DON'T MISS: Lean Agile Scotland 2016 pre-conference workshop.

I'm gutted because I'm missing this years LAScot conference due to a family event in New Zealand. 

Even worse ... I'm missing this pre-conference workshop.  This really is one of those "don't miss" events and I'm missing it.

from chris: 

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This year ahead of the Lean Agile Scotland conference they are offering a pre conference workshop run by Praxis Flow consultants and friends of Lean Agile Scotland Jabe Bloom and Will Evans.

Service Design in the Enterprise : Tuesday October 4th, 8:30am – 5pm, Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue

"Do you play a design, engineering, quality, or operations role in a large enterprise? Have you ever felt like it's incredibly hard to deliver quality value to your customers or end-users? Maybe you work on a team that describes what they do as providing a "service"? Would you like to help your team collaboratively create a more holistic view of the systems they are working in so that you can apply some of the methods, mindsets, and processes from Agile, Lean, or Design Thinking? Come learn how!"

It's a must for anyone who plays a design, engineering, quality or operations role in a large enterprise!

For more information and to book a ticket go to http://leanagile.scot/service-design-workshop/

[AgileScotland] Lean Agile Scotland Conference Dates Announced - 6, 7, 8 OCTOBER 2016

Hello!  I just noticed Chris has announced the dates for this years Lean Agile Scotland conference - 5th, 6th, 7th October.

http://leanagile.scot/tickets/

Clarke

[AgileScotland] Agile coaching course & conference update

1.  Wow!  This is cool news.  Greg @ Skyscanner just pinged me to let me know that they'll be hosting Lyssa Adkins (the author of Coaching Agile Teams) and Michael Spayd in November.

They'll be running their  Coaching Agile Teams workshop.  The details are:

• In their words – Coaching Agile Teams is a three day workshop for experienced Agilists who wish to dramatically increase their overall agile coaching skills and effectiveness
• It will run on November 9th – November 11th at Skyscanner's Edinburgh office 
• You can find full details of the workshop here
• And you can book yourself on the course here (there are 20 confirmed attendees already so don't wait too long to book…)

2.  I had lunch with Chris McDermot and he told me that the LeanAgileScotland conference, which spends all his spare time organising, is very close to selling out.  

Take a look here: http://leanagile.scot/tickets/.  

If you're keen then I'd pounce quickly, especially if you're looking for single day tickets.

[AgileScotland] Turbo-charge Agile with Goldratt's TOC (free public course, here in Scotland)

I'm *thinking* about running a free "TOC for software development" public course here in Scotland for my Agile friends (and friends to be), probably 2 or 3-nights worth, probably after work, probably in Edinburgh, probably starting in November or January.

Loads of "probably"s ...

These things are definite: 

- you'll learn how to deliver software faster, 

- you'll learn how to improve faster, 

- you'll learn how to deliver projects on time.  

This stuff works.  It's what I do in my day job and there are a lot of other "advanced practitioners" quietly doing TOC all around the world, and even a half-dozen in Scotland.  You might have seen my book about TOC in Software Development, "Rolling Rocks Downhill", or "The Phoenix Project" which is about DevOps, or maybe you've even read the original TOC book, Eli Goldratt's "The Goal" and wondered how it applies to your work.  It's simple stuff, though not necessarily easy, and it's more than just finding bottlenecks.

If you're interested let me know: clarke@rolls.rocks.  

Clarke

www.rolls.rocks

[AgileScotland] Lean Agile Scotland conference: STARTS IN 1 MONTH

Hi, 

* this is a special announcement *.  

I just wanted to let you know that the 3-day* LeanAgileScotland conference kicks off, in Edinburgh, in ONE MONTH from today.

I love this conference: it's small, it's friendly, and (honestly) the content is as good as anything you'll see anywhere in the world.  Even better: coz it's based in Scotland, it's commutable, so no long train trips or flights, and no accommodation costs.

You can view the full schedule and book here: http://leanagile.scot

Clarke

* If you can't spare 3 days in October then the single-day tickets are surprisnly cheap, too. 

Two great Agile sessions coming up!

The guys are the BCS have been busy!  If you're into the technical side of software development then go have a look.  Top notch speakers.

- Nat Pryce - Weds 1st April -  FREE, EVENING EVENT

http://edinburgh.bcs.org/events/2015/150401.htm

- Kevlin Henney - Agile Architecture course Thursday 4th June - DAY COURSE

http://edinburgh.bcs.org/courses/150604_architecture.htm

Clarke

[AgileScotland] Please help me choose my book cover!

Can you spare a few minutes? Do you have better taste than i do (yes)?

Can you give me feedback on potential book covers for Rolling Rocks Downhill?  It's currently being copy edited and should be on the bookshelves before the end of the year.

