AgileScotland - Nancy Van Schooenderwoert - 'Coming of Age' of an Agile Company

Hi everyone,

 

This should be a good one ...

 

I've very pleased to announce that our next meeting will be in Edinburgh on THURSDAY October 18th. 
 

Nancy Van Schooenderwoert -  'Coming of Age' of an Agile Company

 

What really happens when a company decides to go agile? What happens after the first pilot project when everyone's on their best behaviour? Like any relationship, there's a "first fight". There is a "coming to terms" with the things we cannot change. There is a realisation that this is bigger than just 'Agile'. It's not only about software anymore.It's not only about the agile teams. The needs of other departments must be addressed. If agile teams are self-organizing, what are managers supposed to be doing? This session presents stories from Nancy's experiences coaching many agile teams and their managers as part of one company's move to go agile.

Sometimes methodologies are confusing, but we all understand stories from the experiences of others who've faced the same issues we are facing. This session will present stories from actual agile teams, their managers, and customers over the course of an agile conversion at a large company. Agile adoption initiatives fail because there are really
four simultaneous initiatives that must all be done correctly:

• Agile teams must master the technical practices of specifying software via tests and preventing defects through strong developer-level testing
  practices
• Empowered teams and Servant Leadership must be fostered 
• Managers must control the flow of work, matching it to capacity
• Management must adopt a Lean discipline for project portfolio management

We will see through the experiences of real teams how the operation of these four sub-initiatives has impacted one company.


BIO:

Nancy Van Schooenderwoert does Agile Enterprise coaching – everything from launching new agile technical teams to advising executives on how to take Agile and Lean principles far beyond software development in their drive to deliver more customer value faster. Nancy pioneered agile practices for embedded software development beginning in 1998. Her background in electronics and software development for avionics, factory automation, medical, and defense systems brings a unique perspective to her coaching practice.

 

When are Where? We'll be meeting at the SKM offices in the 160 Dundee Street building, Edinburgh, EH11 1DQ at 19:30. The offices are between Fountainbridge Leisure complex and the Victor Paris Bathroom Shop.

 

Clarke