Dr. Jimmie Flores

Learning and Networking at the Vienna CSP® Lounge

 

Held on October 28-30, 2019,

the Vienna, Austria Scrum Alliance Global Gathering provided an excellent opportunity to collaborate, learn, and network vein the popular Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)^® Lounge. To earn the CSP credential, candidates must hold the Advanced Certified Scrum Professional^SM (ACSM^SM) certification with Scrum Alliance, validate 24 months of work experience specific to the ScrumMaster role, and other key requirements.

Sharing Knowledge

There are three major sessions held in the CSP^® Lounge: Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) Application Information Session, Coach Application Information Session, and Coach the Coach. The CSPs are committed to gaining additional knowledge, and many of them are interested in pursuing additional credentials (i.e., CST), as these accomplishments increases their impact in the Agile community.

A notable takeaway from the CSP^® Lounge session is the commitment from the participants to share knowledge. While there are three formal sessions scheduled, much of the value is gained from the many informal sessions held, such as one-on-one discussions regarding career advancement opportunities.

Ravneet Kaur of San Francisco, and owner of Agile School, Inc., had the opportunity to get direct feedback regarding her Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC) application from her reviewer. Kaur stated, “He shared exactly what I was missing on the application, and I have a better idea regarding the direction I need to go.” The CSP Lounge allows individuals to get in an environment that facilitates effective communication.

Volunteering Opportunities

I first became aware of the CSP^® Lounge when Tanya Nascimento, Global Education Events Specialist, reached out to CSPs regarding their interest to volunteer at the Global Gathering held in Austin, Texas. Volunteers were asked to help other CSPs learn the purpose of value of the lounge. In addition, pictures are taken of the attendees and placed on a huge map based on which country the individual represents. For the Vienna event, Europe was well-represented.

Volunteering provides one the opportunity to get more involved in the gathering activities. We take the time to welcome the CSPs to the lounge and to create a positive networking and learning environment. To make things even better, food and beverages are provided. For those who volunteer, Scrum Education Units (SEUs)^® are earned, which are used to renew Scrum Alliance certifications.

Thoughts from the CSP^® Lounge Facilitator – Stefan Zumbraegel

The facilitator for the Vienna CSP lounge, Stefan Zumbraegel of Germany, reached out to the volunteers in advance, and scheduled them based on need and availability.

Zumbraegel stated that the lounge provides CSPs with the opportunity to connect in a quiet space away while attending a busy event. He noted, “The participants have a dedicated space to share information and knowledge with each other.”

Summary

The opportunity to mingle in a quiet space during a busy conference added value to the Vienna Scrum Alliance Global Gathering. By having this dedicated lounge, the participants can create more meaningful relationships that can advance their careers. Given the success of the CSP Lounge, Scrum Alliance will continue to provide this venue in the future. The next Global Gathering is scheduled for New York City on May 11-13, 2020.

 

Training from the Back of the Room Experience

On October 17-18, 2019, I took the Training from the Back of the Room (TBR) workshop offered by Tricia Broderick of Agile For All. TBR was created by Sharon Bowman, and it’s a popular approach to delivering interactive classes by using exercises that involve the learners. Sharon’s book, Training from the Back of the Room: 65 Ways to Step Aside and Let Them Learn, is included in the workshop. As a college professor and corporate trainer for nearly 30 years, I’m ashamed to admit that I have never taken a training of this importance, one that completely changes how I deliver my classes. I’ve known for years that engaging the classroom is important, and I’ve tried a few exercises here and there, but the activities taught by Tricia take it to a new level.

Why the TBR Training

My mentor, Steve Spearman of Agile For All, recommended that I take the TBR training. He mentioned that it could improve the quality of training that I provide my students. With Steve’s recommendation, I conducted a quick web search and found Tricia’s class. She offers this TBR training just once per year to the open market and limits the class size to 12 participants. I was fortunate that I found the class when space was still available, and quickly signed-up for the 2-day session.

For many years, I’ve heard the value of flipping the classroom, which means that students take a more active role in the learning process. In fact, given that I teach adult students, I have a good understanding of Malcolm Knowles’ Andragogy Theory, which states that adult learners prefer a self-directed approach where they can an integral role in the learning process.

