Agile Mentors Podcast

Ryan Gottfredson, an expert on agility psychology, discusses the four common fears hindering agility. They explore how fear of failure leads to resistance to change, emphasizing the importance of leadership. The conversation highlights the mindset and courage required for true agility and personal growth.

Today, Brian sits down with Melissa Boggs to explore the parallels between roller skating and workplace challenges as she shares her four-stage framework for personal and professional growth. Overview Today, on the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian sits down with Melissa Boggs, host of the Wild Hearts at Work podcast to explore the parallels between roller skating and workplace challenges. Listen in as Melissa shares her experiences in the rink and in the workplace as she introduces her four-stage framework for personal and professional growth and the essential mental preparation required to embrace audacity and approach challenges with courage and curiosity. Listen Now to Discover: [01:33] - Brian introduces Melissa Boggs, a keynote speaker, leadership coach, and the host of the Wild Hearts at Work podcast to discuss moving from caution to courage. [03:57] - Melissa shares where the resistance to Agile concepts comes from and the inspiration for the Wild Hearts at Work podcast. [05:44] - The parallels between Melissa's roller skating journey and workplace challenges and how the distinct stages of personal and professional growth inspired her talk, "From Cautious to Courageous: A Live Roller-Skating Journey." [06:47] - Melissa introduces the fourth container, audacious, emphasizing the willingness to make dramatic and transformative moves to make major changes. [08:05] - The true meaning of audacity. [09:03] - Melissa walks listeners through the journey from cautious to audacious by fearlessly facing challenges that are bigger than you. [11:17] - The Agile Mentors Podcast is brought to you by Mountain Goat Software. If you want to get your Certified Scrum Product Owner Training or another certified training, here is the Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule. [11:45] - How to distinguish between a growth opportunity or genuine danger. [13:58] - Melissa emphasizes the importance of the "Curious" stage in her framework, to tap into your intuition when transitioning from cautious to courageous. [14:30] - Melissa shares a specific example from her skating experience, highlighting the role of curiosity in addressing her caution and fear when attempting a challenging move. [15:06] - Melissa shares the elusive puzzle piece that was the final piece of her framework to show up, shedding newfound clarity on the journey from caution to audacity. [17:19] - “Danger Will Robinson.” The importance of exploring the reasons behind discomfort and discerning when it's a valid response. [20:51] - Identifying the true source of a fear to gain control over it—the role of reason in guiding human actions. [22:02] - The danger of remaining perpetually in the caution container. [22:51] - Brian shares a pivotal moment in his journey to become a CST (Certified Scrum Trainer) and the importance of acknowledging setbacks and mistakes when they occur in order to move forward. [25:08] - How jam skating can help you learn to fall gracefully. Melissa underscores the mental preparation involved in facing challenges. [28:14] - Brian sends a special thanks to Melissa Boggs. To continue the discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community. [29:07] – We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email. References and resources mentioned in the show: Wild Hearts at Work podcast Melissa Boggs Melissa Boggs on LinkedIn The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts Certified Scrum Master Training and Scrum Certification Certified Scrum Product Owner Training Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Join the Agile Mentors Community Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Melissa Boggs is an Agile advocate with experience serving on the Boards of Scrum Alliance and Agile Denver and serving as a keynote speaker at several global conferences. As a Certified Enterprise Coach and the host of the Wild Hearts at Work podcast, she specializes in bridging generational, cultural, and societal gaps to enhance workplace engagement.

