What a great conversation with MIT’s Edgar Schein and Silicon Valley consultant Peter Schein. We talk culture, change, leadership and, of course, current social issues. Check it out at Agile on the Edge ..read more

A new podcast episode is live at Agile on the Edge! Agile is less and less about “individuals and interactions,” and more about processes, tools, and even command-and-control management. The good news is that Gervase Bushe can tell us why and what to do about it ..read more

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2019 was a very busy year. In addition to many private events, I was honored to speak for InnoVAte in Richmond, VA, the ISG Digital Business Summit in Clearwater, FL, the Project Management Institute’s Global Conference in Philadelphia, PA, and Agile 757 in Newport News, VA. In 2020 my focus is on my book. Though I will do a few events. April 1: I’m an annual sponsor for TriAgile in Raleigh, NC and this year it will be virtual so join us! May 26: I’ll lead a global conversation for the Agile Culture Club on How to Grow (and Measure) Agile Culture. June 16: I’ll lead a workshop for the Agile L ..read more

Back in my CIO days I used to say “execute or be executed.” But I’m more psychologically aware these days. To the point where I’m sometimes told, “forget psychology, if they can’t deliver we’ll find somebody who can!” Here’s a good read on balancing the Agile mindset with business realities at Pepsi. I’ve done Agile consulting and coaching (two very different things) since 2005. Back then it was easy: stand up a Scrum team. Today we’re doing business agility, at scale, across the enterprise, and including suppliers on the front end and customers on the back end. That’s no easy feat! But Agile ..read more

A new episode is up and it was a fun one: tales from the Agile transformation trenches! I was part of a panel discussion at the 2019 North Carolina Technology Association (NC TECH) Leadership Summit on leading Agile transformations. Featuring Agile transformation leaders Jerome Ruwe (Fidelity), Binu Thomas (MetLife), Chris Hart (Levvel), and Kevin Tuffner (AHEAD). If you’re new to Agile on the Edge, check out other great conversations with Agile thought leaders Alistair Cockburn, Esther Derby, and Mike Burrows. Much more to come in 2020. Stay tuned ..read more

This is risky because there is SO much good stuff out there, and because I have many author friends! But somebody asked me for a Top 10 list of Agile books for a newbie. (All my friends’ books not here would be on the “Advanced” list. :)) So, in alphabetical order, here’s what I came up with: Agile Estimating & Planning by Mike Cohn Agile Retrospectives by Esther Derby & Diana Larsen Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins Continuous Delivery by Jez Humble & David Farley DevOps Handbook by Jez Humble et. al. Essential Scrum by Ken Rubin Kanban by Dave Anderson Lean Software Developme ..read more

Organizations are in the business of generating value, products and services, revenue, etc. The key to success is a generative culture. That’s what the Agile Manifesto and Principles created and that’s what the Agile Industrial Complex is killing. Because, as Gervase Bushe says, once an idea is defined to the point of providing paint-by-number solutions, it has lost its generative power. That’s why I’m an advocate of fit-for-purpose (create your own), Agnostic Agile, complemented by generative practices such as Open Space Agility and Liberating Structures, Appreciative Inquiry, and Solution Fo ..read more

I’m honored to be featured in North Carolina Technology Association (NC TECH)’s executive spotlight! Great organization and I’m proud to serve on their Board of Advisors. Come on out to a future event ..read more

Had a great time this morning talking Agile with 60 product owners and business analysts at IQVIA. Thanks for the invite Edwina Simons MBA, CBAP, CSM, SSGB! This is one of my favorite things to do, and I‘d love to serve your organization, too. If you’re in the RTP area of NC we can do it in person, otherwise virtual. I also offer one hour of free coaching to anybody on Agile or leadership development. Drop me a note if you’re interested ..read more