Empowering Your Team: Why Quick Fixes in Agile and DevOps Are a Myth
In my journey through the world of Agile and DevOps, I’ve often encountered a common misconception: the belief that an external party can swoop in and provide a one-size-fits-all solution to an organisation’s challenges. This notion is not only misguided but also detrimental to the very essence of what it means to be agile.
Transforming Training: The Power of Immersive Learning in Scrum
The Shift from Traditional to Immersive Learning In the world of Agile and Scrum, training is not just about passing on knowledge—it’s about creating real, actionable change in organizations. Our approach has evolved significantly, from traditional two-day workshops to a more engaging and practical immersive learning format. This shift is crucial for achieving lasting transformation in organizations.
Empowering Teams for Success: The Key to Thriving Product Development
In my journey as a product development mentor, I’ve come to realise that the heart of successful software organisations lies in the people who build the products. In Scrum, we refer to these individuals as developers, but this term encompasses a diverse group: testers, coders, analysts, product owners, and even those in cyber security operations. Each plays a crucial role in the creation of a product, and it’s essential that we foster an environment where they can thrive.
Debunking the Top 5 Myths About Scrum: Unlocking Agile Success in Your Organisation
Scrum is often likened to communism, with the phrase “it doesn’t work” echoing through the halls of organisations struggling to adapt to its principles. As someone who has spent years in the trenches of Agile methodologies, I can tell you that this sentiment usually stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what Scrum truly is. Hi, I’m Martin Hinshelwood, owner and principal consultant at Naked Agility, and today I want to debunk five common myths about Scrum that inhibit its adoption and effectiveness.
Bridging the Gap: How to Align Your Organisation for Successful Agile Product Management
In my journey through the world of software development, I’ve often encountered a significant gap in how organisations approach product management. This gap becomes glaringly obvious when companies attempt to transition from traditional project management methods—think Gantt charts and rigid milestones—to a more agile mindset. The reality is that building software products is inherently complex and dynamic, and the old ways simply don’t cut it anymore.
Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins of Agile: Transform Your Organisation for True Agility
Agile is hard, and it’s designed for complex environments. Over the years, I’ve encountered numerous behaviours in organisations that can only be described as suboptimal. Today, I want to share my insights on what I call the “Seven Deadly Sins of Agile.” These are pitfalls that can hinder your Agile transformation and prevent you from achieving true agility.
Mastering Azure DevOps: Avoiding Common Pitfalls for Agile Success
I work with many enterprise organisations that utilise Azure DevOps, and I often encounter practices that either diminish the effectiveness of its features or, in some cases, break them entirely. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Dan Helm, the principal product manager for Azure DevOps, about the top issues that users face. Today, I want to share those insights with you, drawing from my extensive experience as a professional Scrum trainer and Microsoft MVP in GitHub and Azure DevOps.
From Chaos to Clarity: My Journey Through DevOps and the Three Key Challenges to Overcome
When I first encountered DevOps as a developer at Merrill Lynch, I was already well-acquainted with the frustrations that led to its creation. My journey began in the early 2000s, working for what were then called New Media agencies—essentially web development companies. Back then, we were doing everything wrong. We deployed directly from our local machines and edited in production. Continuous integration was a concept that was just beginning to gain traction, but most of us were blissfully unaware of its potential.
Maximise Your Scrum Process: Leveraging Azure DevOps for Agile Success
As your DevOps was built for agile teams by agile teams, there are numerous ways to leverage it to support your agile practices. Today, I want to share how to use Azure DevOps to enhance your Scrum process, drawing insights from Scrum.org and the teams at Microsoft who developed it. My focus will be on integrating the Scrum framework with value-focused, hypothesis-driven, flow-based practices.
Mastering Caman Strategy: How to Leverage Azure DevOps for Effective Visualisation in Hybrid Work Environments
Creating an effective Caman strategy is no small feat, especially in our current hybrid work environment. As we navigate this new landscape, the need for digital tools to share our visualisations has never been more critical. One such tool that I find invaluable is Azure DevOps. Today, I want to share my insights on how to leverage Azure DevOps to visualise your work as part of a Caman strategy.
