• Tag Archives scrum

  • Reflections On Agile: Creative Work To Delight People

    Posted on by Tim

    To start 2022, I’m going to write three series of posts with reflections on Agile product and service development.

    The intent is to focus on the people aspects of Manifesto for Agile Software Development. First, the four values will be covered in a set of quarterly posts. Second, the 12 principles will be covered in a set of monthly posts. Finally, the five Scrum values will be covered in a set of quarterly posts.

    Scrum Values (credit Scrum.org)

    This series is the glue between teams, technologies, and training. Foundationally, products and service don’t get created without each area. The goals is to bring all of this together by reflecting on how we can work together today.

    Since this blog covers the creative space around “humans being”, soon it will cover the concepts around how creativity can be enabled. Until now, the posts have covered my experiences around technology and teams.

    The shift toward Agile content is coming!

    I feel good about switching gears. Following the year’s end with a shift feels right. The Reflections on Agile series allows exploration.

    As a result, there will be a mixture of posts throughout the coming months. Sometimes, there will be three posts that are Agile specific. Other times, there will one post. I intend to make content writing sustainable for me in 2022 and this is a way to make cadence happen.

    When I started posting, I did not realize then the need to look at how Agile has influenced my thinking. Now, I understand how important covering Agile is to what I blog about. Subsequently, writing about this topic makes me happy.

    Enjoy the Reflections on Agile series!


    📂This entry was posted in Agile 📎and tagged

  • Buying Time To Create And Express Ideas

    Posted on by Tim

    Kent Beck posted on LinkedIn an interesting statement shown below. This is a topic I’ve been considering for a while as finding time to create and express ideas seems to be scarce.

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kentbeck_25-years-of-trying-to-explain-software-development-activity-6869343385417867264-tvlT

    My response to Kent was basic. It’s short and works for me. But, it may not work for everyone.

    Kent may not have intended for me to respond this way. I don’t really care one way or the other. My point is, I’m not buying time to create and express.

    I respect the work Kent has done in the product creation field. He is an author, speaker, and one of the original co-signers of the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. He is an icon in the software development space and he is a creator.

    Thanksgiving And Being Grateful

    This post is being typed on Thanksgiving morning from my home office in the United States. I’m not “buying time” as Kent would suggest to create and express today. I am investing time into this blog specifically and the community generally.

    I don’t know who will read this post today. If you are reading this and you create products and services to delight your customers or clients, I hope this inspires you. I want you to invest in yourself by setting aside time to create and express for you and people you care about.

    I can’t tell you how much better I feel after I write an article or post. It gives me a sense that I accomplished something of substance, something that mattered, for the day.

    I am grateful for the quiet hours I have to type this and many posts. I am grateful for the technology I have to express these views. It is amazing to living in today and I encourage you to make the most of today.


    📂This entry was posted in Agile 📎and tagged

  • Don’t Be So Quick To Kick The Door, Agile Ranger

    Posted on by Tim

    I was talking with my colleague, Lucus, the other day.  I drew a connection between the Ranger units I supported in Afghanistan and the Agile community. There is a connection between Rangers and Agilists and I’ve watched it.

    “What in the Sam’s hill are you writing about?!”

    “You cannot be serious in pulling a thread between the Rangers and Agile product development!”

    I get it, and it’s fair to be skeptical.  Here’s the thing, what do most Agile consultants do that is similar to the Rangers?

    We parachute into a transformation as the experts in Agile framework(s), policy, process, and procedure (3-P’s).  We come in and kick some executive doors open, disrupt some teams, and then go on our merry way after a year or so and call it ‘mission complete’.

    Well, not all of us.  Some of us go beyond the 3-P’s and learn to sense the environment we’ve been asked to assist move toward increased agility. 

    Challenge coin bottle opener
    Command coin received from the 1/75 battalion commander

    About the Rangers

    The Rangers have expertise in understanding tactical context and they adjust their approach to mission as more information becomes available.  They “shoot, move, and communicate” and deviate from the plan as it is needed to achieve the objective.

    Rangers have a master’s understanding of the 3-P’s or “the box” and extend their awareness beyond “the box”.  They adapt and adjust on the fly because the enemy will adapt and adjust to their operations once under threat.

    Back to Agilists with expertise  

    Finally, here is a connection between Rangers and Agilists.

    We might call them practitioners, journeyman, or jack’s of all trades, who cares about labels as it’s not the point.  Since Agilists with expertise are less concerned about air dropping in and rolling to their next engagement, these common-sense Agilists are looking at their entire toolbox to assess which tools work best in a specific context.

    Moving a business into a new way of working is a journey.  Find people who have the right attitude and tools to help an organization navigate to point to point along the way.

    Hire them because they get that understanding context is critical before kicking in doors.  Look for the ones that don’t claim to be experts, but talk about continuous learning.

    Be bold hire the ones who are ready to break some stuff!  Just like the Army Rangers!


    📂This entry was posted in Agile Teamwork 📎and tagged

  • Finding Furry Animals In Unusual Places Like The Home Vacuum

    Posted on by Tim

    During my weekend cleaning routine, I finally solved a problem I had been avoiding for a few years.  I hate to remove waste, especially when it’s not mine.

