We spend a lot of our days talking about epics, stories, and tasks, and in many cases, we assume others understand these concepts as expertly as we do. Sometimes they don’t, and today I intend to take Leonardo da Vinci’s advice: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Below you’ll find a table that boils epics, stories, and […]
Definitions: Epics, Stories, And Tasks Read More »
I think every agile team should be viewed as a small startup. When you do so, you can begin viewing senior leadership largely as venture capitalists (VC). They’ll occasionally visit your office, they’ll provide valuable expertise and insights that will help your small company succeed, they’ll paint a vision of your competitive landscape so you
A Simple Model for Better Decision Making Read More »
Impact over velocity. In other words, don’t just do things. Do the right things. It seems obvious, but how many of us are guilty of deciding the success of a sprint by how many stories or story points we completed? But don’t worry. You’re not alone. Velocity is an easy number to get at, but easy isn’t always
Impact Over Velocity Read More »
In my previous blog post, I wrote about data-driven experiments. Unfortunately, it lacked any practical application, and today I want to do something about that. But let’s get one thing straight first. This isn’t my favorite topic. Why? It focuses so heavily on data and so little on humans. When we get too wrapped up
Practical Experiments In An Agile World Read More »
It’s not often enough that I see teams experimenting. Well, that’s not entirely true. Most teams experiment by trying new techniques, by adjusting their process, or simply by trying something different. I’d call these anecdotal experiments, and they’re very valuable. However, it’s not these kinds of experiments that I want to talk about today. I’m
A Data-Driven Approach To Team Evolution Read More »
Influence. It’s a powerful tool, and it’s a point of honor that a scrum master has no control, only influence, within a team. I prefer it that way, and I hope you do too. I recently reflected on how I conceptualize influence, and I realize that I operate in one of three contexts. Before I share those contexts,
How Military Tactics Made Me a Better Scrum Master Read More »
In my last blog post, I wrote about why it is important to keep the sprint backlog static after leaving sprint planning. Unfortunately, much of my previous blog involved a great deal of arm waving (or possibly flailing) as I hoped to highlight the problem of disrupting your sprint. What it didn’t offer up was concrete ways each of
About To Disrupt Your Sprint? Think Again. Read More »
