Illustrated Agile
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 […]
Hiring people always involves a bit of risk and when hiring to fill a role on an Agile team the stakes are also very high. The nature of Agile requires the right team members. Hire the right person and you will see them make an immediate impact and they will gel naturally with the team. […]
Leadership during and after an Agile transformation will require a very different kind of leader. The days of command-and-control are being replaced by, as Steve Denning states in an article in Forbes, a new leadership “paradigm shift.” In my previous post, I talked about 5 questions a leader should ask themselves before undertaking a journey […]
So your organization is making the move to Agile. It may have started with a “I’ve heard about this Agile stuff and we are going to do it!” from someone in leadership. Maybe its the staff who will go to leadership and say ” We want to do Agile!” Or it starts as a grass-roots […]
Those who have never been a Product Owner may not understand just how challenging a position it really is. While I thought I understood this, for the past year I have worked closely with many Product Owners and I am beginning to sense all that is required and asked of them. It can be an […]
I recently received an incredibly cool email of encouragement from a colleague. I’m sure the email took no more than 2 or 3 minutes to write but the impact was tangible and lasting. It validated my effort. It motivated me. It was unexpected. I smiled when I read it. I decided then and there to […]
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 are a Scrum Master on a team, my belief is you are called to serve your team. And by using the word serve, I mean you are doing things for the benefit of others. Not an easy calling but one that can bring transformational results to your team and organizational culture. Using the […]
Our Agile Working Team recently gathered to continue making progress on changes we will be making to our Agile framework. These changes are being introduced as we are expanding our Agile implementation to our marketing and advertising groups along with a few other organizational changes. As often happens, the conversation among the group began to […]
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 […]
During our transformation journey, we have used core teams to be the “guiding coalition” for change initiatives and I know many organizations do the same thing. As we began the expansion of Agility to other areas of the company (and to improve our existing Agile framework), we again selected a small group of people to […]
As leaders, we are often caught up in the whirlwind of responsibility as our focus and attention will naturally shift to strategic endeavors or the issue of the day. While leading a team, department, or organization can consume your day, taking the time to perform small, low energy gestures can make a meaningful difference with […]