Agile Yorkshire is a monthly gathering of IT professionals from in and around Yorkshire. It has met every month since 2007 to discuss Agile software development methods and extreme programming, plus a host of other IT issues.

Agile Yorkshire's monthly gatherings provide a platform for local practitioners to network, learn from each other and listen to some of the IT industries highest profile speakers.

Andy Butcher - Agile Architecture at Company SkyBet 

In this engaging session, Tony Richards examines a common issue faced by successful teams: even as they generate brilliant ideas for improvement, they often find it difficult to implement them. Tony investigates the psychological barriers that lead us to inadvertently undermine our own best interests, despite understanding the advantages of change. Drawing on his extensive experience as an Agile coach and organisational development specialist, he shares practical strategies for overcoming these challenges. With a calm and systems-aware approach, Tony equips teams to unlock their potential, fostering sustainable, high-performing ways of working.

Tony Richards | Immunity To Change | Agile Yorkshire January 2026

Watch Sarah Baker in this compelling session, "Rewriting the Script: Your Story Beyond Imposter Syndrome." If you've ever wondered whether you struggle with imposter syndrome, you're not alone. Sarah shares effective coping methods and personal anecdotes, demonstrating that, much like on Strictly Come Dancing, the true inspiration lies in the journey, not just the destination.

Sarah Baker | Rewriting the Script: Your Story Beyond Imposter Syndrome | Agile Yorkshire January 2026

In this ten minute lightning talk, Maria shares how she applied agile project management thinking to an unexpected place: indoor climbing.
This talk is a fun and relatable reminder that agile principles show up everywhere, not just at work.
Maria Mora specialises in digital strategy and transformation project management, helping organisations turn strategy into action and navigate change with clarity.  

Maria Mora | Climbing As An “agile” Practice

In just ten minutes, Rebecca flips the narrative on dyslexia, showing how what are often labelled as challenges are actually powerful leadership strengths.
Rebecca Dainton is Head of Enterprise Practice at PokerStars, part of Flutter Entertainment. She shapes global strategy for modern product development and delivery, leading Agile Coaching and Scrum Master practices across more than 750 colleagues worldwide.

Rebecca Dainton | Why Dyslexics Make Aewsome Laederz! | Agile Yorkshire December 2025

In this fast paced and memorable lightning talk, Bina explores how the bold design and development of Lamborghini mirrors agile principles such as iteration, emotion and dramatic delivery.
Bina is a project management trainer with experience spanning fashion, construction, retail, CAD CAM and higher education. A regular at GT races and supercar events, she brings a unique perspective to Agile by blending best practice delivery with high performance design.

Bina Champaneria |Agile in the Fast Lane: Designing Lamborghinis With Speed and Style  | Agile Yorkshire December 2025

Marian takes us inside the hive to reveal what beekeeping really looks like—far beyond the sweet Instagram photos. From feeding bees and handling their occasional “mood swings” to the reality of getting stung, Marian shares the day-to-day activities and challenges of life in an apiary.

Marian Bastiurea is a hobbyist beekeeper with a passion for sharing the buzzing life inside a hive and what it truly means to care for bees. When he’s not hanging out with thousands of bees, you’ll likely find him coding and persuading computers to behave

Marian Bastiurea |  From Facebook to Real Hives: The Real Life of Bees | Agile Yorkshire December 2025

They may not be Pacific Rim Jaegers, but they are massive, they work underwater and they are piloted by an entire crew.
Yann shares insights from his experience working on command and control systems for giant underwater robots.
Yann Golanski is the founder and director of Firmamentum Consulting, helping organisations build more secure, robust and efficient software in a drama free environment. He holds a DPhil in theoretical astrophysics and has worked as a research fellow in applied mathematics, focusing on optimisation, graph and game theories

Yan Golanksi | Giant Underwater Robots |  Agile Yorkshire December 2025

Catherine brings a playful twist to the world of delivery, using Santa’s workshop as a case study in what Agile looks like when it’s done well. Expect humour, seasonal cheer, and a few timely reminders about focus, collaboration, and delivering real value—on time.

Catherine Wicks is a Delivery Manager working in professional services, leading complex energy management transformations at a global company. She brings a practical, collaborative, and human approach to delivery, helping teams cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters.

Catherine Wicks | What Santa Can Teach Us About Agile Delivery | Agile Yorkshire December 2025

Based on Simon Sinek’s Start With Why and the Golden Circle of why, how and what Chris shares how applying this thinking at a team level creates clarity, trust and motivation, and why preserving the Scrum Master spirit, even within hybrid roles, helps teams feel supported and empowered to deliver on their commitments.
Chris McLaughlin is a Senior Consultant at Accenture, working as a tech lead building Java Spring Boot solutions on Kubernetes and AWS.  Chris volunteers as a STEM and CyberFirst Ambassador, inspiring interest in technology and cyber security in local schools.



Chris McLaughlin | Leading With Why - Inspiring Teams By Giving Them Purpose and Autonomy | Agile Yorkshire December 2025

Lauren shares a personal story that many will recognise. After being made redundant from a job she loved, she reflects on a year that began with loss but evolved into growth, courage, and unexpected joy. Lauren explores the emotional reality of redundancy, 
Lauren Ackroyd is an Agile Coach and Senior Consultant with over a decade of experiene in Agile delivery, coaching, and transformation across both public and private sectors.

Lauren Ackroyd | Redundancy, Resilience, and a Remarkable Year | Agile Yorkshire December 2025

In this insightful video, Stephanie Aniche explores how AI is revolutionizing product development by enhancing user insights, decision-making, and addressing ethical implications. She highlights the essential role of product leadership in ensuring innovation aligns with user needs and business goals. Discover how AI can transform backlogs into predictive capabilities, ultimately enhancing user experience and driving impactful solutions.

