November Meeting: Open Space with Diana Williams

Diana Williams will lead AgileCincy through our first Open Space session. Open Space is a means to self-organize meetings and conferences. This ‘open’ concept allows for those attending to discuss what matters most to them, what they are most passionate about. There is no set agenda, no predetermined topics. There is however, a theme. The theme for this Open Space is of course Agile.
 
Before the meeting, think about what you want to learn or share. Come prepared to discuss a topic but don’t plan to have an agenda or to lecture others on the subject. Be open to new ideas, new approaches to an existing process. Be open to having a dialog with one another. Be open to sharing your ideas or concerns. Be open to listening.

Open Space has one requirement – your participation. This is expressed in the One Law of Open Space.  It is called the Law of Two Feet. Briefly stated, this law says that every individual has two feet, and must be prepared to use them. Responsibility for a successful Open Space resides with each participant. You can make a difference and must make a difference. If that is not true in a given session, you, and you alone, must take responsibility to use your two feet, and move to a new session where you can make a difference.

“If you are not learning or contributing, feel free to move to a place where you can learn or contribute.” This is the law of two feet.

Open Space embraces the following principles:

“Whoever comes are the right people.”
“Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.”
“When it starts is the right time.”
“It’s over when it’s over.”

At the end of the Open Space, we will come together to share some of the big ah-ha’s we have learned, we will roast marshmallows over a bonfire comprised entirely of copies of the PMBOK and sing Kumbaya. Bring your children.

Be prepared to be surprised!

 Diana Williams is Manager of Agile Delivery at Digital Management Inc.

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Date: 11/12

Networking: 5:30 - 6pm

Program: 6 - 7:30pm

Place: Max Technical Training

PMP's: This event counts for 1 PDU

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October meeting: Challenging Mental Models - Why Agile is Failing

In many organizations, Agile practices gain a small foothold or are partially embraced, only to be prevented from making further progress. In this talk, Jack Wooten explores the role that individuals' internal mental models of the world present challenges to agile adoption and how we can adapt to be more successful.

Jack Wooten is an Ambassador for Good, Game-Changer, and Lynchpin... He is passionate about being a great leader through selfless service and courageous action.

Jack is a practical results-driven professional with 18 years of experience in software delivery, project management, and leadership. Jack has extensive experience in IT custom development, large-group workshop facilitation, and product and project management. He also has expertise in process design, business transformation, business analysis, and organizational change management.

When: Thursday, 10/8

Networking: 5:30 - 6pm

Program: 6 - 7:30

PMP's this event counts as 1 PDU

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September Meeting: Agile Portfolio Management - Moving From a Focus on Delivery to Learning

Markets are full of uncertainties with ever-changing demands.  New products are entering the marketplace all the time.  These products cause severe turbulence and unexpected outcomes.

In this environment, companies must be selective about the products they choose to invest. However, most are still operating with a legacy mindset.  Their focus is on governance and compliance, not value and customer needs.

Companies who solely focus on improving practices and processes will not overcome these obstacles.  They must develop new ways to evaluate projects, meet changing market demands, and ensure the right product is being built.

Come listen to Chris as he shares how SEP is using Agile, Lean, Design Thinking and Lean Startup concepts to help clients improve decisions.  Hear how some simple tools have helped companies make smarter business decisions and take advantage of new opportunities.

Chris Shinkle is the Director of Innovation at Software Engineering Professionals (SEP). Since 1997, Chris has been a thought leader and initiator of new ideas and continuous improvement.

He introduced and led SEP’s adoption of Agile software development practices in 2004 as well as the adoption of Lean and Kanban in 2007. He has used these methods to lead large, complex projects, including military aircraft engine monitoring and maintenance systems and an FDA-regulated remote patient monitoring system.

He continues to leverage industry-leading techniques to train SEP engineers and coach clients across a variety of domains.Chris speaks at industry conferences across the United States promoting Lean and Kanban productivity.

Chris was an inaugural member of the Lean Systems Society Fellowship and Techpoint’s Tech 25. His dedication to the community was recognized in 2013 when he was named a Lean Kanban North America Brickell Key Award Nominee.

When: Thursday, 9/10

Networking: 5:30 - 6pm

Program: 6 - 7:30

PMP's this event counts as 1 PDU

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Enterprise Agility with Isaac Montgomery

In this session Isaac will share his experiences and hard won lessons in communicating with senior executives regarding enterprise agility.  Specifically he'll address:

1. How to get executives to care about being Agile

2. How to explain to executives what it means to be Agile

3. How to explain to executives how to become Agile

 About Isaac Montgomery:

In his role as Director of Customer Success at Rally Software, Isaac and his teams are responsible for guiding the transformation and maturation of enterprise agility in some of the world's largest organizations.  These organization's presently have an average of 5-7 thousand agilists currently delivering, representing 15-30% of their total portfolio.

Before starting the Customer Success team, Isaac was a transformation consultant, responsible for designing and leading enterprise transformation engagements that scale the power of team-level agile execution to address the complexity of a large enterprise.

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