NeuManagement, LLC

• Experienced project manager with expertise in both traditional development methodologies and Agile development using SCRUM. Over 10 years of experience leading and managing all stages of software projects.
• Record of creating solutions that require expertise from a range of disciplines and requires managing multiple concurrent work streams.
• Consultant experience delivering projects that meet stakeholder needs. Worked to rapidly identify client needs, design solutions, and deliver within established budgets and timelines. Delivered solutions in such a way that my company’s and client’s needs were met.

• Continually strive toward excellence. Worked to improve the performance of the teams and organizations I am part of. Through an inclusive, ongoing process of inspect and adapt, continual improvement was an inherent part of my delivery teams’ culture.
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
• Qualified Data Security Professional (QDSP)
• For fun, I'm coaching the LaSalle Intermediate Academy FIRST Lego League team. We made it through Regionals and are on to the State competition.
  
  

What I am Reading

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber

The E-Myth explores the popular misconception that most people starting businesses are truly entrepreneurs. In reality, Michael Gerber shares that many people that start a new venture are 'technicians.' The catalyst for starting their new business is an "entrepreneurial seizure," and many technicians are simply trying to escape their boss. A technician, in Michael's book, is somebody who does work "in" the business, but doesn't work "on" their business like an entrepreneur would. In order to grow the business, the business cannot be dependent on the people who started the business doing all the work. Michael proposes applying a franchise model to the business; pretend that you are going to have 5,000 more businesses just like yours. What would you do differently? The solution advocated for in the E-Myth is to create operations manuals for your new staff to follow as your business grows.

I found it interesting to consider the insights from the E-Myth in the context of Agile coaching. Specifically, how do you ensure that Agile teams have enough context with which to continue on after some of the personalities involved in starting the Agile initiative have moved on to different roles. Michael advocates for an "Operations Manual" that describes all the steps necessary to perform each activity of the business. While I see value in that approach, it seems to create tension with the Agile Manifesto notions of "Individuals and interactions over processes and tools." This book has succeeded in provoking new thoughts about how to work with teams and process improvement

Books I Have Read and Recommend

Amy Shuen analyzes successful Web 2.0 implementations, including those of Flickr, Google, and Linked In. These companies have allowed people to contribute and connect, multiplying the value of each additional participant.

13 Things That Don't Make Sense

The most baffling scientific mysteries of our time

Author Michael Brooks examines scientific mysteries, including astronomical, biological, and spiritual mysteries. The book begins with an examination of the missing mass in the universe, ends with homeopathy, and addresses life, death, and nine other mysteries in between. This book touches on such a breadth of scientific questions, that it is bound to be interesting to anybody who enjoys scientific inquiry.