New PMI-ACP Classes Announced

I am happy to report that LeadingAgile is ramping up its Public Training Program.  We will now offer regularly scheduled public training classes in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.  Early bird registration (30 days or more before class start date) will be heavily rewarded, by way of a $300 discount.  The first class to be announced is the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner. For those unfamiliar with LeadingAgile, though all of us offer training, we're all actually Agile practitioners by trade, with years of real-world experience.  We come from a variety of backgrounds, allowing us to offer relevant training specific to the needs of the individual student. Both our public and private classes move at a steady but relaxing pace, delivering the right combination of applicable information, Q&A, and interactive exercises.

When it’s time for your respective exam, you will pass because you understand the concepts, not because you memorized questions and answers. When you go back to your organizations, you will have the confidence of knowing that you understand the fundamentals and how to apply then.

Why Us?

There are a lot of companies out there who offer training but do so from an ivory tower.  The trainers aren't actual practitioners so they aren't going to be able to answer your questions based on their experiences.  When it comes to knowledge about the PMI-ACP content, no company comes close to LeadingAgile.  Both Mike and Dennis were on the ACP Steering Committee and I was an Independent Reviewer.  After the exam pilot phase concluded, I transitioned to a new role as Co-Lead of the PMI-ACP Support Team at the PMI Agile Community of Practice.

Contact Hours/PDUs:

 21

CEUs:

 2.1

Public or Private:

 Both

Duration:

 3 Days - 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

DATE

LOCATION

 EARLY BIRD

PRICE

August 20-22

Tampa, FL

$1395.00

$1695.00

Register

September 10-12

Reston, VA

$1395.00

$1695.00

Register

October

Atlanta, GA

$1395.00

$1695.00

Register

Who Should Attend

Certainly, if you're interested in getting the PMI-ACP certification, you should take this class. But, it doesn't matter if you're an executive, traditional project manager, or a member of a team.  This class is going to give you a lot of value.  In a typical workshop, I've seen anyone from a CTO to an Extreme Programmer to a Tester.  Come with an open mind and you'll see how we're on the bleeding edge of Agile thought leadership.

Class Materials

Attendees will receive a complementary copy of the class training material, ACP practice exam, and ACP flashcards.

Course Content

Though this course was originally designed to be an exam prep course, it was enhanced to be an introduction into the principles, values, and practices of Scrum, Lean, Kanban, and Extreme Programming. Our course is developed around a fun 3-day exercise, simulation, and game driven curriculum that encourages signifiant interaction amongst everyone participating in the course. Topics include:

• Understand the Agile Manifesto Values and Principles

• Have an end-to-end understanding of Scrum, its key roles, artifacts, and meetings

• Understand what are and why we use big visible charts or information radiators

• Understand Scrum from a ScrumMaster, Product Owner, and empowered Team perspectives

• Know and understand the XP (Extreme Programming) roles and who does what

• Understand Test Driven Development. Know how it works and why it’s valuable

• Understand Continuous Integration. Know how it works and why it’s valuable

• Understand the Lean Software Development Principles

• Know what Lean Portfolio Management is and how your organization could benefit from it

• Understand what Value Stream Mapping is and how to do it

• Understand the basics of Kanban, WIP, and why it works

• Know how to write and identify good User Stories

• Know what Personas are and how to use them

• Understand what makes a Servant Leader and what they do

• Understand Velocity and its usefulness

• Know Agile Estimation techniques

• Know facilitation methods

• Understand how Agile deals with risks

• Understand the Definition of "Ready" and “Done”

• ...much more...

Private Training

If you are interested in private training for your organization or team, please contact us for more information.

Operating Outside Your Comfort Zone

Last week, I facilitated an Agile game, with the goal to increase product delivery throughput.  At the beginning of each iteration, I would remind the team "The seven rules of the game are...".  Upon completion of the third iteration and only seeing modest gains, one of the team members questioned the need for one of the rules and proposed a change in the delivery process.  She asked me, "Is it ok if we do that?"  My response didn't give her much solace.  Though I knew she was concerned with potentially lowering delivery throughput, I said "it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. Just do it."  The team then changed their process, resulting in a dramatic increase in delivery throughput. Though I know success isn't always the outcome, if you don't go outside your comfort zone and do something different, you're never going to see dramatic results.  This applies on both organizational and personal levels.  Within the game, I allowed the team to pilot the new processes so they would either fail quickly or prove their theories.  Over the course of a few iterations, they figured out what worked and what did not, while adhering (directly and indirectly) to the original seven rules.

Within an organization, I recognize things can be much more complicated.  We have regulatory compliance, mandates, and policies to contend with.  I do challenge you to question if they all apply to your current situation.  As with the game, the team just assumed if the rule was listed then it must apply to them.  Without questioning the rules, the results are heavy and burdensome processes.

On a personal level, we litter our lives with artificial constraints.  We accumulate a lifetime of unnecessary rules, rarely stopping to ask ourselves why we do things that prevent us from excelling in the areas we desire.  I'm not promoting living or working recklessly or unethically. Uphold a few guiding principles and reteach yourself to intentionally go outside your comfort zone.  Stop asking permission and let the magic happen.

