On November 30th 2017, I had an opportunity to attend the 9th annual Agile Tour Montreal Conference. While this is the 9th session, this was my first time attending. It was truly a great event. Here is a brief summary of the presentations I enjoyed the most.
Making the Regulatory Process Agile – Fran Alexander
Fran Alexander from OpenReg (https://www.openreg.ca) detailed her experience working with a Startup company using agile. Her key challenges included the following :
- Lack of software (i.e. Jira, Active Collab, Agilo for Scrum) – Due to budget restrictions, Fran could not purchase “Agile Software”. Emphasis was placed on the use of post it notes and whiteboards only.
- Working with Volunteers – Due to budget restrictions, Fran’s team had to manage the process through the use of Volunteers, as opposed to a dedicated staff.
Through her sessions, my eyes where opened to the difficulties present when moving from Waterfall to Agile.
Transforming Managers for an Agile Deployment (Maurizio Mancini)
Currently working as a QA Manager, I could related to the presentation given by Maurizio Mancini. During his talk, he outlined general differences between Agile and Waterfall Methodologies. Specifically, focusing on the benefits of using Agile teams. Implementing Agile can also present difficulties to organizations and confusion to employees, especially due to role changes. Depending on the type of Organization employed, Managers may have to occupy multiple roles. In the case where Managers are not directly involved in the Agile process, they can still provide support through the providing of Technical & Business knowledge, through coaching employees and handling Budget & Compensation. To evolve with Agile, a career path for a typical QA Manager would be Scrum Master or Agile Coach, with the Agile Coach role needing a senior team member.
In general, key takeaway’s were defined as the following :
- Be an Agile Leader first
- Be ready to wear multiple hats
Innovation doesn’t follow a script: Work and Lead Unscripted (Jennifer Spear)
My favorite presentation was given by Jennifer Spear. She began by expanding on the difficulty of planning and the necessity to work unscripted and develop techniques to manage within the moment. This can be difficult to achieve due to assumptions that continually hold us back. Additionally, our brain usually function in a way which make it difficult to work unscripted. To an extent, we are programed with the Gator brain (Fight, Flee, Feed, Freeze, Mate). It’s important that when we get into these situations where we feel the Gator Brain is about to kick in, that we use techniques to help us keep the Amygdala calm. Examples include Meditation, Mindfulness or Taking a Breath. Furthermore, the phrase ‘I got this’ can do wonders to increase confidence, especially when referencing previous accomplishments. While doing something new can be awkward, it can also be rewarding.
I also had an opportunity to visit and gain knowledge from the following sessions :
Scaling Quality by Building it in – (Maurizio Mancini)
Getting Freddie Mercury and Spice Girls Together on Stage – (Ardita Karaj)
Your Project Behaves Like a Hurricane-Forecast It Like One – (Daniel Vacanti)
An Introduction to Agile Organization – (Pierre Neis)
An intimate conversation with Henry Mintzberg – (Henry Mintzberg)
Counting down until Montreal Agile Tour 2018!