Rethinking Backlog Management: Why a Flat Structure Boosts Agility and Value Delivery
In my journey as a professional Scrum trainer and Kanban coach, I’ve often encountered a common misconception: the belief that a hierarchy is essential for effective backlog management. Today, I want to share my insights on why this approach can be detrimental and how we can rethink our backlogs to enhance our agility and focus on delivering value.
Illuminate Your Workflow: Harnessing Candan Strategies for Continuous Improvement and Transparency
One of the most pivotal aspects of a Caman strategy is the continuous improvement of our systems and workflows. After defining our workflow and documenting how we intend to operate, the next step is to actively monitor our ongoing work. This is where the magic happens; as we observe, we begin to identify patterns that can inform our decision-making.
The Importance of Visualizing Your Work in a Kanban Strategy
In the world of Agile and Scrum, one crucial element often overlooked is the visualization of work. It’s not just about getting things done; it’s about understanding the flow of value within your system. As a Scrum Master or Agile practitioner, the ability to visualize your work will empower your team to be more effective, transparent, and aligned. Today, we’ll explore how visualization can transform your Kanban strategy, improve collaboration, and streamline processes for better results.
The Key to a Kanban Strategy: Understanding WIP Limits
One of the most critical components of a successful Kanban strategy is setting Work-In-Progress (WIP) limits. Without WIP limits, you simply do not have a proper Kanban strategy. In this post, we’ll explore the importance of WIP limits, how to determine the right limits for your team, and share some personal experiences and advice to help you optimize your workflow.
Mastering Kanban: Creating a Pull-Based System for Workflow Efficiency
When implementing a Kanban strategy, we’re essentially creating a pull-based system of work. This methodology, which originated in lean manufacturing, offers teams a structured way to visualize, manage, and improve their workflow. If you’re struggling with bottlenecks, work piling up, or inefficiencies in your process, Kanban might be exactly what you need.
3 best ways to wreck Kanban. Sweep problems under the rug.
The Danger of Ignoring Problems in Your Kanban Strategy Introduction One of the most common behaviors that can severely impact the success of any process, particularly a Kanban strategy, is sweeping problems under the rug. Ignoring issues, whether intentionally or not, can lead to significant setbacks and even disasters.
3 best ways to wreck Kanban. Don't have a working agreement.
Achieving Team Alignment with Kanban: The Importance of a Working Agreement Introduction One of the primary ways to derail your Kanban strategy and fail to achieve the expected value is by not agreeing on how to work as a team. Without a clear working agreement, your team members are likely to operate based on personal preferences, leading to chaos and inefficiency.
3 best ways to wreck Kanban. Use vanity metrics.
Avoiding Common Mistakes in Your Kanban Strategy Introduction One of the primary ways to fail in implementing your Kanban strategy and not achieve the value you expect is by not looking at the right data. Many teams think they are doing Kanban simply because they have a board with columns. However, without proper metrics and active management, this approach falls short.
3 core practices of Kanban. Improving a workflow.
Improving Your Workflow in a Kanban Strategy Introduction The third core practice in Kanban is improving your workflow. It’s essential to not only visualize your work and actively manage it but also to make continuous improvements to the workflow itself. Without ongoing improvements, inefficiencies and blockages will persist, hindering the overall effectiveness of your system.
Mastering Kanban: The Essential Guide to Defining and Visualising Your Workflow for Maximum Efficiency
One of the core practices of Kanban that I’ve come to appreciate deeply is the importance of defining and visualising our workflow. This practice is not just a procedural step; it lays the groundwork for everyone involved in the work system to agree on what we do and how we currently operate.
3 core practices of Kanban. Actively managing work items in a workflow.
Actively Managing Your Workflow in a Kanban Strategy Introduction Once you have defined and visualized your workflow, the next critical step in a Kanban strategy is to actively manage the work within your workflow. This means being proactive and engaged with the process, ensuring that the flow of work remains smooth and efficient.
