Free Event! Agile Adoption: The Real Story
On October 20, the Agile Cooperative will be hosting a free one-day seminar designed to give attendees a lot of information about what is really…
Category: Agile Ideas
New to agile? Keep it very simple
When dealing with an agile implementation, particularly in the case of a new agile team, we often make things too complex and difficult. We tend…
New to agile? What does the ScrumMaster do anyway?
I often have people ask me what a ScrumMaster does. Interestingly, today it came up on a mailing list I read on a regular basis. …
Agile antipattern: Working overtime
Ever feel like the guy over there to the left? Yeah, me too. Sorry to offend some people with my language, but working overtime really…
I’m a Certified Scrum Coach (CSC) – so what?
I’ve asked myself that question more than once in the 5 or so months since I became a CSC. I never doubted my decision to…
New to agile? Don’t make it too hard!
OK, so this isn’t my normal type of blog entry. I don’t usually plug my speaking enagements like this, but then I thought – why…
New to agile? Work at a sustainable pace
Question: Which is better: a) Working nights and weekends to meet iteration commitments, or b) Admitting the commitment was too much and working normal hours…
Agile pondering: Is it agile to have a “single wringable neck?”
In Scrum one of the named roles is that of Product Owner. Some people have taken to referring to this position as the “single wringable…
Agile antipattern: Waiting for all the requirements before starting
Time for a short blog entry (I tend to be way too verbose!). I often see teams trying to make sure they have all of…
Agile antipattern: Using email as the primary communication tool
Can I just be short and to the point for this one? I hope so, because that is my intention! Email is LOW BANDWIDTH communication…
Agile antipattern: Insanity! (5 insanity antipatterns)
It is sometimes said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This definition has…
How to make a LOT more money using agile
Yesterday’s blog post dealt with how to manage scope for an agile project. Today I have to admit it was a bit of a setup. …
New to agile? 3 ways to cut scope (and live)
The primary way I see teams release products faster is by reducing the scope of each product. However, this can’t be done in an arbitrary…
New to agile? Remember how to say “No”
No. Only two letters. Very simple word. Yet for some reason, with the exception of when we are at “the terrible 2’s” stage of life…
New to agile? INVEST in good user stories
As a <user> I want <function> so that<value>. Above is a very simple user story template. How can something so simple be so hard to…
Agile antipattern: Treating symptoms not causes
Agile teams often get to a point where they have a number of problems which must be addressed. During retrospectives these items keep coming up…
New to Agile? Use a Rules of Engagement document.
How do we work together? Seems like a simple question, right? How wrong you could be! For an agile team, working together is vitally important,…
Agile antipattern: Hiding unfortunate truths
“Unfortunate truths” are things which are true – unfortunately! I’ve heard the phrase used by defense lawyers and I have to admit it is pretty…
Agile antipattern: Comparing velocity between teams
I recently saw an excellent blog post about iteration velocity. Good reading in general, but the last paragraph really got my attention and is why…
Agile anti-pattern: Going to longer iterations
This is another common theme among teams just starting with agile. It usually goes something like this: The team has an unsuccessful iteration. They determine…