Reflections on Agile2022

Profiles in Agility, courage, resilience and humility

I am in awe of Agile2022–the world’s largest gathering of Agilists and all things Agile, which Agile Alliance hosted the week of July 18th in Nashville! I literally stood back and observed the stage the Agile2022 Conference committee created for the phenomenon of Agile to shine!

AGILITY

This was our first face-to-face gathering of the global Agile community since the Covid pandemic. I remember our last gathering in Washington, D.C. in August 2019 fondly. The smiling faces, the hugs, the connection with Agilists from all corners of the world!

This was also the first in-person meeting of the Board of Directors of Agile Alliance since the Covid pandemic. I remember our last meeting fondly in Vancouver, British Columbia in February 2020 as the Covid pandemic found its way to North America. I did not know at that time it would be over two years before I would see my amazing Board colleagues again. Two months later, the Board confronted the first of many crucial decisions. We canceled Agile2020 due to the Covid pandemic and began reimagining what future conference experiences might be as we pivoted to produce virtual events.

As we looked ahead to 2021, we were hopeful that we would be able to gather as a community. But the pandemic had other plans. So we did pivot, and Agile2021 was reinvented as a virtual event, which led to reconsidering almost everything we thought we knew about how we produce a conference. It was an amazing opportunity for us to think differently about what a successful virtual conference experience might look like to our global community!

Then the moment of truth came. We had to place a bet about Agile2022. The bet was really about the pandemic and how the world would respond to it. How could we safely produce an in-person event in Nashville given the current projections about the pandemic?

COURAGE

I can’t say enough about the Agile2022 Program Team, led by Conference Chair Kevin Stevens, and Program Chairs Cat Swetel, Cheryl Hammond, and Jen Krieger. Wow, just WOW! They literally wrote a new playbook for Agile2022! Thank you for your courage, your curiosity, your creativity, and your commitment! From the themes to the flow to the keynote speakers to the Panel on Agile and Our Planetary Challenges–it was an extraordinary experience!

RESILIENCE

I also can’t say enough about the “Purple Shirts,” our AMAZING volunteers! I had the privilege of meeting with key staff and volunteers to provide Code of Conduct training and talk about some of the unique challenges we might face this year. Thank you for your resilience as you responded to the myriad questions from the conference attendees and ensured everyone had a safe conference experience. Thank you for your commitment to Agile Alliance and our member community. And thank you for taking care of the Red Chair. #BeKind #BeProfessional

HUMILITY

One of the highlights of Agile2022 for me was Agile Together, where we invited the community to Sit to Take a Stand on the Red Chair and share their stories about why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) are important in the Agile community. I was literally in tears as members came up to the Red Chair, took the mic, and spoke from their hearts. I am humbled by the vulnerability and courage of our members.  Agile is about changing human behavior and how we interact with each other.  It’s about uncovering better ways of doing things and helping others to do it. It’s about encouraging and supporting all people to realize their full potential. It’s about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. #sittotakeastand #sitwithme #humanitymatters

Yes, it’s been over two weeks since the conference, and I remain in awe of this special community of ours–so much courage, resilience, humility, vulnerability, curiosity, and AGILITY! In a word, I’m in awe of our connection. Human beings are a social species; we cannot survive and thrive without each other. Connection is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. Agile Alliance remains committed to creating safe spaces for our global, inclusive Agile community to explore Agile values, principles, and practices. Together. We are listening. We are learning. #WeAreAllInThisTogether

Thank you everyone for creating a space where we all belong. And thank you for all of the smiling eyes and hugs. I feel more connected than ever. Namaste. #BeKind #BeYou #Belong

About the Author

Agile2022 photos and compilation video ©2022 Northman Creative Productions
Volunteers group photo ©Kaufman Photography

This is an Agile Alliance community blog post. Opinions represented are personal and belong solely to the author. They do not represent opinion or policy of Agile Alliance.