Understanding the Whole System, Not Just a Part

Abstract:

Are your solutions to recurring issues having only minor improvements? Are some of these solutions actually making things worse in the long run? When answering yes to these, typically, we are trying to solve the issues with too narrow a view. Oddly we think we are addressing it at sufficient level but usually not. In order to see the entire picture we need a common language that will enable us to understand an entire complex adaptive system (e.g. organizations, teams, individuals). Join us as we learn a language called System Modeling.

With this language we will be able to have rich dialogue to gain a full understanding of the entire complex adaptive system so that we can create solutions at the fundamental level and not the symptomatic level. Addressing system issues at the fundamental level will significantly improve the system. Symptomatic solutions may give the appearance of improvement in the short term but typically make things worse in the long run. Unfortunately we usually pick the symptomatic solutions because they seem obvious and we don't realize the long term impacts because of feedback delays that could take weeks, months or even years to realize.

About the Speaker:

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Brian Sjoberg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansjoberg) (@onek2go (https://twitter.com/onek2go)) is uber passionate about helping individuals, teams and organizations adopt practices that live out Lean and Agile principles and values. He comes from sunny Florida where he earned his Computer Engineering degree from the University of South Florida. He is a former XP programmer, turned Project Manager, turned Program Manager, turned Agile Coach. He has a Certified Scrum Professional (CSP). He has been living on the front lines of implementing Scrum and engineering best practices for the past 6 years. He is Agile Coach for Excella Consulting. His Motto: Coaching and inspiring individuals, teams and organizations to rapidly deliver high quality products that customers love.

He gives some lovin' to his Agile mindset blog from time to time, check it out at http://anagilemind.net (http://anagilemind.net/).

Book Giveaway: We will be giving away an Agile-related book.

When: January 23rd, 2017 at 6:00 pm (See Agenda Below)

Where: Excella Consulting (http://www.excella.com/), 6th Floor Arlington Tech eXchange (ATX), 2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington VA 22201

Cost: Free thanks to our sponsors

Sponsor(s):

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Excella (http://www.excella.com/) is hiring! Check out the open job opportunities (https://www.excella.com/careers)page. Excella offers DCSUG members a discount for upcoming Agile training classes (https://www.excella.com/training). Please contact us for the code.

Agenda:

6:00 – 6:30 Arrive, mingle, pizza, network

6:30 – 8:00 Presentation/Discussion/Game/Workshop

8:00 – 8:30 Q&A and more networking

Can't make it this month?

We meet monthly. So if you can't make it this month, hopefully we'll see you at the next meetup. Also, if you have an idea, game, workshop, or story to share with the group, then please contact the organizer to setup a presentation for a future meeting.