#97: Exploring Liquid Agility with Arlen Bankston

Join Brian as he and Arlen Bankston unveil the secrets of Liquid Agility in this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast. Dive into how this innovative framework revolutionizes product management and fills the gaps in traditional Agile methodologies Overview In this episode Brian and Arlen Bankston delve into the intricacies of Liquid Agility, a comprehensive framework designed to enhance agile practices with its unique focus on prioritization, preparation, and outcome evaluation. Arlen walks us through the JUICE framework, which categorizes work into distinct streams—innovation, iteration, and operation—and discusses strategies for refining projects and maximizing the impact of released features. Whether you're a product owner, Scrum practitioner, or Agile enthusiast, this episode offers valuable insights into making agile methodologies more effective and adaptable to your needs. Tune in to transform your approach to product management and Agile practices with cutting-edge insights from Liquid Agility. Listen Now to Discover: [1:15] - Brian welcomes Scrum veteran, Certified Scrum Trainer®, partner at Grow-Lean LLC, author of HR and the Agile Organization, and creator of Liquid Agility. [2:53] - Explore the concept of Liquid Agility with Arlen as he reveals how it enriches traditional Agile practices, adding layers of depth and adaptability to methodologies [4:59] - Arlen discusses how Liquid Agility transforms prioritization, making it simpler to categorize tasks and put user needs first for more effective project management. [7:45] - Brian sheds light on the elegant simplicity and balance that Liquid Agility brings to the table, streamlining processes without sacrificing depth. [10:05] - Arlen delves into the nuances of his prioritization framework, giving a detailed walkthrough of the JUICE framework and its strategic benefits. [14:30] - Deepen your understanding and work hands-on to practice and understand the craft of being a great product owner by taking a Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO) or Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® with Mountain Goat Software. Plus, you’ll be automatically enrolled in Mike Cohn’s Agile Mentors Community, including twelve months of ongoing coaching and support. Find a complete list of our upcoming classes on the Mountain Goat Software's Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule. [24:55] - Arlen outlines effective strategies for teams to evaluate and select the tools that best align with their specific needs and goals. [27:59] - Arlen explains the essentials of readiness within the dynamic Liquid Agility framework, highlighting what true preparedness looks like in an Agile context. [31:30] - Brian shares a big thank you to Arlen for joining him on the show. [33:39] - If you’d like to continue this discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community. You get a year of free membership into that site by taking any class with Mountain Goat Software, such as CSM or CSPO. We also have Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® and Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner®, where we get right into the good stuff and have some deep discussions. We'd love to see you in one of Mountain Goat Software's classes. You can find the schedule here. [34:12] - If you liked the episode, share with any product owner you think might benefit from the discussion today, too! [34:30] - We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Send us an email. [34:46] - Catch Brian live and in person, and hear him speak at the upcoming 2024 Global Scrum Gathering in New Orleans and the Agile 2024 Conference in Dallas. References and resources mentioned in the show: Arlen Bankston Grow-Lean, LLC HR and the Agile Organization by Arlen Bankston Liquid Agility #3: What Makes a Great Product Owner? With Lance Dacy #14: What does it mean to be Product-Centric? With Scott Dunn #50: Exploring the Roles of Scrum Master and Product Owner with Lance Dacy Certified Scrum Product Owner® Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® Mountain Goat Software Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Join the Agile Mentors Community Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast 2024 Global Scrum Gathering Agile2024 Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at [email protected] This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Arlen Bankston is one of the very first Certified Scrum Trainers®, a Scrum veteran, partner at Grow-Lean LLC, author of HR and the Agile Organization, and creator of Liquid Agility. Known for his thought leadership and dynamic, entertaining, and practical training style, Arlen has trained and mentored thousands of ScrumMasters, Product Owners, team members and executives.