Stephanie Aniche | The Future of Product With AI | Agile Yorkshire November 2025

In this compelling video, David Shapton shares his insights on the rapid evolution of AI and its profound impact on our world. With over thirty years in technology and digital media, David emphasizes the exponential growth of AI, urging individuals and companies to adapt to this unprecedented change. He draws from his rich background in philosophy to explore themes of authenticity, consciousness, and the distinction between belief and knowledge. Tune in as he discusses his project, Future Transform, and offers intuitive guidance for navigating this significant technological revolution.

David Shapton | You'd Better Plan For AI | Agile Yorkshire November 2025

Most agile transformations focus on frameworks, ceremonies, and processes — but what does being agile actually mean for developers day to day?
In this insightful session, Stuart Grimshaw explores what true agility looks like from a developer’s perspective. He discusses the working practices, mindset shifts, and real-world habits that empower developers to succeed in an agile environment and deliver lasting value.

Stuart Grimshaw | What Does Agile Actually Mean For Developers | Agile Yorkshire October 2025

In this talk, Mark Stringer explores why projects often feel impossible and how the way we look at them can make all the difference. He highlights the most effective perspectives that make complex projects deliverable, and contrasts them with the “dumb” ways of seeing that hold teams back. By shifting our thinking, even the most impossible-looking projects can have the best chance of success.

Mark Stringer | Delivering the Impossible | Agile Yorkshire September 2025

In this talk, Jennifer Poole shares how her experience across industries has helped her build high-performing teams and improve delivery — all without writing a line of code.
Through mindset shifts, better workflows, and stronger collaboration, Jennifer demonstrates practical ways to unlock potential using people, process, and tools. Whether you’re technical or not, you’ll walk away with ideas you can apply in your own teams.

Jennifer Poole | Sorry, I'm Not Technical | Agile Yorkshire September 2025

The Lonely World of a Scrum Master explores the evolving role of Scrum Masters in today’s Agile landscape. Amy Kouppas shares her journey and passion for empowering teams, uplifting people, and building stronger organisations. With experience across support, product ownership, business analysis, and leadership, Amy reflects on challenges, diversity, and inclusion in tech. She inspires fellow Scrum Masters to rediscover purpose and positivity.

Amy Kouppas | The Lonely World of a Scrum Master | Agile Yorkshire August 2025

Coaching is not only for leaders. It is a powerful way to improve communication, collaboration and problem solving in any workplace. In this interactive session, Bianca Spruit, Management and Leadership Consultant and founder of Sprout Coaching, shares practical coaching techniques that you can use to influence, support and lead, whatever your job title.

Bianca Spruit | Coaching For Transformational Leadership | Agile Yorkshire August 2025

Simon explores the psychological needs behind challenging behaviours in the workplace. By uncovering why people, including ourselves, sometimes hide, avoid, or exaggerate, he shares practical strategies for building more authentic and healthier ways of working.

Simon Cookson | Why I lied to people at work | Agile Yorkshire July 2025

Discover how to achieve career clarity, apply a job crafting approach and find motivation in your current role. Whether you are just starting out in tech or are an experienced professional looking to progress, Christina offers valuable insights and techniques to support your journey.

Christina Lovelock | Navigating Your Tech Career | Agile Yorkshire July 2025

Should a Product Owner be technical or business focused? It’s one of the most debated questions in modern product delivery. In this insightful session, Seun Alabi draws on real world experience to explore the pros and cons of technical expertise. 
Perfect for Product Owners, agile practitioners, and digital leaders who want to build better products through smarter collaboration.

Seun Alabi | Technical Product Owner: To Be or Not To Be! | Agile Yorkshire June 2025

In an age of fast-moving trends and “evidence-based” hype, how do we stay grounded as agile technologists? Sorrel Harriet explores the power of critical thinking to help us navigate complex ideas without being subject matter experts. This talk will sharpen your judgement and challenge how you learn, lead, and build.

Sorrel Harriet | Thinking Slow, Fast: Critical Thinking in the Age of Agility |  Agile Yorkshire June 2025

Mark Moreau challenges the perception that product strategy is an elusive skill. Despite widespread criticism of Product Managers’ strategic abilities, Mark suggests that the real issue may lie in overcomplicating what should be a core competency.
Drawing from his experience across startups and enterprises, Mark breaks down how Product Managers can stop getting lost in jargon and start anchoring strategy in simple, clear, and actionable principles. 
This talk serves as both a critique and a practical guide for Product Managers struggling with or overthinking strategy. It aims to demystify the concept and offer down-to-earth advice on how to do it better.

Mark Moreau | Strategy Is Hard. But Easier Than You Think | Agile Yorkshire May 2025

Why do some tech teams thrive while others feel stuck in chaos?
In this talk, Matthew Carr shares real-world stories and practical strategies from 25 years of transforming underperforming technology teams. Learn how focusing on environment, process clarity, and team energy can lead to consistent delivery and genuine progress. This isn’t theory—it’s battle-tested advice from someone who’s helped teams of all sizes get back on track and actually deliver.

Matthew Carr | Building a Culture Where Technology Teams Thrive | Agile Yorkshire May 2025

How To Balance Project Management in an Agile Environment tackles the challenge of aligning traditional project management with agile delivery practices. Drawing from her experience leading high-impact data projects at companies like OVO and Dr. Martens, Amardeep Sirha will share how to balance structure with agility. The session offers practical strategies to prioritise value, empower teams, and maintain visibility without slowing down progress. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on delivering successful projects in fast-moving, adaptive environments.



Amardeep Sirha | How To Balance Project Management in An Agile Environment | Agile Yorkshire April 2025

Obeya Unleashed: The Next Evolutionary Agile Step explores how modern organisations can break free from outdated communication methods and align teams through transparency and real-time decision-making. Drawing on success stories from companies like ING and Tesco, Steve Martin demonstrates how Obeya improves collaboration and reduces reporting overhead.

