I started my career as a programmer. Because I was good at finding and fixing problems in the code, my company promoted me to a management role (I know, the logic is a little whacky). So I learned how to fill the role of manager. After holding various management positions, I became an internal consultant at a Fortune 100 Company.
In 1997, I left the world of employment to start my own business, esther derby associates, inc..
I work with companies who want to do better at delivering valuable software to their customers. I work with small niche firms, mid-size companies and Fortune 500 companies. I’ve worked in financial services, insurance, health care and manufacturing, as well as in product and software-as-a-service companies.
I’ve written over 100 articles, and co-authored two books–Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great and Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management. I write about management, leadership, collaboration, teams, organizations and change (or another topic I’m currently exploring).
If you’d like to get a taste of how I approach things, many of my articles are posted oat www.estherderby.com, including several about retrospectives (look in the tag cloud for retrospectives).
I teach workshops and talk to groups all over the world. I’ve taught in the US, Canada, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, England, China, India, and New Zealand. If your country is missing from this list, we can fix that.
Along the way, I helped found the AYE Conference, and I’m now serving my second term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Agile Alliance.
I’ve learned a lot about how organizations work through observation and action research. But I’ve got academic credentials, too. I hold an MA in Organizational Leadership and a certificate in Human System Dynamics.
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“I believe that most people want to do a good job. And when faced with tough situations at work, most people choose the best alternative they know. Sometimes people don’t (yet) have effective options. I see my job as helping individuals, teams, and organizations expand their available alternatives and make choices that result in productive work environments.”
Reach me at +01 612 724-8114, or by email at derby at estherderby dot com.
*** On the personal side:
This is what I wrote last year, in 2012:
Since we last met, my dear dog, Miss Pudge, died. She is irreplaceable. But the hole in our hearts must be filled. Last month, a new dog came to live with us. Izzy Lulu is 6-month-old French Bulldog. Sweet, funny, and a bit bossy. We've started clicker training with CyberDogOnline, web-based home schooling for hounds. I am finally learning how to use my video camera–and a clicker, of course.
Now in 2013:
Izzy has been with us for a year now, and is mostly grown up. She's still bossy, funny, and mostly sweet. Notice difference in word order.
This year, we have another big change. My husband is transferring to a different office within his company. We are moving from the largest city in the state to a town of about 90,000 situated right at the tip of Lake Superior. I've live in the same house since 1985 (which sort of surprises me), so I have a lot of sorting, pitching, and packing to do. Feels good to lighten the load.
Unlike most sensible people, we did not sell our old house before buying the new one. We aren't quite in the new house, and we aren't quite out of the old house. Maybe my husband will pack-move-unpack while I am at the Gathering so I can come home to a order and serenity.