Join us March 16th at 6:30 pm as AgilePDX explores New Horizons in TDD. Two local experts, Mark Knell and Marty Nelson will preview their proposed talks for Agile 2011. They will discuss applying TDD at new scales: in the micro, with assertions driving the composition of tests, and in the macro, with confirmational aspects of features driving the communication of vision and intent

Mark's Talk:

Most tests follow an arrange/act/assert pattern that dates back to the earliest days of xUnit. A bowling test might set up a new frame, roll a ball, and expect that if no pins are left standing, the score will be a strike. But this test also passes if there were never any pins set up in the first place. Difference-Asserting Fluent Tests use a DSL to close this and several other loopholes in NUnit and MSTest assertions, while letting you keep those tools in place. You've heard of syntactic sugar? This is syntactic caulk. And more.

Mark Knell is a developer and Agile coach working in Portland. He has a master's degree from Harvard University Extension.

Marty's talk:

We all hope that our software will satisfy the goals and desires of our users and customers. Yet most development starts by focusing on features as a mechanism to achieve an outcome, rather than creating something demonstrable that will confirm that the vision and intent has been achieved. What if these confirmational and functional aspects were really two sides of the same feature that could be exploited to develop features in a test-driven manner? Feature TDD is a technique that does just that: create confirmational aspects that clearly establish desired outcomes and then use those to test-drive the functional mechanism that is the focus of traditional software development.

Marty Nelson is the Head of Architecture at Accelrys, Inc., an ISV offering Enterprise Lab Management solutions that serve a rapidly changing pharmaceutical and scientific R&D industry. Marty has been practicing agile development since 2003 and has taken a keen interested in the last couple of years in the architectural and organizational application of agile values and principals.

This event is free and is at our new location, Puppet Labs. It begins at 6:30 pm with pizza, sponsored by PNSQC (Many thanks to both Puppet Labs and PNSQC for supporting agile in Portland).

The program starts at 7:00 pm.

After the program you're invited to join us for a no-host gathering at a nearby brewpub for further discussion.

Agile Open Northwest, a non-profit alliance of agile practitioners in the US Pacific Northwest region, presents our seventh annual conference, now expanded to a third day! This conference contains over 90 sessions bringing novices, journeymen, and experts together for face-to-face conversations exploring the most important topics in Agile software development today.

What: An Open Space conference about Agile practices and techniques. Where: Ambridge Event Center, Portland, Oregon When: February 6 to 8, 2013 - Now three days long! Who: YOU and other experienced, collaborative, committed agile practitioners. Registration is limited to 150 participants. Cost: $200 for the three-day event, including continental breakfast and lunch each day, and dinner on the first night.

Agile Open Northwest 2013 offers an opportunity to strengthen our community of practice and co-create the future for Agile development in our region. For three days, we build on conversation after conversation as we engage important questions like:

What is Agile really? What are the most important practices in making Agile approaches really successful on my team? Who practices Agile philosophies, methods, principles or practices in the Northwest, and what's the impact? What is the difference between Lean, Scrum, XP, and other Agile approaches? What new technical challenges face Agile? What are the latest cutting edge developments in the Agile software development world? How do Agile frameworks and methods co-exist with project management, process control and other governance structures? How do we adapt Agile practices to our organizations without diluting them? Can Agile methods work in big, risky projects? How? When distributed teams use Agile approaches, what changes? If we adopt an Agile mindset, what might the transition look like in my organization?

Has traffic or location prevented you from joining an agile discussion group? Not close to PDX or SEA? Then a virtual "pub lunch" may be the answer!

This agile lunch discussion is a collaborative effort between Seattle and Portland agile minds, and we're hoping it won't stop there.
TIps: The event is held on a zoom conference line. We've learned using video is best, and you might consider your environment before joining -- find a quiet space where you won't be interrupted or feel self conscious. We're monitoring chat as a back channel, so if you can't find a spot in the discussion, add your question or comment in chat and our hosts will try to work it in.

This weeks topic:
Creating an agile culture: Is your New Year’s resolution to help your workplace feel/be more agile? Are you wondering what even IS an agile workplace culture? How do you build one, what tools do you use? How do you know IF you’ve got an agile culture? Once you’ve got it, how do you keep it rolling? Taking our queues, as usual, from the manifesto about creating a culture that supports “uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it.” Let’s discuss what not only make this possible but inevitable and where helping others do the same is the order of the day. Join us to share what’s worked, what you long for that is missing in your culture and any other thoughts that spring to mind when you think “Agile Culture.”

Connect with us via Zoom!
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/674417247

Join us for a "Create Your Vision Board" session to start the new year!

A Vision Board (aka dream board, treasure map, action board…) is a collage of images, pictures, and affirmations of one’s intentions and visions for the future, designed to serve as a source of inspiration and motivation. As a friend put it, “It’s a way of aligning intention with attention.” Get your hands on your goal setting.

Creating a Vision Board is a perfect activity whether you’re seeking something new in your life (job, living situation, relationship, etc.), or want to put what you have in a better balance, or want to have fun setting goals for what comes next!

Diana Larsen will give a context for set up, offer a few words of guidance, and supply materials including magazines to cut up, images already clipped, the best glue, some blank poster boards, and a few past boards as examples. There will be a basket for donations to help with materials expenses.

You will bring:
1) your own scissors for cutting paper (necessary)
2) a couple of magazines that capture your interest (optional) Note: Photo and graphic filled materials work better than text heavy ones.
3) a poster board or cardboard for collaging (also optional) Note: In addition to posters, you can turn leftover heavy cardboard shoeboxes into effective reminders (and storage!) through collage. Also blank books.
4) your preferred snacks and a sack lunch to help your inspiration and sustain your energy.

We’ll have room for about 12-14 people.

For more information about Vision Boarding, check out https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Vision-Board. Also a search on Vision Board images will bring up many examples. Yours doesn’t need to look like any of them.

If you aren't going to be able to make it, please update your RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Parking:
Use the Gotham Building Parking lot on the corner of N Page St and N Borthwick Ave.

Building Entry:
Entry to the building is best through the door by Little Gotham Coffee. We'll have someone meeting on time attendees at the door. For those that run a few minutes late due to traffic or other reasons out of your control, there will be directions at the door on how to contact someone to let you in.

Weather Policy:
Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagater 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Percipio Consulting Group is opening up their offices to host this event.

Percipio is a business consulting firm that helps companies identify opportunities for improvement and successfully implement meaningful changes. That means more efficient processes, shored-up controls, a technology solution that really works for you, or all of the above. They have helped many companies, both Fortune 500 and mid-sized, navigate complex projects by truly understanding business needs and defining up front what success will look like.


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258628474/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

"Live from Agile Open Northwest - it's Virtual Pub Lunch!"
This month we will join our virtual discussion from a session at the annual Open Space conference of Agile Open Northwest http://www.agileopennorthwest.org/.

This agile lunch discussion is a collaborative effort between Seattle and Portland agile minds, and we're hoping it won't stop there.
Tips: The event is held on a zoom conference line. We've learned using video is best, and you might consider your environment before joining -- find a quiet space where you won't be interrupted or feel self conscious. We're monitoring chat as a back channel, so if you can't find a spot in the discussion, add your question or comment in chat and our hosts will try to work it in.

This weeks topic:
Agile in Agencies: building an agile iterative process with in-house teams and stakeholders is a challenge. But how do you tackle the challenge of a client wanting to sign a contract with specified cost, scope, and deadlines? The Agile Manifesto states: Customer collaboration over contract negotiation. So where does the agile effort start in an agency. And can a grass-roots effort rise in such an eco-structure? Join us to share your stories and insights, as a developer, manager, or even end customer. Join in to spitball possible (and impossible) ideas, and have fun!

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258129669/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a hands-on workshop experiencing Mob Programming!

Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a racecar - unstoppable and thorough. The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Directions:

The building you are looking for is on 2nd and Taylor (look for the Starbucks on the ground floor). Take the escalators on the 2nd St. entrance to the WTC Building One second floor lobby (ADA access: ground floor elevator). Take an elevator to the 9th floor (press '9' outside the elevators and use the indicated cab). Follow signs to the Cayuse lobby and sign in for the event.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258272777/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

AgilePDX is providing a forum for Agile Project Managers, Agile Facilitators, and Scrum Masters to gather online once a month and discuss all things project, program, and portfolio related. Please join us for a Lean Coffee style event facilitated by experience Agile PM's and instructors in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner prep program.

