Agile2016 starts one month from now.  Here are three things I’m looking forward to:

• The new Audacious Salon track (especially Monday and Tuesday morning, 7/25-26)
• A gathering of Agile User Group leaders (Tuesday evening, 7/26)
• My workshop with David Horowitz on Distributed Communication and Collaboration (Thursday afternoon, 7/28)

In reviewing the program, there will be some new conversations and ideas presented.  One example is the Audacious Salon track that was just announced in mid-June.  This is a new, experimental track for conversations around challenging and perhaps dangerous topics.  One of my favorite dangerous topics these days is agile and distributed/dispersed teams.  I was thrilled  to see a Salon for Monday morning and Tuesday morning session on Distributed Agile.  Many interesting conversations could happen from what I read in the abstract.  Much of my work these last three years has been with 100% dispersed teams and I am seeing personal and professional benefits from working this way.  However, I realize it’s not for everyone.  It is truly a new frontier to explore.  So will you join me to talk about this new frontier in the Audacious Salon?

Map of America by Sebastian Munster (public domain)

Second, Agile Alliance recently announced the launch of the Community Group Support Initiative which I started with my co-leaders, Stephanie Davis and Ryan Dorrell.  This initiative is designed to help connect leaders of agile user group to share ideas, inspire new collaborations, and support those who are struggling.  Having led user groups since 2007, I know what a tough (and fulfilling job) it can be.  Stephanie, Ryan and I had been talking about how we might replicate the successful collaboration of our user groups across AgileFlorida ever since we proposed our Agile2015 experience report.  Agile Alliance encouraged us to propose a program last year and now we are up and running.  We will have a meet-n-greet on Tuesday evening of the conference.  Join the community to find out details.

Finally, I’m very excited to run the workshop with David Horowitz on Thursday afternoon regarding Distributed Communication and Collaboration.  Our goal is to make this primarily experiential for the participants and then provide suggestions on how to improve the experience.  This workshop tends to be very experimental and it turns out differently each time based on the participants and the different types of distributed teams the participants wish to emulate.  Whether you are successful or just challenged with distributed teams, we hope you can join us and explore some new ways of working.

Perhaps, after the conference, I need to write on sustainable pace. 😉