Illustrated Agile
Have you ever been assigned to multiple projects or teams at the same time? If so, I’m sure you have experienced the “curse of allocation.” You know how it goes. You are assigned to be 25% on this project and 50% on another one. Let’s throw in 20% to support an existing product and another […]
Teams influence individual performance in many ways. In a previous post, we talked about the Köhler effect – the impact of having team members with lesser skills working with stronger teammates to improve performance. In this case, being a part of a team is providing a positive influence. Another potential dynamic may be affecting your team […]
A couple of summers ago, while training for some crazy adventure, I was running with a friend of mine who is considerably faster than me on a Saturday morning long training run. Throughout the course of the run we were chatting and moving along at a steady pace but during the last half I noticed […]
I am often asked about team user story sizing or planning poker and why its use has been advocated in Agile or Scrum circles instead of a using other estimating techniques. While I’m sure there are many opinions out there, capturing story points with group estimating techniques are effective because they weave individual perspectives into […]
Being on an Agile team can be a fascinating and exciting yet daunting experience. Working in a highly social and fast-paced inspect and adapt Agile environment will require a team that is nimble, productive, and “in the zone.” The people comprising this team must operate within their role at a high level and focus on […]
If you have led, coached, or participated in an organizational transformation to Agile, it will be just a matter of time before someone asks “How do we know if we are truly Agile?” or “How do we know if our Agile teams are healthy and doing well?” Good questions often coming from leadership. I have […]
As a Scrum Master for an Agile team, you will need to bring new team members onto an existing team from time to time. Make them feel welcome, included, and productive by considering a couple of these ideas: Get the team involved. This often happens but if it doesn’t, ask the hiring manager to include […]
It only takes one. The one person who is not mindful of the quality of their work. The one person who is not respectful. The one person who is not pulling their weight. The one person filled with negativity or cynicism. The one person zapping energy and excitement from everyone on the team. If we […]
We have all been given feedback while at work. Most likely from a manager or leader but also on occasion, from our peers. How we receive, process, and act on this feedback is directly related to how it was delivered. If you have feedback you would like to share (as a manager or a team member), […]
Thousands of books, conferences, webinars, videos, blogs, and training sessions have been developed specifically for developing and improving a leaders ability to lead people. The difference between a great leader and an average leader will make all the difference so I can see why there is so much material out there. For this post, however, […]
I am drawn to watching the Tour de France every year and I’m already looking forward to the event starting this weekend. There is just something about watching people test their physical limits every day in such a beautiful yet challenging environment. I have learned a little about the dynamics of a cycling team and it’s […]
An important dynamic of becoming a fluid and well-functioning Scrum team is when team members are continuously pulling. As opposed to being pushed or waiting to be pushed, the team is in constant motion, pulling from a queue of features that should deliver value to customers. The product owner establishes the queue of features by […]