Written by: Rishea Middlebrooks MSHI, CAPM

“The question is not whether we will have a culture. The responsible question is what type of culture do we want to have? That’s why our actions must be deliberate in shaping outcomes into the culture we want to have.” – Maj. Gen. Bradley D. Spacey

If we don’t empower the people, we can’t get the work done. Take a look at Dr. Tanika Kyle’s strategies to SLAAY (Strategically Live Authentically as Yourself) to become a better leader!

Presentation Overview 

The most challenging part of facilitating transition or striving for efficient business processes isn't the tools, techniques, or processes you choose to use. It all comes down to understanding that this mindset change requires strategic, future-thinking leaders to provide and welcome opportunities to engage their teams in conversations and activities that start to lay the foundation, which can make or break this new voyage.

In this session, Dr. Kyle teaches practical tools and strategies that are purposeful and proactive in leading and empowering your teams.

Takeaways

• VUCA Proactive Actions for Leaders
  • Volatile
    • Vision
    • Creating a safe space for acceptance that makes it okay to transition and establish a new path forward
  • Uncertain
    • Understanding
    • Gather data and insight
  • Complexity
    • Clarity
    • Identify and focus on a specific process
  • Ambiguous
    • Agile
    • Encourage future thinking by using pilots to test new ideas and continually improve
• Change takes time
  • It is important to be accepting and have a cognitive change management mindset to gently encourage the team to take on these changes.
• Tips to SLAAY as a Leader
  • Tip #1: SLAAY Leader SLAAY
    • Keep current on your leadership and technical skills – your team is watching you and you SLAAY by leading
  • Tip #2: Determine Your Superpowers & Purpose
    • We have superpowers, but we are not super heroes – it is important to identify you and your team’s strengths and natural talents while also showing grace to the human abilities of your team
    • Questions to ask your team to identify their superpowers
      • What are your strengths? What are your joyous activities? Who inspires you?
      • Ask someone you love and trust to identify what your superpowers
    • Help your team empower their skills and super strengths to better improve the trajectory of your team
  • Tip #3: Walk in Your Purpose
    • Once you know your purpose, you are better able to identify your team’s individual and collective purpose
    • Questions to determine purpose
      • What do you constantly dream about? What motivates you? What makes you angry enough or passionate enough to do something about it?
  • Tip #4: Define Your Team
    • Remember that Together Everyone Achieves More 
    • Take the time to build up your team and help them identify achievable goals, removing barriers and match initiatives with the skillsets of your team members
  • Tip #5: Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
    • Transition is invisible and challenging at times – it is okay for you and your team to take a break and step away when the load is heavy!
    • Acknowledge that fear is real
    • Be open and honest about the facts and don’t over speculate – tell what you know and admit what you don’t!
    • Provide reassurances and identify a perceived loss – always show empathy
  • Tip #6: Flex Your Leadership Styles
    • Be flexible in your leadership styles to best adapt to the needs of the team
    • One team member may perform well to the transformational leadership style, while another may perform best to the resilient leadership style
  • Tip #7: Plan for the Future of Your Team
    • Plan today so that you can better be prepared for tomorrow

Next Event

Join us at the next PMI Atlanta Chapter Healthcare forum on Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Keynote Presentation: "Where Did All The Good Project Managers Go?" by April Coy, Director, Supply Chain at HD Supply

Register at www.pmiatlanta.org/events/event-calendar 

Event Pictures

Written by: Alex Leonard, PMP

Presentation Overview 

On May 16, 2023, the Agile Forum of the PMI Atlanta Chapter hosted their first in-person forum event of the year! The forum presentation, titled “Agile & Cybersecurity”, was presented by Andrew Gurbaxani. In his presentation, Andrew discussed how Agile and Cybersecurity can work with or against each other. He explained and drew emphasis on the similarities and differences between the Agile way of working and cybersecurity. Even though there are different vocabularies, the two complement one another. While the Agile way of working may introduce some cyber-risk, it also creates cyber-opportunity. Agile supports “secure by design” and “secure by default” principles when properly applied. Some Agile frameworks are well suited for the cybersecurity domain, and those include Xtreme Programing (XP), Test Driven Development (TDD), and Scrum via daily inspection and review.

Being Agile in the Cybersecurity space can be quite a positive practice. Incident detection and response, attack surface mapping, and red/blue/purple team exercises are all techniques in cybersecurity operations that can benefit from an Agile approach. While there are many positives, there are also a few negatives. Security breaches and supply chain compromises can happen easily, and have happened, even in these environments, especially if or when the right protocols are not followed.

