Part III: Bridging the Gap Between the Art & Science of Data Analytics

The creator of the Scaled Agile Framework, known to many as SAFe, sits down to discuss what it means to develop and invest in a framework that encourages engineering rigor, predictable and repeatable outcomes, and personal fulfillment. 

Dean Leffingwell, a methodologist, author, entrepreneur, shares his life's journey, starting with how Sputnik sparked his passion for space travel, then led him to biomedical engineering and the life of engineering and delivery patterns, frameworks, and ultimately delivering value.

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In this episode, Derek Lane and Matthew D Edwards deconstruct the final two principles of the Agile Manifesto to help software developers and engineers bring more value to clients but also, become better barbecue pitmasters.

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In this episode, Derek Lane and Matthew D Edwards deconstruct principles 7-10 of the Agile Manifesto to help software developers and engineers bring more value to clients but also, become better barbecue pitmasters.

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In this episode, Derek Lane and Matthew D Edwards deconstruct principles 3-6 of the Agile Manifesto to help software developers and engineers bring more value to clients but also, become better barbecue pitmasters.

In this episode, Derek Lane and Matthew D Edwards deconstruct the first two principles of the Agile Manifesto to help software developers and engineers bring more value to clients but also, become better barbecue pit masters.

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In this episode, Derek Lane and Matthew D Edwards dive into the Agile Manifesto word-by-word to help software developers and engineers bring more value to clients but also, become better barbecue pitmasters.

Key Takeaways

• They are both “people sports.” Barbecue and software are meant for someone to enjoy it.
• Mastery and knowledge wins over equipment every time.
• Get the fundamentals down before scaling. However, you don’t have to understand all the fundamentals to make progress.
• Be ready for the things that will get in the way before you even start. 
• The best recipes (comprehensive documentation) adapt to what you have on hand.

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In this episode, you’ll learn how Derek Lane’s journey in technology and study of the Agile Manifesto coincided with his pursuit of barbecue craftsmanship. These two pursuits eventually mapped together for Lane, and he’s sharing how you can apply the Agile Manifesto and its principles to making better barbecue. 

Along his journey, he created the 20-Day Agility Challenge, a free program where participants commit 15-30 minutes a day to focus on improving their agility. He and a group of colleagues also founded a free online community, Unlimited Agility, where people can take the challenge with others and continue to enable, equip, and educate one another.

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The Agile Manifesto is often thought of as a historical event or document, but Derek Lane is hoping to redefine how it’s introduced and revisited because the principles are time- and battle-tested in how it brings value to people. As 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the Agile Manifesto, Lane and fellow colleagues have formed a community, Unlimited Agility, where you won’t find answers, but you will find like-minded individuals to challenge your beliefs and help you grow in your thinking and your work.

Key Takeaways

• The Agile Manifesto isn’t a one-stop visit, it doesn’t make sense until you continually revisit it and recalibrate your understanding.
• Parallel concepts exist – Craftsmanship, Servant Leadership, Lean, Scrum, Kanban – and looking at the Agile Manifesto through their lenses help to broaden understanding 
• Take the 20-Day Agility Challenge and join the community.

The third Unlimited Agility Conference is being planned for November 2021. This conference was created to promote practitioners of servant leadership who are local and regional leaders who work every day, side-by-side with individuals, teams, and organizations. 

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Science is the iterative testing, results change over time with variables. For data science, what’s true today could dramatically or incrementally change tomorrow based on one variable. The art of it is accepting that there will be exponential opportunities to discover more, learn more, and communicate more to find value and purpose in data.

This final episode with Jacey Heuer provides insights into how individuals can seek opportunities in this field and how organizations can purposefully mature data science and advanced analytics.

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Show Highlights

In the second episode of this three-part series, Jacey Heuer helps us dive into the evolving roles and responsibilities of data science. We explore how individuals and organizations can nurture how data is purposefully used and valued within the company. 

Missed the first part? Listen to Part I.

Individual Takeaways

• Adopt a scientific mindset: The more you learn, the more you learn how much more there is to know.
• Hone storytelling capabilities to engage and build relationships that ensure the lifespan and value of data is woven into the culture.
• Set one-, five-, and 10-years goals and aim to achieve them in six months to fail fast and advance the work faster than expected.
• Create buy-in using the minimum viable product (MVP) or proof of concept approaches.
• Prepare to expand your capabilities based on the maturity and size of the team focused on data science work. As projects develop, you’ll move from experimenting and developing prototypes to developing refined production code.

Organizational Takeaways

• When your company begins to use data analytics, roles and responsibilities must expand and evolve. Ensure your people have opportunities to grow their capabilities.
• Data must be treated as an “asset” and viewed as a tool for innovation. It can’t be tacked on at the end. Ideally, it plays a role in both new and legacy systems when aggregating data and capturing digital exhaust.
• Engage and find common ground with all areas of business by helping them comprehend how data science "expands the size of the pie" rather than take a bigger slice.

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