The Human Side of Agile

As an Agile team leader, your biggest challenge is also your biggest asset. The human side of Agile is tricky. It’s the least manageable, understood, and appreciated asset in an Agile environment. Even if your customers are reasonably happy and your developers seem to be doing okay, you know your team is capable of more: delivering great products and staying ahead of ever-changing demands. You need a team that’s self-organized, energetic, and flexible, even in tough situations. But how do you build it and lead it? Whether you’re a ScrumMaster, project manager, functional manager, or team leader, you want to feel good about using Agile and to create the conditions for great results. But the project management skills you honed in traditional environments don’t always apply to the role of Agile team leader. The Human Side of Agile fills this gap, guiding you to: Establish yourself as a confident and capable leader who adds value Build and lead an engaged team that can handle almost any challenge Cultivate collaboration and a continuous improvement mind-set Reap the full benefits of Agile in the real world with real people “I just found the next must-read book for our entire leadership team.” “Tricia Broderick, Director of Development, TechSmith” “This book is up there with Peopleware, with concrete examples you can use immediately.” “Dave Rooney, Sherpa, Shopify” “Agile teams need effective leaders who ‘get’ the people stuff. Without that you’re merely going through the Agile motions.” “Scott W. Ambler, co-creator of Disciplined Agile Delivery” While readable from cover to cover, the book is written as practical answers to the 80+ most relevant and pressing questions that team leaders ask, such as: “How Can I Help the Team Buy In?” “What If I Can’t Work Full-Time as the Team’s Leader?” “What Actions Will Build the Team’s Trust in Me?” “How Can I Mitigate the Damage of Performance Reviews?” “What If a Member Doesn’t Fit With the Team?” “How Can We Focus on Our Work With So Many Meetings?” “How Do I Get Stakeholders and Managers on My Side?” “How Can I Make Changes Stick?” “How Do We Avoid Reverting to Old Behaviors?” (Click on Look Inside to browse the complete table of contents.) The book’s forewords are by Jim Highsmith and Christopher Avery. Gil Broza, founder and chief specialist at 3P Vantage, has successfully mentored Agile leaders and their teams since 2004. Gil’s guidance helps professionals adopt effective, humane, and responsible approaches to software development.