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Blog: Technically Agile. Deep diving into Scrum, Agility, & DevOps!

Helping companies navigate the realities of business agility and not just be technically agile! Regular content on Scrum, Agility, & DevOps!

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Can the Definition of Done change per Sprint?

Can the Definition of Done change per Sprint?

I was asked this question today and I think there is a clear answer, however it may change depending on the context of the question. “During each Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team plans ways to increase product quality by improving work processes or adapting the definition of “Done”, if appropriate and not in conflict with product or organizational standards.” -Scrum guide

How do you handle conflict in a Scrum Team?

How do you handle conflict in a Scrum Team?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

In Nexus with 5 Scrum teams, how can the Product Owner attend all Sprint Planning events?

In Nexus with 5 Scrum teams, how can the Product Owner attend all Sprint Planning events?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

Should the Scrum Master always remove impediments?

Should the Scrum Master always remove impediments?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

What's the best way to work around multiple PO?

What's the best way to work around multiple PO?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

How do you make a good Forecast?

How do you make a good Forecast?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

Are technical skills required to be a Scrum Master?

Are technical skills required to be a Scrum Master?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

No Estimates and is it advisable for a Scrum Team to adopt it?

No Estimates and is it advisable for a Scrum Team to adopt it?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

How do you incorporate a Design Sprint in Scrum?

How do you incorporate a Design Sprint in Scrum?

As part of the Scrum.org webinar “Ask a Professional Scrum Trainer - Martin Hinshelwood - Answering Your Most Pressing Scrum Questions” I was asked a number of questions. Since not only was I on the spot and live, I thought that I should answer each question that was asked again here, as well as those questions I did not get to.

DOD has made it illegal to do waterfall

DOD has made it illegal to do waterfall

Did you know that the DOD has made it illegal to do waterfall? Well, kind of… For the first time in many years, the Department of Defence (DOD) in the United States had made a major update to its procurement rules. They can no longer be held accountable for holding up our industry, and being culpable for its inability to move towards agility. The last vestiges of the old ways are gone.

Introducing Kanban for Professional Scrum Teams

Introducing Kanban for Professional Scrum Teams

A few weeks ago I was in Boston to visit the Scrum.org offices and learn to teach the Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK)  training class co-taught by Steve Porter and Daniel Vacanti  . This is a new Professional Scrum training course created by Ken Schwaber, Scrum.org, the Professional Scrum Trainer Community and Daniel Vacanti who helped to develop the Kanban Method for knowledge work. The new class was just announced by Ken & Scrum.org  and includes a Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams  that describes Kanban within the context of the Scrum Framework  .

Work can flow across the Sprint boundary

Work can flow across the Sprint boundary

There is nothing in the Scrum Guide that says that you can’t have workflow across the Sprint boundary. I’m going to suggest that not only can you, but you should as long as you don’t endanger the Sprint Goal.

Professional Scrum is for everyone in your organisation

Professional Scrum is for everyone in your organisation

Recently I worked with a new customer in Denver to help them move towards a greater degree of Scrum in their software development. The idea that Scrum is for everyone in your organisation is kind of new, but it reflects the modern understanding of the way people work, and the rejection of Taylorism and command and control. You cant use someone else approaches to get to agility  , but you can learn from it.

Create your own path to Organisational Agility

Create your own path to Organisational Agility

Other scaled agile frameworks employ a cookie-cutter approach to organisational agility. While I accept that they may have worked somewhere once, the likelihood that the same approach will work in your organisation is small. They were created to get a unique company from their existing state to their personal vision of where they wanted to be. To increase the likelihood of success you need a framework that guides you to change your organisation in an incremental and custom fashion towards your own vision. Cookie-cutter approaches will not work for you.

Round up for 2017 and beyond: Agility, DevOps, and Everything In-between

Round up for 2017 and beyond: Agility, DevOps, and Everything In-between

This year has been relatively busy for conferences. Which is unusual since I usually forget until after the call for papers and wonder what’s going on. Well, this time I got some submissions in on time. It does, however, baffle me which papers are selected. I always submit around 6 papers for workshops and talks, and always the one I would least like to present is picked.

Getting started with a modern source control system and DevOps

Getting started with a modern source control system and DevOps

There are a number of things that you have to think about when selecting a modern source control system. Some of that is purely about code, but modern source control systems are about way more than code. They are about your entire application lifecycle and supporting DevOps practices, they are about the metadata that you use to understand and manage your development processes and deliver great software. The tools you choose should compliment the professional people and practices that you use.

Professional Scrum Training for the Ghana Police Service

Professional Scrum Training for the Ghana Police Service

Last time I talked about the Ghana Police Service (GPS) I was talking about Professional Organisational Change  and the approach the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is taking; using Scrum to incrementally make changes to the organisation. While Nana Abban and the IGP have been focusing on the big picture, I have been in Ghana to start the grass roots adoption of Scrum with two Professional Scrum Foundations (PSF) classes, the first ever run in Ghana.

Professional Organisational Change at the Ghana Police Service

Professional Organisational Change at the Ghana Police Service

The Ghana Police Service  is in trouble. Over the last few last few decades each new Police organisation and government has tried in various ways to carry out some change but most changes have been ad-hoc, temporary, not robust enough or strategic. The old problems return to haunt new administrations and many police officers and the Public have lost hope.

Scrum Tapas: Scrum and Continuous Delivery

Scrum Tapas: Scrum and Continuous Delivery

I get asked a lot at conferences and at customers how Scrum and Continuous Delivery can work together. The reality is that they complement each other and at the last Scrum.org F2F I sat down to make a little video on the way I think that it works.

VSTS Sync Migration Tool Update and Bugfix

VSTS Sync Migration Tool Update and Bugfix

The VSTS Sync Migration tools  have been updated with new features and bug fixes for common issues reported by users.  

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