This might be a bit abstract but will try and keep it somewhat agile focused… I was hosting a podcast for AgileUprising tonight and it got me thinking. The podcast will be released soon but to give you a teaser the topic this evening was Women in Agile.
I was an active listener and we had some really amazing people that just happened to be all women on the podcast. They covered a wide array of topics… So no spoilers… But it did get me thinking… One of the themes that kept being raised was around Values. We are all taught ( well most of us) to respect others despite gender/ethnicity/religious affiliation. And this topic can make some people uncomfortable… As we all embark on our professional journey those factors play a part in it. Positive and negative… So while listening to this discussion I was thinking… Is it different in the Agile community? Are we more open? Are we more focused on the value a person brings as opposed to their gender for example? I know its not that binary… I would love to hear other opinions on this… By promoted a value based framework and part of that framework is the human aspect do we help drive equality? And by equality I mean you see people for the value they bring not for the exterior they present… So to share a personal example I have tattoos. I do a lot of work on the east coast and with in the financial district. Its a struggle for me due to my appearance. Does that make me any less effective? Might not matter since I am judged before I even have the chance. As people get to know and work with me they no longer notice the ink… They notice the value I am bringing.
As stated above I am very curious to hear others weigh in and stories as to where they have been able to over come some of these challenges and or if we as an agile community are actually doing things differently.