Who is Maria Diaconu (@fireladym) ?

Yves first met Maria at AgileEE 2009 where she gave a presentation on clean code Although Yves did not see her presentation, he does remember having some great conversations with Maria. Although she may be a tad shy, she has much to offer and is very smart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is something people usually don’t know about you but has influenced you in who you are?

Growing up in the Romanian country side is the thing that influenced me the most. It’s also where I learned a lot about collaboration, team work, having fun while working, learning and teaching.

Ever since I was little, I was involved in farm activities and in cooking. Many modern people run away from such activities; I think it’s a shame because when you’re a kid these things are fun. In my case, I was very lucky with my parents. They knew how to create an environment open to experimentation, where I could try out recipes and help with house work without ever thinking of it as work. I’ve also learned a lot from my mother; she is a real modern manager because she always needed to hire people, make sure they know what they’re doing, keep them happy so that they would come to work again and minimize the costs and risks. Of course, I knew nothing about all these things when I was helping her, but I know now it helped me engrave collaboration and team work into who I am.

It also helped because I didn’t usually watch TV. Instead, I was outside or reading until I finished hundreds of titles from my home library.

If you had not been in IT, what would have become of you?

Probably a writer, possibly writing children stories.

What is your biggest challenge and why is it a good thing for you?

I think I understand how teams and collaboration works, and when I see it happen it’s fantastic for everyone involved. But it’s challenging to get people there. My biggest challenge is to figure out ways to help them feel better while working.

It’s a good thing because it makes me learn how to transmit this message better.

What drives you ?

I am convinced that I can change the way people feel about work. I believe in communities and collaboration and I think there’s a lot more to do in this area.

What is your biggest achievement?

This is a difficult question. I’m very proud about starting the Romanian Agile/Lean community in 6 cities. I was content to see how the teams I helped became self-organizing, including the Mozaic Works team. But my biggest achievement is still a work in progress, changing the way people perceive work is not a simple goal.

What is the last book you have read?

Eragon, the final volume. “The Money Lab”.

What question do you think I should also ask and what is the answer?

What helped you the most with your achievements?

There are more answers to this questions. I love to learn, especially by doing. Being self-taught. Perseverance.

Whom do you think I should ask next?