Is agile management an oxymoron? And if it's not, what does it really involve? I've been exploring what it means to be a good people manager, and especially, to be a good manager in an agile context, where the focus is not on command and control, but on encouraging people to be autonomous and sharing information. In this talk, I will share stories and my own personal "rules of engagement" - principles to guide me and concrete actions or responses to common situations.

Target Audience: Managers, leaders,
Prerequisites: None
Level: Basic

Extended Abstract:
The world doesn't like testers. As a tester, I spent time and effort trying to improve the world for testers to live in. Then I also became a manager. Now I have to start over to improve the next space! And my plan of attack is to set an example by being the best manager I can be.

Never one to ignore a challenge, I've been exploring what it means to be a good people manager, and especially, to be a good manager in an agile context, where the focus is not on command and control, but on encouraging people to be autonomous and sharing information. In this talk, I want to share stories and my own personal "rules of engagement" - principles to guide me and concrete actions or responses to common situations.

I'll go into:
• The power and danger of empathy
• The rule of yes or tomorrow
• Rituals for trust
• Being authentic and vulnerable
• Leading by example

I'll share things that have worked, things that haven't, and how I reflect on my growth and learnings to keep progressing.