Agile2016

Abstract:
Have you done Vision Statements and wondered what it was for or how to help make it happen? Have you ever put together what you feel like is the perfect Vision statement for your group, and then have nobody from the team try to help see that Vision come to life? This session is about helping leaders create a Vision for their groups and then help their team members take a personal view of the Vision and help create that reality.
This session goes through creating an empowering Vision and using Servant Leadership techniques to help invite team members into sharing that Vision and making it their own. We will talk through various Servant Leadership ideas and philosophies and provide a potential roadmap for creating team cohesiveness through shared Vision and Goals.
Learning Outcomes:

• Gain insights into creating an empowering Vision statement
• Learn how to leverage the concepts of Servant Leadership to help team members buy into the Vision
• Learn to help team members create their own Vision statements for their careers
• Learn how to leverage the concepts of Servant Leadership to help team members achieve their Vision
• Learn how the concepts of Servant Leadership can lead to the successful realization of your Vision
• Learn how Servant Leadership can help leaders assist their team members in developing a successful career path

Attachments:

• Achieving_Your_Vision_Through_Servant_Leadership.pdf

Abstract:
Have you noticed the impact on decision-making when someone more senior in your organisation shares their opinion?
Meet the HiPPO: the Highest Paid Person’s Opinion.
Sometimes it’s subtle and unintended. Other times it’s more direct and intentional.
Either way, the HiPPO is a dangerous animal in software development.
When the HiPPO is allowed to drive decision-making this has a number of negative side-effects.
Options are prematurely closed down.
Critical assumptions get hidden.
Information about value and urgency are buried.
Dates are often promised (prematurely).
Overall, the chances of delivering value is reduced and the risk of failure increases.
An untrained HiPPO is one of the most dangerous animals to let loose around Product Development.
Whilst the HiPPO may like to be in charge, they don’t really want to be responsible for developing products that nobody wants. So, how can we help the HiPPO to help themselves?
Come and hear more about why HiPPO driven decision-making is so dangerous and learn some simple techniques you can use to train your HiPPO.
Learning Outcomes:

• Understand why the HiPPO is so dangerous in product development
• Five tools to help you with training your HiPPO

Abstract:
How many times have you left a practical talk thinking "but where I work...". How many times have you waited for the world or your workplace to create the perfect conditions so you could act in accordance to your "principles"?
The reality is, if you need ideal conditions to apply your principles, they aren't principles, they are conveniences. Change happens from inside out, examples speak louder than words, the agile culture fosters protagonists, not victims. If you believe that the agile way is the path to follow, then the question you should ask yourself is: how can I make it happen?
When we think about changing a company it needs to be clear that it is not easy, it is hard work, takes time, some initiatives will go wrong, and the person that took upon themselves the challenge of being a change agent will need lots and lots of resilience. With that in mind, we are going to talk about an approach on how to sell an agile implementation to a company, or superior, that are resistant to the idea, as well as, the downside of the technical profile that we need to be aware and overcome in order to be successful.
Finally we will conclude the session in a much more interactive way, filling a learning canvas with a case from the audience, someone that needs help beginning their agile transformation journey.
Learning Outcomes:

• Characteristics of the technical profile and the downside of it when navigating political driven environments such as companies;
• Our own prejudice against "non-agile people" a.k.a management and the importance of understanding their needs and making sure that they are met;
• How to make an implementation proposal that goes beyond "because I think is so cool to be agile" :) and actually proves that you have something that is feasible and that evenly distribute risks;
• The importance of being an example of what you believe and would like to implement;
• A call for reflection and hopefully action. It is too easy to justify inaction due to the circumstances.

Attachments:

• StopMimimi_v5_Publish_EN.pdf

Abstract:
The world and your organization is transforming, filled with challenge and opportunity. You know the best way to change the world for better is with a great team. Now you want build a group of talented individuals into that high-performing, world-changing team. But how? Certainly we have all have more bad boss examples than good role models.
Join your fellow leaders as we discuss bad management patterns and lessons I slowly learned from years of management and team coaching. We will cover jargon-free principles and guidelines you can use to help your teams become productive. These techniques include: high standards, higher expectations, enforced participation, encouraged collaboration, freedom of choice, and super-frequent feedback.
Come and learn about an adaptive, Agile-friendly leadership model that helps you fulfill your purpose.
Learning Outcomes:

• You will author a tweet-sized vision statement for your team.
• You will draw connections between vision statement, key principles, and activities.
• You will leave with defined activities you can apply upon returning to work.