You can also read this post at LeadingAgile

Joined LeadingAgile

I am happy to report that I have just joined the family at LeadingAgile.  LeadingAgile is dedicated to solving the challenges associated with Agile in larger, more complex enterprises. They provide Agile training and coaching, strategic enterprise Agile transformation consulting, and Agile project and portfolio management services. I've known Mike Cottmeyer since LeadingAgile was his blog, he was at VersionOne, and I was at the National Archives.

LeadingAgile is growing and I'm going to help them stand up Agile training around the Southeast and apply my enterprise Agile coaching abilities to some of the larger client engagements.

This is going to be a very easy transition for me.  The Agile community provides opportunities to know a lot of great people.  Step that up a notch to include someone you trust, respect, and enjoy hanging out with, and you've got Mike.  Come share a cup of coffee or a glass of beer with us at Agile 2012.  We'll be there!

Here are some LeadingAgile links to check out:

Website and Blog Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Mike Cottmeyer on Twitter Dennis Stevens on Twitter

Sneetches and Agile Training

This morning I read a tweet offering a 100% guarantee to pass the corresponding Agile exam.  Offering such a guarantee is such BS and insulting to our craft.  Reading the tweet sounded something right out of a Dr. Seuss book.I’ve come here to help you.I have what you need.And my prices are low. And I work with great speed.And my work is one hundred per cent guaranteed!

That is a quote from The Sneetches.  The two main characters of the original Dr. Seuss story are the Sneetches and Sylvester McMonkey-McBean.  If you don't know the story, I have it below.  The original text is listed in blue.  My commentary is in black.

I understand there are those who are eager to get a new Agile certification to add to their email signature or resume (Sneetches) and those willing to provide training and help them part with the money in their pockets (Sylvester McMonkey-McBeans).  But when I offer an Agile Certified Practitioner workshop, the primary goal is not to teach attendees to pass an exam (though they will as a by-product).  Rather, my primary goal is to introduce learners to multiple concepts and practices that can be leveraged later.

Are trainers primarily trying to help people be better at their craft or are they just trying to make fast money?  I'm quite certain people will get value from attending an Agile training class.  As someone who may be interested in getting a certification, what does a trainer have to do to pass your Sylvester McMonkey-McBean sniff test?

Image Source: Pictofigo "Star"

Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars. Those stars weren’t so big. They were really so small. You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all.

But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches. Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.” With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort “We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!” And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking, they’d hike right on past them without even talking.

I’m going to introduce another character into this story.  His name is Sylvester McMonkey-McBean, an entrepreneur who offers hope to the plain-bellied Sneetches by offering them the use of his star-on-machine.

Then ONE day, it seems while the Plain-Belly Sneetches Were moping and doping alone on the beaches, Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars, A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars!

“My friends”, he announced in a voice clear and clean, “My name is Sylvester McMonkey-McBean. And I’ve heard of your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy. But I can fix that, I’m the Fix-It-Up Chappie.

However, it soon becomes clear that Mr. McMonkey-McBean is no champion of the Plain-Belly Sneetches; in fact all he cares about is making money.  He is quite happy modifying the machine to remove stars from Sneetches who want to stand apart again.

I’ve come here to help you. I have what you need. And my prices are low. And I work with great speed. And my work is one hundred per cent guaranteed!”

Then, quickly, Sylvester McMonkey McBean Put together a very peculiar machine. And he said, “You want stars like a Star-Belly Sneetch? My friends, you can have them for three dollars each!”

“Just pay me your money and hop right aboard!” So they clambered inside. Then the big machine roared. And it klonked. And it bonked. And it jerked. And it berked. And it bopped them about. But the thing really worked! When the Plain-Belly Sneetches popped out, they had stars! They actually did. They had stars upon thars!

Then they yelled at the ones who had stars at the start, “We’re still the best Sneetches and they are the worst. But now, how in the world will we know”, they all frowned, “If which kind is what, or the other way round?”

Then up came McBean with a very sly wink. And he said, “Things are not quite as bad as you think. So you don’t know who’s who. That is perfectly true. But come with me, friends. Do you know what I’ll do? I’ll make you, again, the best Sneetches on the beaches. And all it will cost you is ten dollars eaches.”

He encourages the Sneetches to continually go from the star-on-machine to the star-off-machine and back to the star-on-machine.

All the rest of that day, on those wild screaming beaches, The Fix-It-Up Chappie kept fixing up Sneetches. Off again! On again! In again! Out again! Through the machines they raced round and about again,

Changing their stars every minute or two. They kept paying money. They kept running through until the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew Whether this one was that one or that one was this one. Or which one Was what one or what one was who.

Eventually, Mr. McMonkey-McBean vanishes once the Sneetches run out of money.

