Work Different

The views expressed on this website/weblog are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer or its clients.

My LinkedIn Profile is here.

I consider myself a “sleeves-rolled-up” practitioner of Agile within the Advertising and PR Industries. Advertising and PR? Yes!

In Communications I’ve found it is best to work with teams to create the right method for the right context, creating the most value not just for the client, but for the client’s customer. I have studied various methodologies and prefer to customize an approach by team and by the circumstances of the client’s needs, brand and business objectives.  Most important is to generate an environment in which teams feel safe, close, able to take risks and create.  It’s time to Work Different.

After years of searching, I have uncovered a method for creating such an environment, while gaining a competitive edge, by tinkering with the way we work on a daily basis. Drawing from Design-Thinking, Lean Manufacturing and Agile techniques used in software development, I’m looking to continue to spread this movement, inspecting, adapting, evolving, changing–and revolutionizing–the way we work.

If you are seeking a savior who will gallop in on a white horse and save you from your Death March project, I most likely can help you. I’m at the point at which I can very quickly recognize patterns, understand and assess high-risk situations. However, this is not what takes the best advantage of what I have to offer. My goal is to create the causes and conditions for people to be able to function well together as a team and to elicit great work from each other. What I’ve found is when the team finds its strength, the customer can feel it. And, what’s better, a strong team has more possibility to produce great, inspired work. It’s infectious. It tends to spread. It’s difficult, but it’s fun.

In terms of training: I have my PSM Level 1 from Ken Schwaber; CSM from Arlen Bankston and a second one from Jeff Sutherland; CSPO from Jeff Patton; trained with Lyssa Adkins and Michael Spayd in Coaching; refreshed my knowledge of Scrum with IBM’s Rob Purdie; and have survived a few dinners with Alistair Cockburn.  I co-organize the New York City Scrum User Group and have spoken at the Scrum Gathering. I plan to continue “training” with interesting thinkers, understanding (and helping our teams understand) how Scrum, Crystal, Kanban, etc. can help us work better together.

“Magwep” is a nickname I was given by a dear friend, Michael Damian, created from the first two letters of my first, middle and last names.