I started the year off with a new practice. Or should I say, an old practice rejuvenated. And that is journaling. I used to journal all the time. It was…
Managers and leaders in organizations are often looking for ways to be more effective or to maximize the productivity of their team. Here is an anti-pattern that I have seen…
We launched our Fresh Agile Voices segment in October 2020. Fresh Agile Voices features brief interviews of agile coaches that include people of color, women, and others who are experts…
Since founding Vitality Chicago in 2015, we've published nearly 200 blog posts. Most of them have included a great graphic or image that is meant to convey some truth about…
This time of year in Chicago I can't help thinking about snow. We haven't had a real snowstorm yet but it is inevitable. What should not be inevitable is snowplowing.…
I am frequently asked about the best books for learning about agile and Scrum. It's not easy to answer. I have nearly 100 books on agile-related topics and there are…
User stories are extremely popular with agile teams and have become nearly synonymous with agile ways of working and Scrum, even though they are not part of the Scrum Framework.…
We launched our Fresh Agile Voices segment in October 2020. Fresh Agile Voices features brief interviews of agile coaches that include people of color, women, and others who are experts…
In a recent client conversation, the topic of estimating backlog items in hours came up. It seems that I stepped on a hornet's nest when I suggested that the client…
In our October 2020 newsletter, we launched a new segment called “Fresh Agile Voices”. Increasingly, I have begun to recognize that as a white male I am privileged and I…
In 2012, I was given my first opportunity to coach some new agile teams for a client. I was paired with a more senior coach and I never thought twice…
I've been writing about Disciplined Agile (DA) since PMI bought them in 2019, including my recent post about the confusion around PMI Agile Certifications. It turns out that my earlier…
I am excited to share with you my discussion with agility and resilience coach Anjali Leon. This is our first agile coach interview in what I plan as a series…
Eighty percent of people who are using agile today use some flavor of the Scrum Framework. As you can imagine, there is a lot of variance in how Scrum is…
In our previous posts, we looked at What is Kanban and Why is it Used and Getting Started with Kanban. In Part 3, we are going to drill in on…
This post is the second in a series on Kanban, a lightweight agile approach for organizing work. In our previous post we answered the question, what is Kanban and why…
This post is first in a series about Kanban and how to get the most benefit from it. We will start with what Kanban is and explore why people use…
I've been writing about PMI and the acquisition of Disciplined Agile since right after it happened in the fall of 2019. I made some outlandish predictions then. But one thing…
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Vitality Chicago had been named one of the top 20 Agile Leadership blogs of 2020 by Feedspot. Yes! Wait, what does that actually…
There has been considerable buzz in the agile community about scaling approaches for a while now. I first noticed it at the 2014 Agile Alliance conference where the Scaled Agile…
Very few organizations have truly empowered individuals working on self-organizing teams, even those that claim to be agile. Is this possible? Can you be agile without empowerment and self-organization? I…
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with my colleague Jonathan Lee for a virtual interview on PMI and Disciplined Agile. Over the last 8 months, Jonathan has taken…
Most organizations today are undergoing some sort of "transformation" and it is likely not their first. Whether it is an agile, digital, lean or financial transformation, organizations are trying to…
I know, I am breaking my own "no negative vibes" rule with this post related to the pandemic. But I thought it would be interesting to talk about how various…
As a leader, do you find yourself wondering just how productive your newly remote teams are? Now that offices are empty and everyone is meeting by Zoom, feeling nervous about…
I want some good vibes. And less bad vibes. Yup, I decided that I'd had enough negativity coming at me from all directions. From now on it is good vibes…
Boxer, actor and modern philosopher Mike Tyson famously said that "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face". Well, we all just got punched in the face.…
As the COVID-19 pandemic grows worldwide and in particular in the US, I can't help but wonder if our ability to meet face to face will become a thing of…
Staying focused, productive and retaining your competitive edge can be difficult in stressful times. We may find ourselves bombarded by negative messages and anxiety-provoking news. We may bounce from task…
Many or all organizations today are struggling with more work than they have people to get the job done. Whether due to competitive pressures or increased customer demands, it seems…
As part of my 2020 Agile Certifications Challenge, I wanted to learn about and get certified in Disciplined Agile (DA) the decision toolkit that was recently purchased by the Project…
Bewildered by the circus of over 250 Agile and Scrum Certifications on the market today? Wondering which certifications hold the most value? Me too! In January 2020 I announced my…
So I've been working on this challenge to get one new agile and Scrum certification per week in 2020, 52 total. In doing so, I've been somewhat opportunistic in combining…
My colleague Bill Baxter informed me that PMI had just released the Earned Value Management (EVM) guide in December 2019 and that I should take a look. My first thought…
As agile approaches continue to spread in organizations, the demand for great Scrum Masters is expected to increase and outstrip what is available in the market. What steps can organizations…
At a recent client, I noticed the managers participated as members of the Scrum Team. When I asked about whether they thought there was an issue with hierarchy, they quickly…