    I regularly vacuum the common areas of our home while our daughters take care of their rooms respectively.  There’s only one issue that neither of my teenagers sees as something to fix.  It might be considered a humans being thing.

    The photo for this post is one where I removed an impediment to completer and more efficient floor cleaning.  I spent about one-hour removing hair from the rotating brush head and the resulting pile of hair was about the size of a small, furry household pet.

    Remove waste - Hair removed from vacuum
    Removed waste from vacuum. Looks like a furry animal

    Remove waste

    So, I wonder, how much waste (Muda) did I allow by not cleaning the hair off the brush head? What sort of long-term cost had I created for myself over the last three or four years by not keeping the brushes clean? I may never know.

    Learning to see waste is challenging. Toyota works at it daily. We should to.

    When it comes to teams and teamwork, do you think similar situations exist? Just asking for a friend interested in large hairballs.


    📂This entry was posted in Personal 📎and tagged

  • The Fear Of Feeling “Less Than” In A New Position Or Role

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn. Changing roles creates mental conflict. My colleague wrestled with perception versus reality which prompted this post.

    Are you conflicted?

    Professionals can become conflicted for many reasons.  The potential list is nearly endless, because we are humans being.

    I attended a “lean coffee” session at lunchtime with my colleagues at Improving.   I join the Teams meeting when I’m able. Because these calls surface thoughtful discussion around challenges and insights within our Agile coach and Scrum Master community.

    One topic came up that led to this post.  A colleague wanted feedback.

    He is considering a role change from a technologist to an Agile coach at his current client.  Certainly, he was concerned about being perceived as “just a technologist”, not truly an Agile coach.

    Wow!  What a conflict!

    Volcanic eruption Sicily, Italy

    Perception versus reality

    During the 5-minutes timebox, we discussed how there may not be as much of a conflict between the roles of technologist vs. Agile coach.  Importantly, he had valid concerns about how his current role, as a technologist, might diminish his future influence as an Agile coach.

    Do you think his concerns are valid?  How might you coach him past his conflict?

    I can understand his concern. I faced similar feelings when I accepted a management role.

    Would I be accepted? What happens if I make a huge mistake? How will I deal with people problems?

    The waves of conflict can overtake anyone. Find an anchor, phone a friend, there’s plenty of help to around.


    📂This entry was posted in Personal 📎and tagged

  • Learning Made Easy For Hard Heads Like Mine

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn. A Scrum training learning enhancement tool I endorse.

    Actual game results

    Learning is my thing. It just is. I enjoy concept application as much as the experience of expanding the boundaries of my understanding.

    What about you?

    My interest leads me to continually improve my skills as a Scrum Master. As a result, playing games are complimentary to my willingness to learn. 

    I was introduced to a tool that may enable Scrum teams to learn by practice.

    Scrum training – online scrum card game

    Tim, the creator of Scrum Card Game – Scrum Simulation. Simple and realistic. He walked me, James, Sweta, and Valerie through the most recent updates to the simulation. 

    We learned the “why” behind its creation and had Tim as our coach while going through the Sprints.

    I’m not going to spoil the enjoyment you might receive from trying this experience out, so there are no details provided in the remainder of this post!

    I will give you a peak behind the curtain with this video. 

    Tim shared that the online version of the experience came from community feedback. He noted that the online game is based on iterative development of the original, physical product that he used in training classes.

    As the tool evolved, it was met with more positive feedback, going from a PDF file to a physical card deck to the online version of the same, but better!


    📂This entry was posted in Scrum Teamwork Training 📎and tagged

  • Oh, The Challenges Of Being Human While Being Human!

    Posted on by Tim

    This was originally posted on LinkedIn.

    How do you show up? Being human is tough.

    Generally, I can tell you that I am hit-and-miss, inconsistent about how I show up.  In both my personal and professional life.  There is no distinction between how I live privately or show up at work.

    Could showing up be a part of our problems? Is it one of the “whys” behind our challenges?

    Basically, I do not know, but I am trying to figure out if showing up is a factor in our challenges.  Let me pause here to offer some context as to what I perceive as “showing up.”

    To clarify, for me, showing up is parts authenticity, curiosity, determination, grit, transparency, and probably more nouns than this post allows.  Specifically, I work hard to avoid “cognitive dissonance”; inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, in the personas, roles, and stances I find myself in daily.

    For me, it takes self-discipline to show up daily in life; it is a constant struggle.

    Steps in the Salzburg Castle, Austria

    Being human

    I was encouraged by a conversation I recently had.

    So, I asked one of my mentors, Ravi Verma, this question during an Agile for Patriots coaching call.

    “What made certain graduates successful at finding roles as Scrum Masters, Agile Coaches, and Product Owners?”

    I was surprised by the insight he shared.

    Ravi stated that in some ways, successful graduates relentlessly pursue improvement. 

    For example, he explained that successful graduates are like a runner who sets a goal to shave a half-second off or her race time. Additionally, The runner then sets another goal for a half-second reduction and repeats the process to achieve the desired results.

    Maybe this might help you in the coming week. Please let me know how it did.


    📂This entry was posted in Agile Personal Scrum 📎and tagged