Steve Martin | Obeya Unleashed: the Next Evolutionary Agile Step | Agile Yorkshire April 2025

Discover how agility is transforming clinical operations — from faster trials to long-term capability building. Rohit shares real-world strategies, lessons learned, and powerful tactics that drive real impact in regulated environments.

Rohit Ratan Mani | Unleashing Business Agility in Pharma Companies | Agile Yorkshire March 2025

Great ideas deserve to be heard! 🎤
In this dynamic session, communication expert Catherine Bonner shares powerful tips to help you speak with confidence, clarity, and impact — whether you're on stage, in meetings, or pitching big ideas.

📢 Watch now and level up your communication game.


Catherine Bonner | Build and Refine Your Public Speaking Toolkit | Agile Yorkshire March 2025

Scrum promises transparency, speed, and adaptability… but does it always deliver? In this bold and thought-provoking talk, Yann Golanski takes a hard look at what’s really hiding in the shadows of Scrum. From unrealistic expectations to overlooked flaws, this session challenges the status quo and asks: is Scrum truly helping us build better software — or just getting in the way? Watch now and join the introspection. 

Yann Golanski | Scrum Introspection | Agile Yorkshire March 2025

Flow Metrics and Forecasting don’t have to be overwhelming! In this session, Lewis Bellwood (Release Train Engineer at Sky) breaks down complex Agile metrics into clear, actionable insights. Learn how to use data like Flow Metrics and Monte Carlo Forecasting to improve delivery without drowning in stats or charts.

👉 Watch now and take the fear out of forecasting!

Lewis Bellwood | Disrupting the Flow | Agile Yorkshire March 2025

Watch Clement Pickering’s presentation on Psychological Safety & High-Performing Teams!

Is silence in your team a sign of efficiency or fear? Clement explores how psychological safety unlocks true team potential, fostering open communication, innovation, and trust.
Learn how to create an environment where mistakes are learning opportunities and ideas thrive. Empower your Agile team to reach new heights!

Clement Pickering | Silence isn't Golden | Agile Yorkshire February 2025

Watch Katja Obring’s presentation on: From Quality Gatekeeper to Quality Coach !

Are QA processes slowing your team down?  Katja Obring reveals how to shift from Quality Gatekeeper to Quality Coach, empowering Agile teams for faster, safer releases. 
Learn practical strategies like pair testing, collaborative code reviews, and quality-focused workshops to break down silos and boost engineering culture!

Katja Obring | From Quality Gatekeeper to Quality Coach | Agile Yorkshire February 2025

Join Bina Champaneria as she unlocks the secrets of effective communication! From breaking language barriers to VARK learning styles, discover how to adapt and connect in a noisy world. Plus, get insights into how AI is transforming communication!

Don't miss this engaging talk from an experienced Project Manager & Agile Trainer with a career spanning manufacturing, construction, and higher education.

Bina Champaneria |  Didn't You Read the Email? | Agile Yorkshire January 2025

What does it really mean to be agile? In this personal journey, Luca Sabato explores the essence of embracing an agile mindset. Moving beyond frameworks, Luca dives into the core values of adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement, sharing insights that foster a deeper understanding of true agility.

As a technical architect with extensive experience in Agile methodologies and customer-focused product development, Luca transforms complex challenges into impactful solutions. Join him to discover how true agility can drive success in both work and life.


Luca Sabato | Am I Agile | Agile Yorkshire December 2024

The festive cheer, flowing drinks, and party hats are perfect—until the conversation takes a tricky turn to politics, climate change, or Game of Thrones.
In this video, Simon Cookson shares simple tips to handle those tense moments, helping you stay calm, respond thoughtfully, and keep the holiday spirit alive.

Simon, a leadership coach, draws on his experience helping teams navigate challenges to show how you can create a joyful, drama-free Christmas!

Simon Cookson | How Not To Fall Out Over Christmas | Agile Yorkshire December 2024

What’s the secret to delivering great outcomes in software development? Tom Preval reveals how well-written features can make all the difference! With a festive twist, Tom explores the importance of clear communication and how it drives collaboration, innovation, and success.

As a Certified SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC), Tom is passionate about empowering teams and organisations to achieve their best. In this video, he shares practical tips for crafting features that deliver value—just like the perfect Christmas gift.

Tom Preval | Delivering Gifts, Not Grievances| Agile Yorkshire December 2024

Discover how AI can transform your workplace with Amy Thompson! In her talk, "Leveraging AI at Work: Reducing Workload and Enhancing Productivity," Amy explores the practical ways AI tools can help reduce workloads, improve efficiency, and boost productivity.

With real-world examples and actionable insights, Amy demonstrates how organisations can integrate AI to achieve better outcomes and enhance quality across various sectors. Drawing from her extensive experience in Agile practices, Amy shows how cultural, technical, and operational changes can harmonise to create lasting transformations.



Amy Thompson | AI on the Prize | Agile Yorkshire December 2024

What’s the secret to high-performing teams? Dan Hammond breaks it down with science, data, and a festive twist! Using his “Two Christmas Pudding Rule” and a glass of Baileys, Dan explores why small teams outperform larger ones when it comes to engagement, collaboration, and results.

As the founder of Squadify, a platform designed to optimise team dynamics, Dan is passionate about helping organisations unlock their full potential. In this light-hearted yet insightful video, learn why team size matters and how the right structure can transform the way your organisation works.


Dan Hammond | Why the Elves Should Work in Small Teams | Agile Yorkshire December 2024

Join Carly Watson as she shares her personal journey of managing ADHD without medication. Through cold water therapy, ADHD-friendly meditation, and lifestyle adjustments, Carly has transformed her life in a way that works for her. These holistic tools have helped her improve focus, reduce symptoms, and achieve personal and professional success.

Now an ADHD coach, Carly supports others seeking natural approaches to managing ADHD. She offers one-on-one coaching, retreats, and practical strategies that empower individuals to explore what works best for them. Her journey highlights the potential of alternative methods, with her cornerstone being daily cold water exposure to naturally boost dopamine.