The Value of TBR

Here are some of the top takeaways from the TBR training:

• Apply six learning principles based on current brain research, regardless of the complexity of the topic, size, and level of learners.
• Increase learners’ attention, retention and engagement with learning activities that engage the whole brain.
• Use the “4Cs Map” as a training design and delivery model. The 4Cs include Connections, Concepts, Concrete Practice, and Conclusion.

From the get-go, Tricia demonstrated exercises that improve the engagement process. For example, instead of starting with an orientation about the class and where one can find the bathrooms, it’s best to have the students engaged in an interactive introduction activity. Also, Tricia used the classroom expertly, such as by leaving space in the back of the room where we could conduct exercises.

Humans are Mobile – Naturally

During the class, Tricia quoted the book Brain Rules by John Medina. I downloaded the audiobook on Audible and listened to it. Medina states that human beings evolved faster largely because of our ability to be mobile, walking up to 12 miles a day as hunter-gatherers. As we move more, we get more oxygen to the brain, which enhances the learning process. As instructors, it is essential to create learning activities where the students are doing instead of sitting down listening to lectures.

We learned the following exercises that can be incorporated into the classroom: Quick Start, Blackout Bingo, Standing Survey, Concept Centers, The Gallery Walk, Teach-Backs, Learning Logs, and The Walkabout. On Day 2 of the training, we worked collaboratively to apply these tools by using the 4Cs Map. This exercise allowed us to create interactive lessons based on a framework that is applicable to any learning environment.

Takeaways

Tricia’s Training from the Back of the Room workshop is dynamic, content-filled, and a must for anyone wishing to improve the delivery of the classes they teach. One student who attended stated the following to me: “After this class, I’m going to revamp all my classes … this stuff works!” I feel the same way about how this knowledge will radically alter how I delivery both my university and corporate training courses.

In September 2019, I attended the Advanced-Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM) 2-day training taught by veteran Scrum Alliance trainer Jim Schiel. To qualify for the A-CSM, the candidate must have completed the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) training and have at least one year of experience as a ScrumMaster after the certification is earned. The A-CSM is a key step in the progression to Scrum Alliances’ Certified Scrum Professional-SM (CSP®-SM) credential.

The level of rigor for the A-CSM is far higher than is required for the Certified Scrum Master (CSM®) certificate. Given that my experience is working with online delivery of courses for higher education institutions, I appreciated that Jim’s company, Artisan Agility, provided students with access to the Training Academy in advance. In essence, we were asked to complete pre-work prior to the face-to-face course. In total, I spent about 20 hours preparing for the 2-day class by completing all of the online activities, which included readings, videos, interactive discussion board activities, and checkpoints to test our knowledge. It was cool that Jim responded to some of our discussion posts.

Jim’s class is effective because there are plenty of hands-on lessons. In one exercise, we were asked to pick a topic that would lead us to create the product backlog. Given my topic recommendation was selected, I assumed the role of the Product Owner. We assigned the ScrumMaster, and the rest of the participants assumed the role of the Dev Team. We worked through this interactive exercise for about 15 minutes. Once we were done, Jim provided tips and advice regarding our performance. His vast experience in industry and as a trainer makes a huge difference because he can present feedback from different angles.

The class had an added benefit because an additional Certified Scrum Trainer (CST), Ram Srinivasan, was in attendance. Jim noted that Ram was present in the session to expand his knowledge base, which is important for all trainers. As a trainer and educator myself, it was good to see that Jim and Ram were committed to enhancing the learning experience. On several occasions, Ram shared feedback to the students that was on-point and valuable.

A key takeaway from the A-CSM training was related to the psychological safety topic. From an Agile perspective, this means that team members know they will not be punished when making mistakes. Jim recommends that ScrumMasters take the following approach to ensure psychological safety: (a) approach problems as a collaborator, and not the enemy; (b) speak human to human, and not boss to worker; (c) anticipate reactions and plan countermoves, and (d) replace blame with curiosity. These concepts are critical to creating a work environment where teams flourish and exceed expectations.

To complete the course, Jim provides a homework assignment that we must complete before setting up a phone call with him directly. We must pick three activities from a list of five and be prepared to discuss them. Here are two of the items: (1) Identify a challenge facing the self-organizing capabilities of your team, and devise a countermeasure to the challenge; and (2) Evaluate your vision for your career and your pursuit of advanced certifications as a ScrumMaster. If Jim feels we have adequately provided the responses, he will update our status on the Scrum Alliance website, and we will earn the Advanced-Certified Scrum Master certificate.