Previously I wrote about the three most popular entry-level agile certifications and I referenced a great 2016 article from Bob Galen. I was surprised - shocked actually - to learn…
I have had it with the whole concept of scope creep. Scope creep is a negative label given to an inevitable and predictable experience that is a side effect of…
You would have to be living under a rock to not have heard of agile these days. The label is being attached to everything – agile methodology, agile sales, agile…
One thing that is critical for a successful Agile Transformation is training at all levels, especially agile leader training. Unfortunately, many leaders don't believe they need training, even though I…
Some people like to pick and choose practices from different agile approaches and mix them together with Waterfall. Unless you are experienced and understand the why behind the practice, this…
Recently I wrote about PMI's purchase of Disciplined Agile and what consequences we might see from that purchase. I realize now that I underestimated PMI's ambition with regard to the…
Previously I posted about some of the great information that has come out of Spotify's agile journey including the top 10 Spotify Graphics from Henrik Kniberg. I also wrote about…
I've had the opportunity to train or coach over 100 teams since 2008, which has been incredibly fun and interesting. In the process, I have learned a lot about what…
When I hear that something is "almost done", I get worried. You see, almost done is not done. It is started or underway. It may even be not started but…
Most people in the Agile community are familiar with Spotify and have read articles or watched videos about agility at Spotify. Some have even mistakenly mimicked the language used at…
Recently a client told me that they were adopting the Spotify Model. Which sounded great at first. Spotify has published some great articles and videos about how they have grown…
The Project Management Institute (PMI) recently announced that they purchased Disciplined Agile (DA). Though not shocking, it was a little surprising. I had a chance to talk with Scott Ambler,…
One of the more popular posts I wrote earlier this year was about how to become an Agile Coach. So You Want to be an Agile Coach explained how to…
I recently wrote about how to improve your Daily Scrum meeting. Now I think that we should just cancel the Daily Scrum altogether. To be fair, some people are using…
The Product Backlog Refinement (PBR) activity is one that many new Scrum teams struggle with. Insufficient PBR often results in long sprint planning meetings and incomplete backlog items at the…
Ever try to schedule a meeting with someone only to see their calendar is completely blocked? Or have people show up to your meeting 15 or 30 minutes late because…
If you want to decrease the performance of your team simply increase team size, distribute the team, enforce specialization and use an online tool. These are quick and easy steps…
Years ago I did a deep dive into emotional intelligence, and I continue to explore and learn more even today. There are several ways that my expertise in emotional intelligence…
Many people think of transformation as a linear process. Whether it is a digital or agile transformation, or even a personal transformation, we like to think of it as a…
I was teaching an introductory agile training course last week and noticed that many of the students got confused about story points. Taking a step back, I can appreciate their…
How exactly does someone become an Agile Coach? Recently, several people have reached out to me to ask how they can become an Agile Coach. They have been practicing Scrum…
An interview with David Sohmer, Financial Services Technology and Agile Leader In this video interview, David Sohmer talks about how technology managers can embrace agile ways of working, support their…
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Hybrid Agile is a common expression but what does it really mean? Learn the various form of hybrid and blended agile and why organizations are adopting them.
The recently published 2019 Scrum Master Trends report has a few interesting takeaways. The report is the result of a global survey of Scrum Masters conducted by Scrum.org and The…
In my related post about what agile coaches need to succeed, I wrote about the idea of walking in the shoes of those we coach. This would include Scrum Masters,…
Previously I have written posts about the most Important Agile Coach Traits and What Makes an Agile Coach effective. The point of my writing was to put some guide rails…
The Scrum Alliance recently partnered with Forbes Insights to conduct a study of Agile Leaders and Agile Transformation success. The study was published as "The Elusive Agile Enterprise" in November,…
The sad reality is that though well-intentioned, most agile transformations fail. By fail I mean they are canceled, reversed or fall short of delivering the desired results. To be clear,…
A few months back, I wrote an article for Tom Cagley's blog titled, Why an Agile Center of Excellence is a Really Bad Idea. Though well received, it seems like my…
Curious about what it takes to succeed as an Agile Coach? Do you aspire to become an Agile Coach or grow as a Scrum Master? Welcome! We've created this detailed…
A frequently asked question when I am working with teams moving to Scrum is what is the role of business analyst role on a Scrum team. Usually it comes from…
Updated 2020: Over the last year I have explored professional certifications in detail. I have learned that many of the Agile and Scrum Certifications expire if you don't renew them.…
What is the Agile Leader Role during an Agile Transformation? Agile Transformations are a popular activity right now. If you are an agile leader, you may be wondering what is…
I’ve been looking into employee engagement ever since hearing Marcus Buckingham of Gallup speak about it at a conference many years ago. It is hard to overlook; Gallup keeps updating…
Fake Agile is actually a real thing, and that comes from the US government. Granted, the US government may be one of the last places you'd look to determine if…
It has been common for years to use project success measures based on the triple constraint. Reporting on whether the project is on time, on budget and on scope (OTOBOS)…
