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The Agile Team That Was Free — Until Executives Took Over
I’ve carried this story in my head for years, sharing bits and pieces during trainings, almost like a form of group therapy. But now, I’m putting it all down — in full detail — in the hope that telling it will finally help exorcise this demon once and for all.
I Survived 25 Years of Agile. Now I’m Ready to Talk About It.
This is the first of two 25-year retropsectives. I have decided to step off the Agile certification path both in training and in consulting. What began as a passion for improving project performance...
Imposter Syndrome: A 40-Year Journey
Looking at my career from the outside, it might seem like I’ve always had everything figured out. I’ve built a successful business, consulted for Fortune 50 companies, and led major initiatives...
How Agile are you? Agile Maturity Assessment
Agile Assessment Access & Pricing For many years, I have offered this Agile assessment for free. Thousands of people have used it, and I’m glad it has been helpful. However, I am no longer able...
The True Value of a Team Performance Coach: Beyond Frameworks and Rules
In the dynamic realm of team performance coaching, my passion extends far beyond mere frameworks. While they serve as the foundation for many teams, the essence of my role is deeply rooted in...
Beyond Titles: A Lifelong Commitment to Lean Principles and Value Alignment
In a world defined by ceaseless evolution and intense competition, my journey as an Organizational Design Coach has been a thrilling ride. Although my titles have varied over the years, my...
The Liberation of Remote Work: Why I’ll Never Go Back to the Office Full Time
Working from home has irreversibly changed me. The very thought of returning to the routine of a full-time office job feels antiquated, almost absurd. It’s been four continuous years of remote work...
The Overlooked Agile Topic: Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is an essential aspect of Agile teams that is often overlooked, despite its significant impact on team performance and collaboration. This concept involves creating an...
Why Companies Struggle to Embrace the Lean Startup Approach (and How to Overcome It)
You've probably heard of Eric Ries' groundbreaking book, "The Lean Startup." The methodology has revolutionized the way many entrepreneurs and businesses approach product development and innovation....
The Challenges of Implementing Agile in Business Environments
It is worth pondering the reasons behind the failure of some organizations in adopting agile methodologies successfully. Consider the following observations. Organizational Commitment to Cultural...
Applying the Stacey Model: When is Agile the Right Fit for your Project?
The Stacey model is a framework developed by Ralph Stacey that categorizes complex problems into four domains: simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic. The model considers the degree of certainty...
Waterfall is not always bad
#agilecoachingtip Waterfall is not always bad! Some projects are inherently phased-based. One recent example was a vendor selection project that I was asked to assess. It was being mismanaged using...
2020 Scrum Guide Changes and Observations
The following video addresses my interpretation of the 2020 Scrum Guide changes and their impact both to those currently studying for the PSM I or PSPO I exams and for those who want to...
The king is dead! Long live the king!
I watch every few years as someone tries to crown a new king. You know what? Agile is dead, but it is also alive and well.
Agile Consulting Manifesto
My Agile Consulting Manifesto. While delivering successful software development projects for over 20 years and seeing the profession that I am so passionate about become damaged by misinformation,...
I may be stating the obvious—you can’t be Agile without being Lean.
In the Agile Practice Guide published by PMI® and the Agile Alliance®, there is the Venn diagram shown above. It is a simple yet useful visual that most of us long-toothed Agile practitioners...
What is next after Agile training? a.k.a. How to address common Agile challenges
I have been practicing Agile for 17 years and have been providing Agile training and consulting for over 7 years. I have experienced, with my clients, the growth and maturity if their Agile programs...
Who Owns Quality in Agile?
In Scrum, the expectation is that the entire Scrum Team owns quality, but what does that really mean? Isn’t the Product Owner only worried about value? Doesn’t the team own all the testing? Don’t...
What’s next on your Agile journey?
Hello Agile Adventurer: My son Zach and I hiking in Maine. As an avid hiker, I tend to focus on the journey not so much the destination. The same is true with Agile. All of you are in a different...
An Agile software development approach could have prevented this – just saying.
