In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock are joined by Melissa Boggs, a leadership coach, consultant, and keynote speaker for Agile 2024. They discuss Melissa's experience as the co-CEO and chief scrum master of Scrum Alliance during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation dives into the topics of employee experience design, non-hierarchical organizations, and the importance of co-creating buy-in for organizational change.

Key Takeaways:

• Delegating authority and distributing power within an organization requires providing context, setting boundaries, and preparing employees for decision-making responsibilities.
• Leaders often avoid change due to a fear of losing authority, power, or performance. Coaching and empathy are essential to help leaders move from a state of caution to curiosity and eventually courage.
• Co-creating buy-in through collaboration and involving employees in decision-making processes leads to organic, natural buy-in and better solutions, as opposed to top-down directives.

Discount Information: Melissa provided a discount code for listeners interested in attending Agile 2024 in Dallas, where she will be the closing keynote speaker. The code "A24-podcast" will give you $100 off your registration- https://www.agilealliance.org/agile2024/

We love to hear your feedback! If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, please feel free to contact us at feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com.

In this episode, Peter Maddison and David Sharrock discuss the complexities and misconceptions surrounding estimation in software development and agile project management. They explore the differences between bottom-up and top-down estimation approaches, emphasizing the importance of continuous conversations and feedback loops throughout the process.

This week's takeaways:

• Bottom-up estimation, where every task is estimated and summed up, is highly inefficient and inaccurate, especially for long-term projects or when requirements are likely to change.
• Top-down estimation, which involves breaking down work into relatable chunks and understanding the journey, is more effective and allows for adaptability as the project progresses.
• Estimation should be an ongoing conversation between teams, stakeholders, and decision-makers, focusing on problem-solving, progress tracking, and continuous feedback rather than rigid timelines.

Tune in for a riveting discussion that challenges traditional notches around estimation in agile software development. Subscribe to absorb invaluable insights on nurturing continuous conversations, embracing top-down estimation techniques, and fostering an environment primed for delivery excellence at scale.

Unlock the secrets to a thriving developer experience as we dissect the critical balance between productivity and fulfillment in the tech world. Prepare to have your perspective on developer metrics as we dive deep into the implications of AI advancements and economic shifts on the roles and recognition of software engineers. This episode is a treasure trove for anyone seeking to understand the nuanced landscape of the tech industry, where the intangible aspects of job satisfaction go hand-in-hand with tangible outputs.

We challenge the traditional yardsticks of developer output, advocating for a collaborative approach to productivity that values the system over the individual. You'll discover the art of using metrics responsibly in a way that empowers and informs developers rather than policing them. Drawing on our expertise, we leave you with actionable insights into fostering an agile environment where collective progress is king and where developers feel secure, autonomous, and integral to their organization's success.

This week's takeaways:

• There is no single metric to measure developer productivity effectively. Look at correlations across multiple qualitative and quantitative metrics.
• Focus on development productivity metrics for the overall system/team rather than individual developer productivity numbers.
• Make productivity metrics transparently available to developers, allowing them to self-regulate performance rather than being managed top-down.

Resource:

Measuring Developer Productivity: Real-World Examples -
https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/measuring-developer-productivity-bae

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation that reshapes how we perceive and enhance the developer experience in an ever-evolving industry. Subscribe to learn more insights around leadership, agile, and DevOps transformation at scale.