Carly Watson | Managing ADHD the Holistic Way | Agile Yorkshire December 2024

Dive into the strange and beautiful underwater world with Bina Champaneria as she shares her journey through scuba diving! Learn essential safety tips, fascinating stories, and practical advice for navigating the breathtaking depths while staying safe.

With a rich background in project management and leadership, Bina brings a unique perspective to exploring new environments. Whether you're an experienced diver or just curious about the underwater realm, this talk will inspire you to embrace its wonders and make every dive unforgettable.

Bina Champaneria | Don't hold your breath | Agile Yorkshire December 2024

Adam Mitchell takes a lighthearted dive into the reality of traveling 25,000 air miles a year while juggling life between Dubai and Yorkshire. With a blend of humor and sharp insights, Adam unpacks the quirks of frequent flying, from jet lag struggles to the perks of "turning left" on the plane. Through witty anecdotes and relatable stories, he offers a refreshing perspective on navigating life in the skies and driving global transformation. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or just curious about life on the go, this video will keep you entertained and inspired.

Adam Mitchell | Global Consultancy: Life Above the Clouds | Agile Yorkshire December 2024

🎙️ Presentation: AI-Powered Agile
David Westgarth explores how AI is revolutionizing agile practices, sharing real-world examples and practical demos. Learn how AI tools can streamline workflows, enhance team collaboration, and drive continuous improvement. Discover actionable insights to amplify your agile delivery and unlock new levels of team effectiveness.

David Westgarth | AI Powered Agile | Agile Yorkshire November 2024

Clement Pickering | Impostor Syndrome| Agile Yorkshire November 2024

🎙️ Presentation: Impostor Syndrome: Is It Just Me?
Clement dives deep into the misunderstood topic of impostor syndrome, sharing his personal experiences and practical tips to manage these feelings. He explores what it is (and isn’t), who it affects, and why it’s particularly common in the tech industry. Learn how to overcome self-doubt and stop impostor syndrome from holding you back in your career.

Clement Pickering | Impostor Syndrome | Agile Yorkshire November 2024

Penelope shares her powerful journey in the tech world and reveals how flexibility and financial freedom transformed her career. Discover how technology can empower women to build careers on their own terms and achieve true financial independence. Penelope also breaks down why diversity and inclusion are game-changers for creating a tech industry where women don't just participate, but thrive—shaping a future that’s truly empowering for all.

Penelope Hindle |  The Most Important Words: Flexibility and Financial Freedom | Agile Yorkshire October 2024

Rebecca shares the transformative journey from Scrum Master to Agile Coach, revealing the unexpected challenges and rewarding insights along the way. She highlights how data became her key ally, enabling continuous improvement and unlocking new levels of team efficiency across a global tribe. Expect a candid, humorous and data-driven talk that’s packed with real-world lessons and a touch of fun!

Rebecca Dainton | From Scrum Master To Agile Coach - How Data Saved My Life! | Agile Yorkshire October 2024  

We had a fantastic event at the September edition of Agile Yorkshire with Matthew Skelton as our headline speaker. His presentation on "Untangling Software Delivery with Team Topologies" provided invaluable insights into optimising team dynamics, flow metrics, and decoupling techniques. Matthew shared real-world examples of how organizations successfully apply these approaches to improve delivery efficiency. It was an inspiring session, full of practical takeaways for Agile practitioners at all levels.

Matthew Skelton | Untangling Software Delivery with TeamTopologies | Agile Yorkshire September 2024

Royd Brayshay delivered an insightful presentation on Process Innovation, Organisational Design, and High-Stakes Delivery, highlighting how creative thinking and smart approaches can drive transformative change in teams. By drawing parallels between agile methodologies and the fast flow dynamics seen in sports, Royd showcased how innovation can elevate team performance and deliver exceptional results in high-pressure environments. 

Royd Brayshay | The Power of Process Innovation | Agile Yorkshire September 2024

The presentation explores how platform engineering can simplify development and boost efficiency by treating platforms and tools as products. Andy Burgin, Principal Platform Engineer at Flutter UK and Ireland, brings his expertise in Kubernetes and Developer Relations to share practical insights from leading the Platform Developer Experience team since 2019. With a decade of involvement in the DevOps community, including organizing DevOpsDays London, Andy is passionate about improving developer workflows and delivering real-world solutions. Expect an engaging and informative session from a tech leader shaping the future of DevOps!

Andy Burgin | Curating a Developer Experience | Agile Yorkshire August 2024 

In her insightful talk, Amy Thompson delves into the challenges many organizations face with "Agile Aversion" following failed and costly Agile Transformations. With over a decade of experience across various sectors, Amy highlights why change strategies often fail and offers practical steps to realign and rejuvenate Agile practices. Central to her message is the belief that successful transformation hinges on harmonizing cultural, technical, and operational changes. Amy's passion for servant leadership and empowerment shines through as she encourages organizations to recognize that the answers they seek already exist within their people. This talk is a must-watch for anyone looking to drive sustainable, positive change in their business.








Amy Thompson | How To Fix a Broken Agile Implementation | Agile Yorkshire August 2024 

In this session, Lauren Ackroyd, an experienced Scrum Master with a decade of expertise, inspires you to rethink your approach to team improvement. Titled "It's Not You, It's Me," Lauren explored the idea that Scrum Masters often focus on changing their teams—experimenting with new methods, enhancing efficiency and delivering more value. But what if the key to greater impact lies in shifting that focus inward? Lauren discussed  how disrupting your own ways of working can lead to better outcomes for your teams. With a passion for coaching, learning, and sharing knowledge, Lauren aims to help you develop your coaching skills and deepen your self-awareness for more effective leadership.

