Agile Scaling – Frameworks are Not the Answer

When: Thursday, October 6, 2022, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Where: Via Zoom 
Credit:  2 PDUs,  Education pillar, Informal Learning
Registration fee: $10 Members and $15 Non-members

With the proliferation of agile scaling frameworks it’s easy to simply grab a popular one off the shelf. However, there are practices in each framework which can be helpful in some circumstances and active hindrances in others, and frameworks come with trade-offs that require close consideration. Agility means suiting your approach to your circumstances, so, instead of picking a framework, mix and match practices culled from them. Our session provides a start by helping you understand key variations between available scaling frameworks and their suitability to your situation. We won’t state which framework is best, but instead we will cover how to wisely pick and choose the elements and approaches that make sense in your unique environment. We will focus primarily on SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework for the Enterprise), Scrum@Scale, LeSS (Large Scale Scrum), the “Spotify Model” and FAST (Fluid Agile Scaling Technology), illustrating some key ways in which they differ from one another. We will also review case studies from several large enterprise clients that have created their own frameworks over time, noting some commonalities, pros and cons from their approaches.

Using a variety of interactive tools we will:

• Discuss some common antipatterns when scaling
• Assess your scaling needs
• Pick the practices and ideas that make the most sense from each framework

Join us and learn how to bake your own scaling method that suites the tastes and dietary needs of your organization!

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the foundations of Agile principles, practices, and guidelines that lead to experience and how to leverage that towards professional growth and the ability to mentor.  

2. Explore ways to describe how to implement Agile strategies, goals, and practices for the benefit of a professional's growth.

3. Explore with a panel of experts in Project Management and Agility how they have mentored others and how you can benefit from their experience. 

Biography of Arlen Bankston

Arlen Bankston was at the vanguard of the agile movement, beginning to practice within two years of the Agile Manifesto’s writing. He was among the first to explicitly blend lean systems thinking and user experience practices with agile software development practices. Arlen was one of the earliest Certified Scrum Trainers, exploring Lean, Six Sigma, BPM and other process management and systems thinking approaches to ensure that organizations took a holistic perspective beyond just the software. He became a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt while leading a Lean-Agile practice for six years and was a successful entrepreneur helping to lead the consultancy LitheSpeed for fifteen years. Today, Arlen has worked across virtually every industry and enjoys a reputation as a thought leader and a dynamic, entertaining and practical trainer and presenter. He has trained and mentored thousands of Scrum Masters, Product Owners, team members and executives, designing the Agile Leadership Academy to address the leadership and structural challenges that still plague many otherwise successful companies. He has consulted and trained for hundreds of clients across every industry such as RBC, Monster, Marriott, NBC Universal, CNBC, NGA, Capital One, T. Rowe Price, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and the Armed Forces Benefits Association. Arlen authored the book “HR and the Agile Organization” to describe how human resources departments can adapt to better support organizations that are trying to become more adaptive while improving employee engagement and retention along the with improving bottom line results.

Biography of David Bulkin

David Bulkin delivers Agile / Lean training and coaching to teams in the United States and globally. David is known for energy, practicality and tangible results. He has 40 years’ experience delivering systems and has been applying Agile Methods for 20 years across the value stream from strategy and product ideation to development, support and operations. David has helped individuals, teams and organizations journey from plan driven to adaptive methods. David continues to actively build product, usually serving in the role of Product Owner and also doing coding and testing. This includes building the software systems that run Grow-Lean. David is active in the Scrum, Agile, Lean, Kanban and SAFe communities, presenting at major conferences. David was an independent reviewer of the PMI-ACP body of knowledge which fed the creation of the PMI-ACP Exam. David started his Agile journey in late 2001 when his eBanking team transitioned to Extreme Programming (XP) under the tutelage of Kent Beck (Agile Manifesto author and creator of XP). The application of Agile Methods turned around eBanking from a slow, difficult to work with group, into a high performing team that consistently hit delivery dates by collaborating with the business. Prior to that, David spent many years as a hands on practioner, developing software systems and business processes as a manager, project manager and developer including creating a successful Internet statup. He has a long history of improving development effectiveness that predates Agile, including being an initial member of the Airlie Council and of the Center for Program Transformation, to progress acquisitions management in the US Federal Government and DoD.