Then, when every last cent of their money was spent, The Fix-It-Up Chappie packed up. And he went. And he laughed as he drove In his car up the beach, “They never will learn. No. You can’t Teach a Sneetch!”

Fortunately, in the end, the Sneetches have no idea who is who and both Star-bellied Sneetches and Plain-bellied Sneetches learn to live together.

But McBean was quite wrong. I’m quite happy to say. That the Sneetches got really quite smart on that day. The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches. And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches. That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars and whether They had one, or not, upon thars.

How my Zombie PM Book Survived

It's been over a year since I published my book, Zombie Project Management, to the Amazon Kindle store. It was fun writing it and discovering the process of publishing a book.  So, you can image my surprise when Amazon sent me an email a few days ago.

During a review of your catalog, we found that one or more of your titles contain content that is freely available on the web.  Copyright is important to us – we want to make sure that no author or other copyright holder has their work claimed and sold by anyone else.

Zombie Project Management (ASIN:B004V1GWFQ)

If, in fact, you are the sole owner of the publishing rights for the books listed above, please provide the URLs for all websites where you have previously published this or any other Kindle content. Please respond within five business days with the requested URLs so we can verify you have the sole publishing rights, or the books will be removed from sale in the Kindle Store. If the content of your book(s) are in the public domain, please confirm this and include the information you used to make this determination.

I promptly sent them a link to The Critical Path blog. I stated the origin of my book content was from my blog (which I am the sole owner of) and I had granted syndication rights to Talking Work.  I claim to have sole publishing rights to the content in the book.

The response took just a few days

Hello, Thank you for your cooperation in providing the requested information. The following book(s) will continue to be available in the Kindle Store. Zombie Project Management (ASIN:B004V1GWFQ) If you have any questions regarding the review process, you can write to us at ...

Best Regards, Aaron W. Amazon.com

I have three takeaways

1. Don't plagiarize. We all have something to say, write, or do.  Let your work stand on its own.
2. If you are in the right, you fight!  Don't be shy about it.
3. Amazon was quick and they were fair.  It was a good experience.

To close, I'm going to quote Seth Godin from one of his blog posts.

Go, give a speech. Go, start a blog. Go, ship that thing that you’ve been hiding. Begin, begin, begin and then improve. Being a novice is way overrated

Image Source: Pictofigo

Oh the Places You'll Go!

My nephew just graduated from college. As I enjoyed a bottle of "Graduation Ale" home brew, at his graduation party, I noticed a quote from Dr. Seuss printed on the label.  This quote is applicable to so many of us.  Are you a new graduate or a long-standing member of an empowered team? Give it a read.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...

Image Source: Pictofigo

What is Fist of Five?

Why

It doesn't matter if I'm teaching a class or coaching a team.  When the moment comes, I need a quick way for a team to come to a decision.  Why should the team decide and not me?  From the seven standard leadership styles, I see consensus as the most appropriate for an empowered team.  If the team is not empowered, they are not an Agile team.

How

When a decision has to be made, ask the team to do a fist of five. All the team members raise one hand to vote with their five fingers (unless they've suffered an accident in shop class).  I depicted in the Fist of Five Pictofigo drawing, member votes range from a fist to five fingers.  The term fist to five and fist of five are interchangeable.

Explaining the Details

• I see a fist as a blocker. This individual is in complete disagreement and further discussion is required.

• One finger (preferably not the middle one) has minimal support to the request at hand. Again, discussion is required.

• Two fingers. Not happy with the current proposal. Should discuss as a group to try and resolve disagreements.

• Three fingers. Luke warm response. May go along if the rest of the group is voting three, four, or five.

• Four fingers. Pretty much agree with the request. There is some apprehension but you can't expect everyone to be all in all the time.

• Five fingers. Full support. They drank the Kool-Aid

Certainly, the success of this strategy is going to depend on the team employing it.  There will be some who just like to hear themselves talk and will throw up a fist, one, or two every time.  Hear them out!  You'll also have those who don't like to commit to anything.  They will generally put up three fingers.  Whatever the outcomes, try to keep a strict timebox for discussions.  Remember, this was to be a quick way for a team to come to a decision.

I would be curious to hear when you use fist of five, your successes, and your failures.

Image Source: Pictofigo

PMI-ACP Numbers So Far

Tomorrow, the June 2012 edition of PMI Today will be formally available.  Before that happens, I wanted to give a progress report on the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner numbers.  Since the certification was launched back in January, the number of certification holders has grown from 542 to 758.  Though this may be perceived as a slow start for number of people holding the credential, it has already surpassed the PMI-SP and will surpass the PgMP next month.  Let's not forget, these certifications have been out for a few years, not a few months.  I'm not trying to minimize the value these certifications hold.  Rather, I believe the Agile community is responsible for the ACP number reaching these milestones as quickly as they have. Based on informal polling of learners from my classes, people are taking the exam within two months of taking a class.  Though I don't expect to see the certification rates to rival the PMP any time in the near future, I'm excited to see an upward trend in the ACP adoption rate.

Data Source: PMI Today