Lauren Ackroyd | It's Not You, It's Me | Agile Yorkshire July 2024 | 

Sharon Dale shared insights from her decade-long journey working with agile teams in various roles. With a focus on supporting stakeholders new to agile, Sharon excels in building effective teams and enhancing capabilities for service owners in government. She discussed her go-to techniques for inspiring and influencing teams, drawn from her experience in delivering services for new policy areas involving multiple parties. As a coach and systems convener, Sharon brings together diverse groups to achieve successful outcomes, making this session a must-watch for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of agile practices.

Sharon Dale | The Things I Go Back To When Working With Agile Teams | Agile Yorkshire July 2024 

In this insightful talk from Agile Yorkshire in June 2024, experienced Agile Coach Robin Hackshall dived into why Agile transformations often encounter roadblocks. With over a decade of experience, Robin discusses common pitfalls, particularly the resistance to change that many organizations face. His talk, “The Problem With Change,” highlights how creative tools, techniques, and even LEGO can make the process of transformation both effective and engaging.

Robin's practical approach simplifies complex challenges, helping teams and organizations remove dysfunctions and achieve true business agility. He also introduced the Scrum Mastery, Product Mastery, and Team Mastery Pathways, designed to support the growth of Agile professionals. This talk is essential viewing for anyone involved in Agile transformations, offering valuable strategies and real-world insights.

Robin Hackshall | Tackling Change | Agile Yorkshire June 2024 

In this Agile Yorkshire June 2024 meetup, Vernon Richards, an experienced Quality Coach & Tester, delivered an eye-opening talk on the complexities of organisational change and the hidden challenges facing quality engineers. With over two decades of experience, including testing video games on PS2, Xbox, and PC, Vernon shares his expertise on how quality engineering, glue work, and quiet quitting are interconnected.

In his presentation titled “How We’re Setting Up QEs to Fail,” Vernon delved into the root causes of common issues in quality and testing—revealing them as people problems in disguise. He offered practical advice on how teams can align goals, build empathy, and improve collaboration to create better products.

Vernon Richards | Exploring Organizational Change & Quality Engineering | Agile Yorkshire June 2024 

Matthew Turnbull reflects on his 18-month trajectory from QA to development and ultimately embracing the role of Scrum Master. He shares insights on his early tendency to micromanage, which led to an appreciation for the power of coaching and the necessity of fostering self-directed teams. Matthew discusses the challenges of aligning Agile practices with stakeholder expectations and his own struggles with imposter syndrome. He celebrates the fulfillment derived from witnessing team growth in responsibility and flexibility, advocating for a culture of relentless improvement and exploration within the Agile framework.

Matthew Turnbull's Scrum Master Journey

Aaron McKenna shares insights on boosting strategic alignment with OKRs, emphasising the need for bold, quantifiable objectives to inspire and guide teams. He outlines essential strategies for successful OKR application—focus on clear goals, ensure team-wide alignment, and maintain actionability and transparency. Through real consulting achievements, McKenna demonstrates how OKRs significantly enhance organisational focus, unity, and strategic success.


Aaron McKenna Supercharge Alignment with OKRs

A lack of trust within working groups and organisational teams can have disastrous consequences for many aspects of work that ultimately conspire to produce worse outcomes. Trust is a fluid ever changing thing that is much harder to get than loose. 

Laurence Wood ran an excellent, collaborative session to help discover how trust is formed, how it changes over time and what events or behaviours might reduce trust across teams and organisations.

Laurence Wood - How High Performing Teams Know More About Trust

Everyone involved with software product development can tell you about a project they worked on that they knew was going no where. They could feel the stakeholders' ambivalence or sense the lack of engagement from potential customers. As the team start to feel their work may be wasted, unease starts to build into a sense of foreboding as everyone waits for the inevitable crash.  

So how does that happen? and how can it be avoided? Andy Butcher's pitch for "*The Shit Nightclub Anti-Pattern*" is both funny and insightful as well as providing a cringing memorable metaphor to watch out for. 

Andy Butcher - Knowing When to Stop & The Nightclub Pattern

Brian Teeman - Web Would be Better if We All Spoke English

Sally Bridgewater - Agile ADHD: How Scrum Saved my Relationship

James Scanlan - Enterprise Architecture VS Agile Delivery

Eva Barabas - User Needs Lead Leadership

Gary McAdam - How the MVP is Misunderstood, Misused & Abused

Tom Hudson - Big Numbers and the 1Hz CPU

Geoff Bowden - The Future According Geoff Bowden

The NHS is a behemoth organisation by anyone's measure. Not only does it move medical mountains but requires IT solutions that support a scale comparable with any Silicon Valley unicorn. Historically many of these solutions have been procured through traditional contracts and relationships with the large outsourcing organisations we hear about in the media together with the vast sums of tax payers money that have been paid. 

These outsourced solutions we often mediocre in performance and in meeting business needs. This public sector culture of outsourcing often creates many problems through inflexible contracts, prescriptive ways of working and difficult to navigate hierarchies of responsibility. 

To move away from this means shouldering far more leadership responsibility than many contemporary public organisations have been used to. It takes management bravery or what some might call good old traditional leadership. Andrew Meyer and Gary Green talk about the change in operational style that has revolutionised recent NHS Digital IT delivery and in doing so begin to forge a new standard. 

 Andrew Meyer & Gary Green - Create a Dynamic & Innovative NHS

If you think of top performing teams as groups people who deliver high quality solutions over and over again in a time frame and budget that makes sense within their business context without disputes or drama while still enjoying their work and having a fun time you may also wonder if this can every be practically achieved in real life. 

Kev McCabe here talks about some core protocols that can contribute to high functioning behaviour with a delivery team and help keep delivery rate high while still maintaining respect and humane relationships within any team or organisation.

Kev McCabe - The Core Protocols for Shared Vision

Diversity has been talked about a lot over the last few years and is prominent in the news at the moment, we also know the IT sector and particularly software product development organisations are especially guilty of having a lack of diversity and the resultant influence this brings to product development and general team makeup.

The topic is wide reaching, obfuscated by cultural norms and not quick to fix. 