You'll be dialing in from your desktop with your favorite early morning brew. Please join with your camera on. The Zoom URL will be provided to confirmed attendees. Feel free to post questions to this meetup prior to the event.

We welcome divergent opinions and experience reports. Bring your challenges for groups feedback and support. Plan to join 15 minutes early for coffee clatch chat and networking or stay 15 minutes for the same networking experience.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/bxvdmqyzdbwb/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for coffee/tea or beverage of your choice and fun discussions about how to overcome challenges we face or to share about Agile-inspired and other topics we agree or disagree with. This event is aimed at getting people in the North and NE areas of Portland and Vancouver together to facilitate discussions. It's not exclusive to people that live in the North and NE, just closer to those parts of the city to make it easier to come out.

We'll spend the first few minutes gathering discussion ideas, then roll right into the smooth easy cadence of the lively chatter.

If you aren't going to be able to make it, please update your RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Parking: Use the Gotham Building Parking lot on the corner of N Page St and N Borthwick Ave.

Building Entry: Entry to the building is best through the door by Little Gotham Coffee. We'll have someone meeting on time attendees at the door. For those that run a few minutes late due to traffic or other reasons out of your control, there will be directions at the door on how to contact someone to let you in.

Weather Policy: Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagater 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Percipio Consulting Group is opening up their offices to host this event. Percipio is a business consulting firm that helps companies identify opportunities for improvement and successfully implement meaningful changes. That means more efficient processes, shored-up controls, a technology solution that really works for you, or all of the above. They have helped many companies, both Fortune 500 and mid-sized, navigate complex projects by truly understanding business needs and defining up front what success will look like.

New to Lean Coffee?

It's a great way to have real, focused dialogue and we often discuss matters of agile, lean and such - but anything goes. As far as the mechanics, here's the format we'll follow:

Step 1: Everybody writes down proposed topics on stickies, placing them in the center of the table. Take as much time as needed, but typically takes only 3-5 minutes (or whenever coffee is ready).

Step 2: Each topic is briefly described by its writer to get a flavor for the subject (15-30 seconds typically per sticky).

Step 3: Each person gets five votes which they indicate by marking the voted-for sticky with their Sharpie. Mark with a plus + if you agree with the topic and want to discuss it, or a minus - if you disagree and want to discuss it, mark it with a dot if you want to hear the discussion and maybe join in. You can put all votes on one, one across many, however you feel. Each mark counts as one vote.

Step 4: The top vote-getting stickies are placed in the ToDo column, ordered by the stickies with the most votes at the top. In an Agile fashion, we'll use groupings of ToDo, Doing, Done and Lessons learned.

Step 5: Each of these stickies are discussed for 5 minutes, most votes first. The facilitator takes a quick "Cesar" (thumbs up/down) vote at the five-minute timer, and she moves on for three more minutes if the discussion still has majority interest. When complete, move the sticky over to the Done column. Rinse and repeat.

Step 6: wrap-up thoughts at the end - what one idea or person did you most enjoy, then break for home/drinks/cover.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/257682731/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for coffee/tea or beverage of your choice and fun discussions about how to overcome challenges we face or to share about Agile-inspired and other topics we agree or disagree with. This event is aimed at getting people in the North and NE areas of Portland and Vancouver together to facilitate discussions. It's not exclusive to people that live in the North and NE, just closer to those parts of the city to make it easier to come out.

We'll spend the first few minutes gathering discussion ideas, then roll right into the smooth easy cadence of the lively chatter.

If you aren't going to be able to make it, please update your RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Parking: Use the Gotham Building Parking lot on the corner of N Page St and N Borthwick Ave.

Building Entry: Entry to the building is best through the door by Little Gotham Coffee. We'll have someone meeting on time attendees at the door. For those that run a few minutes late due to traffic or other reasons out of your control, there will be directions at the door on how to contact someone to let you in.

Weather Policy: Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagater 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Percipio Consulting Group is opening up their offices to host this event. Percipio is a business consulting firm that helps companies identify opportunities for improvement and successfully implement meaningful changes. That means more efficient processes, shored-up controls, a technology solution that really works for you, or all of the above. They have helped many companies, both Fortune 500 and mid-sized, navigate complex projects by truly understanding business needs and defining up front what success will look like.

New to Lean Coffee?

It's a great way to have real, focused dialogue and we often discuss matters of agile, lean and such - but anything goes. As far as the mechanics, here's the format we'll follow:

Step 1: Everybody writes down proposed topics on stickies, placing them in the center of the table. Take as much time as needed, but typically takes only 3-5 minutes (or whenever coffee is ready).

Step 2: Each topic is briefly described by its writer to get a flavor for the subject (15-30 seconds typically per sticky).

Step 3: Each person gets five votes which they indicate by marking the voted-for sticky with their Sharpie. Mark with a plus + if you agree with the topic and want to discuss it, or a minus - if you disagree and want to discuss it, mark it with a dot if you want to hear the discussion and maybe join in. You can put all votes on one, one across many, however you feel. Each mark counts as one vote.

Step 4: The top vote-getting stickies are placed in the ToDo column, ordered by the stickies with the most votes at the top. In an Agile fashion, we'll use groupings of ToDo, Doing, Done and Lessons learned.

Step 5: Each of these stickies are discussed for 5 minutes, most votes first. The facilitator takes a quick "Cesar" (thumbs up/down) vote at the five-minute timer, and she moves on for three more minutes if the discussion still has majority interest. When complete, move the sticky over to the Done column. Rinse and repeat.

Step 6: wrap-up thoughts at the end - what one idea or person did you most enjoy, then break for home/drinks/cover.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258138240/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

So you’re learning Agile! You get excited because you discover something and bring it to work and - POOF - someone discards your ideas like they’re useless! Or someone comes to you and wants to “coach” you about what you “should” be doing in agile/scrum/Kanban teams. How do you share your most exciting thoughts and receive the thoughts of others?

Both Kat and Kathey (Kat’s inner critic) will be presenting. Join Kat/Kathey on her journey from curious newby, to “fake expert” to “Newby Thought Leader” and back again…and again. Kathey will discuss self-doubt, blame, living behind the walls of our assumptions. Using those defense mechanisms, Kat will share how she has been able to rewrite some bad internal dialogs to develop channels that have allowed her to passionately share often valuable insight with those around her, and to be recognized for doing so. She will also share her failures, and how she was able to apply them differently in subsequent exchanges. (50 min with optional facilitated networking to follow)

Key Results:

> Recognize what Agile Bullying is: when you see it and when you do it.
> Learn some methods to deliver value or extract it from others without bullying.
> Gather some tools that can help you self-brand and develop your own inner expert
> Activities that can help you develop as a thought leader in your own skill expertise
> Hands-on coaching and networking exchange activity within small groups: Practice the skills we discuss and network with your agile community.
> Laughter

Kat Daugherty's Bios:

Kat Daugherty is a practicing Enterprise Transformation Agile Coach at Slalom Portland, with 2k+ LinkedIn followers and a cornucopia of speaking, training, publishing and facilitation learning and accomplishments. She’s passionate about mentoring, reconfirming our biases, empathy-centric leadership, and personal branding.

“Kathey Daugherty” is Kat’s inner critic who often wonders if she is really as good as those she views as more accomplished, more intelligent, smarter or better than she is at agile, speaking, and life in general.

Notice: This meeting may be recorded. Also, we will not hold the event during icy or snowy conditions. Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagator 3 hours before event time.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258451821/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

We've probably all been on teams that argued about the smallest possible things. Or perhaps a team where a key members didn't listen. And I'm sure you remember fondly that team that just seamed to click. Where curiosity was the norm and you could safely bring your whole self.

On Friday Feb 22 we'll talk about how to support a great team or help a hurting team by bringing in emotional intelligence (EQ). What can you do to optimize the emotional intelligence of the team itself? How can you coach individuals on the team about and with emotions?

Join us on the Westside at lunchtime for what is sure to be an interesting and colorful discussion.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258083478/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

A coding-filled day focused on Conway's Game of Life. We will code in 1-hour iterations, with 15 minutes of retrospective and break. This is a safe place to experiment with code without deadlines and learn a trick or two! Yes, it’s woman-focused, and everyone is welcome.

