Ashish Bansal

Struggling with Story Points (3, 5, 8)? The One Fixed Baseline Rule. 🛑 Click to view the full guide! 👇 #storypoints #agile #scrummaster #AgileCoach #productmanagement #pmi #pmp #pmpprep #pmpexam #PMPforPM #projectmanager #projectmanagement

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Building the conditions and making the space to learn and experiment is going to be critical to drive AI adoption in the workplace. New post on how organizations and leaders can facilitate this transition in a human centric way. https://lnkd.in/gPV-23Vu

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26 batches. Hundreds of Agile practitioners. One consistent realization. Most Agile training programs teach the mechanics. Very few address the mindset. And that gap? It's often why Agile transformations struggle. After facilitating my 26th batch of the Agile Leadership Simulation for a global IT services organization, I found myself reflecting on what makes teams truly embrace Agile — not just practice it. Here's what I've learned works: 🎯 Values before frameworks. We spend significant time on the 5 Agile-Scrum values. Because when Commitment, Courage, Focus, Openness, and Respect become lived behaviors — not just posters on walls — teams transform. ⏱️ The "invisible" 6th value. Through years of observation, I've come to believe there's a 6th value that's often overlooked: Adherence to Time-box. Its absence may be the single biggest reason projects derail. 🔍 Roles with real responsibility. Knowing "what" a Scrum Master or Product Owner does is easy. Understanding the weight of their responsibilities — that's where growth happens. 🤝 Servant Leadership as a practice. Not as a buzzword. As a daily choice every leader can make. ✨ Events with essence. Sprint Planning, Retrospectives, Daily Stand-ups — they're not rituals to complete. They're opportunities to connect, course-correct, and collaborate. 🎮 The simulation-based approach lets participants experience these principles, make mistakes in a safe space, and discover insights for themselves. I'm grateful for the feedback from this batch — a ⭐ 4.89/5 rating and comments that reminded me why this work matters. If your teams are "doing Agile" but not yet being Agile, perhaps it's time to explore what's missing. 💬 Happy to share more if this resonates. #CoachRam #AgileLeadership #ServantLeadership #AgileTransformation #LeadershipDevelopment #ScrumValues #ITServices #LearningAndDevelopment #AgileCoaching

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Moving from a technical role to a manager can be a tough transition. There’s a whole new set of skills you need to learn, while still keeping (and improving) the ones that got you here. These are some of the things I’ve learned along the way that helped me become a better leader for my team: 1. Put management first, not technical work You’ll feel tempted to keep doing the hands-on work. But now your job is to support your team, not to do everything yourself. Focus on helping them do their jobs well, instead of jumping in to do it for them. 2. Be the leader they need, not the one they want Sometimes you’ll need to make decisions they won’t like. That’s part of the job. Leading isn’t about keeping everyone happy - it’s about guiding the team in the right direction, even when it’s hard. 3. Treat them like you’d treat your kids - but don’t treat them like children Support them, protect them, and help them grow. But don’t talk down to them or do everything for them. Trust them to make decisions and take responsibility. 4. Be patient - they will test you People will make mistakes, take longer than expected, or push your limits. Stay calm. Losing your temper won’t help. Patience goes a long way. 5. Praise in public, correct in private When someone does a good job, say it in front of the team. When something goes wrong, talk to them privately. It shows respect and builds trust. 6. Make sure they understand the company goals - in their own language Don’t just repeat what upper management says. Help your team see how their work fits into the bigger picture, in a way they understand. 7. If you’re the leader, pick someone who can help you lead There’s always someone in the team who others look up to. Give that person some responsibility. It’ll help the team stay on track, especially when you’re not around. 8. Be open to talk - but know where to draw the line Let them speak freely and share their concerns, but don’t let things turn into constant complaints. Be clear about what’s OK and what’s not. 9. When they make a mistake, it’s your fault You’re the manager. If someone fails, ask yourself if you gave them the right tools, support, and guidance. Help them fix it and do better next time. 10. Seek their respect, not their love You don’t need to be liked - you need to be trusted. If you're fair, honest, and consistent, they'll respect you. That matters more than trying to be everyone's friend. 📌 Save it  📢 Share it  🔁 Repost it  

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The H-1B Visa: A U.S. Problem, Not an Indian One For years, the U.S. debate around the H-1B visa has focused on whether it displaces American workers. But this framing misses the mark. Indian IT companies have already adapted—diversifying delivery models, scaling up local hiring, and moving up the value chain. The H-1B is no longer a lifeline for them. The real consequence of a restrictive H-1B policy? A self-inflicted wound to U.S. competitiveness. 🔹 The Skills Gap Is Real Fields like AI, data science, and cybersecurity are evolving faster than domestic talent pipelines can keep up. The H-1B visa has historically filled these acute gaps. Closing that valve doesn’t create new American workers—it leaves critical roles unfilled. 🔹 Innovation Suffers Skilled foreign workers don’t just fill jobs—they spark new ones. Their presence correlates with more patents, startups, and productivity. Restricting them is like handing your competitors a gift: a pipeline of talent ready to be welcomed elsewhere. 🔹 Work Moves to Talent When H-1B denial rates spiked, U.S. companies responded by shifting R&D to countries like Canada. Restrictive policies don’t protect jobs—they accelerate offshoring of high-value work. Indian companies are thriving—with or without H-1B. The real question is whether the U.S. wants to remain a magnet for global talent or cede that edge to more forward-looking economies. Let’s reframe the debate: The H-1B isn’t a foreign lever—it’s a domestic asset. H1B #TalentMobility #InnovationPolicy #GlobalWorkforce #TechLeadership #Governance

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As you may have seen, I have started a new journey of growth with an EMBA program. While doing my induction work, I had the opportunity to read a book by Peter Drucker: Managing Oneself (Harvard Business Review Classics). https://a.co/d/0acha8Te Key concepts (Generated from search) Know your strengths: Focus on what you do well and build on those strengths, rather than trying to fix weaknesses. Use feedback analysis: Regularly analyze your results to see where your strengths lie and where you are failing to perform. Understand your work style: Identify how you learn, how you work with others, and the type of environment where you are most effective. Be your own CEO: Take charge of your career, as companies no longer manage it for you. Prepare for a second career: Plan for a long career that may involve multiple shifts and new challenges. Cultivate lifelong learning: Develop a commitment to continuous learning to stay relevant and engaged. Each one of these concepts could be its own post to glean insights from others and share in individual experiences. Today I wanted to repost what I shared on my insight from the read, as it is something that is resonating with me each day. Post: Managing Oneself was an unexpectedly insightful read. The opening lines in “The Idea in Brief” immediately resonated with me: “If you’ve got ambition, drive, and smarts, you can rise to the top of your chosen profession—regardless of where you started out. But with opportunity comes responsibility.” Looking back over my 28+ years in a professional environment, I’m humbled by how true that statement feels. Where I am today is far from where I started, and the journey has been filled with challenge, growth, humility, and a lot of blessings. The themes Drucker highlights—understanding your strengths, knowing where you belong, and being intentional about how you contribute—have been central to my own career progression. Strategic thinking and planning have always been natural strengths for me, and I regularly use them to show where my team is succeeding and where opportunities exist. What struck me, though, was Drucker’s reminder that ideas alone aren’t enough. He writes that “a planner may find that his beautiful plans fail because he does not follow through on them… he believes that ideas move mountains; but bulldozers move mountains.” That contrast hit home. As someone who loves strategy, I’ve had to work hard on the discipline of execution—seeing plans through, staying focused, and resisting the urge to chase the next new idea too quickly. For me, success isn’t just generating the vision. It’s bringing it to life through consistent effort, collaboration, and the belief that the idea is worth the work. This article was a timely reminder that managing oneself is an ongoing practice, and one that will be especially important as I begin this master’s program. I hope this post spawns some reflection and encouragement to work to “Manage Oneself.”

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Beyond the hype, AI must deliver measurable outcomes - not just narratives and slideware. Tune in as Tej Daruwalla shares how enGen is scaling AI - pragmatically. Ramakrishnan JN Arpit Chandra Rajesh Rajasekaran #AgenticAI #HealthcareInnovation #ProductDevelopment

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Agile project management is a dynamic approach to leading projects that emphasizes adaptability, collaboration, and iterative development. As an experienced Agile Project Manager, I have found that effective leadership is crucial to the success of Agile teams. In this article, we will explore the key principles of Agile leadership, as well as the popular Scrum framework and other project management methodologies that can be integrated with Agile practices. One of the fundamental components of Agile leadership is creating a culture of trust, transparency, and empowerment within the team. This involves fostering open communication, encouraging self-organization, and supporting team members in making decisions autonomously. By empowering team members to take ownership of their work and providing them with the resources and guidance they need to succeed, Agile leaders can create a collaborative and innovative environment where individuals are motivated to deliver high-quality results. In addition to building a strong team culture, Agile leaders must also be able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and priorities. This requires a flexible and responsive mindset, as well as the ability to effectively manage risk and uncertainty. By embracing change and continuously refining their approach based on feedback and lessons learned, Agile leaders can position their teams for success in complex and unpredictable environments. One of the most widely used frameworks within Agile project management is Scrum, which is based on an iterative and incremental approach to product development. Scrum is organized around short, time-boxed iterations known as sprints, during which cross-functional teams collaborate to deliver a potentially shippable product increment. The Scrum framework includes roles such as the Scrum Master, who is responsible for facilitating the Scrum process, and the Product Owner, who represents the stakeholders and prioritizes the backlog. By following the principles of Scrum, teams can improve communication, increase transparency, and deliver value to customers more efficiently. While Scrum is a popular choice for many Agile teams, there are other project management frameworks that can also be integrated with Agile practices, such as Kanban, Lean, and Extreme Programming

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I found Manish Sood’s perspective on the importance of real-time, unified data particularly compelling. His emphasis on what he calls “data in motion” really resonated with me, especially in the context of where enterprises are heading with agentic AI. What stood out most was the clear message that data can no longer be treated as a downstream IT concern or something to be fixed incrementally through legacy systems. In an environment where AI agents are expected to reason, act, and adapt in near real time, the quality, timeliness, and trustworthiness of data become strategic differentiators. Without that foundation, even the most advanced AI initiatives are at serious risk of underperforming or failing altogether. I strongly agree with the view that this is ultimately a leadership responsibility. If data strategy isn’t owned and driven from the top—by CEOs and executive teams—it’s unlikely to receive the sustained investment, governance, and cultural shift required to succeed. Real-time data infrastructure underpins intelligent decision-making, automation at scale, and long-term competitiveness, and it deserves the same level of attention as any other core business asset. The takeaway for me was a challenge to rethink how we design and prioritize data platforms—not just to support analytics, but to enable continuous, intelligent action across the enterprise. In the age of agentic AI, data in motion isn’t optional; it’s foundational. #AgenticAI #DataInMotion #RealTimeData #DigitalTransformation https://lnkd.in/eEBDQMQH

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7 Essential Questions to Ask During Initiative Planning - In this series, I am outlining 42 questions that a product manager should ensure are answered across all SDLC phases. This article focuses on seven questions to be asked when defining an initiative: https://lnkd.in/gztHHPgK

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