John Le Drew explores some of the issues, points out some personal gotchas and runs an experiment with magicians safe and some confectionery.

John Le Drew - Diversity, Chocolate and Safe Cracking

Change is a big part of the lean / agile culture either in the form of continuous improvement or continually adapting to customer needs or changing market conditions. Because of this we're all agent of change at some level. 

However, anyone who has tried to influence the actions of people around them, from a leadership role or not, will appreciate that resistance to change is alive and well in us all. It may be attractive to regard this as a failing of others, but people do things for a reason and those reasons are often deeply seated and long standing; probably built on past experiences and painful lessons. 

The lessons of our past are not likely to be swept aside easily. Jon Fulton asks us to consider this and question if we, as agents of change can do better and be less frustrated by the reluctance of other to follow our guidance. How can we become more effective as a result.

Jon Fulton - The Agents of Lean Change

2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Speaker Showcase
 In the 2017 edition of the Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition, eight talented speakers delivered fast-paced 10-minute talks that covered a range of fascinating topics. The audience voted for their favourite speaker, making for an interactive and fun evening. This video, filmed at the 2017 event, showcases one of the many engaging talks. Enjoy!
Sally Bridgewater shares a personal story about living with ADHD, drawing attention to the challenges of executive function disorder. She explains how ADHD affects one's ability to plan, leading to feelings of frustration and low self-worth. Sally recounts how her fiancé Frances, diagnosed with ADHD, struggled with disorganization and self-doubt. However, after discovering agile methods, they implemented a simple system using scrum to manage tasks, resulting in a more organized life. Sally emphasizes that agile can be life-changing, not just for work but for personal development, helping Frances gain stability and trust in himself for the first time

Sally Bridgewater - Agile ADHD and How Scrum saved my relationship

Welcome to the 2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Speaker Page
 The Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition in 2017 showcased eight incredible speakers, each delivering a 10-minute talk on a variety of exciting tech topics. The event was filled with energy and audience interaction, making for an unforgettable evening. This video, recorded at the 2017 event, highlights one of the standout talks of the night. Enjoy!
Tom Hudson talks about the challenges of understanding large numbers, using examples like how a million seconds is 11 days, and a billion seconds is 32 years. He discusses how numbers grow exponentially and how our brains struggle with them. Using a variety of examples, he explains how numbers in technology (like CPU speeds and latency) work on a similar scale, often leading us to misinterpret their significance. Tom emphasizes that while we perceive all numbers as "fast" or "slow," the difference between them, like from a CPU register to a mechanical hard drive, can be vast. He concludes that understanding these scales is crucial for building high-performance systems.

2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Presentation Page
 The Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition in 2017 brought together eight brilliant speakers, each sharing their passion for tech and innovation in 10-minute talks. With a strict time limit and an audience vote, the evening was full of excitement. This video, captured at the 2017 event, highlights one of the memorable presentations. Enjoy!
James Scanlan shares a confessional talk about the tension between agile delivery and enterprise architecture (EA). Reflecting on his own journey, he discusses how agile and EA often seem at odds, with agile being fast and responsive, while EA is slow and strategic. Drawing parallels to a vast, complex system, James explains that EA operates on a much larger scale than agile teams, which can lead to clashes in priorities. He emphasizes the importance of feedback loops in agile, and suggests that both agile and EA need to communicate and collaborate better. The key takeaway is that understanding and collaboration between the two can lead to better outcomes, even if both approaches aren't perfect.

James Scanlan - Enterprise Architecture versus Agile Delivery, Let them fight

2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Event Video
 The Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition in 2017 was a vibrant evening, featuring eight dynamic speakers presenting their insights in 10-minute talks. With the clock ticking down and audience voting, the event was fast-paced and full of energy. This video, filmed at the 2017 event, features one of the standout talks from the night. Enjoy!
Geoff Bowden takes a lighthearted approach to predicting the future, particularly the rise of robots. He humorously reflects on the promises made by sci-fi and childhood fantasies of robot butlers, contrasting those expectations with the reality of today’s robotics. He discusses the evolution of automation and AI, from the rise of self-driving cars to robotic assistants and devices like Alexa and Google Assistant. While acknowledging that some tasks, like driving, may be automated, Geoff predicts that robots won’t replace jobs entirely, but will rather automate the mundane tasks, increasing productivity without significant job loss. He concludes with a humorous nod to the robot revolution, emphasizing that there’s nothing to fear.

Geoff Bowden - The Future According

2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks: A Speaker’s Journey Video
 In 2017, the Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition featured eight dynamic speakers, each presenting a rapid-fire 10-minute talk on a topic they are passionate about. The evening was filled with insight, excitement, and audience interaction. This video, captured at the 2017 event, features one of the fantastic talks of the night. Enjoy!
Andy Butcher shares his thoughts on the relationship between architecture and agile practices. He argues that architecture should be integrated into the agile process, with architects being involved throughout the software lifecycle, from design to operational support. He emphasizes that architects should collaborate with teams and get feedback regularly to avoid creating designs that aren't fit for purpose. Andy also highlights three key agile architecture anti-patterns: maintaining a separate architecture team, relying on formal architecture governance, and using outdated modeling tools like Enterprise Architect. He concludes by suggesting that architects should act as "sat-nav" for development teams, guiding them with technical decisions as the project evolves.

Andy Butcher - Agile Architecture at SkyBet

2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Speaker Showcase Video
 The Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition in 2017 was packed with energy and creativity, as eight fantastic speakers delivered 10-minute talks on a range of exciting and geeky subjects. The event encouraged audience interaction and participation. This video, filmed at the 2017 event, showcases one of the standout presentations. Enjoy!
Bernard Jauregui discusses various "agile smells" he's identified while working on different agile projects, particularly in larger organizations. These "smells" indicate issues within agile processes, such as developers avoiding code commits due to fear of breaking the build, secretive code practices, premature releases to production, manual interventions in CI/CD pipelines, and testers causing delays in deployments. He suggests solutions like pair programming, simplifying branching strategies, promoting openness, investing in test automation, and implementing DevSecOps. Bernard concludes by offering a humorous call for more agile "smells" to be added to his growing list.

