Agile2019: What Agile Practitioners Can Get Excited About

Chances are if you’re reading this article, you’re an Agile practitioner and already have a general idea of what the Agile2019 conference is.

However, in case this is your first time hearing of Agile2019, this is an annual Agile conference held by the Agile Alliance and boasts the largest global gathering of Agile practitioners in the world.

This Agile conference is for Agile practitioners, Agile coaches or mentors, executives, teams, and other professionals who are interested in the application and development of Agile principles. It will be held in Washington, D.C. on August 5, 2019, and will feature various tracks, lightning talks, keynote speakers, and special events catered towards networking.

In today’s post, we will be discussing our picks of what to look forward to from the Agile2019 conference.  

Our Picks of What Agile Practitioners Can Look Forward to

Audacious Salon

Warning: This track is not for people who enjoy staying within their comfort zones.

Taking inspiration from 16th-18th century Europe when salons were a meeting point for those open-minded and bold enough to discuss “dangerous ideas,” The Audacious Salon aims to do the same within the world of Agile.

This is NOT a place to argue about what “the truth” is or to passively learn by listening, but instead a place to explore strongly held ideas through the civil exchange of experiences and discussion. Check your egos at the door and get ready for a rich discussion on the most daring of Agile topics. This track is recommended for the more veteran Agile practitioners.

Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction

Called “the most productive man you’d ever hope to meet” by TED Talks and “a productivity mastermind” by Fast Company, you could say that keynote Chris Bailey might know a thing or to about how to stay productive.

Modeled after his best-selling book, Hyperfocus, this is a talk you won’t want to miss if you find yourself repeatedly falling off track in projects (or in life). This talk will cover how effective attention-management is based on working with greater intention, how to treat distractions before they even happen, and how to strategically unfocus for better mental breaks and improved performance.

This is sure to be an insightful talk so make sure not to miss out! You can also check out one of his TED Talks here.

‘ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough

The pursuit of continuous improvement is a beneficial and soul-satisfying one. The pursuit of perfection though? Not so much.

In this talk, keynote Lynne Cazaly tackles the problem of perfectionism and it’s dire consequences on both work performance and how we feel about ourselves. She talks about how striving to be more “ish” – i.e. more or less of what we want – is a more flexible approach to getting what you want out of your career and life.

An international speaker, Cazaly has written 6 books on the topic, including: ‘ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough’, Agile-ish: How to build a culture of agility, ‘Making Sense’, Leader as Facilitator, Create Change, and Visual Mojo. She also helps executives and senior leaders to facilitate transformation within their projects and teams.

Don’t miss out on this talk as it’s sure to be a good one.

Coaching and Mentoring

This track is meant for Agile coaches and mentors and helps develop your coaching and mentoring skills.

According to the Agile Manifesto, continuous improvement is key. This is especially relevant to Agile coaches and mentors because of their contributions in helping, developing, and otherwise improving the performance of teams and people in general.

This track provides coaches and mentors with the tools they need to create conscious continuous change across varying environments and functional domains. While this track was created with coaches in mind, the reality is that every functional organization needs members who step up to take on that role. So whether you are a formal mentor or simply one in spirit, make sure to check out this track before you leave.

Revisiting Pandora’s Box: The Gift of Hope and the Future of Agile

Renowned for bringing about positive change in corporate settings, keynote Portia Tung is the founder of The School of Play, which is dedicated to happier learning in adults through continuous play. She is also the author of The Dream Team Nightmare which is the world’s first Agile novel where the ending is determined by the discussions you have throughout the book.

In her interactive talk, Tung will cover how we can use hope as a practical tool for achieving a more playful and enjoyable path to organisational (and personal) agility. Don’t miss out on this talk if you’re attending Agile2019!

Conference Party (National Harbour Block Party)

Get ready to dance all night long (okay, technically only until 10 pm because that’s when this event ends) at this block party outside of Gaylord National. There will be bands out in the street, outdoor games, and plenty of opportunities to meet and party with peers at this social event. Sounds like a great way to end the conference!

Are you attending Agile2019? If you are, which of these events are you most excited about? Was there one that you think we missed? Let us know in the comments below!