#96: Mastering Asynchronous Work with Sumeet Moghe

Agile Mentors Podcast

Join Brian and Sumeet Moghe as they discuss transforming the focus and efficiency of Agile teams in our always-on world. Discover how to master asynchronous work to enhance decision-making and improve team dynamics.

Overview

On this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian welcomes Sumeet Moghe, author of the Async First Playbook, in this enlightening episode as he explores the pivotal role of asynchronous work within Agile frameworks.

Sumeet shares his insights on fostering deep focus, enhancing decision-making, and pragmatically adapting Agile practices to meet unique team needs. Delve into the challenges and strategies for securing team buy-in, balancing synchronous with asynchronous tasks, and building cohesion in distributed teams.

This episode is packed with actionable advice on creating a supportive, safe, and productive environment through intentional communication and strategic face-to-face interactions. Tune in to reshape your team's approach to collaboration and productivity in the asynchronous era.

Listen Now to Discover:

[1:15] - Brian welcomes Sumeet Moghe, Transformation Specialist and Product Manager at Thoughtworks and author of The Asynch-First Playbook.
[2:18] - Dive into Sumeet's captivating journey to mastering asynchronous work, exploring how his deep-seated passion sparked innovative approaches in his professional life.
[5:11] - Brian expertly connects Agile principles to the unique challenges of asynchronous work, offering insightful solutions for today’s distributed work environments.
[7:32] - Sumeet unveils critical insights from his extensive experience in asynchronous work, offering valuable lessons for mastering remote collaboration.
[10:57] - Highlighting the challenges that conventional Agile practitioners encounter in asynchronous environments, Brian turns to Sumeet for practical solutions to address these issues constructively.
[16:26] - Are you ready to take your Asynchronous work to the next level? Consider taking Mountain Goat Software’s Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® (ACSM) class to dive deeper into facilitating and thriving with an asynchronous team. To learn more, check out the Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule.
[19:28] - Sumeet outlines effective strategies for conducting Sprint Planning sessions with asynchronous teams, ensuring smooth collaboration and productivity across different time zones.
[24:32] - Sumeet addresses team building on asynchronous teams, highlighting and walking through the asynchronous application of the work of Amy Edmonson and Google’s Project Aristotle, developing psychological safety.
[32:52] - To foster deeper trust and reduce conflicts, Sumeet advises using the cost savings from asynchronous work to facilitate in-person team interactions.
[35:20] - Brian shares a big thank you to Sumeet for joining him on the show and bringing his unique experience to the conversation.
[36:10] - If you enjoyed this topic, we invite you to share the episode with a friend or on social media. And don’t forget to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast on your podcast platform of choice.
[37:19] - Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Send us an email.
[36:10] - 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.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Sumeet Moghe
The Asynch-First Playbook by Sumeet Moghe
Thoughtworks
Sumeet's Photography
The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson
Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® (ACSM)
Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule
Mountain Goat Software
Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast
Join the Agile Mentors Community

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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.

Sumeet Gayathri Moghe is a product manager, and design nerd at Thoughtworks, and author of The Asynch-First Playbook. Sumeet has worked on building software products and improving teams’ engineering effectiveness over diverse environments, building an approach that is versatile and can be effectively adapted across various industries to meet diverse needs. When he’s not at work building software, you’ll find him discovering the world through a camera’s eyepiece, photographing wildlife and wilderness.