Let’s Meetup and discuss techniques and strategies for Agile team building II

You do NOT need to have made part I for this to be relevant to you! 🙂 We gathered so many insights that we decided to break them down and create action item/ solutions THIS session.
The insights are listed below. Please review and think of which ones are best for brainstorming action items. I’ll have them all up again and an opportunity to add to it and then we’ll dot vote and the 2-3 that get the most votes we’ll discuss. Here are the insights that are up for discussion;

Not Working

• Team fears stakeholders reaction at Sprint review

• Lack of Product Owners

• Project Management too much work in progress

• Every thing is CAP-EX No OP-EX

• Everyone owns quality

• Overcoming “Scrumerfall”

• Communication goes dead, people don’t like to talk about problems

• Some individuals may have burn out as evidenced by low attendance at meeting = lost motivation

• Project was not profitable last year therefore long term sustainability in question

• Project budgeting and scheduling

• Speed of administrative steps/ processes

• Trying to keep waterfall project’stage gate’ structure with Agile project (check out https://www.stage-gate.com/resources_stage-gate_agile.php)

• Managing resources and priorities

• Executive Stakeholders Mindsets (not creative, outside the box, already has solution in their head)

• No business or customer requirement

Kinda Working

• Trust from management on team’s expertise to come up with best solutions

• Cross team retrospective sessions (e.g., after a major release /project)

• Too much bad tech debt, starting to pay some off

• Dev ops/ Build automation

• Team learning not to follow PO but to collaborate

• Implementation of Agile practices and principles

• We have a great team meeting with new ideas but then everything stays the same

• Weekly status meeting

RecruitWise is graciously providing pizza and beverages at 6:30. Feel free to bring your own drink if you don’t want soda.

Let’s Meetup and discuss the “arc” for problems in software development

Join us at a New location in West Knoxville!

We are thrilled to have an awesome Agile mentor, author, coach, and teacher, Don Gray, come back again to facilitate Part 2 of Solving Software Problems. Check out his website; http://www.donaldegray.com/ especially his endorsements also to really see the depth he brings.

The four essential difficulties:

– Complexity
– Conformity
– Changeability
– Invisibility

The “arc” for problems in software development:
1. Experiencing solving different classes of problems (June 2017) “All Problems are not Created Equal”
2. Sense-making and Problems (soon?)
3. Experiments – Moving to better fit for function

Join us from 7-9 at Casual Pint in Hardin Valley, be sure to grab a bite to eat before or after. Recruitwise graciously sponsored the room for us. Don will begin his interactive teaching at 7:30.

Let’s Meetup and discuss Solving Software Problems Part II on a Tuesday

Since part 1 of Solving Software Problems was such a hit, we are honored to have an awesome Agile mentor, author, coach, and teacher, Don Gray, come back again from North Carolina to facilitate Part 2.

For those that weren’t able to attend or you want to learn more, you can learn about his experience and everything he does, like coach sessions with Esther Derby by checking out his website; http://www.donaldegray.com/ Be sure to check out his endorsements also to really see the depth he brings.

Solving Software Problems
Creative problem solving is the essence of software development. We never solve the same problem twice. We reuse previous solutions (or parts of them) when possible. But every application has novelty, a newness and difference that requires fresh thinking. Otherwise we’d use the existing application.

However all problems are not created equal. In this session we’ll experience solving different types of problems. We’ll explore similarities and differences. What happens when we use an improper solving heuristic?

Join us and have fun exploring the world of problem solving!

Food will be provided by RecuitWise! 🙂
We will begin at 6:30, session will begin at 7 as usual, and wrap up around 8.

Come prepared to learn and participate!

Let me know if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Let’s Meetup and discuss Solving Software Problems

We are honored to have an awesome Agile mentor, author, coach, and teacher who will be facilitating this Meetup, Don Gray.

