In today’s fast-paced world, stress is an inevitable part of professional life. Deadlines, demanding clients, and the pressure to perform can take a toll on even the most seasoned professionals. However, managing stress effectively can transform challenges into opportunities for growth and resilience. At Nimble Up, we empower individuals with the tools to manage stress and build a foundation for long-term well-being.

My all-time favorite Agile meeting is the Retrospective. Back in 2012, I learned the role of a Scrum Master. I loved that role for so many reasons. As a Scrum Master, you get to make sure everyone understands what is expected of them. You get to ask all the dumb questions! You get to document things and provide clarity. People really appreciate what a Scrum Master provides them, so it was a really fulfilling role for me. 

Challenge

A publicly-owned utility company had been operating with the same product since the 1970s. As competition from newer, more cost-efficient alternatives increased, leadership knew they had to modernize. They needed to introduce new products, improve operations, and better meet evolving customer expectations.

In 2010, I was working for Capella University. This was the year I learned what it meant to collaborate in a virtual environment. How to try to get stuff done with a group when they were not physically co-located. 

Implementing Agile methodologies can significantly enhance organizational success by promoting flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement. At Nimble Up, we specialize in providing comprehensive training programs to help organizations effectively integrate Agile practices.

Back in 2000, I was 17 years old and had just moved to Minneapolis to go to college. I knew that my school did not have reciprocity with my home state of Iowa when it came to tuition. If I had gone to a school in Wisconsin or Iowa, I could have paid in-state tuition.  

One of the biggest blunders that I see is when a person who is responsible for moving a project forward, does it on behalf of someone else’s wants and needs. Or does it with outdated wants and needs in mind. A project manager may have completed a very similar project in the past, assume the requirements for this new project are the same as the old, and start plowing forward. This can lead to waste of time, waste of resources, and burnout.

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app built for hybrid work, allowing teams to stay informed, organized, and connected — all in one virtual space. 

My presenting skills were first shaped at an early age, but they weren’t always met with the most eager of audiences. I was raised in a religion in which sharing our message door-to-door was important. As one might imagine, showing up uninvited to someone’s home to discuss religion doesn’t always bode well.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed and paralyzed by your never-ending to-do list? You’re not alone. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we forget to prioritize our tasks. We either go into flight, fight, or freeze mode (chucking the list out the window!) OR we dive right into the list without a clear plan. Neither option is super helpful when it comes to accomplishing your goals.

Have you ever heard the phrase “it takes 21 days to form a habit”? Well, while according to some studies that might not be entirely true (or the correct number of days), it’s clear that forming good habits is the key to success. From getting more sleep to eating more vegetables, setting goals and tracking progress can help us stay on track and reach our ambitions. A habit tracker can be an excellent tool for this.

I create roadmaps for my company, for every product we release, but I also find roadmaps to be a powerful tool from a personal perspective. Companies often develop strategic roadmaps that list out all the really important things they want to deliver. Early on in my project management career I thought, why not use this tactic for my own life too?  

At the heart of every successful scrum team stands the Scrum Master, a pivotal role responsible for guiding the team towards efficient collaboration, continuous improvement, and ultimately, delivering value. Think of them like the conductor and your project as the symphony.

Most presentations have one of three primary purposes: to inform, to persuade or to relate to others.​ If you research “presentation types” you will see a variance in what is out there and how people define what they are. But generally, all presentation types fall into one of these three goals.

Working remotely comes with its own set of unique challenges. While I’ve always been a big fan of the work from home lifestyle and have been doing so in some capacity since 2010, I also understand that it can take a little bit to get used to.

Many people don’t like to work in teams because their teams are dysfunctional. Their teams have gotten stuck in “storming.” Plateauing at this level of Tuckman’s Model of Group Development with your team often creates the dislike of working in teams.

As an accountability coach and mentor, I have had the privilege of working with numerous individuals striving to reach their goals and unlock their full potential.

After a full day immersed in AI conversations at a recent conference, I stopped by Whole Foods to pick up some groceries. As I was checking out, the Sept-Oct 2024 edition of Harvard Business Review caught my eye. In bold, black text, it read, "Embracing Gen AI at Work." Given how much generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) has been the topic of conversation with my clients recently, I couldn't help but grab a copy.