For the past 20 years, Agile Alliance has been the leading non-profit membership organization dedicated to supporting Agile ways of working. This conversation–the 5th in the series of Women in Agile panels co-presented by Agile Testing Days and Agile Alliance–will highlight some of the women who have been involved in helping Agile Alliance fulfill its mission and become a more inclusive community.
Chat for the Session
18:00:41 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
Girls just wanna have fun!
18:01:04 From Kristen Belcher to Everyone:
#RunTheWorld
18:01:11 From Janet Gregory to Host and Panelists:
Welcome everyone
18:01:21 From Janet Gregory to Everyone:
Welcome everyone
18:05:10 From Ellen Grove to Everyone:
Please put any questions you’d like the panel to address in the Q&A—thx!
18:07:24 From Kelli Bryant to Host and Panelists:
Hey Cat 🙂
18:08:13 From Cat Swetel to Kelli Bryant, Host and Panelists:
<3
18:11:05 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
ha! from the dictionary… the opposite of assumption is…. Reality Check!
18:13:56 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
I love the thought of identifying the gaps and then building a bridge.
18:18:11 From Jutta Eckstein to Everyone:
also the initiative on emerging economies
18:18:51 From Shushumna Jella to Everyone:
I would love build the Agile Women community in Milwaukee, WI
18:18:55 From Andrea Pratt-Smith to Everyone:
is The Bahamas considered an emerging economy?
18:19:47 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
This is so important… Servant Leadership at the global level!!
18:20:03 From Emma Watts to Host and Panelists:
Slightly tangential but I’d love to start a conversation around Agile practices and mental health/wellbeing at work
18:20:21 From Nadya Ichinomiya – Los Angeles – Sony Pictures (She/Her) to Everyone:
I agree, @athens – about your Servant Leadership comment!
18:20:35 From Emma Watts to Host and Panelists:
Me too @Athens
18:22:47 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
correct… I see two sides of the same coin. How are they defining “Agile” when they say they are? Also, how to we shift mindsets who dismiss the word Agile out of hand, without understanding what Agile is?
18:23:11 From Nicolette Ammon to Everyone:
My experience is the term ‘agile’ can be confusing for individuals and thinking outside of the box is not always appreciated by more experienced agile-goers. 🙂
18:24:37 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
thank you @Nicolette. I still would like to find a way to “translate” the word Agile for other spaces besides tech spaces… for example, being agile in the Boardroom.
18:25:23 From Kristen Belcher to Everyone:
Love Cat’s #HotTakes
18:26:16 From Nicolette Ammon to Everyone:
@Kolias I love that curiosity! Adding to the example of boardroom, what does agile mean for knowledge work/workers?!
18:26:26 From Jutta Eckstein to Everyone:
Here’s the AA’s vision: Building a more effective, humane, and sustainable way of working.
18:26:58 From Querida Villa to Everyone:
Plateformification!!
18:27:03 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
thank you both!
18:27:10 From Emma Watts to Host and Panelists:
Love this, Cat!
18:27:14 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
Love it!
18:28:03 From Jutta Eckstein to Everyone:
For me the definition of Agile is based on the Agile Manifesto.
18:28:05 From Debra Sweet to Everyone:
Love it!
18:28:28 From Querida Villa to Everyone:
User Experience is everything
18:28:33 From Kristell Gnahm to Host and Panelists:
I’m all fangirling over here, love this conversation. Thank you so much!
18:28:51 From Cat Swetel to Everyone:
Burning question….this should be good
18:29:33 From Ellen Grove to Everyone:
look for Rebecca’s talk on Ethical tech on Youtube—it’s great!
18:29:36 From Janet Gregory to Everyone:
18:29:46 From Ellen Grove to Everyone:
thank you Janet!
18:32:27 From Janet Gregory to Everyone:
the responsible tech playbook… does anyone have a link to that?
18:35:08 From Rebecca Parsons to Host and Panelists:
https://www.thoughtworks.com/en-us/about-us/social-change/responsible-tech-playbook
18:35:17 From Rebecca Parsons to Everyone:
https://www.thoughtworks.com/en-us/about-us/social-change/responsible-tech-playbook
18:36:15 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
Rebecca, this thread reminds me so much about how so many corporate boards are not interested in stating these values in their Vision/Mission statements. I work with a global NP which advocates for a servant leadership-based board governance system. So many overlaps in values with the Agile mindset.. so much more I can say…
18:36:18 From Janet Gregory to Everyone:
thank you
18:36:18 From Wouter Lagerweij to Everyone:
I vote for contrarian-ness. If that doesn’t make it less contrarian.
18:37:31 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
people are afraid. and it evidences itself as resistance and closed-mindedness. As humans, we need to address those fears.
18:37:56 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
Many corporations are closed minded and greedy
18:38:29 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
agreed Marla! so why would they want to be transparent about their motives?
18:38:32 From Wouter Lagerweij to Everyone:
I love the efficiency vs resilience view. Resilience is on the side of diversity, social safetynets, health, etc.
18:39:29 From Wouter Lagerweij to Everyone:
corporations aren’t greedy, they’re led based on the system in which they function. That system is controlled on a few short-term metrics.