Bernard Jauregui - Agile Smells

Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks 2017: Speaker Highlight Video
 The Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition in 2017 was an exciting evening filled with eight incredible speakers, each giving a 10-minute talk on their favourite tech topics. The audience played an active role, voting for their favourite speaker. This video, shot during the 2017 event, features one of the great talks from the evening. Enjoy!
Brian Teeman humorously discusses the challenges of web development in languages other than English, highlighting the quirks of German, French, Hebrew, Arabic, and Russian. He emphasises that the web is predominantly in English and that most coding languages—JavaScript, PHP, and CSS—are also influenced by non-English creators. Brian presents his efforts to fix the web by correcting English mistakes in coding languages like CSS and PHP, creating a "British English" version of code. He showcases how he recompiled PHP and used tools like "spiffing CSS" to ensure code was properly in British English, finally giving the web the Royal Seal of Approval.

Brian Teeman - The Web Would be Better if We All Spoke English According

2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks: Speaker Video
 The Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition in 2017 featured eight talented speakers, each presenting a 10-minute lightning talk on topics that excited and inspired the audience. With voting and a fast-paced format, the event was full of energy. This video, filmed during the 2017 event, highlights one of the memorable talks. Enjoy!
Eva Barabas talks about her journey into user needs-driven leadership and her experiences transitioning from Ruby to JavaScript. She emphasizes the importance of the Government Digital Service (GDS) principles, focusing on user needs rather than stakeholder-driven feature requests. Eva shares her learning about service design, discovery stages, and cross-functional collaboration, highlighting her involvement in user research, prototyping, and team engagement. She also discusses the challenges of siloed teams and the need for better knowledge sharing. Eva's approach includes implementing continuous improvement boards and tech reviews to foster collaboration and increase efficiency.

Watch the 2017 Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Video
 In 2017, the Agile Yorkshire Xmas Lightning Talks Competition saw eight fantastic speakers each delivering a 10-minute talk on topics ranging from tech trends to geek culture. The evening was packed with audience engagement and insightful presentations. This video, recorded at the 2017 event, showcases one of the many great talks. Enjoy!
Gary McAdam discusses the concept of Minimum Viable Product (MVP), which he first encountered in The Lean Startup. He explains that MVP is about building the smallest version of a product to validate a hypothesis. However, Gary highlights a common misconception: that MVP often turns into a negotiation of features rather than an iterative, hypothesis-driven process. He warns against using MVP as a way to fit in more features or launching a single MVP that neglects continuous learning. Gary stresses the importance of feedback loops, being data-driven, and collecting actionable metrics. He concludes by emphasizing the need to build, measure, and learn quickly, using real feedback to improve products.

Gary McAdam - How the MVP is Misunderstood, Misused and Abused, and How to Do MVP Properly

The art of identifying what not to do or “the art of maximising the amount of work not done” as the agile manifesto describes it, is one the key secrets agile teams use to get things out of the door regularly. 

Trying to see the future and engineer things that you think may be useful in the future is one of the key risks that creep into projects. Everyone is guilty of this in some way and it requires honesty and discipline to fight against it. 

Ian Thomas lifts the lid on what goes on and what to avoid.


Ian Thomas - Does Anyone Remember YAGNI?

Agile transformation is a stated goal for many larger organisations, whatever that actually means. But the world continues to turn and the business and technology landscape will always keep changing. 

This necessitates organisations to keep learning and adapting, a changes that is probably even harder to achieve in an institutionalised way. Karl Scotland has been talking about this challenge for many years now both at conferences around the world as well as his own website. 

He visited Agile Yorkshire to talk about some of his ideas and observations.

Karl Scotland - Becoming a Lean Enterprise with Strategy Deployment

Changing the inner workings of the public sector has proven pretty difficult within the IT sector demonstrated by the succession of speakers we have hosted here at Agile Yorkshire. 

Matt Barnaby talks here to explain this isn’t an issue experienced by the IT community exclusively, but frustration is not failure and change is possible.

Matt Barnaby - Changing the Change with Agile in Public Services

Developers generally love the freedom of building greenfield projects. Unencumbered by past decisions and conventions engineers are free to try new things and take blank sheet approach to overall design. 

However they come with their own problems and new applications take a lot of time and effort to settle down and become both stable and loved by users. Legacy projects are far more common and often come as a tangle of code with an overall structure that may be obfuscated and where the hundreds of subtle fixes and micro business rules that are coded present and working are not obvious on casual examination. 

However with patience and discipline Joe Stead explains how they can be even more rewarding to tame.


Joe Stead - The Trials & Tribulations of Greenfield

Just because someone has sat through a two day workshop and holds a certificate issued by an agile training organisation doesn’t mean they now hold all the views and values that may help a team deliver in blissful harmony for years to come. 

People come in all shapes and sizes and bring the baggage and experiences from their past and being able to spot a few traits will always help understand your situation. 

Gwen Diagram deconstructs some team personality types and reflects on some recent career adventures that will strike a chord with many and help everyone. 

Gwen Diagram - T-Shaped Causing Strange Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

No one wants conflict in a team or organisation but it regularly arises especially during times of change and transformation. 

Understandably different people are invested in different ways within any team and changing the status quo can produce confusion and anger in all kinds of ways that may not have been envisaged. 

Adrian Frost and Ian Franklin bring complementary viewpoints and provide guidance that may help navigate some of these situations. 

Adrian Frost & Ian Franklin - Conflict Doesn't Mean Confrontation

### Ever wondered why the world works the way that it does?
Ian Lister provides a brief introduction to the Cynefin framework and how it can be useful as a thinking tool within the domain of software product development. The Cynefin framework can be used to help with decision making and understanding the system we may be working within. 

