Agile and Project Management - DrunkenPM Radio

In this episode, Dave Borzillo shares insights from his book 'Sanity at Scale' on how engineering leaders can shift from heroics to systemic excellence, emphasizing removing waste, visualizing work, and fostering team collaboration.

Key Topics

- Challenges in system thinking and organizational agility

- The importance of visualizing work and using impact maps

- Strategies for removing waste and reducing cognitive overload

- The role of leadership in fostering a culture of continuous improvement

- Techniques for effective prioritization and backlog management

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to 'Sanity at Scale' and Guest Background

04:21 The Power of Removing Waste and Deleting Unnecessary Items

08:52 The Limitations of Math in Estimation and Prioritization

13:01 Fostering Team Estimation and Shared Understanding

15:45 The Importance of Triangulating Data and Multiple Measures

17:41 Building Cross-Functional Teams and Knowledge Sharing

19:58 Visualizing Work with Whiteboards and Digital Tools

22:30 Engaging Senses and Human Connection in Daily Standups

24:57 Mapping Value Streams and Identifying System Bottlenecks

27:56 Dealing with Systemic Resistance and Cultural Change

29:36 Challenging Processes and Experimenting Safely

32:14 Leadership as a Servant and the Boundary Layer Role

35:00 Reward Systems and Incentivizing Collaboration

37:16 Changing the Mindset: From Hero to System Thinker

39:18 Transitioning from Firefighter to Strategic Pilot

41:36 Aligning Work with Organizational Outcomes

43:33 The Power of Purpose and Clear Vision

45:20 Addressing Cultural and Leadership Barriers

48:12 Encouraging Deletion and Simplification in Work Processes

49:10 Upcoming Event and Book Giveaway

Links from the Podcast

Dave’s Book Sanity at Scale - https://tinyurl.com/2txmmhft

Better Ways of Working: https://betterwaysofworking.com/

Better Ways of Working Podcast: https://tinyurl.com/4nabc9sr

2026 PMI WDC Conference: https://www.pmiwdc.org/conference-2026-pmi-wdc

PMI SWVA 2026 Fall Symposium: https://pmi-swva.org/2026-symposium

Digital PM Summit: https://thebureau.community/2026-digital-pm-summit

Connect with Dave Borzillo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveborzillo/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@betterwaysofworking

Better Ways fo Working: https://betterwaysofworking.com/

Connect with Dave Prior

drunkenPM Radio: https://soundcloud.com/drunkenpmradio

LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/

In this episode, Shalabh Tandon and Shubhada Sahasrabudhe join me to discuss their new book, 'Don't Panic Pivot: Managing Critical Issues to Prevent Crises.' We explore the differences between risks and issues, what makes an issue critical, and why they emphasize a systematic approach to managing crises. The authors introduce their nine-six framework, which includes three whys, nine ingredients, and six steps to effectively address critical issues. They highlight the role of leadership and organizational culture in fostering a proactive environment for issue management. We also dig into the intricacies of crisis management and the importance of building resilience within organizations, maintaining quality, and ensuring transparent communication during crises. You'll hear their tips on how to find balance between discipline and drama in crisis response and how AI can enhance crisis management strategies. The conversation highlights actionable insights for leaders and organizations to navigate crises effectively.

You can find a video version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/H9LXedwxP2U

Takeaways

- Most crises are a culmination of ignored small issues.

- A systematic process helps organizations respond thoughtfully, not react impulsively.

- Building a resilient organization involves learning from issues and creating a culture of psychological safety.

- The 9-6 framework includes steps like describe, impact assess, contain, root cause, and communicate.

- Transparency and consistent communication are crucial during crises.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Crisis Management

02:53 Understanding Risks vs. Issues

06:02 Defining Critical Issues

08:59 The Impact of Critical Issues

10:58 What is Critical Issue Management?

