The Techarrette Group: Welcome to a quest to build a transformative new process in Tech
Alea (pronounced "Hailey" without the H)
The Techarrette Group:
Welcome to a quest to build a transformative new process in Tech
Welcome:
Techarrettes Are: Techarrettes are creative, intensive, collaborative, iterative design efforts that uses a series of carefully tailored inputs and questions to examine a single challenge from a variety of perspectives and scales. The goal of a Techarrette to conduct highly rich planning and/ or generate new ideas.
Techarrette is a combination of the word Technology and Charrette. A charrette is a useful process tool from the Urban Planning realm. However, importing this tool to a technology setting without adjusting to the needs and demands of the industry has not been entirely successful. Thus, creating a related process, with tailored elements, for use in Technology is necessary for the tool to provide the creative, planning and consensus results that it can.
Is Techarrette Even Needed in Tech?: This is a good question and I'm continuing to explore it. The answer appears to be, "Yes". There are three places I currently see that it is useful:
• Sprint Zero: Lightweight hazard-avoidance planning
• Enterprise-Level Agile Planning: Working with a broad Enterprise level team (C-levels, VPs, Accounting, Non-tech Users, Clients in addition to Developers, Testers, ScrumMasters/ PMs) to visualize the future of initiatives or entire business sectors and make integrated Enterprise level decisions
• Generative Blasts: Helping a team break out of their current mindset and into a creative new approach. Goals a close to home as reenergizing a frustrated team and as far-reaching as pushing toward that great new technology-leap that changes the world for everyone.
The Primer on Techarrettes:
The BETA primer on Techarrettes is located on the Google Group for TekChar. It is a living document experiencing continues improvement. If you notice any errors please let me know.
Additional Resources and Materials: Are located in the parallel working Google Group for TekChar
Key Resources For You :
Alea (pronounced like "Hailey" without the H) Lanstra from Techarrette (www.Techarrette.com). Alea started her career in urban planning; working with engineers and architects on large public (governmental) urban projects. As a result she brings a strong foundation in traditional Charrette to the table. Her subsequent immersion into the technology world enriches Alea's understanding of the Agile quest for tools in certain strategic areas. Alea employs a focus on servant leadership in change management consulting, gently guiding clients toward less stressful methodologies while providing high-level interim "doing."
Joseph (pronounced like Joe with "sef" on the end) Flahiff from Whitewater Projects (www.Whitewaterrojects.com). Joseph has an extensive background in Plan-Driven project management in technology that lead him to a deep commitment toward the Agile end of the project management spectrum. For many years Joseph provided Agile "project management" and ScrumMaster services to his employers, growing into a supportive mentor and Agile champion within the organization. Requests for tailored support by outside contacts lead Joseph to form Whitewater Projects, where he provides coaching, mentoring and training throughout the world. His services support individuals and teams in their quest to adopt, define and perfect what Agile means for them.