UPDATE: January 30, 2018 The Washington Post published an article with more details:...
How Agile Are You? Free self-assessment.
Take our Agile self-assessment by clicking on the button below: When you receive the results of your self-assessment, you can identify our level of Agility on the above Agile...
Who Owns Quality in Agile?
In Scrum, the expectation is that the entire Scrum Team owns quality, but what does that really mean? Isn’t the Product Owner only worried about value? Doesn’t the team own all the testing? Don’t...
Agile 2.0 – It’s about People and Connections! It’s not about Scaling.
Andrew Carnegie once said, Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that...
Certifications, Integrity, Values: Where do you stand?
As an Agile Coach and Trainer, I try to stay current with certifications. I don’t believe that these certifications necessarily make someone more effective, but for me, they are a structured way of staying current with industry best practices.
Using Kanban to run your start-up aka Stephen Covey was the first Agile Coach
Honolulu has a thriving startup community. I decided to present on this topic after attending the kickoff of the extremely popular start-up event, Honolulu Startup Weekend. While listening to the...
Using Kanban to run your start-up aka Stephen Covey was the first Agile Coach
I presented on this topic last night at our monthly Agile Meetup in Honolulu along with Chuck Liddell from the Agile development shop KapuHonu. Honolulu has a thriving startup community. I decided...
Did you know that the PMI-ACP exam is changing on July 15, 2015?
In December 2014, a new PMI-ACP® Exam Content Outline was published which goes into effect in July 2015. The new content of the exam was determined by PMI through both a study and a survey. The...
Do you know where you are going with your Agile implementation?
What every executive needs to know! Over the past decade, I've been involved in more than 20 Agile projects. Whether as a team member, Product Owner, Scrum Master, or Coach, I've had the opportunity...
Are you implementing Scrum but realize you are better suited for Kanban?
I have found that very few organizations are starting out with Kanban as their first choice for their Agile implementation. Almost every organization that I have been exposed to through training and...
Does your organization need an Agile Coach?
As we love to say when answering many questions pertaining to Agile, “It depends.” Not the answer you want to hear, but let me elaborate. Extreme Programming (XP) introduced the term coach into the...
Who makes a better Scrum Master: a developer or a project manager?
Who makes a better Scrum Master: a developer or a project manager? I am guessing that this is a contentious topic, so it is that much more fun to talk about… The Agile Manifesto was written by...
Why Scrum “Master”? What about Scrum Apprentice? Maybe we need a Scrum Jedi?
I learned the term Scrum Master back at the turn of the century (I like how that sounds). I first heard it from Ken Schwaber himself. At that point in my career, I was a true and tried project...
The Agile Success Algorithm
al·go·rithm algəˌriT͟Həm/ noun 1. a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations Those of you reading this are more than familiar that Agile is all the...
Running an Effective Sprint Planning Meeting
To start with, for a Sprint Planning meeting to be truly Scrum, it adheres to the following guidelines outlined in the Scrum Guide. In summary, for a one month Sprint it has a time-box of 8 hours....
Can You be Agile in Your Acquisitions?
Originally Posted Management Concept's Blog: http://blogs.managementconcepts.com/can-you-be-agile-in-your-acquisitions/ This is one of the most common issues facing organization choosing to switch...
Are you ready for Agile?
Originally posted on Management Concept's Blog http://blogs.managementconcepts.com/are-you-ready-for-agile/ Has your Agency or organization started moving to Agile? Do you hear the word Scrum, and...
So…What’s the Difference Between User Stories and Traditional Requirements?
This question came from a webinar I co-hosted for Management Concepts. Read more at Management Concepts Blog:...
Is There a Role for a Project Manager on Agile Projects?
Are you a Project Manager in an Agency or Organization moving to Agile? Is there a role for you? The typical Agile answer to most yes or no questions is “it depends.” (but my answer in this case is...
I got 1 week subscription for PSM1 exam prep and it helped me get the certification with very high score. Thanks.
Great blog and great information. thanks
Precisely explained. Thank you.