You aren’t going to walk away from this as a Cynefin expert but hopefully with a little more appreciation and some insights for further investigation.

Ian Lister - Cynefin A Gentle Introduction

Businesses need to judge how best to spend their money so they need to know costs and timelines. Only when software is finished and deployed does it start to save costs or generate revenue so, in general terms,  the longer it takes to create the poorer the investment. 

Forecasting the cost of software, though essential, is not straightforward. Building software requires lots of unpredictable problem solving and a large part of the agile body of knowledge describes tools and techniques to help with this. 

Ian Carroll walks through some of these issues and pragmatic ways to tackle them.

Ian Carroll - How Long & How Much will it Cost?

Scrum is pretty specific about defining the roll of Product Owner but in real life the roll of Product Owner seems to vary quite a lot across different organisations. 

It’s not clear why this roll is so misunderstood but the effectiveness of the Product Owner has a direct influence on the prevailing risks and the flow of produced value. 

John LeDrew discusses how some of these issues surface within teams and provides more food for thought on this issue.

John Le Drew - The Product Owner is an Agile Anti Pattern

Technology speakers have a mixed reputation when it comes to style and impact. 

For many IT professionals communicating abstract concepts is a vital part of their job and being effective as a speaker deserves as much attention as anything else. Developing these skills requires practice but some simple pointers can transform both the preparation and delivery of any technical presentation. 

Tells Stories Not Data is exactly what Ivor Tymchak does in this presentation to emphasise just how important a story is to any topic no matter how technical.

Ivor Tymchak - How to Tell Stories, Not Data

Transformational change is right up there as one of the most popular topics discussed at Agile Yorkshire, it always has been and it probably will be for many years to come. 

Mike Burrows has been a regular speaker at Agile Yorkshire and as a published author on the subject and the founder of Agenda Shift he is someone who definitely worth listening to on this topic. 

Whether understanding top down and bottom up tactics, looking at things from the prospective of a transformer or the transforming his sideways look at things will make you stop and think.


Mike Burrows - What We Know & Where We Must Do Better

Commercial effectiveness with software product development is all about learning fast through user feedback and avoiding building the wrong thing. 

Anything that helps get something in the hands of a user or customer early can help reduce risk, save money and drastically improve project outcomes. 

Stew Able talks through his early experiences with the Amazon Platform as a Service technology stack and it's potential as an enabling set of tools.

Stewart Abel - Using AWS PaaS for an MVP

Reducing the quantity of work an organisation undertakes before releasing to live and starting something new is a foundation stone of agile effectiveness. 

It's the discipline that keeps work in progress low and risk well managed yet it's one of the things that most organisations struggle with. Culturally management teams may like big headline numbers and engineering teams squirm at the thought of reworking features only recently released. 

Never the less "right sized" work items keep the drama low. However breaking a complex product road map down into tiny increments of releasable value requires practice, creativity and willing collaborators. It can often be the single skill that marks out a predictable delivery team. 

Tony Heaps insights into splitting users stories here could literally move mountains - a tiny piece at a time.


Tony Heap - Story Splitting for Beginners & Experts Alike 

Software product development has a historic culture of heroic bouts of hyper productivity. Sometimes it's possible to do amazing things in short periods of time when everything goes right, distractions are absent and concentration seems effortless. 

However, despite the rhetoric, good design is a team sport and great products have good design running through them at every level. For a team to work together in a super functional way, collaborating and exploring every aspect of the design to produce great solutions there has to be unquestioned safety. 

John Le Drew explores what that means, how it may be supported and how to spot when it's missing. 

John Le Drew - Swearing, Nudity & Other Vulnerable Positions

Many companies talk about innovation, some think they are innovative, a few may win innovation awards, but how can a public sector organisation with hundreds of thousands of employees and hundreds of thousands of conflicting priorities maintain an innovative culture over time? 

It may seem an unattainable holly grail but as John F Kennedy said "Victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan". You've got to keep trying.

Chris Cheadle and Sean Craig are pioneering an approach to IT innovation with the the NHS that would put many smaller, nimbler, private sector organisations to shame. Listen to their story and learn from it.

Chris Cheadle & Sean Craig - A Break From Routine

Adam Mitchell - Why Triathlon is Better than Football

Naeem Sarfraz - You Built What I Asked, Not What I Needed

Steve Trapps - Explaining The Problem With Agile IS

Andy Burgin - Hello, this is Windows Support Desk

Dave Livesey - Geospatial for Dummies and Why Mapping Matters

Dressing up to present at Agile Yorkshire must propel anyone to new levels of respect and appreciation! 

Amy Thomson dons her hat and cape to talk about Scrum and velocity - it's ever popular means of flow measurement. 

Don't miss her theatrical inspiration and solid advice for any Scrum team. 

Amy Thompson - Velocity, The Golden Snitch of Scrum

What Formula One got to do with software development? 

Well, more than you might think. If you believe that building software products is all about design and problem solving and less about the the constraints of manufacturing production then top performing software product development teams have a lot in common with the design race that going on in any F1 factory. 

Jon Fulton here touches on that insight and how data driven decision making lies at the hart of reducing risks and out accelerating the competition.

Jon Fulton - Using Data Like a Formula 1 Team

There is never a single answer to the "how to do..." question in software development. 

So much depends on the context and most appropriate solution often depends on the judgement and experience of the engineering team. 

Abstraction and inversion of control are typical in this respect and here Keith Williams walks through some popular patterns and talks about where dependency injection fits into the jigsaw.


Keith Williams- Dependencies, Injection & Abstraction for Fun

Whether TDD is the most misused term in software or not it surly does get a lot of people paying lip service to it. 

Oliver Shaw gives his take on the subject and delves into some of it's techniques and details together with his wealth of experience. 

If your an expert champion of this approach or a new explorer there is something here for everyone from Oliver.


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