Session Title
The Agile Generation Gap
Abstract
This will be a fun look at the generation gap in Agile Practices and how today they’re used vs how they were used in the 1990’s/Early 2000’s. We’ll also discuss how AI might play a role in coaching product development teams.
Agile Practices have certainly evolved and changed over the years, but so have the people using them. From the early days of developers just trying to find better ways to develop and test code to meet the increasing demands leading to dotcom, to the more people-centric, post-COVID ways that we see today. There are many factors affecting organization’s chances for successfully adopting new practices; often one of the more common challenges is the generational gap between senior management and younger employees. We’ll examine a model for gaining a better understanding of perspectives and look to where we might be headed in the not-too-distant future.
In this session, we will explore different perspectives from one of the earliest adopters of Scrum, Dr. Bob Schatz, and his son, Derek, who grew up seeing Scrum and then became an Agile Coach. Two generations, father, and son, providing two very different perspectives of what it takes to achieve success with agile practices.
Bio
Dr. Bob Schatz has over 40 years of experience in the IT industry leading software, systems, and organizational development. In July 2006 Bob Schatz started Agile Infusion LLC in order to provide advice, consulting, and training to companies around the world using agile development techniques such as Scrum and XP. Bob served as VP of Development for Primavera Systems, Inc. where he was responsible for leading the highly successful adoption of agile development techniques starting in 2002 for the team that develops Primavera’s software solutions for Enterprise Project, Resource, and Portfolio Management. Before joining Primavera, Bob spent seven years as a founder at Liquent, Inc., managing the development of publishing software targeted for the pharmaceutical market and global regulatory agencies, and 12 years at GE Aerospace/Lockheed Martin, where he held various management positions for large-scale development, deployment, and operations projects for US government agencies and the Department of Defense. He holds a BS degree in Computer Science from Temple University, a MS degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Doctorate of Management in Strategic Leadership Degree at Thomas Jefferson University. Bob is a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST).
Bob is a leader in successfully implementing agile development techniques, such as Scrum and XP, and driving culture changes in organizations. He and his team have been featured in a number of industry articles. Bob often speaks at industry events talking about the benefits and challenges of bringing agile techniques into an organization.
Bob’s clients include Apple, NASA, SAP, HP, CapitalOne, Cisco, Symantec, Disney, Minitab, IBEW, Comcast, Motorola, S&P Global, CFRA, H&R Block, Thompson-Reuters (Dow Jones, Liquent), Dish, US Government Accountability Office, Dept. of Defense, Dept of Homeland Security, The Hartford, Liberty Mutual, Intuit, ICON Clinical Research, Jewelry Television, Scripps Networks (Food; Travel; HGTV; etc),Turner Broadcasting, Laika Entertainment, Line 6, Vantage, McGraw-Hill Education, DE Dept of Education, FINRA, Protiviti, Sears Holdings, Accenture, CapitalOne, NY Court System, IBEW, Command Alkon, Beeline, Caregility, Altar’d State, Office of POTUS