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Case Study: Agile Careers -Rui CarvalhoFor Rui Carvalho, agility has become a guiding principle and a core belief. Now Head of Engineering at luxury travel company Edge Retreats, his agile journey has taken him from post-graduate student to an agile career and an agile approach to life.

Summary

Challenges: Gainingfulfilmentintheworkplace Embracingandrespondingtochange Balancingprocesswithpeopleskills

Deliveringvalueattherighttime

Solutions: Understandingagileprincipleandpractice Extendingagilethinkingbeyondmethodtomindset Beingeagertorespond,adaptandgrow Takinganintegratedandholisticview

‘The hardest part of agility is understanding the philosophy. Doing a process doesn’t

make you agile.’ Rui Carvalho

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The challenge: Targeting fulfilment in the workplaceTalkingtoRuiCarvalho,it’sclearthathisworkinglifehasalwaysbeenmoreaboutpurposethanprofit,aimingforfulfilmentmorethanfinancialgain.HestartedhisuniversitystudiesinCivilEngineeringinPortugal,soonrealisedhispassionwasforSoftwareEngineeringandhethenpursuedadegreeinthisarea.

HelaterstudiedanMScinWebDevelopmentatKingstonUniversityLondon,wherehewastaughtbyAgileBusinessConsortiumDirectorDrIslamChoudhury,andformallylearntaboutagileforthefirsttime.

Ruidemonstratesagrowthmindsetandhascontinuedtoaddarangeoftechnical,businessandmarketingaccreditationstohisskillset,keepingintouchwiththeConsortiumalongtheway.HeisalsoshortlytobecomeIslam’sstudentoncemore,toachieveAgilePM®certification.

‘I’vebeenwaryofcorporateheavyweightorganisations,’hereflects,‘IwantedtoworkinanorganisationwhereIcoulduseabroadrangeofskills,andnotbepigeon-holedorheldbackfromdevelopingbytheinertiaofthepast.I’veintentionallysoughtoutorganisationsthatcanbemoreagileandembracechange,ratherthanresistingit:theonesthatarepreparedtolookharderatnewideas.Iwantedtoworkina‘learningorganisation’thatwaspreparedtotrystuffout.’

The solution: An agile approach‘IdiscoveredagiledevelopmentwhenIwasdoingmyMScatKingstonUniversity,’Ruiexplains,‘Mycourseincludedawholemoduleonagility.IttaughtmehowtodevelopideasproductivelywithoutfeelingthatIhadtofigureouteverydetailatthestart’.ThemodulethatRuireferstoisnowknownasAgilePractices©,astand-alonecoursefromtheAgileBusinessConsortiumofferedbyseveraluniversitiesthroughouttheUK.

‘Bythistime,IwasexperiencedinPRINCE2® andXP.I’dalreadybeenmanagingsoftwaredevelopmentteams,includingvirtualones,andIknewtheimportanceofgoodcollaborativepractices,offocusingonclientneeds,feedbackloops,andbusinessvalue.ThemoduleonagilitymademerealisethatmanyofthepracticesIvalued,andmynaturalskills,werealignedwithanagileapproach.I’dbeenheadingintherightdirectionbutwithouttheguidanceandstructureofaframework.Ineededtheagiletrainingtohittherightbalancebetweenadaptabilityandrigour,toprovideasafeenvironmentfortheclientevenwhilewewereexperimentingandevolvinginresponsetochangingneeds.

KingstonUniversity,whereRuifirstlearntaboutagility

‘I needed the agile training to hit the right balance between adaptability and rigour.’

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The results: Developing an agile careerOnceRuihadbeenintroducedtoagilityinawaythatgavehimadetailedunderstandingofthepractices,skillsandmindsetthatwerethefoundationsoftheapproach,hewaskeentomovehiscareerforwardinanagiledirection.‘Idecidedtodomydissertationonagileworking,’hereveals,‘becausethisgavemeanidealopportunitytolearnfrommyearlyprojectmanagementexperience.Ichosetoexplorethechallengesofcommunicationindistributedteams–asituationIhadexperiencedandwhereagilityhadofferedmeanewperspective-andIwasluckyenoughtohaveDrIslamChoudhuryasmysupervisortosupportthiswork.’