The product owner (PO) must be a meaningful participant of the Scrum project. It’s necessary for this individual to be engaged from start-to-finish, meaning that other responsibilities should be kept to a minimum. The PO must help foster a culture of high-participation and a commitment to providing value to the customer early and often. The value expected by the customer is only truly known when the PO takes the time to learn the outcomes that are essential for this stakeholder, which means that knowing the vision of the organization is vital to success.

Obstacle: Product Owner Lacks Power to Make Decisions

Steve Spearman, Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) and Principal of Agile for All, states that a key obstacle faced by product owners is failing to be the real “owner” who is empowered to make the final decisions. The PO is a key stakeholder who has a clear grasp of the business requirements and shares that content with the dev team. In some organizations, the product owner must get clearance from layers of management before rendering a decision, even in cases when the issues are trivial. Lacking the decision-making power is a recipe for failure for the product owner and for the project itself.

Obstacle: Too Busy Doing Other Stuff

There is a sharp difference between ideal time and actual time allotted to Scrum-related work. The ideal perspective means that the product owner and other Scrum core team members are working 8 hours per day on the assigned activities. However, Spearman cautions that oftentimes the PO has insufficient time to be effective in this role. For example, the product owner might also be assigned operational duties, such as managing accounts and providing tech support. There are also many situations in which the PO is pulled from the Scrum project to help put out fires. When the product owner lacks the time to work on the project, the value promised to the customer may go unattended. To make matters worse, the dev team may proceed without input from the product owner and work on deliverables based on limited knowledge.

Obstacles: Poor Relationship with the Dev Team

In some cases, product owners get off on the wrong foot with the dev team, and it goes downhill from there. Spearman mentions that the PO may not feel part of the team. To improve the relationship with the development team, the product owner should promote a culture of collaboration, trust, and transparency. The concept is rather simple … that is, focus on using the combined skills, knowledge, and talents to provide maximum value to the customer. The product owner must also be aware that the dev team is composed of subject matter experts (SMEs) in their respective disciplines, which means their opinions regarding how the work is performed matters.

Takeaway

Spearman notes that product owners may sometimes feel overwhelmed with too much responsibility, thinking that all work is dependent on them with little to no help from the dev team and other stakeholders. However, to improve the chances of success, successful product owners should possess excellent awareness of the situation and the stakeholders particular to the Scrum project they are assigned to lead.

The fact is that obstacles are par for the course when taking on the role of the product owner. In short, the difference between a successful product owner and one that falls short of expectations depends on how the obstacles are either mitigated or managed when they arise.

On September 17-18, 2019, I attended the Certified Agile Leadership I (CAL I) training in Seattle, Washington. The course was sponsored by Braintrust Consulting Group, and taught by Anu Smalley, who is an experienced Agile coach and a ScrumAlliance Certified Scrum Trainer (CST). The ScrumAlliance Certified Agile Leadership (CAL) program (CAL I and CALL II) is a unique two-part education and practice-based program to develop agile leadership competency and maturity. After successfully completing CAL I, participants must practice the key concepts learned for at least a year before taking the CAL II course.

Start with “Why”

          Anu incorporated the Ted Talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, by Simon Sinek. In the presentation, Sinek focuses on the what, how, and when. On the outer circle, he states that all organizations know “what” they produce. This is the product or service that is made available to the customers. The middle circle explains the “how.” Sinek states that some organizations know “how” to differentiate themselves from the competition, or their unique selling proposition (USP). The innermost circle refers to the “why,” and he states that very few organizations know their purpose, cause, or belief. This is a key takeaway from the class because Agile leaders must be keenly aware regarding why change is necessary. When the “why” is known, the “how” and “what” have meaning and are understood by the employees.

Traditional Approach vs. Innovative Approach to Management

         Anu explained that the traditional approach to management focuses on people adding value in the form of outputs, labor is interchangeable, and workers produce units. However, the innovative approach is important for Agile leaders because the emphasis is on a diversified workforce, individuals and interactions, and watching the baton and not the runners. The “watching the baton and not the runners” metaphor is a lean management concept implying that most organizational leaders care mostly about the runners, the people doing the work. Instead, the attention should be on the baton, which is the actual work getting done. A key takeaway here was thinking holistically about how value is created in an organization, while at the same time eliminating waste.