14:04 The Importance of Systematic Approaches

17:01 The Role of Leadership in Crisis Prevention

20:00 Cultural Aspects of Issue Management

21:58 The Process of Managing Issues

24:59 The Six Steps of Crisis Management

36:05 Understanding Crisis Response Dynamics

39:21 Building Organizational Resilience

43:58 Quality vs. Crisis Management

48:05 The Importance of Transparency in Crisis

54:06 Discipline Over Drama in Crisis Management

56:31 Leveraging AI for Crisis Management

The Book:

Don't Panic Pivot: Managing Critical Issues to Prevent Crises

https://tinyurl.com/4ps5jpxf

Learn More about QuRIuS

Web: www.quriusllc.com

Promo Video: https://tinyurl.com/yyk6wjaj

Contacting Shubhada and Shalabh:

Shubhada – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubhada-sahasrabudhe/

Shalabh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalabh-tandon/

Agile 2026 is almost here! And John Tanner and I will be presenting on Monday, July 27th, at 3:15 PM. Our session is called When AI Starts Doing Your Job: Surviving the PM Identity Crisis. If you are someone who has been struggling with getting out of the gate with AI. If your hesitating because you don’t know how to start, you don’t know what to do with it, it's just too overwhelming, or you can see how it impacts the other roles, but not your own, you are the reason John and I put this session together beause that was me, 8 months ago, moaning about how I didn’t want to be the prompt guy.

If you’d like to learn a little more about the session and you are curious about John’s PMO as Code work, check out this video and then come see us at Agile 2026!

When AI Starts Doing Your Job: Surviving the PM Identity Crisis

PMI Agile 2026

Monday, Jul 2715:15 - 17:00 EDT

https://events.pmi.org/flow/pmi/pmiagile26/sessioncatalog/page/sessions/session/1778861942411001eyOh

Contacting John

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tannerjs/

C4G Enterprises: https://c4genterprises.com

Contacting Dave

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrsungo/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mrsungo

I sat down with longtime friend and fellow PMI volunteer Mattias Georgson Petrén to get schooled on Half Double, the Danish hybrid framework that has been around for over ten years but I only just learned about. Mattias walks through where it came from (a frustrated group of practitioners, industrial funding, and research backing from Aarhus University), what it promises — half the time double the impact — and how it blends Agile cadence with the discipline of traditional, stage-based product management. We get into co-location, the 50% staffing rule, and why he treats Half Double as a lens layered on top of existing frameworks rather than a replacement for any of them. We close out with a conversation about where project managers fit into an AI-driven future that left me probably less worried than I've been about this in months.

Key Themes

- How Dave and Mattias met at a PMI chapter event in Malta back in 2008, and how that network led to real client work together

- Mattias's path from engineering physics PhD to "accidental" project manager

- The early days of Agile inside PMI circles, and the influence of conferences like Øredev

- What Half Double actually is: a hybrid method built on impact, flow, and leadership

- The origin story — Danish practitioners, an industrial fund, and Aarhus University research

- Why Half Double performs best on complex projects, not predictable, fully-plannable ones

- Co-location, the 50% staffing rule, and designing cadence into distributed teams

- Why Mattias treats Half Double as a set of lenses layered on top of an existing framework (PMI, PRINCE2, Scrum) rather than a replacement for one

- The "chasing tasks vs. chasing impact" trap that both traditional and Agile PMs fall into

- Where project managers fit in an AI-driven future — and why Mattias isn't worried

Chapters

00:00 The Value of Networking in Project Management

02:47 Mattias Petrén's Journey into Project Management

05:11 The Evolution of Agile in Project Management

07:47 Introduction to Half Double Methodology

10:47 Understanding the Half Double Framework

13:15 Hybrid Approaches in Project Management

16:03 Leadership and Co-location in Half Double

18:47 Embracing Chaos in Project Management

19:51 The Role of Project Owners

21:41 Understanding Project Impact and Stakeholder Management

23:44 Integrating Agile with Traditional Project Management

26:01 The Half Double Methodology Explained

29:23 The Future of Project Management in an AI-Driven World

Links from the Podcast

Half Double Institute - https://halfdoubleinstitute.org

PMI Agile 2026 https://agilealliance.org/pmi-agile-2026/

Dave and John Tanner’s session at Agile 2026 - "When AI Starts Doing Your Job: Surviving the PM Identity Crisis" https://tinyurl.com/23jc8uhs

Contact Mattias

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattiasgeorgsonpetren/

Email - [email protected]

In this episode, Dave Prior chats with Alex Sloley, an agile coach and Scrum Alliance Board candidate, about the evolving landscape of Agile, Scrum, and the impact of AI on teamwork and project management. They explore how community involvement, technological innovation, and leadership can shape the future of Agile practices.

