People don't like being told what to do, especially knowledge workers. Yet in many work settings we give feedback that is directive in nature. What would it be like to receive feedback that, instead of making us ashamed of our failures, helped us to learn and grow? What would it be like to give feedback that enabled deep and sustained learning and growth in another person, while still being perfectly honest?

During this talk you will learn about Developmental Feedback, which enables the giver of the feedback to be clear and speak truth, and enables the receiver of the feedback to absorb it without defensiveness, and with a sense of invitation to learn and grow. You will learn about a variety of feedback types, how to have a "shared sensemaking conversation," what Impact Feedback and "The Story I Tell Myself" feedback actually are, and review sample dialogues. We will explore the conditions necessary for effective developmental feedback conversations, such as psychological safety and timeliness. You will emerge with a practical tool you can use with anyone (not just at work) to speak your truth while respecting the other person’s humanity, leading to lasting change and deeper relationships.

Did you know that your brain tells you stories all day long, and that if they are good stories, you believe them? Come to this entertaining interactive session to experience some "cognitive illusions" for yourself, and learn what they demonstrate about how our brains' work. Cognitive science and behavioral psychology offer important insights for agilists, insights that can help us work more effectively with our co-workers and clients. You will learn how awareness of our brains' tendencies is a powerful tool to overcome our own innate cognitive bias, and the cognitive bias of others. This newfound awareness can open you to more varied perspectives in order to tell yourself a story that is both richer and more nuanced -- and closer to being "a true story."

In this interactive and informal session, you will hear a story about how Agile led to the successful delivery of a large training program (in a non-IT environment) where Agile was completely unknown and unwelcome. You will learn how the Agile values and principles guided my decisions and behavior and contributed to success. We will discuss what I call "stealth Agile" which is applying the techniques and mindset without using the odd and intimidating vocabulary. You will hear how I implemented Scrum with my own team, but lightweight Agile with a soft touch for my management. Eventually I was able to influence the wider environment, gradually coaching them and teaching them Agile, resulting in a self-sustaining Agile team functioning reasonably well as a pod surrounded by waterfall approaches.

During this conversational session, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and share your own stories.