in the llewp

Join me and my guest, fellow Agile People facilitator and Co-founder of Project X Partners, Marian O’Brien, as we talk about our shared passion for architecting great workplace cultures. 

We also talk about our shared passion for Agility in HR and end with an invitation to join us in January 2021 for a special Agile People icAgile – Agility in HR certification experience.

I had the opportunity to join Bruce Nix, Director of Business Agility for Vaco, prior to the July 2020 Memphis Agile Meetup where I hosted a session about creating a truly Agile culture.

In this conversation we get into a lot of topics in a short time frame all about how to break the cultural inertia that often limits the success and benefits of shifting to more agile ways of working and being.  And, I also share my top 3 ideas for getting started too!

Join me and my guest, Christine Marty-Kotecki, Director of People Development at IKOS, as we talk about her personal Agile journey, how creating an amazing workplace is THE place for shared leadership, and how creating the space for creativity is possible by giving power to others.

Some highlights of our engaging conversation include:

How as a the solo person in People Development at her company, Christine has embraced the power of involving people from across the business to create a healthy workplace culture and value-added people practices - and why a big HR department can do the same

That asking for help is not a sign of weakness rather a powerful acceptance of vulnerability and an invitation to collaborate

What makes someone truly agile is their ability to be themselves in all they do - and to know that path to success and engagement is anything but direct

Join me and my guest, Saul Gomez, as we talk about his personal journey of embracing change, reflecting often, and seeking true contentedness with people that led him to embrace and celebrate Agile ways of being and doing – in work and in life!  In this high-energy conversation we touch on so many important topics including:

- how compassion for others can lead to significant breakthroughs - both in relationships and in performance results

- where leaning in to self-organization can be one of the greatest leadership decisions you can make

- why HR is a greenfield for embracing Agile ways of being and doing in service to creating work environments that are healthy, more inclusive, and thriving

Join me and my guest, McCaul Baggett, Scrum Practice Coach with Scrum Inc., as we talk about how now, maybe more than ever, Scrum Masters play a vital leadership role in an organization - paying attention to team engagement, health, and delivery while building bridges across the organization to remove barriers, amplify success, and contribute to a healthy workplace - whether it be virtually, in-person, or a mix of both.

Highlights of our conversation include:

- how paying attention to people's well-being has changed in our virtual world and what Scrum Masters can do to slow down enough to check-in and be present - and sometimes say the hard things that need to be said so others can hear it

- the importance of relationships and why getting close with HR can be a powerful way for Scrum Masters to help increase real engagement awareness for the organization

- what metrics actually matter and how making them visible across teams and organizations regularly can empower many to share in the responsibility of sustaining a healthy workplace that also delivers a ton of value for those it serves

I recently had the opportunity to join The Agile Wire, hosted by Jeff Bubolz and Jeff Maleski and talk about all things AgileHR.

We cover so much ground in this extended session - from how Scrum works in HR -  recruiting to performance management - change leadership - and "all the way there" to more challenging topics like having to ask someone to leave your company.  

We taking a winding path over the course of this conversation and I hope you enjoy taking a mental stroll with me and the Jeff's.

Note: We have a few shaky audio spots within...stick with us for a truly inspiring story!

Join me and my guest, Waleed Riaz, from Pakistan-based DPL, as he shares how he and the people of DPL worked together to create a thriving workplace culture that embraces the Agile mindset.  Waleed’s radical transparency shines through as he shares the mistakes, learning, and ultimate success of making the shift at DPL!  Some of my favorite points include:

realizing the shift to being successful with Agile methods starts with and requires work on company culture first - and how DPL learned this after a few less-than successful attempts

how shared leadership of the culture, delegated decision making, and having the courage to embrace radical transparency made the biggest difference to lasting success

realizing that not everyone may embrace the change and that making it ok for people to choose to stay or leave is an exercise in leadership and respect for people

Join me and my guest, Product Evangelist & Change Architect, David Dame who shares his personal story and path to Agile. We also explore the power of diversity, leadership, and empathy in creating the space for lasting agility in our complex, global workplaces.  Highlights of our conversation include:

• how diverse perspectives, unique skills, & life experiences lead to greater creativity in problem solving and doing good change with others
  
• what make leadership exceptionally relevant in creating the space for agility to thrive by relentlessly focusing on helping others be successful
  
• to get good at changing we must lead with empathy and forgiveness - including for our Leaders leading the change
  
• why bringing HR professionals along on the journey towards great agility is good business - because it is all about the people first
  

Join me and my guest, Latanya Washington, Agile enthusiast and life-long learner, as we have fun talking about how she leads HR teams to embrace the Agile mindset, principles, and methods, like Scrum, to do good with and for many!  In this episode we talk about:

embracing new ways of working and how to make it safe for people to try new things focusing on the people side of technology implementation and how it accelerates adoption & success how implementing Scrum helped create a welcoming, effective, and efficient onboarding experience for new hires being organic in the shift towards greater Agile adoption can create a cause many want to be part of

Join me and my guest, Steve Porter, from Scrum.org, as we talk about how we both found our way to Scrum and learned that it is so much more than a framework - in this episode you'll find insights about:

• growing empowerment and self-leadership capabilities strengthen team success - and takes practice
• sharing knowledge about Scrum with others lead to powerful breakthroughs that help many - including Scrum in HR
• how HR can be a valuable partner to helping teams get good at the human side of Scrum

Join me and Chad Beier of whiteboardconsulting.org,  as we talk about our shared passion for all things Agile and what makes 2020 THE time to elevate our workplaces.  We cover a lot of ground including:

what makes organizational culture so vital to lasting Agile success and true engagement 

how pressure for positive change and servant leadership demonstrates real care for people

why moving away from Human Resources (or humans as resources) to People Development is good business

when you lean in to real authenticity it requires vulnerability and ultimately brings joy

Join me and my guest, Rich Visotcky, as we talk about how the Scrum framework can be the catalyst for increasing engagement, joy, and profound personal transformation in work and in life - in this episode you'll find insights about:

• how understanding the difference between openness and transparency make a difference in your Scrum practice
• what makes establishing enough boundaries for action can allow self-organization to thrive
• why understanding the past is a helpful place to start when seeking to change for the future
• when joy can be an outcome of good Scrum

Join me and Scrum.org leaders Patricia Kong and Kurt Bittner,  as we talk about our shared passion for helping others embrace the Agile mindset and find empowerment in working with Scrum.  We cover a lot of ground including:

how becoming Agile has to be in service to something greater

why starting from where you are is the best approach instead of waiting to be perfect with your practice (inspect & adapt!)

how HR can be an invaluable partner to the lasting transformation of your company culture by creating a safe environment for change

what makes courageous leadership (verb) the most important thing for Agile and Scrum to thrive and produce reliable value delivery