The Ghosts of Agile Past: Why Burndown Charts Might Be Holding You Back
Have you ever felt something was off with burndown charts? I know I have. There’s always been this nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Over the years, people have revered these charts as the ultimate tool for monitoring a team’s progress. But I’ve come to realize that this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Story Points: A Ghost of Agile Past
In the world of Agile, there are many relics that still haunt teams today, and one of the most significant is story points. Ironically, the creator of story points has publicly apologized for their invention. Think about that for a moment—an apology from the creator of a concept that has deeply embedded itself into Agile practices. Let’s dig into why story points have become one of the most persistent, yet problematic, ghosts of Agile past.
The Pitfalls of Agile Burndowns: Stop Being Agile Bandits
Agile teams often use burndown charts to track progress throughout a sprint. It seems like a solid approach—after all, it’s a visual indicator of how much work remains. But let me be clear: burndowns are Agile banditry! In fact, relying too heavily on burndowns could lead your team down a treacherous path of excessive upfront planning and false security. Let’s explore why burndowns aren’t the hero of Agile, and how embracing a continuous flow mindset can lead to real value.
How to Overcome Agile Banditry: A Product Owner’s Journey
In Agile, there’s a common misconception that leads to what I like to call “Agile Banditry.” Product Owners, when misguided, can fall into the trap of treating their role as a project manager, dictating every step of the team’s progress like an overbearing taskmaster. This often leads to disengagement, frustration, and ultimately, a failed product. In this blog, we’ll explore the dangers of Agile Banditry and how Product Owners can avoid this trap, enabling their teams to thrive.
Say-Do Metrics: Avoiding Agile Banditry in Your Organization
In Agile environments, there’s often a temptation to rely on metrics that seem to offer clarity and control over a project’s progress. One such metric is the “say-do” metric, which measures what a team says they will do versus what they actually accomplish. While this may appear useful on the surface, it’s often a slippery slope that leads to vanity metrics, reduced psychological safety, and, ultimately, a focus on outputs rather than outcomes.
Avoiding Agile Banditry: Why Story Points and Velocity Are Misleading Metrics
Introduction to Agile Metrics: The Pitfall of Story Points and Velocity
Special Sprints: Agile Banditry or Risk Management?
You can’t spend much time in the Agile space without encountering teams doing some kind of special sprints. Whether it’s Sprint Zero, refactoring sprints, bug-fix sprints, or hardening sprints, these so-called “special sprints” are quite common. However, let’s cut to the chase: special sprints are agile banditry, and those practicing them are bandits in disguise. Here’s why they dilute your team’s ability to deliver usable, working products, and how you can avoid falling into the same trap.
How Do You Know How Long It Takes to Deliver Value?
Delivering value to customers efficiently is a key goal for any Agile team. But how do you know how long it actually takes? That’s where Evidence-Based Management (EBM) comes into play. One of the key value areas in EBM is Time to Market—a critical factor that helps organizations measure and improve how quickly they deliver valuable outcomes. This post dives into the importance of Time to Market, the metrics you can use to measure it, and why it’s crucial for business success. 🚀
How to Measure Your Organization's Ability to Improve Value Through Innovation
In today’s fast-paced business environment, organizations are constantly seeking ways to improve the value they deliver. But how can you truly know if your organization is effective at doing so? The answer lies in understanding your organizational capability and, more specifically, your ability to innovate. In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can leverage evidence-based management to measure and improve your organization’s capacity for innovation. We’ll also dive into some key metrics that can help you gauge your progress.
How to Discover Unrealized Value in Your Product
When developing a product, it’s natural to focus on delivering value as efficiently as possible. But have you ever wondered what additional value you could be achieving but haven’t yet? How do you uncover those hidden opportunities to take your product to the next level? That’s where Evidence-Based Management (EBM) comes into play.