In this episode, Brian dives into the world of DevOps with guest Carlos Nunez. Listen in as they explore the origins, debunk myths, and unlock the potential of DevOps in optimizing software delivery on the Agile Mentors Podcast. Overview On this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, join Brian as he welcomes guest Carlos Nunez, to explore the origins, debunk myths, and unlock the potential of DevOps in optimizing software delivery. Listen in to explore DevOps, its tools, and its profound impact on fostering effective communication and collaboration between development and operations teams. Listen Now to Discover: [01:18] - Brian welcomes his special guest Carlos Nunez, a DevOps consultant at VMWare, to discuss DevOps and its relationship with Agile. [02:40] - Carlos introduces the concept of DevOps and the need for collaboration between development and operations and the importance of both sides understanding each other's work to improve communication and efficiency in software delivery. [03:36] - What DevOps is not. Brian and Carlos discuss the various aspects of development, testing, and deployment in software development. [04:25] – Carlos shares a common misapplication of DevOps. [05:35] - Fostering a culture of communication and collaboration rather than using technical knowledge to obstruct progress and create bottlenecks. [05:48] - Brian shares the core concept of DevOps with the agile mindset. [06:20] - Brian asks Carlos why DevOps was developed and what can be gained when teams advance their DevOps practices. [06:30] - Carlos discusses the origin of DevOps, (hint: it started at an Agile conference). [07:05] - How DevOps can enhance team operations by fostering better communication and collaboration between developers and operators. [08:35] - The importance of looking at software and operating systems holistically. [09:54] - Brian expands on the importance of breaking down rigid skill boundaries to work more efficiently to enhance teamwork and results. [10:40] - Carlos discusses the common issue of Scrum Masters who only focus on facilitating ceremonies without understanding the product aspect. [11:57] - Are Scrum Masters still effective? [12:49] - Brian delves into the relationship between DevOps and Agile, addressing occasional pushback from DevOps practitioners who claim that DevOps and Agile don't work well together. [13:16] - Carlos shares insights from his talk, where he explored criticisms of Agile from DevOps practitioners, where some of the criticism originates from and his thoughts on the negative perception. [15:15] - Are you thinking about getting certified as a Scrub Master? If so, you will want to check out the resources and training options with our sponsor, Mountain Goat Software. They run certification classes every week. Each course comes with 4 hours of training videos from Mike Cohn and includes twelve months of membership in the Agile Mentors Community. You can find the schedule here. [16:34] - Brian asks about the categories of software that people use in DevOps. [16:41] - Carlos discusses DevOps tools and approaches, categorizing them into two ways: traditional Agile tooling and pragmatic programmer-type tools. [18:19] - Carlos highlights the significance of behavior-driven development (BDD) as the second bridge between DevOps and the broader business while noting that BDD tools are generally user-friendly and can help enhance collaboration between different roles in the software development process. [19:20] - How test-driven development (TDD) forms a bridge between developers and operators, allowing both to understand how to write tests, get them to pass, and refactor—like the developer's "red, green, refactor" process. [20:25] - Carlos discusses Jira, a widely recognized (and polarizing) Agile tool, and the two reasons he prefers it. [22:19] - Carlos discusses how the concept of story points can sometimes turn into person-hours. He emphasizes that the key is to focus on addressing the process to make it more effective and user-friendly. [23:12] - Why story trackers are crucial for operations teams. [23:55] - Brian offers his take on Jira. [24:35] - Carlos highlights the importance of CI/CD build systems and value stream mapping to understand the path from inception to production. [26:31] - Carlos highlights that having DevOps tools is important but not sufficient. [27:37] - How people with DevOps skills add value. [28:12] - You can find Carlos’ teaching on LinkedIn Learning, including DevOps Foundations, Kubernetes fundamentals, his Docker Essential Training Online Class, and more. [31:07] - Brian offers a big shout-out to Carlos for coming on the show. If you want to connect with Carlos, you can email him here. [32:33] - If you like this more technical episode, email us and let us know. As always we’d like to invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email. [33:49] - Brian sends a special thank you to all Agile Mentors Podcast listeners. References and resources mentioned in the show: Email Carlos Nunez LinkedIn Learning Courses By Carlos Nunez Carlos’ DevOps and Agile Slides From the Agile 2023 Conference Agile Mentors Podcast from Mountain Goat Software Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts Certified Scrum Master Training and Scrum Certification Certified Scrum Product Owner Training Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Join the Agile Mentors Community Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Carlos Nunez is a DevOps consultant at VMWare, who enjoys making engineering and product development in complex environments fun, fast, and profitable through DevOps, everything-as-code, and clean software. You can find his training courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Mike Cohn, CEO of Mountain Goat Software, joins Brian on the Agile Mentors Podcast to discuss the role of a leader in Agile. They explore the difference between Agile leaders and traditional leadership, the resurgence of old-school leadership styles, the importance of trust and adaptable planning, finance and estimating in Agile project management, and flaws of using velocity as a metric in Agile teams.

