The Delivery Manager Daily

In this episode I wanted to talk about the things I do to galvanise myself & be emotionally resilient. There's too much pressure on employers I think to meet the need of every single worker & that brings issues. Instead, individuals should take full accountability for their own happiness? What do you think? It's part of being a good consultant right? I've talked before about being mindful...

Although I've given up on keeping count of episodes, this one's a good one. I talk about ChatGPT, I think its amazing but has ramifications for ongoing commoditization of software engineering in particular. We were worried robots & AI would take over manual labour jobs first, but it's looking like it's coming for knowledge workers. Are we just on another AI hype-cycle? Are you a graduate softw...

In this episode I talk about what I'd do to build out a community of practice. If you work in tech, maybe your organisation wants to put teams of like minded people together, maybe to solve a problem or issue. I talk about the work involved I've found, building communities of practice. This episode has a YouTube version which you can find here PLEASE LIKE & SUBSCRIBE THE VIDEO as I start to bu...

Each day I look at how I conduct, consume & traverse the world around me. Analysing the things I say, do, & how I choose to interact with people. I’m aware of the power of my words & actions & the impact that has on people. I do it with purpose, as I live my life. When I do make a mistake, it hurts, but I learn. I’m happy about it all. I’ve worked hard to be who I am, & whilst...

Have you ever asked yourself the question why you go to work ? Like, sat down & just asked yourself what the *** you are doing? I have . I wanted to briefly talk about the journey I’ve been on over the last six months where I’ve very much nearly become part of the great resignation & what I learnt whilst going on that journey. Maybe some of this will resonate with you. If you’ve found your...

Retrospectives -That one Agile event that’s meant to fix everything. Often however they are run by a tired scrum master or team lead at the end of an arduous sprint & more often than not, it’s a box ticking exercise. It’s meant to be an inspect & adapt event, but its more often a bun fight. Teams & individuals jockey for position at the moaning table, often the loudest person in the ro...

If you're in a neighbouring discipline such as Business Analysis, you'll probably thought about becoming a DM to take your role to the next level. Maybe you're interviewing to be a DM or maybe you dont even know what a DM is. In this episode I talk about a few of these things, how to get into the space, what I see in interviews & what you can to do increase your chances of successful applicati...

In this podcast, I talk about my recent experience on the discovery I did, which was predominantly remote. The disco phase is an important aspect of any project, allowing you to often validate your thinking to ensure the thing you're doing is the right thing. Read more on the blog, and get involved @dm_daily on Twitter, @mariodc Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/...

You will often as you progress your career in delivery, be asked for a 3 month plan. Usually for a client, sometimes for a job interview, sometimes for the C-level exec. But that 100 day plan is your commitment to the next 90 days or so. Whenever I get stuck into anything, be it a project, a proposal or 'here's how shit is going to go down' there's a few things to think about. Read more at mariosb...

in this episode I'll be talking about what I do again & again when I deliver projects. These are things I've weaponised which get me results and I want to start drilling down into them a bit more. Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodc 📸 Instagram: h ttps://www.instagram.com/mariodc ✍️ Medium: https://me...

I've reflected over the last three years to determine that no matter the framework, methodology or approach, it's always to try & tackle the real issues which are often left to just be...well...issues. There are often far too many people involved in a project, causing any mechanism you use for scale or communication to groan at the seams. Hybrid working just compounds this further. Let's tackl...

In this episode, I talk about change. Most projects are complex, and often in need of occasional re-alignment. I find myself using Kotters 8 step model of change as a foundational pillar for all my project structures, and I talk about how I've implemented some of this, whether software or transformation, take a listen and tell me what you think. Join me on Twitter @dm_daily Follow Mario De’Cristof...

In this episode I talk about the Scrumble. If you use Nexus, buried deep within the Scrum user guide & in Ken Schwabers blog post form 2015 which is an interesting read in it's own right, the Scrumble is a way of pausing delivery in your project, when things are going wrong. Is it just a retro? Does it truly handle problems in projects or is it just a holiday for the Scrum teams? Let's find ou...

I think its important to reflect on when things don't go to plan. No ones perfect, especially not me. So when recently one of my projects went wrong (thankfully a rare occasion nowadays) I wanted to reflect. As always get me on Twitter @mariodc or @dm_daily or check out the blog mariosblog.co.uk Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: ht...

In this episode, you'll learn about my life as a DM, as many people ask what I do & do you know what? I don't always know how to answer. Having recently spoken at Keele University about practical things to thing about around Agile, & realising how much Agile is at the heart of everything I do, I wanted to talk about it here. Get involved, @dm_daily on Twitter or visit mariosblog.co.uk Foll...

In this episode I wanted to talk about using video to make you a better communicator. How many times have you bashed out an email wishing you could recall it, or the sentiment was not right? How many times have you had to follow up with twenty emails to cover a nuance or detail in your project update? Do you find yourself saying the same thing, time & time again? Why not use video? In this epi...

In this episode I talk about what components you need to consider for a good quality Sprint review, from a communication perspective. The things to do, not to do, how to tell a good story & get to the point without ruining your demo with too much technical info. Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodc 📸 I...

Listen to some of my thoughts about Hybrid working & what both employee's & employers need to consider. For more on this, visit my blog, mariosblog.co.uk or https://www.mariosblog.co.uk/hybrid-working-and-the-future-of-work-post-pandemic/ Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodc 📸 Instagram: h ttps://w...

In this episode learn about the tactics & things I do so to squeeze the absolute maximum out of each & every day. Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodc 📸 Instagram: h ttps://www.instagram.com/mariodc ✍️ Medium: https://medium.com/@mariodecristofano 🧠 Blog: https://www.mariosblog.co.uk Hosted on Aca...

In this episode, I'm joined by Andy Tabberer from CoOp Digital, off the back of a recent talk he did about being human. What characteristics & traits compliment an Agile mindset? Now Hybrid working is here to stay, how can you keep teams on-track, lead by example, & set the standard for solid delivery? Andy talks us through his thoughts about what it means to be human, what 'soft' skills you may n...

Listen about my work creating a training aid for Agile, why I created it & why I think it can help delivery teams new to Agile or who have forgotten the fundamentals. You can read & see about more at http://www.creativepixel.me.uk Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodc 📸 Instagram: h ttps://www.instagram.com...

In this episode I wanted to go deep on my last post & the things which really will elevate you from being an average DM to more. It always has been about people. How good really are your people skills? Have a listen, take a look   https://www.mariosblog.co.uk/how-to-be-a-good-agile-delivery-manager/ Contact me on Twitter @mariodc or @daily_dm to join in the conversation. Follow Mario De’Cristofano...

Having just come back mentally to Nexus after a couple of weeks off, listen to (or watch on YouTube) me bomb a practice Nexus SPS exam. Here you'll get to see & experience some of the questions and more-than-dodgy wording from some of these practice exams. Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodc 📸 Instagram:...

In this episode, I've started going through some practice exams & the result of that is reflected on this conversation, & I've updated the whiteboard. I touch on some actual exam questions & insights along with a practical example of how to implement Nexus Board here Follow Mario De’Cristofano: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariodecristofano 🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mariodc 📸...

A little 2-4 part segment on my foray into Nexus SPS certification. It'll help my team who I'm also keen to get them through it, & expand our capability BUT also as a little cheat sheet as I work my way through the material. I've been doing a bit of Nexus organically anyway as I scale some of my projects, I've found myself very much the NIT all by myself & doing the role without realising. Deck he...