During this forum event, Andrew also discussed what is and is not security. He explained that security is the protection of proprietary or confidential information that has been entrusted to us as employees of an organization. As an example, robust policies and processes, proactive vulnerability scans, and user security awareness all fall under the “security” umbrella, while maturity models, compliance activities, and security teams do not.

Takeaways

• Implementing agility in the cybersecurity domain does not come without a cultural shift.
• While there are unique challenges with Agile in cybersecurity operations, it can have a positive and negative impact, if the right protocols are not followed.
• As a Project Manager in the cybersecurity domain, you are the chief information security officer – take your responsibility seriously!

Next Event

Join us at the next PMI Atlanta Chapter “In-Person” Agile forum on August 15, 2023

Keynote Presentation: "How to Talk Agile in a Waterfall Environment" by Tamara McLemore, PMP, PMI-ACP, the Chief Impact Officer at Tamara Joy McLemore Enterprises

Register at www.pmiatlanta.org/events/event-calendar

Event Pictures

Written by: LeDerrick Bouknight

In this discussion, attendees heard the advantages metrics can provide to improve organizational flow of value. The present shared real-world examples exploring the benefits and potential pitfalls organizations experience as they introduce performance metrics.

Presentation Overview 

After a brief opening and introduction, Danny Presten, began the discussion with his Pyramid of Value model. This model contains metrics important to the organization. (These metrics are listed below.) He further discussed that efficient flow of value is organizational collaboration. As such, the metrics quantify organizational performance even in software development. Hence, Danny linked the organizational metrics to a Value Stream Map (VSM) of the Agile stories processes listed in sequential order. In this example, the group discussed how a lengthy cycle time produced a process bottleneck. To increase value, this constraint should be addressed to unlock value in the organization to increase process flow. Therefore, traditional process improvement methodologies were linked to the Agile approach. Overall, this was an informative meeting providing tools for process efficiencies in software development.

Takeaways

Predictable Outcome Model discussion:

• Pyramid of Value metrics (from top to bottom)
  • Profits
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Innovation
  • Speed to Market
  • Prioritization
  • Predictability
  • Transparency
• Additional metrics
  • Flow velocity
  • Flow distribution
  • Flow load
  • Flow time
  • Flow efficiency

Next Event

Join us at the next PMI Atlanta Governance forum on Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Keynote Presentation: "Competing IT Priorities - An Operating Model for Data Stewardship and Business Architecture: Is it The Cure?" by Jaleann M. Matos-McClurg, VP, Professional Development at IIBA Greater Atlanta

Register at www.pmiatlanta.org/events/event-calendar 

Written by: Alex Leonard, PMP

Incorporating agility allows for a quicker response to changes and opportunities. Attendees learned the simple approaches to leverage flexibility and adaptability, that ultimately leads to more successful project outcomes.

Presentation Overview 

On April 18, 2023, the Agile Forum of the PMI Atlanta Chapter hosted the “Incorporating Agility into Waterfall Projects” Special Interest Forum Event as presented by Amber Chandler. Amber has made a career in the Agile space, supporting organizations through Lean-Agile transformations, and helping solution-oriented professionals solve problems.

Throughout the course of a 1-hour presentation, Amber discussed the importance of incorporating the Agile methodology into those environments that utilize a traditional waterfall approach to project/product management. Some areas Amber focused on included an overview of traditional Waterfall vs. Agile Methodologies, the Agile Manifesto, and how to embrace the Agile mindset and implement adaptive techniques without any direct authority.

Amber made a point to emphasize that while both Agile & Waterfall are useful methodologies, knowing how and when to use them is what’s key.

Takeaways

• “Incorporating agility into a waterfall project, does NOT mean using Scrum and Kanban exclusively.”
• Agility relies heavily on flexibility, communication, time & costs.
• Agile is a mindset – it is not an “on/off” switch; however, one should not expect to check every single “Agility Box” each day.
• When operating in a waterfall environment, it is a good practice for a person to operate under a “second layer” where agile techniques such as iterative planning/execution or adaptive scope management can be incorporated, even if the team or organization has not yet transitioned into the Agile way.

Next Event

Join us at the next PMI Atlanta Chapter “In-Person” Agile forum on May 16, 2023

Keynote Presentation: "Agile & Cybersecurity" by Andrew Gurbaxani, vCIO at Assessivate LLC

Register at www.pmiatlanta.org/events/event-calendar 

Event Pictures