"If you can do something in a simple way, why waste time complicating it?”

When I became a project and program manager over a decade ago, I thought that getting to the finish line of a project had to be complex, challenging, and exhausting for everyone. Agile changed all that. The "simplicity is essential" principle is what drew me in because it makes the most of the work you don't do. Instead of spending time on exhaustive planning and documentation for requirements that are likely to change, agile focuses on gathering 'just enough' information 'just in time'. I never looked back and have been using agile methods ever since.

The need for self-awareness and reflection is another facet of the agile philosophy that I like to share with teams I coach. To be successful with agile, you need to take the time to step back and reflect on what is working. A team that is intentional about improving will have regular retrospectives with candid discussions about where they are and where they want to be. This fosters great relationships among team members and creates happy, high-performing teams.

I love training because I also love learning—two things which go hand in hand. By supporting people as they learn about agile, I'm always learning from their experiences and improving my own practice. That's why I founded my own agile consulting company, to get the opportunity to learn from and connect with people on their agile journey.

 

My certifications:

  • ICAgile Certified Professional (ICP)
  • ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Coaching (ICP-ACC)
  • Certified SAFe® 5 Program Consultant, Scaled Agile®
  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)®, Scrum Alliance®
  • IASSC Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt™ (ICGB™)

My education:

  • Master of Digital Marketing, IE Business School
  • Bachelor of Science in Finance and Financial Management Services, Florida International University
  • Project Management Professional Certificate, University of Miami
Next up

Mary Zarba

Knowledge Engineer
CHAT
CALL