AfterhisMSc,RuiworkedforanorganisationwhichusedaScrumapproach.‘Overthistime,Ibecameincreasinglyawareofthebehaviouralsideofeffectiveworking.Howpeopledefaulttocertainpatternsandthattherearegood,andlessgood,waysoffollowinganagilemethodology.

‘Ibegantoappreciatethatagilityisn’tjustaboutmethodssuchasScrum,butabouttargetingbusinessvalue–whichInowseeasoneofthemostcriticalaspectsofagility.Thehardestpartofagilityisunderstandingthephilosophy.Doingaprocessdoesn’tmakeyouagile.’ThisisoneofthekeypointsthattheAgileBusinessConsortiumseekstoemphasise.

‘Itbecameincreasinglycleartomethatagilitydidn’tonlyneedtobeaboutbusiness!I’maperfectionistbynatureandinclinedtogetangrywithmyselfifIdon’tgetthingsrightfirsttime.Istartedtorealisethatit’soktoworkinaniterativeway,torevisitthingsandchangethemuntiltheybecometheshapeyouwant.Ibegantoseethatthebestresultscanbeachievedthroughadaptationandthatsometimesit’sacaseofdoing‘justenough’togetthevaluethat’sneeded.

‘Insomecases,thiscanmakethedifferencebetweensomethinggettingfinishedornotgettingitdoneatall.’

‘Valueandtimeareveryinterconnected.It’spointlessdeliveringperfectioniftheneedhaspassedbythetimethejobiscomplete.’

f Agile development and Business Agility RuimaintainedhisrelationshipwiththeAgileBusinessConsortiumandDrIslamChoudhury,whohaveplayedasignificantroleindevelopinghisthinkingaroundagileandagilitymorewidely.InJune2018,IslaminvitedhimtobecomeAmbassadorforPortugalfortheConsortium,toworkmorecloselywiththePortugueseagilecommunity.

‘IvaluemyroleasaConsortiumambassador,’Ruiconfirms,‘ItallowsmetocontributetothedevelopmentofagilethinkinginPortugalandhasgivenmeopportunitiestosharemyownagilejourneyandtoconnectwiththefascinatingexperienceofthewidernetworkofambassadors.’

Today,Ruiisjustaskeentocontinuedevelopinghisexpertiseandpassionforagileworking.‘MymembershipoftheConsortiumgivesmeaccesstoawealthofknowledgeandagreatnetworkofpeople’saysRui.‘Icanaccesscertifications,meetprofessionalsinagilityfromawiderangeofdisciplines,andlearnaboutareasofagileIdidn’tevenknowabout!’ RuiisnowapplyinghisagilethinkinginabroadsensetodeliveroverallbusinessagilityatEdgeRetreats.‘Agilityisagreatmindsetforbuildingacompanysuitedtoafutureofinnovation,’heaffirms.‘BusinessAgilityallowsustodevelopamindsetthatthrivesonchange,withtheabilitytoacknowledgeandrespondtothedifferentperspectivesofshareholders,stakeholdersandcustomers.

‘It’simportanttotakeanintegratedholisticview,’hecontinues,‘Tostepbackandallowagiletoworkorganicallyacrosstheorganisation.Onceyoucandetachyourselffromanyspecificaspectofagility,thenanagileapproachbecomesthegluethatpullstogethereverythingyoudo.’

RuiattheAgileBusinessConference2017

‘An agile approach becomes the glue that pulls together everything you do.’

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Rui Carvalho - MSc, PMP, CSM, PMI-ACP RuiisHeadofEngineeringatEdgeRetreatsandanAmbassadorfortheAgileBusinessConsortium. www.linkedin.com/in/ruimancarvalho

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