Key Topics

• The significance of community engagement and serving through roles like the Scrum Alliance board

• The accelerating pace of iteration in Agile driven by AI and technological advancements

• How AI is transforming Scrum practices, from sprint durations to team collaboration

• The importance of adopting AI-guided discipline without losing human judgment

• The evolving skills required for future developers and project managers

• Vision for Scrum’s evolution to keep pace with rapid technological change

• The role of the Scrum Alliance in fostering innovation and listening to its members

• Strategies for balancing Agile principles with modern remote, digital work environments

• The necessity of healthy conflict within governance and leadership to drive progress

• The importance of positivity and realism in navigating industry change

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to Alex Sloley and his background in Agile and Scrum

01:00 - The importance of community service and board participation in the Agile world

02:00 - Personal motivations for running for the Scrum Alliance Board

04:40 - Current state of the Agile community amid industry transformations

05:50 - Embracing change and the role of AI in agility and operations

09:55 - Integrating AI into Agile processes for discipline and efficiency

12:52 - AI as pair programmer and thinking partner for developers

17:40 - Rethinking Scrum practices in an AI-driven environment

20:26 - The potential for AI agents as part of Scrum teams and digital team members

24:56 - Revitalizing the Scrum Alliance: Listening to members and fostering innovation

28:08 - What members should expect from a visionary Scrum Alliance Board

32:25 - How to connect with Alex for insights into AI and Agile

33:01 - Closing remarks and encouragement to participate in the Scrum Alliance elections

Contacting Alex

• Web: https://alexsloley.com/

• LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexsloley/

• Alex’s book The Agile Community https://alexsloley.com/books

Vote in the Scrum Alliance Board Election!

Remember, voting ends June 24. Make your voice heard to shape the future of Agile leadership and community.

In this episode, hosts Dave Prior and Stuart Young sit down with Carl Smith, a "philosophical futurist" and leader of The Bureau (https://thebureau.community/), a community of over 1,500 creative leaders. The conversation explores how to "tune up" your personal and professional systems to better serve yourself and others by embracing vulnerability, mindfulness, and the power of imperfection.

Key Topics and Takeaways

- The Trap of Busyness vs. Productivity: Carl shares a recent "reset" triggered by a Saturday morning spent staring at spreadsheets. He discusses the danger of moving from a "creating" mindset to a "protecting" mindset, and how his attempt to become more efficient unintentionally made his team inefficient. 


- Energy Management and Burnout: Carl defines burnout as a state where you send all your energy out and none comes back. He uses a slot machine analogy to describe how different interactions can either deplete or replenish your internal "jackpot". 


- Self-Regulation Power-Ups:

-Speed Journaling

-NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation)

-Nose Breathing (Yes, it's a thing)

-Health Tracking Systems and why you might need more than one

-Stoicism


Links from the Podcast

No One Is Coming to Save You: The Power Ups to Help Surf the Chaos https://tinyurl.com/5dsh2n4v

The Bureau of Digital https://thebureau.community/

Breath by James Nestor https://tinyurl.com/38uemcx4

Outlive by Peter Attia https://tinyurl.com/4e5a6nc3

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins https://tinyurl.com/2rpwe93u

Project to Product by Mik Kersten https://tinyurl.com/2rksj6bw

Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman https://tinyurl.com/46xeh8nn

Everyday Stoicism by Gareth Southwell https://tinyurl.com/5c5n5392

Daily Stoic Podcast byRyan Holiday https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-stoic/id1430315931