Today, Brian sits down with Allison Pollard on the Agile Mentors Podcast to discuss the age-old question: Should Scrum Masters be technical? Tune in for Allison’s insights during this thought-provoking episode. Overview Today, on the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian sits down with Allison Pollard to tackle the age-old question: "Should Scrum Masters be technical?" Allison shares her extensive experience with this topic and the importance of a clear definition of “technical” within the Scrum Master role. Allison candidly discusses the biases and assumptions associated with the expectation of Scrum Masters being technical and the potential impact in the workplace. Plus, she shares her advice for a more open and inclusive approach to accommodate diversity within the Agile community. Listen in for a thought-provoking discussion that uncovers new perspectives and insights on Scrum Masters' technical expertise to help you find the right fit for your team. Listen Now to Discover: [01:22] - Brian welcomes Allison Pollard to the Agile Mentors podcast. [03:31] - Alison introduces the topic of the show, which is whether Scrum Masters should be technical, her experience with the question of Scrum Masters' technical expertise, and the need for a clear definition of what "technical" means in this context. [06:12] - What’s more important, technical skills or soft skills? [07:55] - Alison shares an interview experience where a Scrum Master candidate underestimated the importance of technical debt, highlighting the need for Scrum Masters to be familiar with these concepts. [11:41] - The importance of a willingness to adapt and grow. [11:56] - The biases and assumptions associated with the expectation of Scrum Masters being technical and how that can create a division in the workplace. [13:12] - The importance of acknowledging the limitations of personal experience. [14:46] - The history of Scrum Masters as servant leaders and the impact this had on the role. [20:49] - Brian shares the importance of understanding the business value of Agile practices. [21:50] - Allison shares the importance of asking questions to gauge the comfort level of potential Scrum Masters in discussing various topics to determine how they will work with your team. [22:32] - How biases and implicit assumptions related to Scrum Masters can affect hiring and promotions. [22:51] - Today's episode is brought to you by Mountain Goat Software's Certified Product Owner course, a two-day training course that teaches you how to use the product backlog as a tool for project success. For more information, check out the Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule. [24:04] - Allison shares the importance of balancing servant leadership and focusing on tasks that help the team achieve results, rather than performing non-value-added tasks that hinder effectiveness. [26:28] - The value of building personal relationships during off times. [27:45] - They discuss biases and the importance of recognizing implicit biases when evaluating Scrum Masters' performance and effectiveness. [29:39] - Helping diverse individuals succeed in Agile roles. The challenges people face due to biases and the need for systemic changes to better accommodate diversity in the Agile community. [30:58] - Did you know recognizing impostor syndrome may be a sign that you are not an impostor? Plus, advice for overcoming imposter syndrome. [32:37] - You can connect with Allison on LinkedIn or at Helping Improve LLC to find out more about the training and coaching she offers. [33:05] - A huge thank you to Allison for being on the show. Did you know you can find all of the show notes and resources for all of the Agile Mentor Podcast on the Mountain Goat Software website? We had a question about the information shared on the recent show with Lance Dacy, you can find the show notes and resources from that show here. [34:29] - If you enjoyed this episode share it with others and subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts. Did you know we discuss every episode of the podcast in the Agile Mentors Community? Join us (a 12-month membership is included with any training class from Mountain Goat Software) and post your questions there. As always, if you have feedback or ideas for the show, just send us an email. References and resources mentioned in the show: Allison Pollard on LinkedIn Helping Improve LLC Helping Improve on LinkedIn Agile Mentors Podcast from Mountain Goat Software “#54: Unlocking Agile's Power in the World of Data Science with Lance Dacy” Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts Certified Scrum Product Owner Training Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® Certified Scrum Master Training and Scrum Certification Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Join the Agile Mentors Community Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Allison Pollard, the co-owner of Helping Improve LLC, is a coach, consultant, and trainer who brings the power of relationship systems intelligence to go beyond tasks, roles, and frameworks to create energy for change. As Program Director for Women in Agile's mentorship program, she champions diversity and amplifies women's voices, contributing to the agile community's growth. Allison is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and a seasoned speaker at global conferences, including Scrum Gatherings and the Agile Alliance Agile20xx conferences.