PLEASE ... click here to leave feedback.

---

A few things to remember: it's a business book, but it's also a novel; it's about changing a horrible way of working so it's easier and happier and better for businesses (Waterfall+CriticalPath -> Agile+TOC).

The title is a reference to Sisyphus who was punished, by the Greek gods, for chronic deceitfulness by compelling him to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action forever.

If you don't mind sharing this with your friends ... then thanks!

thanks

Clarke

[AgileScotland] Agile @ Tesco Bank!

1.  New event!  Why not come along and learn all about Agile Development at Tesco bank?  It's on Wednesday the 19th of November, from around 630, in Edinburgh.

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/agile-development-at-tesco-bank-tickets-13922136485

2.  Reminder: 60% of the tickets have already sold out for Nancy V's Agile Hardware session next week.  

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/myevent?eid=13660303335

Clarke

correction: Agile HARDWARE ....

I forgot the word HARDWARE in the last email.  I'm losing it ...

Great news! Agile Engineering expert, Nancy Van Schooenderwoert is over in Scotland again and is giving a seminar on the evening of the 30th of October on Agile Engineering. It's at Glasgow Caledonian University.

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/agilescotland-agile-hardware-development-tickets-13660303335?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventname_text

Clarke

[AgileScotland] Agile Engineering seminar - Glasgow Caledonian University - 30th October, start 7pm

Great news! Agile Engineering expert, Nancy Van Schooenderwoert is over in Scotland again and is giving a seminar on the evening of the 30th of October on Agile Engineering. It's at Glasgow Caledonian University.

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/agilescotland-agile-hardware-development-tickets-13660303335?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventname_text

Clarke

Agile Change Artistry - Esther Derby workshop, September

Hi everyone, 

And now for something special:  Esther Derby is running a workshop on Change Artistry on the 10th of September as part of the LeanAgileScotland conference.  This is a VERY GOOD opportunity which IMHO you should seriously consider pouncing on NOW. 

http://www.leanagilescotland.com/workshop

Clarke

updated email address ...

Ian's email provider has gone wonky so if you want to come along next week can you email him on this one instead: ian@scottishdance.net

Free evening session with Johanna Rothman Wednesday 21st May

Nice work Ian Brockbank!  Come see Johanna Rothman next week.  Email Ian -  ian@badgertaming.net - if you're keen.

Clarke

Hi All,

 

Johanna Rothman will be in Edinburgh in next week with Gil Broza, and she has agreed to do a free evening session for the Lean/AgileScotland community on the night before the course starts.

 

Date: Wednesday 21^st May, 7:30pm

Venue: Wolfson Microelectronics Building 2, 26 Westfield Road, Edinburgh EH11 2QB

Westfield Road is on the 22 and 30 bus routes; we're almost exactly opposite Sainsbury's Murrayfield, and just across the railway line from Murrayfield Stadium.  We're in the building nearer the railway bridge.  There should be parking around the back of the building.

 

Here's her description of the event:

Overcoming 7 Common Pitfalls of Transitioning to Agile

© 2014 Johanna Rothman

If you've been considering agile or moving to agile, you may have encountered some pitfalls in your projects. You are not alone.

Agile is not a slam-dunk change. There are several common pitfalls when you transition to agile. If you recognize them, maybe you can fix them. Johanna Rothman will discuss "The Iteration is too short/the stories are too big"; "We need an expert"; "Implementation in Layers", "Experts estimating", "We must have overtime"; "We don't have technical debt!" and "Featur-itis", and what to do about these problems. If we have time, we will discuss any issues you see on your projects.

Johanna Rothman Bio

Johanna Rothman, known as the "Pragmatic Manager," helps organizational leaders see problems and risks in their product development. She helps them recognize potential risks, seize opportunities, and remove impediments.

Johann a was the Agile 2009 conference chair. She is the current agileconnection.com technical editor. Johanna is the author of these books:

-          Manage Your Job Search

-          Hiring Geeks That Fit

-          Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects

-          The 2008 Jolt Productivity award-winning Manage It! Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management

-          Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management

-          Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets and Science of Hiring Technical People

She is writing a book about agile and lean program management. She writes columns for Stickyminds.com and projectmanagment.com, and writes two blogs on her web site, jrothman.com, as well as a blog oncreateadaptablelife.com.

 

Hope to see you there!

 

Cheers,

 

Ian Brockbank

Edinburgh, Scotland

ian@badgertaming.net | www.badgertaming.net | @badgertaming

Taming the wild animal of software development

London Lean Day - discount code.