Life Saver Graphics LLC —https://tinyurl.com/yfr95r8u

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Systems of Imperfection

03:22 The Importance of Self-Care and Productivity

05:50 Navigating Work Overwhelm and Chaos

08:55 The Role of Community in Professional Growth

11:45 Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

14:50 Mindfulness Practices for Better Living

17:47 The Power of Authenticity in Leadership

20:59 The Intersection of Technology and Humanity

23:59 Stoicism and Its Relevance Today

26:54 Embracing Imperfection and Learning from Mistakes

29:52 The Future of Work and Community Engagement

32:57 Creating Value Through Collaboration

35:54 Final Thoughts on Being Human in a Digital Age

56:09 Outro.mp4

Contacting Carl:

The Bureau of Digital: https://thebureau.community/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-w-smith/

Contacting Stuart 

- linktr.ee/stuartliveart

Contacting Dave 

-linktr.ee/mrsungo

The Journey from Project Manager to Chief of Staff with Darby Strong

In this conversation, Dave Prior and Darby Strong explore the transition from project management to the role of chief of staff, emphasizing the importance of interpersonal skills, empathy, and systems thinking. They discuss how experiences in the restaurant industry can shape effective project managers and the significance of creating a supportive work environment. The dialogue highlights the need for leaders to be aware of their impact on team dynamics and the importance of fostering a culture of collaboration and trust. In this conversation, Darby and Dave explore the nuances of leadership roles, particularly the differences between project managers and chiefs of staff. They discuss the importance of trust, courage, and the ability to absorb ambiguity in leadership. Darby shares her personal journey and insights on transitioning from project management to a chief of staff role, emphasizing the need for cooperation and systems thinking. The conversation also touches on the significance of taking action and the value of interdisciplinary approaches in effective leadership.

Takeaways

- The restaurant experience provides valuable skills for project management.

- Effective project managers are often generalists with a systems thinking approach.

- Communication and empathy are crucial in leadership roles.

- Creating a supportive environment helps teams thrive.

- The role of chief of staff involves strategic partnership with leadership.

- Project managers can influence organizational culture positively.

- Understanding team dynamics is essential for effective leadership.

- Compassion for leaders can enhance team performance.

- Interdependence is key in collaborative work environments.

- Project managers should focus on nurturing both teams and leadership.

- Chiefs of staff need to absorb ambiguity for clarity.

- Building trust takes time and consistent effort.

- Courage to be candid is crucial in leadership roles.

- Project managers can transition to chief of staff roles with the right mindset.

- Creating systems for cooperation is essential in leadership.

- Influence is a key skill for project managers and scrum masters.

- Taking action can help overcome inertia and open new opportunities.

- Interdisciplinary approaches can enhance leadership effectiveness.

- Understanding natural systems is vital for effective project management.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

02:58 The Restaurant Experience and Project Management

06:03 The Importance of People in Project Management

08:56 Transitioning from Project Management to Chief of Staff

12:04 The Role of a Chief of Staff

14:53 Navigating Leadership and Team Dynamics

18:02 Empathy and Perspective in Leadership

25:26 Interdependence Day: A Unique Celebration

26:10 Traits of a Chief of Staff vs. Project Manager

30:12 Building Trust and Courage in Leadership

32:23 Absorbing Ambiguity: The Role of a Chief of Staff

33:20 Transitioning from Project Management to Chief of Staff

35:15 Creating Systems for Cooperation

37:12 The Influence of Project Managers and Scrum Masters

41:56 Taking Action: Overcoming Inertia

43:42 Interdisciplinary Approaches in Leadership

Contacting Darby

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darbystrong/

Discover how AI can be seamlessly incorporated into Scrum teams to enhance productivity, storytelling, and problem-solving. Claudio Lassala shares real-world experiences of leveraging AI to fill skill gaps, automate tasks, and scale solutions, challenging traditional notions of team roles and developer identities.

Key Insights:

• The importance of teaching AI your principles for better, personalized outcomes

• AI's role in automating routine tasks allows developers to focus on high-value stakeholder engagement

• Emphasizing a solution-oriented mindset rather than coding as an identity

• Managing resistance by framing AI as a problem-solving partner, not a threat

• Continuous re-skilling and mindset shifts needed for teams to thrive with AI

• Leaders should focus on enabling their teams to leverage AI ethically and effectively

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Claudio's background in IT and agile coaching

02:21 - How AI is integrated into Scrum teams

03:45 - Using AI to write user stories and acceptance criteria

05:24 - The importance of conversations and stories in Agile

07:01 - Teaching AI to reflect team principles and critique solutions

08:15 - Addressing fears of losing roles with AI integration

09:42 - Resistance from team members and how to approach it

11:08 - Demonstrating productivity gains with AI-driven planning

12:13 - Balancing automation with the human touch in problem-solving

15:03 - Clarifying misconceptions about AI automating all tasks

16:38 - Managing detailed task decomposition with AI

18:04 - The evolution of developer roles and knowledge retention

20:17 - Using analogies like cars with carburetors to explain technological shifts

21:34 - Passion projects and opportunities AI unlocks

23:29 - How AI might change the identity of developers

26:38 - The need for continuous retraining and knowledge updating

29:43 - Supporting team members in adapting to AI tools

33:01 - Leadership strategies for leveraging AI ethically and effectively

36:16 - Personal storytelling: AI in content creation and blogging

37:04 - Claudio’s favorite guitar solo and closing thoughts

Contact Claudio

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiolassala/

• Web / Blog https://lassala.net/

• Improving https://www.improving.com/profile/claudio-lassala/

Endava set out to reinvent how IT services get delivered in an AI-native world. Dava.X.AI is the group inside Endava driving that shift. Miro is the workspace they're building it on. Together they've shipped Davaflow — an AI engagement lifecycle that runs from signal to explore to govern to evolve, with humans and agents working alongside each other the whole way.

On the latest drunkenPM Radio, Matt Cloke (CTO, Endava), Joe Dunleavy (Global Head of Dava.X.AI), and Dave Ross (Evangelist at Miro) talk about how the three came together, what real partnership looks like when two roadmaps quietly merge into one journey, and what it took to actually make it work.

Full episode is live.

Takeaways

- Reframe from value capture to value creation — don't use AI to make existing processes 10–15% better, reimagine the work entirely from an AI-first perspective.

- IT services hit its "ChatGPT moment" two years ago when clients and analysts started asking Endava why they were needed if AI could just write the code.

- AI is becoming a method, not a tool — just as Agile organized humans to do work, this new method organizes agents and the people working alongside them.

- The technology question is largely settled; the change management question isn't — quality has hit the inflection point, and what remains is the human shift, much like Waterfall-to-Agile.

- DavaFlow runs in four phases — Signal, Explore, Govern, and Evolve — moving from identifying the right problem, through virtual personas and prototypes, to governing agent output, to evolving in production.

- Chat is the wrong interface for most of this work — humans are visual creatures, and tools like Miro give LLMs context that a chat box never could.

- AI-driven work can produce better traceability than humans ever did — every decision and prototype connects back through the chain of thought, what Joe called "traceability on steroids."

- Anyone can buy the tools — what separates enterprise work from vibe-coding chaos is policy-as-code, defined skills, and human-in-the-loop checkpoints.

- Adoption happens in baby steps, not the full vision — showing people the end of the journey overwhelms them, so start at signal and layer in each next step.

- The hardest part is the identity question — engineers liked writing code and designers liked crafting prototypes, and the shift is a growth-mindset problem, not a skills problem.

Links from the Podcast

Endava: https://www.endava.com/

Dava.X.AI https://www.endava.com/dava-x/dava-x-ai

Miro: https://miro.com/index/

Upcoming Miro Canvas Events

Main Canvas 2026 landing page: https://canvas.miro.com/

Register for the streaming event on May 19 where Joe will be speaking:  https://canvas.miro.com/sanfrancisco/virtual-keynote

Register for the in-person event on May 19th in San Francisco where Joe is speaking live:  https://canvas.miro.com/sanfrancisco

Register for the in-person event on June 2nd in London where Matt will be speaking live: https://canvas.miro.com/london

Register for the in-person event on June 16th in Sydney where Wesley Fagan the APAC SVP for Strategy and Chief Design Officer at Endava will be speaking live: https://canvas.miro.com/sydney

Contacting the Guests

Matt Cloke https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattcloke/

Joe Dunleavy https://www.linkedin.com/in/joedunleavy/

Dave Ross https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmross/

Dave Prior https://linktr.ee/mrsungo

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Endava and AI Transformation

08:54 Navigating the AI Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities

17:52 The Evolution of Miro and AI Integration

24:00 Dava Flow: The AI Engagement Lifecycle

25:49 The Power of Visual Context in AI

27:03 Enhancing Contextual Understanding with AI

29:12 Temporal Dimensions in Decision Making

31:27 Navigating Change in Organizational Mindsets

35:40 Demonstrating Value to the C-Suite

38:13 Embracing the Future of Work

41:09 Amplifying Human Creativity with AI

In this engaging conversation, Dave interviews Nic Sementa about his new book, 'Breathing Ego,' which serves as a guided workbook for leaders under pressure. Nic shares his journey from a young salesman to a successful entrepreneur, emphasizing the importance of managing egos in leadership. He discusses the balance between servant leadership and command-and-control styles, the impact of AI on leadership dynamics, and the transition from being an entrepreneur to an employer. Nic also reflects on his failures and the lessons learned, advocating for radical self-responsibility in leadership. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of leadership, responsibility, and self-perception. They discuss the importance of taking ownership of one's role as a leader, the challenges of navigating ego, and the necessity of creating safe spaces for teams. The dialogue emphasizes the value of empowering employees through trust and the significance of self-kindness in leadership. The speakers also reflect on the entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the lessons learned from failure and the importance of resilience.

Key Takeaways

- Ego management is crucial for effective leadership.

- A healthy ego is necessary for personal and professional growth.

- The book 'Breathing Ego' is designed for leaders managing others.

- AI can serve as a double-edged sword in leadership dynamics.

- Transitioning from entrepreneur to employer changes risk tolerance.

- Failures in management can lead to valuable lessons.

- Radical self-responsibility is key for leaders.

- The journey of leadership is about playing the game, not just winning.

- Legacy involves creating a strong family and business to support each other.

- Leadership involves taking responsibility for the team's challenges.

- Self-perception can be influenced by the ego and external validation.

- Creating safe spaces requires a proactive approach from leaders.

- Empowering teams means trusting them to perform without micromanagement.

- Failure is a crucial part of the learning process for entrepreneurs.

- The journey of entrepreneurship often involves overcoming significant obstacles.

- Self-kindness is essential for effective leadership and team dynamics.

- Understanding one's limitations can enhance hiring practices.

- Conflict resolution skills are vital for maintaining team harmony.

- The narrative of self-worth should not be tied to external validation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Nic Sementa and His Book

02:19 Nic's Background and Journey

04:42 The Concept of Ego in Leadership

08:04 Managing Egos: Balancing Leadership Styles

12:57 The Role of AI in Leadership

15:43 The Journey from Entrepreneur to Employer

20:50 Learning from Failures in Management

23:58 Radical Self-Responsibility in Leadership

24:55 The Role of Leadership in Responsibility

25:44 Navigating Ego and Self-Perception

28:02 Creating Safe Spaces as a Leader

30:00 Empowering Teams Through Trust

32:04 Embracing Failure as a Learning Tool

34:19 The Journey of an Entrepreneur

36:24 The Importance of Self-Kindness in Leadership

Nic’s Book

Breathing Ego https://tinyurl.com/2c4mhvmp

Contacting Nic

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-sementa-2753242b/

Contacting Dave

https://linktr.ee/mrsungo

Links from the Intro

Systems of Imperfection - Discovering Your Superpowers

https://www.gsgvan26.com/agenda/session/1821410

Ai Readiness for Project Managers

https://beforeaiready.com

Recording of Gain Confidence as an AI Ready Project Manager

https://maven.com/p/4ac5d0/gain-confidence-as-an-ai-ready-project-manager