My Upcoming Presentation at ISPI's THE Performance Improvement Conference

Great News: The International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) has accepted my submission, Getting Started with Agile, and I will present it at THE Performance Improvement Conference 2017, which will take place April 28 - May 2 in beautiful Montreal, Quebec. Here is an overview of what to expect.

Agile was invented by and for software makers. The Agile Manifesto and Principles mention 'software' five times and all other forms of work output zero times. Non-software people are increasingly interested in the benefits of agile, such as adaptability to change and more consistent delivery of value to customers. But, how do you practice agile software development methods when you're not developing software? There is so much to consider, but how do you get started?

I will address these thorny questions and others during my session at THE Performance Improvement Conference, which takes place April 28 - May 2 in beautiful Montreal, Quebec. I’m delighted to have the opportunity once again to share my experiences and insight about Agile with ISPI colleagues.

While some are put off by the software-o-centric messaging of some agile gurus, what we find it that anyone who creates things as part of a team can tap into the benefits of agile. Many novice agiists get caught up in a cycle of putting tools and processes ahead of the mindset, losing sight of the fact that the tools and processes only work if they are support the application of agile values and principles. OK, so what?

In this session, I will propose three straightforward steps that beginning (and experienced but struggling) agile teams should consider. The terminology and concepts can be overwhelming, and we’ll attempt to simplify them together. After the presentation portion, I will lead everyone through an activity to translate my recommendation into a small number of realistic steps to take upon returning home from the conference. In the spirit of human performance technology, you will find this approach fully compatible with ISPI’s CPT Standards to which we are all subscribed. Along the way, we will reinforce the notion that we can all find meaning in work by striving for success with a shared purpose.

I look forward to seeing you in Montreal!

Bob Winter, CPT, is a senior principal consultant at CA Technologies, focusing on enterprise agile enablement and education. In addition to his experience as presenter at several ISPI and agile conferences, he is the author of Agile Performance Improvement: The New Synergy of Agile and Human Performance Technology, published in 2015. In recent years, Bob has focused on finding innovative ways to apply agile software development methods to non-software pursuits.