From Second Line to Agile: What Jazz Funerals Teach Us About Adaptive Teams

Dr. Tricia Diamond

Owner

Diamond PMO Solutions

About the Presentation

What does a New Orleans jazz funeral have to do with Agile? Everything. The Second Line tradition, where a structured procession gives way to joyful improvisation, is one of the most powerful metaphors for how high-performing teams actually work.

Drawing on her New Orleans roots, her family’s five-century musical legacy, and her experience directing a $386 million federal portfolio, Dr. Tricia Diamond reveals how the principles that make jazz funerals work: shared purpose, structured freedom, reading the room, and trusting the collective, are the same principles that make Agile teams thrive under pressure.

Key Takeaways:

Use a clear, shared purpose to keep teams aligned even as conditions change.
Balance structure with freedom so teams can improvise solutions without losing momentum.
Build the habit of “reading the room” and trusting the collective to pivot quickly while staying in rhythm.

About Dr. Tricia Diamond

Dr. Tricia Diamond is an aerospace engineer turned portfolio governance practitioner and over 20 years of experience directing complex programs across government, defense, and the private sector. As the former director of a $386 million ARPA Implementation PMO, she achieved 100% federal audit compliance while navigating institutional resistance and political pressure. She holds the PMP, PMI-ACP, PMO-CP, GPM-b, CAL, ITIL, AWS-CCP, and AWS-AIP credentials and served as Vice President of Professional Development and Programs for Puget Sound PMI. She speaks internationally on AI governance, portfolio leadership, and adaptive team practices, drawing on a career that spans aerospace engineering, federal program management, and cross-cultural leadership across the United States and Europe.

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