Join Us for a Virtual Workshop on Patterns for Distributed Work on October 15

This is an open invitation to the Agile community to join our virtual workshop exploring patterns for distributed work on October 15.

The workshop is a half day event at the Pattern Languages of Programs (PLoP) 2020 conference. Online registration closes on October 5th.

With globalization, it is getting steadily more common to work as part of an Agile development team that has members in far-apart locations. Our current reality has accelerated team distribution as even groups that used to work in the same office are now working as individuals from home offices. This way of working can be perceived as being opposed to Agile values of close communication with small co-located teams. But the reality is that online communities can be highly connected and create amazing products when we embrace the opportunities and overcome the problems.

Two-way flexibility between the individual and the organization is important and appropriate tooling is a must. One evening this week I was on the phone with a colleague in China until 10 pm just to start my day next morning at 6 am meeting with another colleague based in France. But then I felt free to take a long lunch break and play with my dog for an hour before wandering back into my study, knowing that my manager is not freaking out because I was MIA (missing in action) for a bit.

Sharing good working practices and lessons learned can help Agile teams become better at their jobs and more comfortable with working in a highly distributed setting. Patterns are a great tool to document proven practices in a way that they can be successfully implemented by others with similar needs in a similar context. The above scenario is an implementation of the pattern Flexible Work Hours.

In the workshop we aim to share several identified patterns on distributed work, but also hear personal stories and experience from those who attend to add to this body of knowledge. As a shared outcome of the workshop we will publish an overview of the patterns and the different contexts where they are effective. Individuals attending the workshop will bring home new ideas and experiences to their teams and mature their understanding of distributed Agile development.

Those interested in attending the workshop will need to register for PLoP 2020. The cost for this virtual conference is only USD $10, which provides access to the full program including keynotes from Michael Mehaffy, Paul Rayner, and Linda Rising. Our workshop will take place on October 15 with the actual time set in coordination with participants to accommodate for global attendance to the extent possible.

We welcome you to PLoP 2020 and to the workshop on distributed work patterns!

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