Andy from neo.com forwarded on this, which you might find interesting:

Spotify, BBC, Github and GDS headline Lean Day: London

Lean Day: London March 25-26 :: LSO St Luke’s, Shoreditch, London

 

Lean Day: London comprises two days of hands-on workshops and talks from industry leaders practicing Lean product development in enterprise, startup and government organisations.

 

On March 25th and 26th speakers from organisations such as Spotify, BBC, GitHub and UK Government Digital Service (GDS) will gather at LSO St Luke’s to share stories of real-world organisational change and Lean product development techniques. Speakers and delegates represent perspectives from across design, engineering, research, and strategy. 

Lean Day: London is the third event in the Lean Day conference series, following successful events in New York and Portland. Jeff Gothelf, author of the book “Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience”, and Neo have partnered with Made by Many to bring the format to Europe for the very first time.

Through a combination of workshops, talks, and conversations with the community, delegates will learn how people and teams are practicing iterative product validation, proving out ideas, and testing what works and what doesn’t inside enterprises, government and startups.

Jeff Gothelf, principal of Neo NYC and conference co-chair says: “As developers and designers, the biggest challenge we face today is cultural. We need organisations to start thinking about outcomes rather than requirements, to move out of their silos and start working collaboratively. Requirements-driven product definition is a sure-fire way to get 100% of the wrong product launched.

To find out more or to register for the event, visit www.leandaylondon.com 

 

Sign up early and get 15% off. Use discount code LDLearly

 

Andy Robinson

Neo | Neo.com

Story Telling 101 - for the (frustrated) Agile change Agent

Ten years ago I was horribly frustrated at work. I worked for a big, successful company which had well established ways of building software.  I was finishing an MBA, I had a background in Lean and TOC, and I'd just discovered Agile.  

Can you see where this is going?  

I wanted to change things - my employer and colleagues didn't.  And guess what?  I was in the wrong.  I had the ideas, but not the skills to sell those ideas.  

I've spent the last decade learning (reasonably successfully) how to sell new ideas.  

This session is about one of those skills: Storytelling.  

Book here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/storytelling-101-for-the-frustrated-agile-change-agent-tickets-10128960995?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventurl_text

When? Monday, 27 January 2014 from 19:00 to 21:00 (GMT)

Where?  Edinburgh City Centre.

Two upcoming Agile courses in Edinburgh

FYI!

1.  Johanna Rothman and Gil Broza are running their *Influential Agile Leader* course in May next year.  See more details here: http://www.influentialagileleader.com/  And ... if you're quick, you can get a special discount (thanks to Ian Brockbank who has set this up) here: http://badgertaming.wordpress.com

2.  Martin Burns is running a *Leading SAFe* course, for enterprise scale Agile, http://t.co/og06R4hFMy  in Edinburgh in mid-December.  

And, as a heads up, I intend putting on a low-cost course with agile super-hero Tom Gilb some time in Q1or Q2 next year ...

Cash Flow Driven Development - Clarke Ching - Wednesday 2nd of October.

I'm giving my Cash Flow Driven Development talk at Edinburgh BCS on Wednesday the 2nd of October. 

Free entry! http://www.edinburgh.bcs.org/events/2012-13/131002.htm

Charity Day

You may have missed this: the organisers of the LeanAgileScotland conference are putting on a charity training day whereby you donate £50 to a charity then get a day's worth of top-notch LeanUX training. 

Read more here: http://www.leanagilescotl ...

This is a VERY good deal.  And a nice gesture.

[AgileScotland-August-Edinburgh] To estimate, or not-estimate ... that is the question - Keven Rutherford

We are back*!   Please email clarke.ching@gmail.com if you'd like to attend the next AgileScotland meetup is on the 20th of August in Edinburgh.

The topic?   "No Estimates" on Agile teams - a facilitated discussion (most suited to advanced practitioners) 

The speaker/facilitator?  Kevin Rutherford.

When?  Tuesday the 20th of August.  7pm, for a 730 start.

Where? Royal London's Bright Grey office on the Thistle Street corner of St. Andrews square. 

Kevin's BioI am an experienced software developer, project leader and coach with over 30 years' experience in hands-on software delivery. I am a Chartered Engineer and have been Managing Director of a successful consulting business and architect of several million-pound enterprise solutions. In recent years I have coached numerous software teams to more than double their speed and quality of delivery.

I am author of the book "Refactoring in Ruby" and the Reek code quality tool for Ruby.

As a software developer I rely on agile principles, with strong emphasis on rapid, sustained, incremental delivery of tangible results and the creation of defect-free software.

* We will be back with more sessions after the summer, including Seb's session.

[AgileScotland] Closure course ...

FYI: Long time AgileScot, Adrian Mowat is running a Clojure Course at Techcube on the 7th of September.

http://clojure-kickstart-scotland.eventbrite.co.uk/