With so many conferences presenting opportunities to learn and network, here is my experience and tips for first timers.
This was my first conference and I had no idea of what to expect.
I wasn’t sure whether it’d be worth the trip but nonetheless I knew I had to make the most of the opportunity.
I settled my nerves, made it to the airport and checked in. A quick obligatory shop in the duty free and a few minutes later I was on my way to Lean Agile Scotland 2018.
As I flew to Edinburgh I went through my reasons for going:
I wanted to learn more about Lean and Agile and expand my horizons
I wanted to meet people and discuss experiences and challenges
I wanted to see if the feeling of community I had experienced in the past could be replicated with a new group of people
I’d heard a lot of good things about this conference and wanted to see it for myself
The Conference
Wow there were a lot of people there.
Coffee, couple of sugars and into the 1st keynote by Linda Rising. The presentation was on ‘Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow,’ and Linda made an interesting case for problem solving. More to come on this at a later date. I walked out with a some new ideas and a bunch of questions, some of which I was able to discuss in the coffee break with complete strangers.
Now like many others, you may find networking difficult and struggle with starting conversations. However, on looking around the room, I found I wasn’t the only one who had attended by themselves and given we’d all been in the same session it was easy just to start a conversation with, "Hey, how did you find that talk?”
Over the next 3 days there were lots of scheduled workshops, tutorials, case studies etc to chose from. A few notable mentions I really enjoyed were the sessions on Psychological Safety, Deliberate Discovery, Building Trust and Liberating Structures.
Really informative and really useful.
Perhaps the most beneficial aspect though, was in the conversations I had during the breaks and evenings.
The People
Networking can feel unnatural for many of us. So instead, I just had conversations. What I found was what appeared to be a spirit of shared values in many of the people I met. People were genuinely willing to discuss ideas and listen to alternative opinions. It was great to hear personal stories of success and failure, tips and advice, how people got involved in the Agile space and how others have found themselves struggling with the 'Agile Industry’. On meeting any one person I often found myself being introduced to others and before you know it, you’re in the middle of a group of 5 people having a laugh or debating something or other.
I met some truly wonderful people which meant fun but late nights (we got told off repeatedly for laughing too loudly by the hotel team) and an exhausted brain as I collapsed into bed.
I do hope to keep in touch with them as my own journey continues and be able to make my contributions to the community as well. The people and these unscheduled discussions were truly part of the best takeaways from the event.
So now what?
Now I’m looking forward to exploring some new ideas with the clients and teams I’m working with. I’ll also be following up with the people I met to continue some of the discussions we had. I’m hoping to attend a couple of different events next year and have been invited to speak by some very kind people, so you never know I might even be presenting something!
My 2-pence for anyone reading this and who hasn’t attended a conference - give it a go.
This isn’t just for Agile folk. I believe it’d be valuable for anyone interested in exploring Agile with their teams/organisations, or for managers working with Agile teams, or for those just looking for some genuinely interesting ideas that could improve the way people work and the products they make.
Here’s a few closing tips for 1st timers
Pick a conference where the talks/workshops address something you personally are interested in and plan your schedule for a mix of talks/workshops and tutorials.
Book in advance to take benefit of early bird discounts and reduce accommodation costs
Go with an open mind and be willing to hear alternative thoughts and ideas as well as sharing your own - be part of the community
Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and speak to new people - you never know where you mind some inspiration
Don’t worry about going alone, it might even be good for you - allow yourself to grow
Overall I think I satisfied my reasons for going. Edinburgh see you in 2019.
Inderjit
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