The Back Story monthly interview features ADAPTOVATE employees from around the world. Each month we ask them 10 questions. Our team is the greatest asset we have, and it’s a privilege to share just a little bit more about who they are.
This month we are joined in conversation by Aleksandra Truś an Agile coach in our Warsaw office.
First up – how long have you worked with us?
I joined in February 2021.
Why did you join us? Were you in the industry previously, or looking for a new career direction?
I joined because I wanted to focus more on the Agile methods and learn how to make Agile transformations. ADAPTOVATE combines both consultancy and Agile coaching, which I think is quite exceptional and very interesting, as it requires having many different skills. I saw this as a great opportunity and as a challenge, so I did not hesitate much to join.
How has your previous experience and career helped define where you are now? Would you have done things differently?
Previously I worked for a global consulting company, where I got to learn the consulting toolkit, and before that as project manager, mostly in digital. This experience helped me set direction of where I want to develop and how my career path should look. Would I have done things differently? I do not think about what I could have done, but rather about what I have done and how I can learn from the past and take the best out of it.
How do you balance your work life with your ‘real’ life – Do you have a good balance and how important is it to you?
To be successful at work, I need to know that I have time to reset and spend time with my family. I try to spend evenings and weekends on activities that are not related to work, especially during remote working. At the beginning of the pandemic I used to work longer hours and was always on standby, as I couldn’t switch from work to non-work mode. Now I try to draw a clear line between the two and it is working so far! 🙂
With so many of our team remote working, we always like to ask how do you have your home office/desk set up? Organised or chaos? Any top tips?
I must admit that I feel better in abchaotic set up. I tried to keep my home office organised, but after only a few hours it was back to “normal” again. My desk is full of things that may not necessarily be associated with work, right now I have flowers, golf balls, notes, a calendar in front of me and I need them all (somehow). What I miss though, is a larger screen, as I need to switch very frequently between different content, so I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Do you play music during your Agile workshops with clients? What do you recommend on your latest playlist?
I did not have a chance to play music during workshops but I took part in quite a few that had some music background and I think it is a really good idea! It is usually something positive, energetic, like “Happy” or similar.
How do you think technology has best helped humanity and do you have any concerns about our future?
Technology has definitely helped humanity in many different ways. We have remote life-saving surgeries, electric cars and tools that allow us to talk to loved ones on the other side of the world. However, I do have some concerns when I see kids playing games online and not in the real world, when I see people limiting their social contacts to applications and being afraid to talk to each other face to face, when I hear that some forget how to read or write because they do not have to anymore. Technology is a blessing but it needs to be used responsibly.
Strategic foresight allows companies to detect changes early and ensure action is taken quickly. Which companies have you seen able to change and adapt quickly? (and hopefully using Agile methods to do so)
The last year has shown what it means to adapt quickly to changes, many different businesses were forced to change their operating models, shifting more towards online and remote collaboration. Let’s take the food industry that suddenly couldn’t rely any more on regular customers and had to change to deliveries etc. Probably not even knowing it, they used Agile methods, focusing on outcomes, MVP and frequent iterations.
What does success mean to you personally?
Success to me is when I see when the teams I coach become self-sufficient, when organisations profit from my daily work, even when it’s at a local scale. And when I am home, seeing my family being happy and safe.
Finally – you’ve time travelled back to your 10- year old self – What advice would you give?
I would probably encourage my younger self to believe more in myself. I think sometimes we miss a very simple truth about who we are and try to fulfill expectations of other people. And this truth is, “I am enough, not more, not less”.
Special 11th Question – How have you found working through life and work during COVID?
I must admit I struggled a little bit during the pandemic. I am used to working with people face to face, going to trainings, eating out. It was hard to spend time at home, without seeing my parents or nephews. But I learned how to enjoy my own company and how to use the time that I was suddenly given. I really miss travelling though, and I hope we will all be able to visit places not only virtually.