Mike Hall, Agile Authority, discusses the pros and cons of SAFe, emphasizing lean thinking, continuous improvement, and tailored adoption over a one-size-fits-all approach. The podcast explores the significance of waste in Agile practices, the four key steps in implementing SAFe, and the importance of aligning agile strategies with organizational needs.

Dr. Ryne Sherman, expert in personality assessments from Hogan Assessments, joins the Agile Mentors Podcast to discuss how understanding individual strengths and motivations can revolutionize hiring and team-building decisions. They explore the history and development of personality assessments, address objections and concerns, and highlight the role of personality in team dynamics. Gain insights into creating successful teams, boosting productivity, and cultivating a positive work environment.

The podcast discusses the importance of conflict in team dynamics, using the Chernobyl disaster as an example. Various types of conflicts are explored, including relationship and process conflicts. The significance of effective listening and communication styles is highlighted. Joining the Agile Mentors community allows for further discussion on conflict management.

Join Brian and his guest Randy Hale as they delve into the world of Lean Portfolio Management to drive Agile transformations and make informed decisions for greater business success. Overview In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian sits down with Agile Transformation Coach Randy Hale to discuss Lean Portfolio Management. Listen in as they explore strategies for navigating organizational culture, redefining metrics, and addressing uncertainty to make informed business decisions and drive successful Agile transformations. Listen Now to Discover: [01:18] - Brian Milner welcomes Randy Hale of Agile Velocity to the Agile Mentors podcast to discuss Lean Portfolio Management. [02:40] - Randy shares the definition of Lean Portfolio Management. [04:07] - The first steps to implement Lean Portfolio Management. [06:41] - How to engage finance and accounting teams in the conversations and emphasize optimizing value delivery. [09:35] - What's broken with traditional budgeting? [10:15] - How Lean Portfolio Management helps organizations more easily align with customer needs and adapt to swiftly changing market conditions. [11:56] - Why traditional budgeting processes often lead to delays in responding to unexpected changes. [14:15] - How cultural factors can hinder an organization's adaptation to changing circumstances. [14:30] - Mountain Goat Software has designed the best training to help you stand out in the market. With live interactive courses and a mixture of lecture time and frequent breakout rooms to keep you engaged every second you're learning. All their courses are designed to give you the skills that agile teams and organizations value. For more information and the class schedule visit Mountain Goat Software today. [16:19] - The key components in Lean Portfolio Management. [18:34] - The value of early detection for proactive responses. [19:31] - Randy discusses the impact of organizational culture on transformation efforts and the importance of adapting processes within a compliance-based culture. [21:26] - Brian and Randy discuss the challenge of selecting meaningful metrics for effective decision-making. [24:48] - Randy highlights the importance of addressing uncertainty and focusing on critical factors using a scenario where a projected $5 million in revenue failed to meet expectations due to unvalidated assumptions. [25:21] - Brian discusses the common-sense principle that the further you are from a future event, the less precise your predictions can be. [26:29] - The million-dollar point of the conversation. [27:01] - The default way of tracking things that is disconnected from reality and the real value of what you deliver. [28:57] - You can connect with Randy at Agile Velocity or via LinkedIn. [30:32] - Don’t forget to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts. If you have feedback or ideas for the show, just email podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com. [31:04] - For further discussion about Lean Portfolio Management or any other topic on the Agile Mentors Podcast join the Agile Mentors Community. References and resources mentioned in the show: Certified Scrum Master Training and Scrum Certification Certified Scrum Product Owner Training Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Join the Agile Mentors Community Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on Apple Podcasts #17: Getting There From Here: Agile Transformations with David Hawks Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Randy Hale is an Agile Transformation Coach with over a decade of experience guiding companies through Agile transformations. Randy's hands-on knowledge and training have helped businesses of all sizes embrace Agile and Lean thinking for greater success including Fortune 500 companies like Nike, Petco, and Charter Communications.

John Grant, an expert in using Agile methodologies in the legal field, discusses the challenges of communication clarity, the shortage of lawyers, and the importance of prioritization. He explains why the Kanban method is well-suited for legal practices and highlights the value of client-focused strategies in reshaping legal workflows. The podcast explores the implementation of Agile methodologies in the legal space and encourages listeners to take Kanban classes for improved workflow efficiency.