18:39:33 From Kristen Belcher to Everyone:
Ellen bringing us to some wicked questions 😉
18:39:43 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
That’s why it’s so important that our Agile teams infiltrate ethical and fair in all we do…
18:39:45 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
reading my mind.. the world is not B&W… not even gray… it’s technicolor! I love technicolor! but many prefer the B&W sadly.
18:40:09 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
And, not Or
18:40:50 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
It’s awesome conversation
18:40:59 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
me too! keep me in this convo!
18:41:20 From Richelle Bixler (she/her) to Everyone:
💯
18:41:36 From Querida Villa to Everyone:
Exposing vulnerabilities builds opportunities for growth. This decision is amazing.
18:41:36 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
Absorbing it all in
18:41:40 From Nicolette Ammon to Everyone:
Also, Company philosophy or culture could be at odds with agile values.
18:41:47 From Jessica Piikkila to Everyone:
Is there a long-lived group like this?
18:42:48 From Ellen Grove to Everyone:
Maybe we can create a longer-lived group like this? I know some people 🙂
18:43:19 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
I would definitely be interested in a longer lived group to continue these important topics.
18:43:21 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
I think we do what we know in the moment.
18:43:30 From Jessica Piikkila to Everyone:
Yes!
18:43:40 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
And then do better when we know more – at least I hope we do.
18:44:21 From Nicolette Ammon to Everyone:
Exploring different problem-solving techniques can be valuable. Unfortunately not everyone likes different techniques – they want to stick with what they know and what they think is ‘right’. But isn’t being agile about pivoting and improving…
18:44:23 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
no, it’s the context and perspective we choose to look through
18:44:35 From Emma Watts to Host and Panelists:
Also interested in a longer lived group around this!
18:44:59 From Cat Swetel to Everyone:
“How do you know?” This question is why Jabe Bloom, Ben Mosior, and I have been talking about epistemically healthy systems
18:45:46 From Cat Swetel to Everyone:
Kemmy, we all get lost deep in the software lol sad fact of life in the digital age
18:46:05 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
Kemmy, it’s all connected! We just need to do a better job of translating!
18:47:17 From Richelle Bixler (she/her) to Everyone:
we need to remember that agile isn’t just in software
18:47:18 From Richelle Bixler (she/her) to Everyone:
or IT
18:47:58 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
Thank you Richelle!
18:48:20 From Kristen Belcher to Everyone:
Totally got it – thanks, ladies!
18:48:55 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
well ok then!
18:49:40 From Emma Watts to Host and Panelists:
Such a good point! So many companies with super high valuations aren’t even profitable
18:49:52 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
there’s a diff between monetarily profitable vs humanly profitable… still need good language.
18:49:58 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
you rock Kat!
18:50:16 From Jessica Piikkila to Everyone:
Amen to that
18:50:21 From Jessica Piikkila to Everyone:
Grateful
18:51:54 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
But the CEO answers to the Board. and what people don’t understand is that the Board is answerable to their moral and legal ownership. emphasis on moral ownership.
18:52:13 From Wouter Lagerweij to Everyone:
Excellent answer 🙂
18:53:03 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
like the guy who fired 900 people over zoom? who’d want to work for him ever?
18:53:12 From Wouter Lagerweij to Everyone:
I’d like to imagine that corporate leaders _could_ have other goals than just profit…
18:53:18 From Shawna Flager to Everyone:
oooo..good point Athens
18:53:50 From Marla Walker to Everyone:
Such good conversation.
18:54:02 From Nicolette Ammon to Everyone:
Thank you all for this informative discussion.
18:54:05 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
corp leaders could do a lot better, and as a society we are slowly evolving towards co-creation, but the B&W thinking is slowing us down.
18:54:10 From Alberto Osuji || Nigeria to Everyone:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/osujialberto Happy to Connect Thank you
18:54:17 From Bob Gill to Everyone:
Thanks for all your thoughtful conversations.
18:54:40 From lthomas to Everyone:
Great conversations! Thanks Ladies!!!
18:54:50 From Jutta Eckstein to Everyone:
And… don’t wait for the corporate leaders, you can start these conversations in your company, in your team!
18:54:55 From David Bailey to Everyone:
Yes!
18:54:58 From Cat Swetel to Everyone:
Thanks for joining us! This was great fun!
18:55:05 From Shawna Flager to Everyone:
Thank you! I love the conversation
18:55:06 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
yes! bottom up + top down change!
18:55:08 From Jutta Eckstein to Everyone:
Thank you all!
18:55:13 From Athens Kolias to Everyone:
thank you!1
18:55:14 From Jennie LaPoint to Everyone:
Great conversation, thank you!!!
18:55:15 From Jim Chambers to Everyone:
Thank you all! It’s extraordinary!
18:55:17 From Kristen Belcher to Everyone:
Thank you all!
18:55:18 From Querida Villa to Host and Panelists:
Thanks a million Ladies for your phenomenal insight.. This Think Tank has been awesome.
18:55:19 From Sasika N/ NYC to Host and Panelists:
Thank you!
18:55:20 From Elke to Everyone:
🙏🏻
18:55:24 From Kemmy Raji to Host and Panelists:
Thank you all