You can learn about his experience and everything he does, like coach sessions with Esther Derby by checking out his website; http://www.donaldegray.com/ Be sure to check out his endorsements also to really see the depth he brings.

Solving Software Problems
Creative problem solving is the essence of software development. We never solve the same problem twice. We reuse previous solutions (or parts of them) when possible. But every application has novelty, a newness and difference that requires fresh thinking. Otherwise we’d use the existing application.

However all problems are not created equal. In this session we’ll experience solving different types of problems. We’ll explore similarities and differences. What happens when we use an improper solving heuristic?

Join us and have fun exploring the world of problem solving!

RecruitWise will be there with pizza at 6:30
We will begin at 7 as usual, and wrap up around 8.

Come prepared to learn and participate!

Let me know if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Please email me for the slide deck from the evening! 

Let’s Meet up and learn about how CMMI can help in evaluating agile performance

Jeff Dalton, President of Broadsword (www.broadswordsolutions.com) will be sharing on the topic of ” Finally! A model for evaluating agile performance: The Agile Performance Holarchy.”

Jeff is Broadsword’s President, Certified Lead Appraiser and author of “agileCMMI,” Broadsword’s leading methodology for incremental and iterative performance improvement. He is  principle author of the CMMI Institute’s “Guide to Scrum and CMMI: Improving Agile Performance with CMMI” and is a sought after keynote speaker and author whose career spans over two decades in the technology industry. Jeff is a jazz bassist who builds experimental airplanes in Michigan.

We will be meeting at Saw Works but this time it will be a Thursday, and there will be a food truck,  Chef Box parked outside for your dining pleasure. We will do our usual eat and hang out from 6:30 – 7 and Jeff will begin at 7. This will be a fantastic opportunity for us to learn from a true leader and visionary in Agile!

Also Saw Works will be open so this is an experiment to see how this works with the potential for others to be there.

As always let me know if you have any questions and I hope many of you can make it out for this great learning opportunity!

Let’s Meetup and talk how to handle challenging personality types

Based on survey results THE most popular topic is how to work with challenging personality types in a team setting. So that is what we will discuss for February’s Meetup!

Please email me at agileinitiatives@gmail.com if there are any personality types in particular that you want to learn how to handle better. Feel free to throw some out at the last minute or during the Meetup as well, AND bring your ideas:)

I will be sharing some common ones, some games and exercises to help deal better, and some other resources as well.
This will be interactive for those that want to participate, but you don’t have to 😉

  • We will have some hang out, eat some pizza, the bar is open, and get to know each other better time from 6:30 – 7.
  • Workshop will be from 7-8

The goal is for everyone to have fun while learning some practical try tomorrow how to tips and ideas to better handle some of the most challenging personality types on your team.

As always, please connect if you have any questions and thanks again!

How to encourage your team and what skills & traits are best for Scrum Masters

How to encourage your team and what skills & traits are best for Scrum Masters

Monday, Jul 25, 2016, 6:00 PM

Saw Works Brewing Company
708 E Depot Ave Knoxville, TN

10 Members Attending

According to the Agile Knoxville survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6MZTCL3) the top two topics of interest are;        1. Scrum Master skills, techniques, and traits to help you be even better at what you do AND2. How to encourage, motivate, and empower the team -So that is what we will be talking about, starting at 6:30.We will begin at 6:…

Check out this Meetup →

How to encourage your team & what skills & traits are best for Scrum Masters Meetup

Join us!

How to encourage your team and what skills & traits are best for Scrum Masters

Monday, Jul 25, 2016, 6:00 PM

Saw Works Brewing Company
708 E Depot Ave Knoxville, TN

10 Members Attending

According to the Agile Knoxville survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6MZTCL3) the top two topics of interest are;        1. Scrum Master skills, techniques, and traits to help you be even better at what you do AND2. How to encourage, motivate, and empower the team -So that is what we will be talking about, starting at 6:30.We will begin at 6:…

Check out this Meetup →