Agile

Strengths in Uncertainty Series – Arranger

By Emma Sharrock / May 28, 2020 / Comments Off on Strengths in Uncertainty Series – Arranger

I only met JC last year, but it feels like I’ve known her for years. Her energy and enthusiasm for life are infectious, and every interaction I have with her leaves me with valuable learnings and feelings of positivity and hope. Our interview was a bit different from previous ones in that JC led with…

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April Bright Spots – Dealing with Uncertainty

By Emma Sharrock / May 19, 2020 / Comments Off on April Bright Spots – Dealing with Uncertainty

Can you believe it’s May? And you know what, even if we weren’t amid a pandemic, I imagine I would still be writing this. Time is flying regardless of the events. I think when I write “can you believe it’s May?” it is with the tone of “I can’t believe it’s already May, and I…

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Strengths in Uncertainty Series – Input

By Emma Sharrock / May 15, 2020 / Comments Off on Strengths in Uncertainty Series – Input

I tell you there was a danger in this series not seeing the light of day. My Input Strength is #1 and I LOVE learning! But I also risk being trapped in a continuous cycle of gathering valuable learnings and not sharing them. Fortunately, my wonderful friend Emma Kirkwood also has Input very high, and…

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Strengths in Uncertainty Series – Activator

By Emma Sharrock / May 11, 2020 / Comments Off on Strengths in Uncertainty Series – Activator

Welcome to the Strengths in Uncertainty Series! When the COVID-19 crisis first hit, we immediately faced uncertainty. Uncertainty in our jobs, businesses, families and homes. And it was hard for all of us. But what I’ve noticed is how resilient we have been in facing this crisis. I have been working with a range of…

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Agile; Standup

Focusing on the bright spots

By Emma Sharrock / April 14, 2020 / Comments Off on Focusing on the bright spots

As I write this, we are experiencing a time of unprecedented change. This time last month it felt like the year was flying by. Now, for many, it’s not going fast enough, as we navigate the challenging landscape of COVID19. My heart goes out to everyone experiencing the virus itself or the anxiety that is…

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Agile; Standup

What do you Believe?

By Emma Sharrock / March 9, 2020 / Comments Off on What do you Believe?

Don’t panic, but we’re SPRINTING our way through to the end of the first quarter of the year. Didn’t we just have Christmas? I’m sure I’m not alone in my fascination with the speed of time. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for time boxes to keep focused and kicking goals. The calendar…

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Being the Agile Leader

Being the Agile Leader

By Emma Sharrock / February 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Being the Agile Leader

Last week I spoke at the Female Influencers in Technology (FIIT) Meetup, and I shared my experience and passion for Being the Agile Leader. I thought I would share the highlights as part of this month’s blog. There are No bad Agile Teams, only Bad Agile Leaders In the military, we have an expression: “There…

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Agile; Standup

Starting with the End in Mind

By Emma Sharrock / February 11, 2020 / Comments Off on Starting with the End in Mind

One month into the new year! How is 2020 going for you so far? I’ve been working on developing new habits around my work and business. Starting as I mean to go on. Agile is all about sustainability – sprints AND rest! To enable this sustainable pace, we need to reflect on how we show…

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PMI Award Agile Team

Learning from Winning

By Emma Sharrock / October 15, 2019 / Comments Off on Learning from Winning

I truly believe that we never stop learning. And we can learn in the most unexpected situations, like a chance encounter with a long-lost friend. Or in a more expected situation, like a classroom. Often it’s a humbling experience, as many learnings come from failures – from experiments that didn’t go the way we thought…

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SmallSlice

Small Slices – the How To

By Emma Sharrock / September 18, 2019 / Comments Off on Small Slices – the How To

Last blog we talked about the power of a small slice. It very  much talked to why they were so important and I provided some examples. Now we’re going to talk about how to do this. There is no shortage of technical advice on this, and simply re-posting what experts like Ron Jeffries, Jeff Patton…

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Choices

The Power of the Small Slice

By Emma Sharrock / August 29, 2019 / Comments Off on The Power of the Small Slice

Recently the focus of my coaching has been working with Agile teams to prioritise work. It’s been challenging. But not because ‘everything is priority #1’, but more because their work is too big. “But they HAVE to be big! It’s BIG work!” is a common answer, but do they? Is it? What would it mean…

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Agile; Strengths

Agile: Start with Talent, Finish with Strengths

By Emma Sharrock / June 26, 2019 / Comments Off on Agile: Start with Talent, Finish with Strengths

Recently I was certified as a Gallup Strengths Coach. This was especially exciting, as for years I had loved the concept of strengths; but even though I am an accredited coach, I was very much an ‘enthusiastic amateur’ when it came to strengths. My love of learning encouraged me to learn more, and passion for…

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Agile; Retrospective

How to Hold a Retrospective (and Why Cherry Picking Doesn’t Work)

By Emma Sharrock / October 23, 2018 / Comments Off on How to Hold a Retrospective (and Why Cherry Picking Doesn’t Work)

I often see extraordinary frameworks fail because teams are cherry picking which elements to implement. They want to keep the “doing” elements of the system, and love the rewards and benefits, but they don’t want to implement the “thinking” parts of the system, and dislike challenges or negative feedback. Unfortunately, an incompletely implemented framework such…

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Are You Stuck on Send?

By Emma Sharrock / March 29, 2018 / Comments Off on Are You Stuck on Send?

In my early days in the military, outdoor survival was the most memorable training experience for me. In the harsh Australian bush, it becomes clear very quickly that preparation is key, and as Greek poet Archilochus observed; “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” For…

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agile, agile change

Why your Organisation isn’t Agile

By Emma Sharrock / October 16, 2017 / Comments Off on Why your Organisation isn’t Agile

For many businesses and leaders, “Agile” has become synonymous with any flexible working arrangements. Working from home? Thats an Agile Work Location. No chairs in the boardroom? That’s an Agile Standup. Sticky notes on the wall? That’s kanban, baby! I was talking to a friend the other day who has just started consulting for a firm…

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Your Questions Answered

By Emma Sharrock / April 11, 2016 / Comments Off on Your Questions Answered

One of the many things I have loved about publishing The Agile Project Manager is the connections I have made with others. These connections I may well have made by just being interested in all things human behaviour and Agile Project Management, but it’s more than that. People have been buying the book (yay!), and…

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