The Metrics that Matter

           Many of the course participants noted that the metrics lesson was valuable, and I was included in this group. Anu explained that metrics must have value, and that Agile leaders must know what is being measured, and how it can help the decision-making process. She stated the following: “Pretend you are on an island, and you are unable to communicate with any of your team members. However, each day a message in a bottle arrives on the island with five metrics regarding the performance of your company. Which metrics should be included in that message?” Once the class was over, I contacted my team leads to discuss the creation of a dashboard that contained key metrics for our organization.

Summary

          The CAL I training session conducted by Anu Smalley was terrific. I liked that many of the exercises were collaborative, meaning that we worked with other attendees. Anu ensured that people from the same company sat at different tables, which increased the level of interaction. As a corporate trainer myself, I know the importance of engaging the learners with real examples. Anu’s many years of Agile experience and education created a positive and informative learning experience for the CAL I participants.

 

As I sit and write this blog from the comfort of my home here in San Antonio, Texas, I know that we are fortunate. Hurricane Harvey brought plenty of rain and winds to the Alamo City, but it moved northeast quickly.

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Becoming the go-to employee for a department and/or company is tough. There are many benefits for workers who are considered the best by their managers. The easy answer to becoming a top performer is to get your work done on time, with little guidance, and without throwing a fit. However, there is more to it, so I will provide more depth.

Make Sure to be Receptive to Work
I’ve been to many meetings where leaders and managers are looking for volunteers to participate on mission-critical projects. Surprisingly, there are often few takers. In most cases, the work is assigned because no one is willing to step up to the plate.

A good approach is to be proactive. I recommend that you stay connected with your manager. You can take this angle: “Hi, Nicole … I heard that that the leaders are looking for people to participate on the compliance project. I wanted to let you know that I will make the time to be on the team. I understand that I must keep up my regular work, and that will not be a problem.”

Managers appreciate it when people volunteer for work, especially projects that are of high-value to the organization. Let’s assume that you’re not selected for the project because you lack the unique experience and skills required. You can rest assured that your manager will be pleased with your commitment to do what it takes to help the company do well.

Stay Away from the Petty Stuff
The most successful people in any organization operate at a level that is free from pettiness. They are focused on the work that must get done. When someone falls shorts of expectations, they avoid blaming the person. Instead, they go to the individual and ask how they can help with future work.

It’s smart to take a problem-solving approach. When most people are complaining about why they’re not advancing, we can take a proactive approach to finding the answers. I want to remind you that one’s compensation is based on the level of problems they solve. The easier it is to find a solution, the less one will make. However, the people who solve the big problems earn the highest possible pay.

The Game Plan
Before you decide to become a top performer, you must know that it will increase the level of work that you perform. Also, at some point, you will be assigned highly-visible work, which means that you will interact with high-level people. The benefits of doing this type of work is obvious, but be aware that there is little room for error.

To get the ball rolling, look for opportunities to volunteer on projects. Your manager will know if you can handle the work. If the manager has doubts that you are ready for the work, but you feel that you are, make your case. There’s a big need for individuals who are willing to accept challenges. As you get busier with work that is valuable to the organization, you will realize that you no longer have time for the petty stuff that plagues many organizations. This is when you know that you’re heading in the right direction.

I was recently asked to call a potential client at his office. When the day came for me to reach out to this person, I made the phone call. His secretary, Carmen, answered the phone on the second ring, and I asked for Dan.

CARMEN: “I’m sorry Dan is not in the office.”

ME: “Oh! He told me to call him at 10:00 a.m.”

CARMEN: “He called early this morning, and said that he had a flat tire on the way to work, so he decided to get it fixed today. My guess is that he’ll make it to work tomorrow.”

ME: “Must have been a terrible flat tire to keep someone from coming to work all day. I hope he wasn’t hurt.”

CARMEN: “He’s fine! This is the second flat tire he’s had in the past month. The last time he was out a couple of days because it took time to get the car up-and-running.”

ME: “It seems like Dan is having some bad luck this summer. Okay, please let him know that I called.”

CARMEN: “I have your number, and will put the note on his desk. You can also email him, but he’s way behind checking his Inbox.”

