Moving forward with digital transformation requires a set of actionable outcomes based on principles. Multiple models and frameworks embrace principles first, to understand the why of transformation. Without creating a clear North Star for an organization, people are directionless and working for different goals. Thus, a clear North Star needs to be established first to have a clear set of goals for the teams, and alignment on the goals must take place to avoid organizational silos.
In this workshop, guiding principles to lead transformation will be explored, and teams will define their North Star. First an overview of principles from Scrum, Agile, Modern Agile, XP, Spotify, SVPG, Scaled Agile, LeSS and Disciplined Agile will be conducted. A group exercise will be presented to set the vision for an organizational strategy, and the audience will break into teams of 5-9 people. In the first iteration, each team will create a backlog by selecting 3-5 principles that are resonant. In the second iteration, a “North Star” will be established, based on identifying the one metric that matters the most to the team. If time allows, a third iteration will be introduced to create Epics and Stories to identify tactical actions for each principle. At the end of the session, the principles will be read out and discussed with the group.

Our Presenter

Dr. Gail Ferreira is an agile transformation expert and coach who has led multiple digital agile transformations for large Fortune 50 clients. A natural leader, Gail has initiatives for over ~585 teams and ~5500 people around the world. Gail has worked for consulting firms such as the Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, and Oracle Corporation leading complex agile technology transformation efforts.
An accomplished thought leader, Dr. Gail has written two books on enterprise agile transformation, along with multiple white papers and articles. As a recognized agile technology thought leader, Gail has presented at multiple international conferences for the IEEE, Agile Alliance, and the Project Management Institute. Dr. Gail teaches, advises, and coaches students at multiple internationally accredited universities.
A known community leader, Dr. Gail is the current president of NSA Northern California Chapter, which is a prestigious national speaking organization. She also is an Area Director for Toastmasters, District 101, which serves the Silicon Valley. She also leads a meetup titled “The Silicon Valley Agile Project” where she hosts agile and technology experts in a free monthly meetup forum.
When she is not working, Gail enjoys hiking, sports, and outdoor activities.