Italian Agile Days 2023 #iad23

I still feel overwhelmed, grateful, inspired and very happy after what I experienced in Italy in Milano last weekend! The Agile Italian Days conference at Politecnico di Milano was a blast! I got to be active on both days by 1) leading a workshop during the unconference part and 2) delivering a talk on the second day. Travelling to Milano was a bit of a leap of faith and experiment because my call for papers submission was not accepted, yet I have decided to participate in the conference anyway.

I am thrilled and moved that my topic for the unconference 'Agile Coach role in 2049' received such positive feedback and I was offered to talk on the 'Psychological safety in teams' by stepping into a slot that just got released by another speaker who couldn't come.?

Thank you everyone from the Italian Agile Movement for your openness, kindness and personal agility! I am thrilled that I had a chance to meet and interact with so many amazing people - many thanks to both groups of participants for being open minded and engaged! This was the first international conference for me as a speaker and facilitator, and I am very moved it has happened in Italy where my heart truly belongs :)

Here is what we have experienced in my workshops in more zoomed perspective by tasting the #LiberatingStructures menu:

'Agile Coach role in 2049' workshop (30 min)

Why?

We live in a world that rides the waves of momentums. Covid, wars, climate change and AI are among them. Inspired by the 'Blade Runner 2049' movie I wanted to activate imagination and let us think far and wide about the future of agile coaching: what to compost and what to seed, what are the burning challenges for the future? The futurespective on making better mistakes!

How?

- 'Mad Tea' - a quick exchange in pairs to answer questions about the individual?futurespective

- '25/10 Crowd Sourcing' - to include and unleash everyone's insights about the future?

,Psychological safety in teams' / talk (30 min)

Why?

Because it matters that people feel they work in an environment where they are heard, seen and respected. This way as teams and organizations we can be productive and even passionate about our talents and contributions. I have decided to focus on empathy and imagination.

How:

- self-organizing energizer: since this was the 20th time the conference took place I wanted to honor that, so I asked everyone to stand up and line up according to their experience with attending IAD: starting from first timers (first year) up until someone attending the conference for the 12th time (probably) - it took 3 minutes for a large group to orient themselves, and from there I continued with

- 'Impromptu Networking' - in pairs, quick exchange of answers as warm-up before

- 'Back to Back Listening' - because paying attention to other people around us and their experience of the same moments might change something (or even everything!) for ourselves, teams, organization

I took liberty to pick a well known Italian song 'Maledetta Primavera' to bring everyone into the experience of exercising empathy muscles, listening skills and openness. I realize that the mood was rather light and positive, and yet empathy is a serious business - and this very exercise can and should be recycled into any working environment - as long as you work with people. It could be some other song, a poem, or even an email from the customer or a User Story read out loud... It will not work until you do it. So dare to try :)?

Grazie and until the next time!