ME: “Sure, Carmen! I do appreciate your help. Thanks!”

CARMEN: “Bye!”
My Take on this Situation
From what I could observe, I think Dan is not very happy with this employment. It would seem to me that a flat tire can be fixed in a matter of hours. In fact, it’s weird that someone would fail to show up merely because the tire has lost its air. Even if the tire needed replacement, that can’t take a too long. The worst-case scenario is a half-day to get the problem resolved.

Call with Dan
I called a few days later, and I was surprised when Carmen informed me that Dan was at work. She was going to transfer the call right away. I mentioned to Dan that I was sorry to hear about the flat tire, and that I hoped all was well now. He apologized for not returning my calls and emails, and we continued our discussion.

Dan mentioned that he would run my proposal by his supervisor. He was happy with the bundle of services that we offered, and he noted our price was competitive. He was adamant I would hear from him in about a week.

A Week Later
The next week came and went, and I didn’t hear from Dan. After giving him another few days, I called his office, and Carmen promptly answered the phone.

ME: “Hi, Carmen! I’m looking for Dan.”

CARMEN: “He’s not here today … sorry.”

ME: “What happened? Flat tire?”

CARMEN: “Nope … he called and said his headlights are out.”

ME: “Can’t he drive during the day?”

CARMEN: “I also think he’s driver’s license has expired.”

ME: “Okay! Got it! I’ll wait to hear from him.”

CARMEN: “Sure … bye.”

I found out later that Dan left this company. I’m unsure what he’s doing now, but I do hope that his car has four working tires, the headlights are nice and bright, and that his driver’s license is current.

 

As a project manager, I’m fortunate to work with diverse teams. This means that the team members have differences, such as ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, professional experiences, and so on. The fact that the individuals look at opportunities and problems based on their unique perspectives, creates an environment that is filled with creativity and innovation.

Learning to Accept Others

The first step to creating a diverse workforce is to have an open-mind. There are far too many leaders and managers who prefer to work with people who think like they do. The problem with this approach is that the backgrounds and experiences of the individuals are similar, which means that they are looking at the situation in a similar way. The solutions derived from a homogenous team are often limited in depth. This occurs because consensus-building happens quickly, given the people think nearly alike.

I’ve been fortunate to work with managers who are open to having diverse teams. In fact, most of them are merely looking to assemble a qualified team, and it just so happens that diversity occurs naturally. However, managers must take an intentional approach to creating teams that are composed of people with different backgrounds and perspectives. It’s not enough to hope that diversity is the end-result of the team formation process.

My Scrum Coaching Example

While attending a Scrum coaching conference in San Diego, the participants were assigned to teams of 6 people. Our group was tasked with learning more about the project management concepts of Scrum and Waterfall. To make our name catchy, we called the topic “Scrum Fall.” Waterfall is an approach to managing predictive projects, such as swimming pool construction, planning an annual conference, and so on. Differently, Scrum is an Agile framework dedicated to unpredictable projects, such as software development.

Our team was composed of four women and two men, and the nationalities included Asian, Caucasian, Hispanic, and Indian. The first step was to determine the process by which our team would present the results to all the participants. As a college professor, presentations generally mean that a PowerPoint approach is best. However, the Indian female team member suggested that we use an engaging skit. The young Caucasian participant, who makes many presentations for her company, recommended that we use clear examples. The Asian male on our team reinforced the importance of including clear literature to support our stance. Even though our team was diverse based on ethnicity, the input was based largely on work experience. By working together, we delivered an excellent presentation on the final day of the class. We worked together for two days, and some folks from the audience commented that they could feel the synergy we had as a team.

Creating high-performance teams is far from easy. When running projects, my job is to find the right people to do the right work at the right time, and for these individuals to make the right decisions. Given that so much of the work performed today is complex, it’s important to have teams who can look at the situation from unique perspectives. To reinforce a point made earlier, let’s make sure to have an open mind when staffing teams. The focus must be on performance, and diverse teams oftentimes have the aptitude to deliver excellent results.

As a project manager, I’m fortunate to work with diverse teams. This means that the team members have differences, such as ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, professional experiences, and so on. The fact that the individuals look at opportunities and problems based on their unique perspectives, creates an environment that is filled with creativity and innovation.

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