Attachments:

• ExpectEngageReact_JeffreyGoodReq_Tues9A.pdf_Final.pdf

Abstract:
During my last agile transformation a key stakeholder asked me, “Why are we doing this?” I talked about increasing quality, delivering software sooner, and fostering a more collaborative relationship with our business partners. After a few minutes, he raised his hand and stopped me.
“I get all that. BUT how is all of this agile stuff any better, faster, or cheaper than what we do today?”
Leaders must answer the “better, faster, cheaper” question if they want their agile transformation and projects to move forward.
To prepare leaders for this critical question, we explore how “better, faster, cheaper” translates to an agile organization, the metrics a leader can use to track progress towards “better, faster, and cheaper”, and how leaders can demonstrate the benefits gained from their agile activities.
Learning Outcomes:

• Understanding the motivation behind asking for better, faster, and cheaper when justifying an agile transformation or project
• How “better, faster, and cheaper” are achieved during an agile transformation or project
• A useful method of presenting meaningful metrics to management and stakeholders that demonstrates the benefits gained during the agile transformation or project.

Attachments:

• Business_of_Agile_-_Better_Faster_Cheaper.pdf

Abstract:
Why and when does a (senior) leadership team truly become a team? How can leaders collaborate and experience the great feeling of having an engaging purpose together? In other words, how can senior leadership both be and work Agile themselves? We think that this transformation of leadership is essential for an enterprise to be Agile.
For the past five years ING leadership has been transforming to Agile practicing it every day. And a room is playing a crucial role in this...
We will transform our conference room into a real life example and show you, hands-on, how we use it and how you can too. We will share our principles which are rooted in deep beliefs about Agile Leadership. Also our Leadership Way of Working and the techniques used daily.
The principles, way of working and techniques are all still evolving today. So we will also share our story of the transformation of the entire ING Wholesale Banking Services organization. This is an organization with more than 130 DevOps and Leadership teams around the globe. We will share with you our struggles, learnings and successes.
Learning Outcomes:

• Knowing and understanding our Agile Leadership principles
• Understanding the concept of our Agile Leadership Obeya, Explorer Maps and it’s use
• Understanding our Leadership Way of Working and the techniques we use

Attachments:

• Can_a_Simle_Room_cause_Leadership_Transformation_-_Agile_2016_-_Final.pdf

Abstract:
“Step up! Step back!”… “Be a leader! Empower the team!”… “Improve predictability! Embrace change!”… Are these messages making your head spin? You are not alone. Many people who are new to an Agile leadership role struggle to know what they are supposed to do when hearing these seemingly contradictory messages.
In this session we will take a pragmatic look at team-level leadership in an Agile environment. Whether you are a Scrum Master, a Product Owner, an administrative manager, or a leader without a title, leadership is a balancing act. We will discuss how easy it is to find yourself being pulled too far in one direction then another, and how to find an appropriate balance point.
This session will look at leadership in four focus areas – outcomes, process, people, and change. Within each focus area we will examine leadership engagement that is too little, too much, and just right.
You will come away with tangible ideas for "just right" involvement that you can implement immediately, as well as food for thought for longer-term changes.
Learning Outcomes:

• How to recognize the natural fluctuation between leadership that is too light and too heavy-handed
• How to reframe leadership messages that may lead to extremes into messages that find the right balance
• Tangible steps you can take as a balanced leader to enable an Agile team

Attachments:

• Agile_Leadership_-_A_Delicate_Balance_-_DiFabio.pdf

Abstract:
Much of what we've learned about management and motivation isn't necessarily wrong, it's just inappropriate and ineffective for knowledge work. From hierarchies to bonuses for hitting goals, how we're structured, what we expect from leaders, and how we motivate individuals are by-products and lessons learned in a simpler time when most of our work required less thought and more physical endurance. Tackling today's complex problems means new organizational structures and new approaches to how we work. To create a truly impactful knowledge work environment, you need to use appropriate leadership styles and create an environment that allows people to achieve their highest potential. Doc takes a look at types of work, the management styles that work best for them, and the qualities necessary to create a high-performing knowledge work culture. Building off of Daniel Pink's work on Individual performance and motivation for cognitive work, Doc explores team performance and motivation.
Learning Outcomes:

• Overview of types of work and their appropriate management styles
• What motivates individuals in creative/knowledge work
• What motivates teams in creative/knowledge work
• The building blocks of a knowledge work culture

Abstract:
"The higher you go in an organization, the more your suggestions become interpreted as orders." - Marshall Goldsmith
An Architect garners a high level of authority by being an expert. People will follow their lead. But what if the Architect is wrong? They will follow right off a cliff.
In the book "Turn the Ship Around", David Marquet tells his story as Captain of the US submarine the Sante Fe. On January 21, 1999, Marquet gave an order that could not be carried out, but the crew tried anyway. When he asked why, they responded "Because you told me to". After this incident, Marquet vowed to never give another order. Instead he replaced it with intent. Instead of asking for permission, his crew would tell him what they intend to do. Marquet took his first steps to get his crew to start thinking like the Captain.
How do we get people to think like the Architect? Use the principles of Intent-Based Leadership to decouple the success of your project from the personality of the architect. By creating clarity around architectural goals and by engaging people in problem solving rather than defining rules and standards we can divest control and create an organization of leaders.
Learning Outcomes:

• Drawbacks of leading with authority
• Benefits and approaches to Intent-Based Leadership
• Practical techniques of how to turn followers into leaders
• How to help people think like the Architect

Attachments:

• 20160727_-_Agile_Architect.pdf

Abstract:
What did you do yesterday?
What will you do today?
What’s getting in your way?
Three questions commonly asked at Daily Scrum meetings imply expending effort is the purpose of work. Rarely have I encountered organizations where the following answers were acceptable:
Yesterday I read a book at work.
Today I intend to start no new work and make myself available to help others learn.
Being too busy is getting in my way and I need some slack.
The above may seem exaggerated but aren't; each one is an example of a behavior someone engaged in that helped deliver value to the customer. Slack, learning and play enhance our ability to deliver business and customer value.
A key principle in the Agile Manifesto is that of a sustainable pace; having space in our backlogs for learning actually grows our ability to deliver while improving our job satisfaction.
Come join Adam Yuret to have a discussion about how excessive on effort (resource efficiency) impedes flow (flow efficiency) while creating mountains of failure demand (rework, defects, technical debt) and fracturing our organization into competing silos. Also learn some ideas about humanistic ways to mitigate these issues and bring flow back to our organizations.
Learning Outcomes:

• Attendees will learn:
• - Examples of legalistic frameworks and their pitfalls.
• - How to apply context to managing and growing effective agile teams.
• - Essential aspects of Leadership and why to create space for learning in their development organizations.
• - About cargo-cults and how to recognize when they're doing "Agile in Name Only" and what to do about it.
• - Basics about flow, leadership, Mission Command, prioritization and slack.
• - Julienne Fries :-)

Attachments:

• BusynessAgile2016.pdf

Abstract:
Organizations that need to respond to a fast-changing environment and desire continuous improvement can't wait for the chain of command or rely on detailed rules and procedures. They need a different way of ensuring people are working towards organizational goals and responding appropriately to a changing environment. They need to enable and empower people at all levels in the organization to act, interact and decide with appropriate speed and appropriate discretion--doing the right thing without the need for excessive supervision.
In this talk, I'll introduce the Three Cs model--Clarity, Conditions, and Constraints. When you have Clarity, people know what to work on. They know how their work fits into the big picture. Proper Conditions ensure people have the means to do the work. Organizational structures and policies support the work. Appropriate Constraints communicate what should always be done….and what should never be done. They provide bounded autonomy and prevent flailing.
And I'll explain how they work together to enable empowerment and healthy self-organization AND provide sufficient structure to maintain purposeful action towards organizational goals.
Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the 3Cs and how they enable creativity, productivity, and leadership.
• Understand how the 3Cs work different at different parts of the organization.
• Have at least one experiment in mind on how to apply these principles of managing complexity.