Training: "Individual and Team Dynamics: Fundamental Skills Needed to Deliver on the Promise of Lean and Agile"

Time: Tuesday 09:00 - 16:00

Location: Stanford Room

Abstract:
  • Have you ever worked with a group of smart people who consistently delivered results far beneath their potential?
  • Have you ever worked with a group of average people who came together as a team and produced results far beyond the sum of their individual capabilities?
  • Have you adopt Agile or Lean practices but failed to see the reported benefits by others?
  • Product development teams often focus on technical skills, tools, and advanced process issues - but fail to integrate the fundamental behaviors essential to high performance teams.
  • What if your group felt strong ownership for the success of their project?
  • What if the individuals you work with faced the uncomfortable and undisscusable issues instead of sweeping them under the carpet?
  • What if your peers responded to problems by taking responsibility and finding solutions rather than finger pointing?
  • What if your teams held themselves to higher standards of professionalism and productivity?
  • How do all of these things affect your effectiveness in implementing skills and practices from the Agile and Lean toolboxes?

A solid understanding of technical concepts and practices is not enough for teams to operate at peak efficiency.  Truly high performing teams understand and practice several universally common behaviors.  These teams work well together and produce more output in less time.  High performing teams are committed to a common goal and understand the value of ownership behavior as opposed to behaviors which are rooted in blame, justification and obligation.

This workshop is designed to make teams experience a breakthrough in their performance and effectiveness executing projects.  During this extremely interactive and collaborative workshop, teams work together through a series of guided exercises which foster the concept of personal responsibility and it's effect on personal, team and organizational success.

By the end of the week, participants will realize the  importance and effectiveness of human dynamics, and how a few simple behaviors, when done well, will catapult their results and create an environment that fosters and encourages self-organizing, high performing teams. 

Attendees will learn the positive effects of the following:

Reaching clarity on a shared goal that requires teamwork

  • Ownership behavior
  • Maturity in communication
  • Making and keeping agreements
  • Rapid feedback
  • The ability to confront failure and learn
  • Reaching breakthroughs regularly
  • Collaboration
  • Disciplined flexibility
  • The effect of these skills on successful adoption of agile and lean practices

Attendees in this workshop will:

  • Identify and practice the three key skills essential to high performance in any team situation.
  • Understand why teams avoid confrontational issues and fail to resolve problems.
  • Learn to instantly recognize the most fundamental causes of defects and delays in your product.

 

Amr Elssamadisy

 Amr  Elssamadisy Amr Elssamadisy is a software development practitioner who helps his clients build better software that is more valuable to their organizations. Amr and his colleagues at Gemba Systems deliver immediate and lasting results for clients needing to build software systems better, faster, and more reliably.

Amr's technical background and experience allows him to appreciate the problems of and support development teams 'in the trenches'.   At the same time, he realizes that most problems - even in software - are people problems, and therefore are not solved by tools and technology.  Amr and his colleagues at Gemba Systems work with organizations to deliver systematic managed adoption programs that go beyond learning a methodology to create ownership and passion in pursuit of business results.  In the chaos of the real world, he and Gemba deliver on the promise of lean and agile software development.

Amr is also the author of Agile Adoption Patterns: A Roadmap to Organizational Success and Patterns of Agile Practice Adoption: The Technical Cluster.  Amr is also lead editor for the AgileQ at InfoQ and a frequent presenter at software development conferences. You can reach him by sending an email to amr@gembasystems.com.