Coderetreat is a self-organizing international group of software developers who gather to help each other improve. Their website, if you’d like to go right to the source, is coderetreat.org. Key practices we’ll be focusing on are problem-solving, pairing, and moving to TDD (Test Driven Development). You will be pairing with new pairing partners all day long to help build your network, make new friends, and learn what it’s like to pair with people who use different coding strategies than you do. And the Coderetreat team will be there to support you!

If you learn one new thing that you can take back to the office, you have a win, and so do we! We’ll also be supporting you in understanding the importance of taking care of yourself while coding and strategies for attracting skills transfer opportunities.

Come early and meet other attendees for a leisurely chat over coffee!

More details and handouts will be posted as we near the event, so watch this space and manage your RSVP so we have an accurate food and coffee headcount. This space is cozy, so seats are limited.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258499895/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

In Organizing Genius, Bennis declares that the age of the empowered individual has ended: what matters now is "collaborative advantage" and the assembling of powerful teams. Drawing from six case studies that include Xerox's PARC labs, the 1992 Clinton campaign, and Disney animation studios, Bennis and coauthor Patricia Biederman distill the characteristics of successful collaboration, showing how talent can be pooled and managed for greater results than any individual is capable of producing.

Join us to talk about what Bennis’ insights on teams can tell us about practicing agile. Looking forward to discovering what our own collaborative discussion will uncover!

We are so grateful to The Toffee Club for hosting us free of charge. Please enjoy a beverage and/or food to thank them, if you can!

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259111691/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

As organizations scale, they necessarily add personnel and processes. Change, both good and bad, is inevitable as we grow. But must this result in dilution of culture and loss of agility? How do we scale responsibly while seeking to preserve beneficial cultural ideals and principles, tactfully challenge and improve the organization, and maintain agility to thrive in a rapidly changing world?

Join in the discussion and offer your experience, musings, or ideas.

Everyone is invited. You are always welcome within our community of practice. Please join us at Ringlers Pub for great food, great conversation, and good beer.

Note: Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagator at least 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259082129/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

Agile Open Northwest held their annual Open Space conference in Portland this February.

Our last lunch was live from AONW and there was a lot of curiosity, even from attendees to hear more about what they missed. Let's use this virtual lunch to hear stories, insights, and lessons learned from the conference. Join us if you missed the conference, and more so - join us if you attended AONW, and share your experience! See great coverage or blog posts elsewhere? Share links and further reading in the chat, too!

This agile lunch discussion is a collaborative effort between Seattle and Portland agile minds, and we're hoping it won't stop there.
Tips: The event is held on a zoom conference line. We've learned using video is best, and you might consider your environment before joining -- find a quiet space where you won't be interrupted or feel self conscious. We're monitoring chat as a back channel, so if you can't find a spot in the discussion, add your question or comment in chat and our hosts will try to work it in.

We hope to "see" you for a virtual lunch!

Connect with us via Zoom!
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/674417247

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259448942/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a hands-on workshop experiencing Mob Programming!
Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a racecar - unstoppable and thorough.

The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Directions: The building you are looking for is on 2nd and Taylor (look for the Starbucks on the ground floor). Take the escalators on the 2nd St. entrance to the WTC Building One second floor lobby (ADA access: ground floor elevator). Take an elevator to the 9th floor (press '9' outside the elevators and use the indicated cab). Follow signs to the Cayuse lobby and sign in for the event.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: : https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/258535682/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

AgilePDX is providing a forum for Agile Project Managers, Agile Facilitators, and Scrum Masters to gather online once a month and discuss all things project, program, and portfolio related. Please join us for a Lean Coffee style event facilitated by experience Agile PM's and instructors in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner prep program.

You'll be dialing in from your desktop with your favorite early morning brew. Please join with your camera on. The Zoom URL will be provided to confirmed attendees. Feel free to post questions to this meetup prior to the event.

We welcome divergent opinions and experience reports. Bring your challenges for groups feedback and support. Plan to join 15 minutes early for coffee clatch chat and networking or stay 15 minutes for the same networking experience.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259111522/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

While our tech-based companies are struggling to find the talent needed to grow a new creative economy, our schools are still stuck in a 100-year-old model that was designed to produce workers for an industrial age. Students desperately want to be a part of the future but many are struggling to understand why they are even showing up to school each day. Here in Oregon, we have the second worst graduation rate in the entire country. Some would joke that we are the Mississippi of the West, except that Mississippi now has a higher graduation rate.

Four years ago Innovate Oregon launched The Dayton Experiment, in Dayton Oregon, a rural community in Yamhill County where two-thirds of the students live in poverty and a third of the students are Hispanic.

This experiment explored what might happen if you took the agile mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets from our agile community and partnered with a school district to re-imagine education. Might it be possible for an entire school district to transform from a traditional teaching institution into a dynamic learning organization, one that unleashes the creative genius of their students?

Today, Dayton has a 97% graduation rate and recently sent a student design team to be showcased at MIT. It is inspiring agile cultural transformations in districts throughout the entire state.

Thompson will be sharing the story of this journey and lessons that have been learned when bringing agile to a complex ecosystem. These lessons have direct implications for companies seeking to scale agile within their organizations.

Bio

Thompson Morrison is the Founder and Chief Evangelist for Innovate Oregon, originally a strategic initiative of the TAO Foundation. For 15 years he ran a software company whose development teams embraced agile practices. He was on the Board of the TAO and chaired their strategy committee that led the transformation of the organization from its earlier manifestation as the SAO. He led the team from the TAO and PDC that developed a community-based economic development strategy for the software industry. He was a founding board member of the STEM Investment Council and co-authored Oregon's STEM Investment Plan. He is also the co-founder of both TaborSpace and the Rosewood Initiative.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259403430/

Do you believe great teams are the key to profitable, sustainable, and joyful workplaces? If yes, how do you get started? Your actions in the first few weeks can have a big impact on the ultimate results.

Join us for a 4th Friday discussion about starting up a new team. How do you form group norms, establish clear goals, and create an environment where everyone feels motivated to contribute? If you've been part of a really good team start we'd love to hear from you. If you learned some startup lessons the hard way, please come and help the rest of us avoid the same pain.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259994527/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Frameworks such as Scrum are lightweight, simple to understand, and difficult to master by design. The Manifesto for Agile Software Development consists of a handful of value statements along with twelve easy to comprehend principles and yet, it sometimes seems as if we as individuals and teams may never "get there." How do we as individuals and teams continue to grow, evolve, and embrace Agile values? What successful strategies have you employed? What behaviors are beneficial? Are there metrics or other ways of measuring progress toward these ideals?

Join in the discussion and offer your experience, musings, or ideas.

Everyone is invited. You are always welcome within our community of practice. Please join us at Ringlers Pub for great food, great conversation, and good beer.

Note: Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagator at least 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260087586/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a hands-on workshop experiencing Mob Programming!
Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a racecar - unstoppable and thorough.

The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Directions: The building you are looking for is on 2nd and Taylor (look for the Starbucks on the ground floor). Take the escalators on the 2nd St. entrance to the WTC Building One second floor lobby (ADA access: ground floor elevator). Take an elevator to the 9th floor (press '9' outside the elevators and use the indicated cab). Follow signs to the Cayuse lobby and sign in for the event.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259599634/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

AgilePDX is providing a forum for Agile Project Managers, Agile Facilitators, and Scrum Masters to gather online once a month and discuss all things project, program, and portfolio related. Please join us for a Lean Coffee style event facilitated by experience Agile PM's and instructors in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner prep program.

You'll be dialing in from your desktop with your favorite early morning brew. Please join with your camera on. The Zoom URL will be provided to confirmed attendees. Feel free to post questions to this meetup prior to the event.

We welcome divergent opinions and experience reports. Bring your challenges for groups feedback and support. Plan to join 15 minutes early for coffee clatch chat and networking or stay 15 minutes for the same networking experience.


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260031767/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

Missing out on roundtable discussions due to location? Try out this virtual gathering.

The topic this month is: Agile Transformation
What do we think of, when we hear these words? Do we view it as promises of high performing teams and great business success? Or, maybe the transform reaches the entire company, moving the change process from team to leadership, company culture, and customer relationships. And while the 'Manifesto for Agile Software Development' was written by software developers, we can distill its statement to all professions: "We are uncovering better ways of X by doing it and helping others do it." Is this the core of an agile transformation?

