Who is Joanne Perold?
I met Joanne at the first Agile Breakfast in Jhb. I was immediatly blown away by her knowledge of conferences like AYE. I had never met someone in South Africa who knew what AYE was. Then I learned that not only did she know about AYE but had attended. Clearly I was meant to meet Joanne and share a journey with her, and secretly be jealous of her attendance of AYE and now PSL!
What is something people usually don’t know about you but has influenced you in who you are?
I practiced Systema (Russian martial arts) for 2 and a half years, I was fortunate to have a great instructor who taught me many things. I learned that I could push myself well beyond what I thought I was capable of and then further. One of the most valuable lessons was learning to breathe and relax when I start to panic. By learning to handle my panic and fear better, I am more effective in pressure situations. I have used these lessons fairly often in my work life as well. Breathe, don’t panic. Another valuable lesson was understanding that pushing yourself till your failure point is the point at which the real learning actually begins. Knowing where and how you will fail means that you can begin to adjust your strategies and grow past that point.
What would have become of you, if you were not doing the job you do today?
Growing up my dad wanted me to study viticulture, I like to think that if I hadn’t found my way to this I would be making wine somewhere.
What is your biggest challenge and why is it a good thing for you?
Becoming aware of when to be helpful and when to take a step back has been a challenge. Learning when to be helpful and when to take a step back because it is interfering with the group/team. I have just come back from PSL (Problem Solving Leadership) with Jerry Weinberg , Esther Derby and Johanna Rothman and this was a fundamental learning for me. Sometimes being helpful can really get in the way of what is best for a team and for another person. That and talking too much, while trying to be helpful, often keeping quiet is helpful too.
What drives you?
I love to watch people grow and teams get better and I love being part of that. I love helping a team grow beyond what they thought possible and seeing the individuals prosper and happy doing what they do. I want to do things that matter with people who care.
What is your biggest achievement?
This is a really difficult question. I’m not a parent (yet) which I think is one of life’s great achievements, but there are lots of things that I am proud of. Having the courage to move from what I knew to something different had a major impact on my life and my career and helped me to grow in ways I could never have imagined. Getting published in Better Software magazine was a big one as well. I think my favorite thing and my best moment was getting to have lunch with and spend the afternoon with Jerry Weinberg during the PSL training I recently attended, he has been a hero of mine for a long time. When you are around him it almost feels as though you absorb a tiny bit of his awesomeness.
Is there a piece of music that has a special meaning for you?
Well; there was the 80’s… Its going to sound crazy but Kenny Rodgers the gambler is one that sticks with me. Whenever I hear my imagination creates the whole story of this old timer on a train, and I see Paul Newman telling tales and drinking whiskey. Plus it has great advice for so many things
“You gotta know when to hold em,
know when to fold em,
know when to walk away,
know when to run!”
I have applied this many times.
What is the last book you have read?
More secrets of consulting and Are your lights on? by Jerry Weinberg and Magicians End by Ramond E Feist
What question do you think we should also ask and what is the answer?
Who is your favourite comic character/ super hero?
Neil Gaiman’s Sandman is mine, I have the whole series of graphic novels (I am that geeky) and I loved every second of them.
Whom do you think we should ask next in South Africa?
Berto Coetsee,Kevin Shine, Justin Doyle
Whom do you think we should ask next, not in South Africa?
How would you define your relation to the South African Agile community?
I think I am at the beginning of a wonderful journey. I am getting to know the community and how many wonderfully, talented people there are in it. It is fantastic to get together and discuss things and challenge and grow each others thinking as well as support and advise each other.
Johannesburg, September 2013
I love our South African community and it has so many aspects to it. That makes it wonderful and diverse and sometimes tricky to keep up with. I like to encourage and grow people and so I do what I can in a few different spaces to stay connected with people and to grow and sustain the formal groups that exist in the ZA community. For SUGSA and Kanban ZA I sponsor, talk and attend many of the things that they do. For ZaTech, I try to contribute what I can in the slack group and in other spaces. I also have a few of my own community projects. I do Scrum Training at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to help grow the next generation. I also help them organise a Hackathon, or have done for the past 2 years. 2020 has been a hard year for many and students were heavily impacted so we aren’t doing a hackathon this year. Then I mentor one or two people at a time, and I also give support to young speakers. Nothing gives me a bigger kick than seeing someone who was on CSM training doing their first conference talk. I look forward to many years as a contributor to all of the Agile communities in South Africa in all the ways that I can.
Johannesburg, October 2020
How to connect with Joanne
Twitter: @JoPerold
Linked In: za.linkedin.com/in/joanne-perold/6/608/809