Oh dear, meara.

That does sound like maybe the best yoga class ever.

2 days of agile scrum training down. 2 to go. I'm inherently skeptical of any corporate methodology TM. This isn't bad in the abstract, but as being implemented by higher mgmt(without mgmt USING it except for metrics& portions not being able to use it fully because of higher requirements) it basically leaves those in the middle in a frustrating clusterfuck, unless mgmt takes the stick out of its ass. And no good solution to that.

Anyway, it's been established & observed that I will jump in to fill any leadership void (even when I shouldn't [bossy as fuck when I'm bored with us spinning in circles ],) I'm really good at managing personalities & smoothing edges, I'm supportive despite being a total Eyeore, I'm going to always say no first but am oddly able to make things move forward & I can reduce my coworkers to helpless tears from laughter with one weird look and a snide aside.

And they like my cookies.

I don't think the trainer knows what to make of me. I've been one of his biggest knot-snarls, but embrace structure. Just not when it breaks efficiency because People Are Different. And I still think we had a better organic meeting & communication structure before that we could incorporate here (I think it was not all that different, just better suited to the culture ) if mgmt wasn't so obsessed with going by the book. I know these people.

Anyway, I've been locked in a hotel conference room for 2 days & I might be getting punchy & more opinionated, gawd help my bosses.

Are you going to do agile poker in your process?

Ranking cards, flip 'em? In training, yes. We actually do this in a less formalized manner (we don't usually need blinds with most of my teams, we're a pretty transparent bunch & encourage that, as new coworkers have noted.)

My experience with Agile is that it sounds like it would be great if it worked. And maybe it does work for devs. We writers aren't loving it.

Yeah, we've got dev for whom many, it isn't that different from what we do already, but also firefighting & doc & the latter two don't fit well into that schema unless you just exclude them from the same rigidity. That's what is causing the most tsuris. That and the dev who just work best to be left alone. And I'm throwing down on that fight.

I don't have managerial authority, deliberately. I have seniority & knowledge & history with managing personalities. So my efficacy in my fight rides on those pillars whose strength is judged several levels up the food chain with a very new middle. We'll see.

I love imagining what people here are like at work!

Ask me anything about Agile! Or being a writer working with Agile dev teams, for that matter.

We have a conference call with a lawyer in a bit. My stomach is very wonky with stress.