What are your thoughts? What have you experienced, good or bad? Please join us and share your story and ask questions of others. There are no sages on stages in this discussion, and your contribution will make our discussion richer. This is us, sharing our experiences, and helping each other build on it.

Connect with us via Zoom!
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/674417247

Photo by Danielle MacInnes (@dsmacinnes) on Unsplash.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260205440/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Some Agile methodologies prescribe roles within a team. Then why can it be so hard some times to get a team aligned and firing on all cylinders throughout the course of all sprints? This presentation will call out some areas to be aware of, that we can sometimes overlook, or be completely blind to when we start a project that is agile, waterfall, or hybrid. We will then look at avenues to address these oversights to empower you and your team to better see and address how you can improve your team’s effectiveness in building deliverables, your organization, and individual team members.

Bio

Kip Davis is the Principal at Deal With The Gap LLC. He has 25+ years professional experience in and across multiple functions from software & hardware support to Director of Marketing to PMO Manager, to Product Manager, and CRM Administrator, among others. He has helped set up and manage Programs, PMOs and Portfolios. He’s utilized agile, hybrid, and waterfall methodologies as manager, consultant, contractor, and employee. He is a life-long learner and has an MBA degree, with applicable certifications of Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Prosci Change Practitioner, Illumeo Organization Development Certification, and Certified Business Architect (CBA). Through extensive research and experience he has considered and conceptually combined and bridged several relevant industry models and methodologies and established an alignment framework which he uses to help individuals and organizations understand where they are in relation to their desired outcomes, and what options they can take or create to better accomplish their goals.

Notice: This meeting may be recorded.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260162501/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Where there are people, there are conflicts. What do you do when the people around you are fighting? Shut the door? (Oh, open office) Hope it will go away? (Please, Please I've got a deadline) So, how do you manage conflict between two people who aren't you?

Join us April 26 to discuss constructive ways to think about, work with and maybe even help resolve the conflict around us.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259348182/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for coffee/tea or beverage of your choice and fun discussions about how to overcome challenges we face or to share about Agile-inspired and other topics we agree or disagree with. This event is aimed at getting people in the North and NE areas of Portland and Vancouver together to facilitate discussions. It's not exclusive to people that live in the North and NE, just closer to those parts of the city to make it easier to come out.

We'll spend the first few minutes gathering discussion ideas, then roll right into the smooth easy cadence of the lively chatter.

If you aren't going to be able to make it, please update your RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Parking:
Use the Gotham Building Parking lot on the corner of N Page St and N Borthwick Ave.

Building Entry:
Entry to the building is best through the door by Little Gotham Coffee. We'll have someone meeting on time attendees at the door. For those that run a few minutes late due to traffic or other reasons out of your control, there will be directions at the door on how to contact someone to let you in.

Weather Policy:
Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagater 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Percipio Consulting Group is opening up their offices to host this event.

Percipio is a business consulting firm that helps companies identify opportunities for improvement and successfully implement meaningful changes. That means more efficient processes, shored-up controls, a technology solution that really works for you, or all of the above. They have helped many companies, both Fortune 500 and mid-sized, navigate complex projects by truly understanding business needs and defining up front what success will look like.

New to Lean Coffee?

It's a great way to have real, focused dialogue and we often discuss matters of agile, lean and such - but anything goes. As far as the mechanics, here's the format we'll follow:

Step 1: Everybody writes down proposed topics on stickies, placing them in the center of the table. Take as much time as needed, but typically takes only 3-5 minutes (or whenever coffee is ready).

Step 2: Each topic is briefly described by its writer to get a flavor for the subject (15-30 seconds typically per sticky).

Step 3: Each person gets five votes which they indicate by marking the voted-for sticky with their Sharpie. Mark with a plus + if you agree with the topic and want to discuss it, or a minus - if you disagree and want to discuss it, mark it with a dot if you want to hear the discussion and maybe join in. You can put all votes on one, one across many, however you feel. Each mark counts as one vote.

Step 4: The top vote-getting stickies are placed in the ToDo column, ordered by the stickies with the most votes at the top. In an Agile fashion, we'll use groupings of ToDo, Doing, Done and Lessons learned.

Step 5: Each of these stickies are discussed for 5 minutes, most votes first. The facilitator takes a quick "Cesar" (thumbs up/down) vote at the five-minute timer, and she moves on for three more minutes if the discussion still has majority interest. When complete, move the sticky over to the Done column. Rinse and repeat.

Step 6: wrap-up thoughts at the end - what one idea or person did you most enjoy, then break for home/drinks/cover.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/261027784/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including:

Ensuring that goals, scope, and product domain are understood by everyone on the Scrum Team as well as possible;
Finding techniques for effective Product Backlog management;
Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items;
Understanding product planning in an empirical environment;
Ensuring the Product Owner knows how to arrange the Product Backlog to maximize value;
Understanding and practicing agility; and,
Facilitating Scrum events as requested or needed.

That said, every Scrum Master and Product Owner are a unique person with a differing set of skills and experience. Scrum Masters may help to make sprint planning engaging, or perhaps assist with Stakeholder education. Maybe Product Owners have enlisted their Scrum Masters in helping the team focus on the product mission and vision. Product Owners could struggle with an over-eager Scrum Master constantly "improving" the backlog tool with new and changing configurations. Or perhaps your Product Owner is showing up in daily stand-ups, asking why something isn't done yet...

What have you done as a Scrum Master to assist - or perhaps mitigate an undesired impact - of your Product Owner? What have you, Product Owner, wished for in your Scrum Master? Bring your questions and your experience, and share with your community!

Everyone is invited. You are always welcome within our community of practice. Please join us at Ringlers Pub for great food, great conversation, and good beer.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259229066/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

What is Coderetreat?
Coderetreat is a day-long practice event that focuses on the fundamentals of good software development and design. Developers are given the opportunity of focused practice away from the pressures of “getting things done”, allowing them to sharpen their craft and to learn new skills in a safe environment. Yes, this event is women-focused, and everyone is welcome.

(Originally developed by Corey Haines, the global webpage is located at http://coderetreat.org/ if you would like to read more about it.)

Why attend a Coderetreat?
~ Learn new skills to help you write better code
~ Learn to take risks and experiment
~ Learn to practice writing code
~ Gain collaborative experience through pair programming
~ Network and make new friends

Wait...it’s free?
Yes, Coderetreat is free. There are simply 2 requirements that will help you get the most out of a Coderetreat:
~ Show up with an open mind and learner’s attitude.
~ Bring a laptop with a working development environment and testing framework, and be prepared to use it (see below for a list of popular IDEs).

What does a full day of coding practice involve?
Coderetreat is built on a specific formula. The day consists of usually[masked]-minute iterations in which participants are presented with a specific problem that they need to code. Emphasis is NOT placed on finishing, in fact participants are not expected to finish within the given 45 minutes. Instead, the emphasis is placed on learning new skills that enable participants to write code in a different way than would normally be the case. Participants change partners with each iteration, with the goal being that everyone should pair with someone different for every iteration. Techniques such as Test Driven Development will be introduced, with exposure to core fundamentals such as the 4 Rules of Simple Design and SOLID. Breakfast and lunch are both included, with gluten free options available. This is your chance to learn something new, and to be fed while doing it.

If you learn one new thing that you can take back to the office, you have a win, and so do we! We’ll also be supporting you in understanding the importance of taking care of yourself while coding and strategies for attracting skills transfer opportunities.

Come early and meet other attendees for a leisurely chat over coffee!

More details and handouts will be posted as we near the event, so watch this space and manage your RSVP so we have an accurate food and coffee headcount. This space is cozy, so seats are limited.


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260145145/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

The PMI-ACP is the fastest-growing PMI certification and has been for several years. Not only does it require an exam, it also requires evidence of using agile approaches. The Agile Practice Guide is a guide to the state of the practice and how you might actually use agile approaches in your organization for your specific projects. While agile approaches are not for everyone, many projects can benefit from interim deliveries of value.

Johanna Rothman, co-chair of the first edition of the Agile Practice Guide, will deliver a short presentation of when agile approaches might work for you and answer your questions. Johanna and the APG are agnostic about which agile approach to use and when. Both Johanna and the APG focus on principles, not practices. Join us for what will be a spirited discussion of your possible use of agile approaches and the Agile Practice Guide.

Meetup Description: AgilePDX is providing a forum for Agile Project Managers, Agile Facilitators, and Scrum Masters to gather online once a month and discuss all things project, program, and portfolio related. Please join us for a Lean Coffee style event facilitated by experience Agile PM's and instructors in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner prep program.

You'll be dialing in from your desktop with your favorite early morning brew. Please join with your camera on. The Zoom URL will be provided to confirmed attendees. Feel free to post questions to this meetup prior to the event.

We welcome divergent opinions and experience reports. Bring your challenges for groups feedback and support. Plan to join 15 minutes early for coffee clatch chat and networking or stay 15 minutes for the same networking experience.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260920083/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a hands-on workshop experiencing Mob Programming!
Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a racecar - unstoppable and thorough.

The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Directions: The building you are looking for is on 2nd and Taylor (look for the Starbucks on the ground floor). Take the escalators on the 2nd St. entrance to the WTC Building One second floor lobby (ADA access: ground floor elevator). Take an elevator to the 9th floor (press '9' outside the elevators and use the indicated cab). Follow signs to the Cayuse lobby and sign in for the event.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/261043167/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

One of the keys to effectiveness is to know yourself and show yourself the Goldilocks amount. How do you avoid TMI (Too Much Information)? And, at the other end of the spectrum, how do you keep from being too reserved to share much of anything with other people?

If you know yourself well enough, you can share relevant information to improve communication and connect with others. And the more expert communicators you have on your team, the more potential you have to build trust in a professional way.

One tool to help you on this journey is the Johari Window. Created by psychologists Joseph Luft (1916–2014) and Harrington Ingham (1916–1995) in 1955, the Johari Window helps people understand what they show and what they hide from the world; what they don't see and what they don't even know about themselves.

Neal first learned about the Johari Window in one of his leadership training sessions, and it piqued his interest as a facilitation tool. We are excited to have Neal share his insights about how to use the Johari window to help teams connect on a deeper level without oversharing. And for those interested, we'll have an opportunity for hands-on exercises.

Bio
Neal Peterson is a business consultant who helps businesses utilize the full capacity of their systems and processes. His goal is to enable businesses and people to do more with less, more efficiently and effectively. As a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Six Sigma Lean Black Belt Professional (LBBP), and self taught agile coach, he collaborates across the functional departments of an organization to enable continuous measurable improvement of end to end value chain processes. He has done this for companies in the healthcare, financial services, retail, government, software, semi-conductor, transportation, shipping, and manufacturing industries. He seeks to share the agile mindset with others in the community via conversations and facilitated sessions that enable learning in a collaborative environment.

Notice: This meeting may be recorded.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259859953/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for coffee/tea or beverage of your choice and fun discussions about how to overcome challenges we face or to share about Agile-inspired and other topics we agree or disagree with. This event is aimed at getting people in the North and NE areas of Portland and Vancouver together to facilitate discussions. It's not exclusive to people that live in the North and NE, just closer to those parts of the city to make it easier to come out.

We'll spend the first few minutes gathering discussion ideas, then roll right into the smooth easy cadence of the lively chatter.

If you aren't going to be able to make it, please update your RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Parking:
Use the Gotham Building Parking lot on the corner of N Page St and N Borthwick Ave.

Building Entry:
Entry to the building is best through the door by Little Gotham Coffee. We'll have someone meeting on time attendees at the door. For those that run a few minutes late due to traffic or other reasons out of your control, there will be directions at the door on how to contact someone to let you in.

Weather Policy:
Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagater 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Percipio Consulting Group is opening up their offices to host this event.

Percipio is a business consulting firm that helps companies identify opportunities for improvement and successfully implement meaningful changes. That means more efficient processes, shored-up controls, a technology solution that really works for you, or all of the above. They have helped many companies, both Fortune 500 and mid-sized, navigate complex projects by truly understanding business needs and defining up front what success will look like.

New to Lean Coffee?

It's a great way to have real, focused dialogue and we often discuss matters of agile, lean and such - but anything goes. As far as the mechanics, here's the format we'll follow:

Step 1: Everybody writes down proposed topics on stickies, placing them in the center of the table. Take as much time as needed, but typically takes only 3-5 minutes (or whenever coffee is ready).

Step 2: Each topic is briefly described by its writer to get a flavor for the subject (15-30 seconds typically per sticky).

Step 3: Each person gets five votes which they indicate by marking the voted-for sticky with their Sharpie. Mark with a plus + if you agree with the topic and want to discuss it, or a minus - if you disagree and want to discuss it, mark it with a dot if you want to hear the discussion and maybe join in. You can put all votes on one, one across many, however you feel. Each mark counts as one vote.

Step 4: The top vote-getting stickies are placed in the ToDo column, ordered by the stickies with the most votes at the top. In an Agile fashion, we'll use groupings of ToDo, Doing, Done and Lessons learned.

Step 5: Each of these stickies are discussed for 5 minutes, most votes first. The facilitator takes a quick "Cesar" (thumbs up/down) vote at the five-minute timer, and she moves on for three more minutes if the discussion still has majority interest. When complete, move the sticky over to the Done column. Rinse and repeat.

Step 6: wrap-up thoughts at the end - what one idea or person did you most enjoy, then break for home/drinks/cover.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/259745618/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a beer (or beverage of your choice) and a snack at the Rogue Eastside Pub to discuss The Age of Agile by Stephen Denning. (Our poll tied twice, so I flipped the coin, as promised. If you want to read Start with Why by Sinek, we'll do that next time!)

Here's the book in a nutshell from the book flap: "The Age of Agile unpacks the groundbreaking ideas and practices that are remaking the very foundations of business. Reporting from the front lines, Denning takes you deep into the Agile management revolution. Denning demystifies Agile by providing three “laws” that make it practical and clear:

• The Law of the Small Team shows how to operate in a “VUCA” world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity). Using this law, difficult problems are split into manageable batches and performed by small cross-functional, self-governing teams, working iteratively in short cycles, with fast feedback from customers and end-users.

• The Law of the Customer flows from the epic shift in power in the marketplace from seller to buyer, and the need for firms to radically accelerate their ability to make decisions and change direction in light of unexpected events and new customer demands. It amounts to a Copernican revolution in management.

• The Law of the Network (the linchpin of Agile) illustrates what’s involved in making the entire organization Agile."

Let's ponder and talk about how his "Laws" help us or hinder us on our agile journeys.

Join the #reading channel in our AgilePDX slack workspace to share your thoughts & ideas about this and future reads. Not part of AgilePDX slack? Send a request to [email protected] and we'll invite you.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260954070/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

In-the-real-world, what does making a difference as a Scrum Master look like?

We know what the scrum guide says about Scrum Masters; what you are supposed to do. And we know that in practice, all kinds of other things happen. :) You want to make a difference.

So what does making a difference look like? Who do you need to be? What would be happening around you? What would you be doing that is different than standard scrum?

Bring your questions and your opinions and join a discussion that hopefully will inspire you to go out in the world to do great things.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/261482826/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Our community of practice wants to explore the evolution of Agile.

We acknowledge that the manifesto and principles were developed to address the unique needs for software engineering and development. Over the years we have seen Agile frameworks, both formal and informal, emerge and be embraced by different people and organizations. These frameworks are now being leveraged outside of software development. We see some of these tools being applied across many different industries and disciplines.

I believe we all share a view that iterative and incremental value delivery is a powerful tool. Self reflection and a commitment to continuous improvement is more than just a practice, it is a value to be lived.

Have we gotten to a place where it is time to have the conversation about (A)gile as a set of engineering practices, where (a)gility is how to empower people and teams to do valuable work in a different way regardless of the industry or product being delivered?

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology: https://www.profocustechnology.com/.
Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260412479/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

You asked to talk to people who use Lean and Agile methods in government, and we found you John Dickson. What’s his biggest secret for success in using Lean and Agile? It’s all about respecting people and their opinions and never use the words Lean or Agile—and definitely never think of agile as a noun. John’s experience in Washington State and Spokane County government has made the papers—literally. And his Lean chops come straight out of Boeing.

Come hear John set context for a meaty discussion on doing what we do every day—successfully and in some of the toughest places to do it. Listen carefully, and be prepared for a hands-on, cheerful, conflict-welcoming style as you pose your questions and question your assumptions about how government services get delivered.

John has been an executive in private industry, state and now county government. He’s successfully led very large organizational transformations in each sector, giving him a unique perspective on how to effectively inspire people in any industry to willingly improve their processes to obtain better results.

Since March 2013, John has been Spokane County’s Chief Operations Officer. He’s leading significant operational improvement activities within county government and across the region focused on more efficient, effective and affordable processes. Since 2014, over 500 improvement projects have been initiated and run by county staff. And by collaborating with many local government and business leaders, several regional law and justice reform projects are successfully being implemented.

Previously, John worked for the military side of Boeing for over 20 years and had senior leadership roles on the Sea Launch, B-2 bomber, and F-22 Raptor programs. He left Boeing in 2006 to become Berg Integrated System’s General Manager, a start-up company in Plummer, ID, that fabricated large fuel bladders and expandable shelters for the US Army. His government career began in 2010 when he became WA State Employment Security Department’s Regional Area Director overseeing the WorkSource Spokane Employment Center. John has also been a Dale Carnegie leadership trainer since 2003 and has been ranked as high as their #2 trainer worldwide.

Meetup Description:
AgilePDX is providing a forum for Agile Project Managers, Agile Facilitators, and Scrum Masters to gather online once a month and discuss all things project, program, and portfolio related. Please join us for a Lean Coffee style event facilitated by experience Agile PM's and instructors in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner prep program.

You'll be dialing in from your desktop with your favorite early morning brew. Please join with your camera on. The Zoom URL will be provided to confirmed attendees. Feel free to post questions to this meetup prior to the event.

We welcome divergent opinions and experience reports. Bring your challenges for groups feedback and support. Plan to join 15 minutes early for coffee clatch chat and networking or stay 15 minutes for the same networking experience.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology: https://www.profocustechnology.com/
Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/261248175/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

Missing out on round-table discussions due to location? Try out this virtual gathering.

The topic this month is: Patterns of Resistance
Agile implementations introduce change, in processes and in mindset. And change raises concern, fear, and - resistance! As you've experienced organizational change (perhaps agile transformation), what have you observed as patterns of resistance? What is obvious, and what sneaks up? Where do they come from? And how can we apply agile principles of collaboration, iteration with inspection, and direct communication to help mitigate these patterns, and help people identify and grow into new opportunities?

You are always welcome to join our community of practice. Bring your questions or stories to learn from and share!

Connect with us via Zoom:
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/674417247

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology https://www.profocustechnology.com/. Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Photo by Alex Rodríguez Santibáñez on Unsplash

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/tjcbbryzjbvb/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for coffee/tea or beverage of your choice and fun discussions about how to overcome challenges we face or to share about Agile-inspired and other topics we agree or disagree with. This event is aimed at getting people in the North and NE areas of Portland and Vancouver together to facilitate discussions. It's not exclusive to people that live in the North and NE, just closer to those parts of the city to make it easier to come out.

We'll spend the first few minutes gathering discussion ideas, then roll right into the smooth easy cadence of the lively chatter.

If you aren't going to be able to make it, please update your RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Parking:
Use the Gotham Building Parking lot on the corner of N Page St and N Borthwick Ave.

Building Entry:
Entry to the building is best through the door by Little Gotham Coffee. We'll have someone meeting on time attendees at the door. For those that run a few minutes late due to traffic or other reasons out of your control, there will be directions at the door on how to contact someone to let you in.

Weather Policy:
Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagater 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Percipio Consulting Group is opening up their offices to host this event.

Percipio is a business consulting firm that helps companies identify opportunities for improvement and successfully implement meaningful changes. That means more efficient processes, shored-up controls, a technology solution that really works for you, or all of the above. They have helped many companies, both Fortune 500 and mid-sized, navigate complex projects by truly understanding business needs and defining up front what success will look like.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology: https://www.profocustechnology.com/. Learn more about our sponsors: https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

New to Lean Coffee?

It's a great way to have real, focused dialogue and we often discuss matters of agile, lean and such - but anything goes. As far as the mechanics, here's the format we'll follow:

Step 1: Everybody writes down proposed topics on stickies, placing them in the center of the table. Take as much time as needed, but typically takes only 3-5 minutes (or whenever coffee is ready).

Step 2: Each topic is briefly described by its writer to get a flavor for the subject (15-30 seconds typically per sticky).

Step 3: Each person gets five votes which they indicate by marking the voted-for sticky with their Sharpie. Mark with a plus + if you agree with the topic and want to discuss it, or a minus - if you disagree and want to discuss it, mark it with a dot if you want to hear the discussion and maybe join in. You can put all votes on one, one across many, however you feel. Each mark counts as one vote.

Step 4: The top vote-getting stickies are placed in the ToDo column, ordered by the stickies with the most votes at the top. In an Agile fashion, we'll use groupings of ToDo, Doing, Done and Lessons learned.

Step 5: Each of these stickies are discussed for 5 minutes, most votes first. The facilitator takes a quick "Cesar" (thumbs up/down) vote at the five-minute timer, and she moves on for three more minutes if the discussion still has majority interest. When complete, move the sticky over to the Done column. Rinse and repeat.

Step 6: wrap-up thoughts at the end - what one idea or person did you most enjoy, then break for home/drinks/cover.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/262003435/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a hands-on workshop experiencing Mob Programming!

This workshop starts with a short discussion, then we will dive right in to mobbing on a simple programming problem that includes tests! We provide plenty of opportunities to ask questions and reflect on what we're learning.

All skill levels and software disciplines are welcome!!! The mob programming workshop is a risk free, safe space for you to learn and experiment with this energizing and effective way of creating software!

Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a racecar - unstoppable and thorough.

The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Directions: The building you are looking for is on 2nd and Taylor (look for the Starbucks on the ground floor). Take the escalators on the 2nd St. entrance to the WTC Building One second floor lobby (ADA access: ground floor elevator). Take an elevator to the 9th floor (press '9' outside the elevators and use the indicated cab). Follow signs to the Cayuse lobby and sign in for the event.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology https://www.profocustechnology.com/. Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/261472603/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Agile is part of an evolution in consciousness--in the nature of our awareness and noticing skills and our knowledge of self and other. When agile emerges in an organization, it does so within a consciousness unlike its own. Yet, our approaches to agility often impede its ability to stick where it emerges.

Agilists have used the frames of mindset and learning. But, we need to use the frames of consciousness and development in order to truly transform. In doing so, we see agile transformations are actually personal transformations. Organizations don't change, people change and then the organization adapts.

This deep dive session discusses the agile mindset and puts “mindset” in the context of “consciousness.” It speaks to advancing agilists who are trying to understand why adoptions go wrong when they have done everything "right." You are more likely to receive full value in this session if you have been pursuing agility within organisations for at least three years.

This session provides pointers on how to spot developmental as opposed to lower level learning experiences. It is based on my own practice, on research I did for my master’s thesis, and on my book The Preservation of the Agile Heart: From Mindset to Consciousness.

Learning Outcomes:

· Be able to articulate a working definition of consciousness
· Understand the difference between mindset and consciousness
· Understand how consciousness and human development align
· Understand the difference between learning and development
· Be able to spot learning opportunities that do not facilitate development
· Be able to create opportunities for personal development and self-care in the context of development

About the Presenter:

Jean Richardson is a consultant and coach with nearly 30 years of experience in software development, with half of that time spent in learning about agile and participating in the agile movement. For the last six years she has coached individuals and teams in agile-aspiring organizations. A former AgilePDX Coordinating Committee member, Jean is actively involved in helping, guiding, and coaching the agile community at the local and national levels toward a collective agile consciousness!

Notice: This meeting may be recorded.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology https://www.profocustechnology.com/. Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/261504385/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

AgilePDX is excited to have been a part of the meaningful collaboration with Lean Portland, Responsive Portland, and Agile Open Northwest that launched Future of Work.

And we are proud to continue to collaborate by cross-posting the Future of Work's second annual conference in Portland https://fowpdx.com.

Future of Work is about creating safe spaces to build community and explore work-life innovation. This event is a collaborative Open Space conference to host discussions and ideations to reimagine our work spaces to create "workplaces where we can thrive and effect positive change as the world evolves."

Future of Work believes "that by coming together we are able to change the places where we work into environments where we trust and value one another; where we can integrate work with life; where we can innovate and be better humans through better companies."

We hope you will consider joining in to forward this good work for our agile community.

To RSVP, please register for the conference here:

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/262205676/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

All of our agile tools, methods, and frameworks are only successful if there is trust within the team. Join us Friday June 28th for a build-our-own-adventure discussion on building trust within the team. Model good trust building behavior and share your trust challenges. Help your agile cohorts with your hard won lessons. This promises to be a helpful and timely discussion.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology https://www.profocustechnology.com/. Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Join us for a hands-on workshop experiencing Mob Programming!

Note: The location of this workshop has changed! We are now at Jama Software (right across Taylor Street from our previous location). See the "How to find us" section for directions.

This workshop starts with a short discussion, then we will dive right in to mobbing on a simple programming problem that includes tests! We provide plenty of opportunities to ask questions and reflect on what we're learning.

All skill levels and software disciplines are welcome!!! The mob programming workshop is a risk free, safe space for you to learn and experiment with this energizing and effective way of creating software!

Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a racecar - unstoppable and thorough.

The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.


Please RSVP at our Meetup page and get the Zoom connection info: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/260412485/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your space for another attendee.

AgilePDX is providing a forum for Agile Project Managers, Agile Facilitators, and Scrum Masters to gather online once a month and discuss all things project, program, and portfolio related. Please join us for a Lean Coffee style event facilitated by experience Agile PM's and instructors in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner prep program.

You'll be dialing in from your desktop with your favorite early morning brew. Please join with your camera on. The Zoom URL will be provided to confirmed attendees. Feel free to post questions to this meetup prior to the event.

We welcome divergent opinions and experience reports. Bring your challenges for groups feedback and support. Plan to join 15 minutes early for coffee clatch chat and networking or stay 15 minutes for the same networking experience.

This week we are shifting out one week due to the holiday, and are gathering on the second Friday of the month. Sean Lemson has graced us with the topic: how to demonstrate the effectiveness of agile coaching.

Agile coaches are often asked to demonstrate their impact. Because we engage with many different types of levels and situations, it can be difficult to collect baselines and find metrics that adequately and accurately demonstrate the impact. We are joining together to share what has worked, the experience the community of purpose has with this, and how we might make this something we can use as we bring others along on this agile journey. Everyone is welcome to join and share their experience, ask questions, and listen to different viewpoints and insights.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/262070829/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a beer (or beverage of your choice) and a snack at the Rogue Eastside Pub to discuss Start with Why by Simon Sinek. (Our poll tied twice, and this is part two!)

Here's the book in a nutshell, according to the handy Amazon description: "In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who’ve watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY -- the third most popular TED video of all time.

Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?

People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it.

START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way -- and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY."

Let's ponder and talk about how asking WHY will help us or hinder us on our agile journeys.

Join the #reading channel in our AgilePDX slack workspace to share your thoughts & ideas about this and future reads. Not part of AgilePDX slack? Send a request to [masked] and we'll invite you.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology https://www.profocustechnology.com/ . Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Missing out on round-table discussions due to location? Try out this virtual gathering.

Join us to talk about coaching your team and your organization:
Scrum, one of the well-defined (and light!) frameworks to adopt agile principles states the Scrum Master serves not only the PO and team, but also the organization. And this is not limited to "helping employees understand Scrum" but also includes "Causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team" - the limits of which are yours to interpret!
Read more at https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

That said, we all have run into limits organization puts up, when change is happening from the team level upward. The Agile Fluency Model (https://www.agilefluency.org/) also takes a look at this balance of team and org, focusing on finding the right fit of agile practices that bring value to organizations.

What have you experienced? And what has helped you become successful in fostering an organization culture and structure that supports engaged and productive team members? What setbacks and company struggles have you witnessed, as you partner with your teams and peers to coach agile practices?

You are always welcome to join our community of practice. Bring your questions or stories to learn from and share!

Connect with us via Zoom:
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/674417247

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/262235120/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for coffee/tea or beverage of your choice and fun discussions about how to overcome challenges we face or to share about Agile-inspired and other topics we agree or disagree with. This event is aimed at getting people in the North and NE areas of Portland and Vancouver together to facilitate discussions. It's not exclusive to people that live in the North and NE, just closer to those parts of the city to make it easier to come out.

We'll spend the first few minutes gathering discussion ideas, then roll right into the smooth easy cadence of the lively chatter.

If you aren't going to be able to make it, please update your RSVP so that we know how many to expect.

Parking:
Use the Gotham Building Parking lot on the corner of N Page St and N Borthwick Ave.

Building Entry:
Entry to the building is best through the door by Little Gotham Coffee. We'll have someone meeting on time attendees at the door. For those that run a few minutes late due to traffic or other reasons out of your control, there will be directions at the door on how to contact someone to let you in.

Weather Policy:
Cancellations will be posted on MeetUp and Calagater 3 hours before event time. We will not have the event in ice, or snowy conditions.

Percipio Consulting Group is opening up their offices to host this event.

Percipio is a business consulting firm that helps companies identify opportunities for improvement and successfully implement meaningful changes. That means more efficient processes, shored-up controls, a technology solution that really works for you, or all of the above. They have helped many companies, both Fortune 500 and mid-sized, navigate complex projects by truly understanding business needs and defining up front what success will look like.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology: https://www.profocustechnology.com/. Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

New to Lean Coffee?

It's a great way to have real, focused dialogue and we often discuss matters of agile, lean and such - but anything goes. As far as the mechanics, here's the format we'll follow:

Step 1: Everybody writes down proposed topics on stickies, placing them in the center of the table. Take as much time as needed, but typically takes only 3-5 minutes (or whenever coffee is ready).

Step 2: Each topic is briefly described by its writer to get a flavor for the subject (15-30 seconds typically per sticky).

Step 3: Each person gets five votes which they indicate by marking the voted-for sticky with their Sharpie. Mark with a plus + if you agree with the topic and want to discuss it, or a minus - if you disagree and want to discuss it, mark it with a dot if you want to hear the discussion and maybe join in. You can put all votes on one, one across many, however you feel. Each mark counts as one vote.

Step 4: The top vote-getting stickies are placed in the ToDo column, ordered by the stickies with the most votes at the top. In an Agile fashion, we'll use groupings of ToDo, Doing, Done and Lessons learned.

Step 5: Each of these stickies are discussed for 5 minutes, most votes first. The facilitator takes a quick "Cesar" (thumbs up/down) vote at the five-minute timer, and she moves on for three more minutes if the discussion still has majority interest. When complete, move the sticky over to the Done column. Rinse and repeat.

Step 6: wrap-up thoughts at the end - what one idea or person did you most enjoy, then break for home/drinks/cover.

As agile practitioners our role is to encourage individuals and organizations to practice the values of transparency and communication. In our journeys we may find that honesty, integrity and transparency are easier to do through conversations with individuals rather than open dialogue across organizational units. We need to find tools and techniques to live into these values and inspire leaders on how to manifest honesty and openness in every conversation not just the individual ones.

Come together and discuss this topic with us at Ringlers Pub on Friday the 2nd of August. We want to know your experience. We want to learn from each other and build our community of practice. We want a chance to discover what we have not seen or gain a new perspective.

You can find us in the back under the Crystal Ballroom, ask for the Agile PDX group and you will find us over yummy food and drinks.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Additional Information:
Q: Is the space ADA accessible?
A: Yes, McMenamins Ringlers Pub is ADA accessible. Please note, doors are manual but the staff is available to assist should you require assistance.

Q: Will there be gender neutral restrooms?
A: McMenamins Ringlers Pub restrooms are designated Men and Women. There are no unisex/family/gender neutral restrooms at this location.

Q: Will there be food and drinks at this event?
A: Food & Drink (including alcohol) is available to purchase, and we have table service. Standard pub fare & pub prices. Menu link: https://d2660z551umiy9.cloudfront.net/files/menus/Crystal/RPmenu.pdf

Q: What is the easiest way to get to the venue?
A: Parking downtown is limited, so we recommend public transportation or a ride-share option, or another personal transportation (bicycle, etc). For public transportation options, please visit https://trimet.org/ to plan your trip to Ringlers at 1332 W Burnside Street in Downtown Portland.