My journey with Kanban and why I actively recommend it to clients.
Embracing Kanban for Enhanced Workflow and Predictability Introduction My journey with Kanban began with the guidance of Daniel Vacanti and Steve Porter during the first Professional Scrum with Kanban class back in late 2017 and early 2018. At that time, I didn’t fully grasp the value of this unique approach—an observational tool that provides a different way of thinking about workflow. Understanding Kanban as a strategy, not a system, has been crucial in appreciating its full potential.
Overview of the 'scaling with portfolio Kanban' course
Scaling Portfolio Kanban: Enhancing Flow and Predictability at the Organizational Level Introduction The “Applying Scaling Portfolio Kanban” class is designed to elevate your understanding of Kanban from the team level to the organizational and program levels. This course provides strategies to analyze and optimize the flow of portfolio items, ultimately increasing the value delivered by your products and improving predictability across your organization.
Overview of Applying Professional Kanban course.
Understanding and Applying Kanban: The Professional Kanban Course Introduction The “Applying Professional Kanban” course from Pro Kanban is the foundational class for understanding how to implement a Kanban strategy in your existing workflow. Whether your current system is Scrum, Waterfall, or any other process, this course provides the essential knowledge and tools to integrate Kanban and enhance your workflow efficiency.
Overview of 'applying metrics for predictability' Kanban course.
Enhancing Team Predictability with Kanban: The “Applying Metrics for Predictability” Course Introduction Predictability is a crucial aspect of successful project management. It allows teams to set realistic expectations, make informed decisions, and deliver consistent value. However, many teams struggle to accurately forecast when work will be completed and how much work can be delivered within a given timeframe. This is where the “Applying Metrics for Predictability” course from Pro Kanban comes in. This course delves deep into using Kanban metrics to improve the predictability of your team’s delivery capabilities.
Overview of 'applying flow metrics for Scrum' course.
Applying Flow Metrics for Scrum: Enhancing Value Delivery with Kanban Introduction Scrum teams often face challenges in delivering value at the end of each sprint. While Scrum provides a robust framework for iterative development, it lacks specific metrics for measuring and optimizing flow. This is where Kanban’s flow metrics come in. By integrating Kanban strategies within Scrum, teams can enhance their ability to deliver value consistently. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of the “Applying Flow Metrics for Scrum” course and how it can transform your Scrum practice.
How long does it take to transition from project management to Kanban?
Transitioning from Traditional Project Management to Kanban Introduction Are you working in a traditional project management environment and feeling daunted by the shift to Agile methodologies? If so, a Kanban strategy might be the ideal solution for gradually improving your processes without the need for immediate, radical change. This blog post explores how Kanban can help you transition smoothly and effectively from traditional project management to a more Agile approach.
Does Kanban integrate into a Scrum environment?
Integrating Kanban with Scrum: Enhancing Your Workflow Introduction Kanban is not just a standalone strategy; it integrates seamlessly with various methodologies, including Scrum. This blog post explores how Kanban can complement Scrum, providing the necessary metrics and insights to answer critical questions like “When will it be done?” and “Are we on track?”
Getting started with Kanban.
Getting Started with Kanban: A Guide to Initiating Your First Kanban Pilot Introduction Kanban is a powerful strategy for improving workflow and enhancing productivity across various industries. Whether you’re in software development, marketing, or any other field, implementing Kanban can help streamline your processes and boost efficiency. This blog post will guide you through the steps to initiate your first Kanban pilot, emphasizing the importance of metrics and collaboration.
Why is Kanban becoming increasingly popular in creative industries?
Embracing Kanban: A Creative Approach to Workflow Optimization Introduction Kanban is gaining popularity across various industries, especially the creative sector. Whether you’re building computer games, crafting marketing content, or producing videos, Kanban offers a flexible and effective strategy for optimizing your workflow. In this blog post, we’ll delve into why Kanban is so well-suited for creative work, how it can be implemented, and why it’s not just about having a board on the wall.
