people management

It can be lonely at the top. Trying to find other leaders who are having the same problem and issues you have and are willing to take a few minutes and help solve problems is really hard. One solution that Bob Galen has found works well is the "fishbowl" conversation. The fishbowl activity is also great for keeping a focused conversation while in a large group of people. At any time, only a few people have a conversation—the fish in the fishbowl. The remaining people are listeners—the ones watching the fishbowl. The caveat is that the listeners can join the discussion at any moment. In this session, Bob will facilitate this technique while you and the other attendees bring real leadership problems for all participants to learn from each other.

Open work areas, a focus on collaboration and conversations, and group events that seem to require verbal fluency ... It may feel like the agile ecosystem is designed with extroverts in mind. But science tells us that introverts make up almost half of the workforce, and they may struggle to be productive in an agile environments. In fact, introverts might even shy away from agile opportunities because of the radical collaboration it requires. In this interactive session, Julee Everett will teach you to recognize the traits of an extrovert and an introvert through self-identification. Building on that discussion, you will identify common prejudices and personal biases, then move into busting myths about introverts. Explore how introverts can thrive as leaders by studying lessons from modern, well-known introverted leaders.

When it comes to our day-to-day work interactions, there are many factors that pass us by simply because we’re not used to paying attention to them. The best way to become more observant is through deliberate practice, so join Julie Wyman for a brief introduction to themes and different aspects of interactions to start observing, followed by small group exercises to practice observing and to help understand what it feels like to be observed. The exercises will be followed by a debrief and full group discussion about how to observe thoughtfully and share feedback in a neutral, nonjudgmental way. You will leave with an understanding of the critical importance of being able to observe interactions at the individual, team, and organizational levels, and with ideas for how to observe using multiple senses. You'll go home with your coaching and support skills more aligned to your team’s full situation and needs.

Empathy is a technical skill. Don’t worry; you read that correctly. While empathy is often cited as a critical “soft skill,” it doesn’t stop there. Empathy is also an incredibly technical topic that is more accessible to analytical engineers—and more vital to building software—than you might think. Andrea Goulet, a noted expert on communication in the software industry, will debunk several myths around empathy, including that empathy is just a feeling, that technical folks can’t access empathy, and that empathy is just a high-level, touchy-feely fad. Andrea will demonstrate how empathy is a crucial skill for all developers of software, and she will give you practical and immediately actionable advice for making empathy a central focus of your daily software development communication practices. She'll also explore the place for empathy while you’re coding and testing.