Q: How do I enter the building?
A: We are in the side room under the Crystal Ballroom. You can use the entrance on the corner of Burnside & 14th. Let yourself in, and find us at the large table.

AgilePDX is providing a forum for Agile Project Managers, Agile Facilitators, and Scrum Masters to gather online once a month and discuss all things project, program, and portfolio related. Please join us for a Lean Coffee style event facilitated by experience Agile PM's and instructors in the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner prep program.

You'll be dialing in from your desktop with your favorite early morning brew. Please join with your camera on. The Zoom URL will be provided to confirmed attendees. Feel free to post questions to this meetup prior to the event.

We welcome divergent opinions and experience reports. Bring your challenges for groups feedback and support. Plan to join 15 minutes early for coffee clatch chat and networking or stay 15 minutes for the same networking experience.

Please RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/264002905/

Scrum and XP have values such as respect, communication, and openness. The Agile Manifesto highlights individuals and interactions and supporting project teams, trusting they will get the job done. Why are these values so important for effective collaboration and creation? And what keeps us from communicating openly? What stops us from suggesting an idea, a solution... it's a unique idea; it may be crazy; it may be absurd. Maybe better to not suggest it.

Amy Edmundson shows in her TedX talk that none of us come to work to look "ignorant, incomplete, intrusive, negative." Of course not - we want to connect and contribute, and make a positive impact. How can we get from choosing safe silence to choosing our voices? What can companies do to instill safety to speak up, safety to fail, and safety to express ourselves? And what can we as practitioners do, as peers and leaders in our work environments?

Please join us for this lunch discussion at the Ringlers Pub. We want to know your experience. We want to learn from each other and build our community of practice. We want a chance to discover what we have not seen and gain a new perspective.

You can find us in the back under the Crystal Ballroom, ask for the Agile PDX group and you will find us over yummy food and drinks.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at https://agilepdx.org/sponsorship.

Additional Information:

Q: Is the space ADA accessible? A: Yes, McMenamins Ringlers Pub is ADA accessible. Please note, doors are manual but the staff is available to assist should you require assistance.

Q: Will there be gender neutral restrooms? A: McMenamins Ringlers Pub restrooms are designated Men and Women. There are no unisex/family/gender neutral restrooms at this location.

Q: Will there be food and drinks at this event? A: Food & Drink (including alcohol) is available to purchase, and we have table service. Standard pub fare & pub prices.

Q: What is the easiest way to get to the venue? A: Parking downtown is limited, so we recommend public transportation or a ride-share option, or another personal transportation (bicycle, etc). For public transportation options, please visit trimet website to plan your trip to Ringlers at 1332 W Burnside Street in Downtown Portland.

Q: How do I enter the building? A: We are in the side room under the Crystal Ballroom. You can use the entrance on the corner of Burnside & 14th. Let yourself in, and find us at the large table.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/264531418/
If you are unable to attend, please update your RSVP to open your seat for another attendee.

Join us for a hands-on workshop experiencing Mob Programming!

Note: The location of this workshop has changed! We are now at Jama Software (right across Taylor Street from our previous location). See the "How to find us" section for directions.

This workshop starts with a short discussion, then we will dive right in to mobbing on a simple programming problem that includes tests! We provide plenty of opportunities to ask questions and reflect on what we're learning.

All skill levels and software disciplines are welcome!!! The mob programming workshop is a risk free, safe space for you to learn and experiment with this energizing and effective way of creating software!

Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a racecar - unstoppable and thorough.

The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at agilepdx.org.

Please RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/265127438/

Hanna Tomas recently published an article in Medium about Agile. https://medium.com/@Hanna.Thomas/why-dont-we-just-call-agile-what-it-is-feminist-8bdd9193edba

The hypothesis is that Agile is not just a software engineering methodology or framework but it is a set of social values that apply more broadly to people.

The author asserts the following: "Successful organisations aren’t ones that adopt an ‘Agile mindset’. Successful organisations are ones that adopt a feminist, queer, anti-establishment, progressive mindset — one that is flexible, experimental, pushes boundaries, self-organises, and acts in service of community."

Lets all get together at McMenamins Ringlers Pub downtown and discuss this thought. Bring yourself and your friends to our community of purpose and talk with us about this idea. This event is inclusive and open to all.

You can find us in the back under the Crystal Ballroom, ask for the Agile PDX group and you will find us over yummy food and drinks.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at agilepdx.org.

Additional Information:

Q: Is the space ADA accessible? A: Yes, McMenamins Ringlers Pub is ADA accessible. Please note, doors are manual but the staff is available to assist should you require assistance.

Q: Will there be gender neutral restrooms? A: McMenamins Ringlers Pub restrooms are designated Men and Women. There are no unisex/family/gender neutral restrooms at this location.

Q: Will there be food and drinks at this event? A: Food & Drink (including alcohol) is available to purchase, and we have table service. Standard pub fare & pub prices.

Q: What is the easiest way to get to the venue? A: Parking downtown is limited, so we recommend public transportation or a ride-share option, or another personal transportation (bicycle, etc). For public transportation options, please visit trimet website to plan your trip to Ringlers at 1332 W Burnside Street in Downtown Portland.

Q: How do I enter the building? A: We are in the side room under the Crystal Ballroom. You can use the entrance on the corner of Burnside & 14th. Let yourself in, and find us at the large table.

Please RSVP on our Meetup page to reserve your spot: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/265141785/

Join us for a monthly hands-on Mob Programming workshop! The goals of this workshop are to practice mob programming, turn up the good, learn by doing, and promote rapid knowledge sharing. Come practice with us! This workshop starts with a short discussion, then we will dive right in to mobbing on a simple programming problem! We provide plenty of opportunities to ask questions and reflect on what we're learning. All skill levels and software disciplines are welcome!!! The mob programming workshop is a risk free, safe space for you to learn and experiment!

Mob Programming is a software development practice with many benefits - it raises code quality, removes knowledge silos, minimizes mental fatigue, and more. In practice it feels more like a bulldozer than a race-car —unstoppable and thorough.

The core of mob programming is pointing many pairs of eyes on a single problem, pushing all the code through a single keyboard. Each month we'll explore different methods for learning to mob well and reaping the rewards of this practice as soon as possible on your own team.

Facilitator Bio:

Jeff Patterson is a software quality engineer and scrum master on the platform team at Jama Software, language agnostic, quality evangelist, and non-traditional CS grad. He has facilitated Global Day of Code Retreat, founded a peer group to support Community College CS students transferring to University, and is often heard saying, "Software is made of people!"

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at agilepdx.org.

Additional Information:

Q: Is the space ADA accessible? A: Yes
Q: Will there be gender neutral restrooms? A: Yes
Q: Will there be food and drinks at this event? A: Soda and water will be provided. Please feel free to bring snacks!
Q: What is the easiest way to get to the venue? A. Please see the "How to find us" section in the sidebar in the meetup event.
Q: How do I enter the building? A: Please see the "How to find us" section in the sidebar in the meetup event.

Please RSVP here: https://www.meetup.com/AgilePDX-User-Group-Portland-Metro/events/265182383/

Missing out on round-table discussions due to location? Try out this virtual gathering.

This time some of us will share our go-to agile coaching tools. If possible we will try to demonstrate (5 minute mini demo). Do you have a go-to tool or advice you can talk about or possibly demonstrate? Join us to share and learn!

You are always welcome to join our community of practice. As we explore and share, we benefit from everyone's insight and perspective. You are in the right place. Bring your questions or stories to learn from and share!

RSVP on meetup to get the zoom invite.

Events are made possible by the AgilePDX community and our sponsors, including platinum sponsor ProFocus Technology (https://www.profocustechnology.com/). Learn more about our sponsors at agilepdx.org.

Additional Information:

Q: Is the space ADA accessible? A: This is a virtual zoom meeting that supports audio and video, and has a chat line. Please note that we are not able to offer close caption.

Q: Will there be gender neutral restrooms? A: What's available where you are joining from is what you get.

Q: Will there be food and drinks at this event? A: What's available where you are joining from is what you get.

Q: What is the easiest way to get to the venue? A: This is a virtual event. Take part from any location. Prepare for the meeting by downloading the zoom client app (or phone/tablet app).