geraldmweinberg.com/ Jerry’s books on LeanPub Problem Solving Leadership Workshop The post AFH 026: Agile Impressions and Errors with Jerry Weinberg [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hosts Ryan Ripley, Don Gray, Aaron Kopel, Tim Ottinger, Jason Tanner Discussion Ryan Ripley (@ryanripley), Don Gray (@donaldegray), Aaron Kopel (@aakopel), Tim Ottinger (@tottinge), and Jason Tanner (@JasonBTanner) got together via Skype to discuss their thoughts on 2015 and what they are looking forward to in 2016. We covered a lot of ground and a variety of topics including: Professionalism, #NoEstimates, Book Recommendations, Teamwork, Learning, Leadership, and the benefits of agility. And then…we called it a night. Agile for Humans is brought to you by audible.com – get one FREE audiobook download and 30 day free trial at www.audibletrial.com/agile Resources, Plugs, and More Ryan – https://ryanripley.com I was recently featured on Vasco Duarte’s podcast – The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Ryan Ripley Talks About the Delusion of Control Ryan Ripley Talks About Why Sometimes a Team Isn’t Really a Team Ryan Ripley on Metrics that Define Success for Scrum Masters Ryan Ripley Explains a Critical Insight in Leading Change Ryan Ripley on the Rule of 3 for System Thinkers Path to Agility Conference – May 25 & 26 in Columbus, OH Don – http://coachingbeyondtheteam.com/ Coaching Beyond the Team Patterns of An Agile Journey by George Dinwiddie, et al. Slack by Tom DeMarco Aaron – http://www.projectbrilliant.com/ AgileIndy Conference – April 12, 2016 in Indianapolis, IN Tim – http://industriallogic.com The Productivity Formula Programming is Mostly Thinking Defending Scrum Against Stupid Arguments Art of Thought by Graham Wallas Thinking for a Living by Thomas Davenport Five Dysfunctions Of A Team by Patrick Lencioni Teamwork is an Individual Skill by Christopher Avery Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are by Dr. Seuss Jason – http://appliedframeworks.com/ Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) Fast Pass Workshops offered by Applied Frameworks Jason’s LinkedIn Page Influencer by Joseph Grenny Switch by Chip and Dan Heath The post AFH 025: What Did We Learn in 2015? [PODCAST] appeared first on Ryan Ripley.See omny.fm/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices