My Intro at ALE2012

A few weeks ago, I asked the organizers of #ALE2012, if I could steal 5 minutes of the intro. I wanted to do this, because I had something I wanted to share, that I felt was really in sync with the spirit of ALE

This was this speech. (This was the first time I ever did a speech on stage, that I never dry-runned out loud. You will understand why by the end.)

 

Hi,
My name is Yves Hanoulle.

Just like some of you, I’m here with my family.
I’m here with my family, because Sunday is the second of September. And in 2002, that second day of september was a special day for me and my wife Els.
It was a special day because we became parents. for the first time.

I would like my family with me on stage. We came to Barcelona with Geike who is 4., Bent who is 7 and Joppe who is 9. yet on Sunday when we will be driving back to Belgium, we will have a teenager in our car.
(Yes some of you know where this is going, please bare with me…)
I could say some things about being a teenager, but that would just be me. And for those who know me, I’m a community guy. And this a great community. So let’s show some hands:

  • Who was a teenager?
  • Who remembers being a teen-ager?

Good!
Now, on your chair, you can find a post it. I would like you to write down a word that reminds
you about being a teenager. It can be a negative feeling or a positive one. (I have extra post-its, so you can write more)
If you want, add your name or your e-mail to it.
When you are done, give it to your neighbor so Joppe can collect them in the middle of room.

And then later when he is at home, and he has a feeling, he can look at the post it’s and see he is not alone with that feeling. He might even contact you.

Now it’s not a coincidence that I brought my family to ALE2012.
Agile & Lean are about change. In a lot of cases it’s about changing a rigid organization with
rules invented by old people to the flexibility of your own decisions
(Or sometimes changing a chaotic organization without rules into less cowboy mentality.)

It’s not that different from changing from a boy into a man.

I think ALE is the perfect place to start that transition.

As a family we are still left with one challenge.
On Sunday we will be in the car almost al day. Now being in the car on your birthday, especially your tenth one, that really sucks. I’m sorry to use such a rude word, yet there is no other word for that.

That is why we leave earlier on Friday so Joppe can spend part of his Sunday at home or with
friends.
I don’t need to be on stage to tell you that. I can tell you that in person.
I asked to be on stage because of some of the most remarkable moments I had at agile
conferences. Moments where the whole audience stood up and sang.
In return for the car ride on his birthday, I would like you to sing for Joppe Happy birthday with
me.
1, 2, 3
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to Joppe
Happy Birthday to You

 

Joppe ended up with 88 post-it’s. I wrote them up in a g-spreadsheet that you can look at here.