As an Agile Coach, I’ve been an advocate for co-located teams for the last 10 years. In previous posts, I’ve argued hard against the popular convention of using distributed teams.…
The benefits of agile transformation can be elusive if you don't take the big picture view and understand how value is created in your organization. Organizations that start by applying…
I recently hosted a client workshop on how to improve the retrospective event in the Scrum Framework. Rather than focus on specific techniques (like I did in this related post),…
I have to admit, I always thought I understood exactly what Participatory Decision-Making (PDM) meant. I also prided myself on my facilitation skills - on dot voting, silent writing, fist of…
As humans, we are extremely short-term focused. We have a need for immediate gratification. We expect things to happen now, or better yet, yesterday. Being led by humans, corporations tend…
In my related post on high-performing teams, I described the importance of psychological safety in teams. Harvard professor Amy Edmondson coined the term psychological safety and is the leading authority…
A pretty common complaint with the Scrum Framework is that there are too many Scrum meetings. Let's explore this complaint to understand if it is valid, why it might occur,…
Being a Great Scrum Master can be LearnedIn my related post, I argued that most Project Managers make lousy Scrum Masters. It's not on purpose, it just happens that the skills that…
As a Scrum Master, listening is one of the most important tools in your tool box. While there are reasons for the Scrum Master to speak up, in general Scrum…
Don't get mad at me. Though it may sound tough or critical, the reality is that most project managers make lousy scrum masters. I didn't make that up—I’ve been hearing…
The very first Agile Coach I ever had taught me the practice of using Norm Kerth’s Prime Directive to start my retrospectives. Though I haven’t always used it, when I do…
Most teams who use Agile or Scrum today use some type of online agile tool or Agile Lifecycle Management Tool (ALM Tool). While I do believe there are some benefits…
Many people are confused about the concept of self-organizing teams. They either equate it with anarchy or confuse self-organizing with self-forming, self-directed or self-managing. What does self-organizing really mean and…
Learned Helplessness There is a well-established process for domesticating young elephants that demonstrates the process of learned helplessness everywhere including organizations and agile teams. When elephants are young they are…
Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches need to stay on top of their game. Your job is about helping others to succeed. Use these 12 productivity hacks to keep yourself grounded and…
I've written about agile coaching before including how to succeed as an agile coach, what makes an agile coach effective and the top 10 traits of an agile coach. This…
The most recent Standish Group Chaos Study results show Waterfall and Agile project success and failure rates. It should come as no surprise that Agile projects are statistically 2X more…
Agile approaches for estimating and forecasting are better than traditional approaches because they deliver better and more predictable results. Agile project forecasts are also easy to understand and easy to…
In an effort to do more with less, most organizations take their best people and assign them to multiple projects. This approach rarely leads to high performing teams and actually…
Most organizations today are using Scrum or Agile in some capacity. Learn how to leverage the key relationships that agile leaders need to be effective. Success as an Agile Leader…
In my previous article, I argued that using a distributed team with the Scrum Framework was a bad idea and advised against it. There is sufficient information to show that…
Recent studies show that 3 out of 4 Software Development Teams using the Scrum Framework are distributed, meaning that at least some of the team members are not in the…
Last month I wrote about bad Scrum and other abuse of the Scrum Framework. One of the common abuses that I see in organizations using Scrum is that they don't…
Most leaders would claim that they want high-performing teams but many of them don't know what it takes to create them. In some cases, leaders actually behave in ways that…
We’ve all seen it - Scrum Gone Bad I think we have all seen Bad Scrum and misuse of the Scrum Framework. Sometimes Scrum started out good with a solid understanding of Scrum,…
Inevitably, when working with organizations and helping them move from Waterfall to the Scrum Framework, there is a lot of confusion about the Scrum Master role. One of the most…
The new Scrum Guide, the definitive reference for the Scrum Framework, is out. As of November 7, Scrum co-creators Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber published an updated version of the Scrum Guide.…
Between Santa Claus, Big Foot and the Agile Project Manager, which exists? Few people argue for the existence of Big Foot or Santa Claus, though most believe that Agile Project…
One of the most underutilized tools in the Agile Leaders toolkit is the question. Asking great questions is a powerful way to lead and to nurture high-performing teams. Done well,…
A few months ago I had a conversation with a development manager whose teams had transitioned to Scrum earlier in the year. The development manager said he was really happy…
Looking for information on agile certification from PMI (PMI-ACP)? This post describes what it takes to get the PMI Agile certification. Depending on your starting point, you can probably get…
What is the Ideal Agile Team Size for High Performance? Are you wondering if your agile team is too big or too small, or what is the optimal team size…
PMI Produced a Guide to the Agile Methodology? Some of you may be surprised as I was to learn about PMI's 2017 collaboration with the Agile Alliance. The result was an…
Are you bewildered by the number of Agile and Scrum certifications and Agile Training courses offered today? Do you wonder what would be the best Agile certification or Scrum training…
A common question that participants ask me during my Agile training courses is what is the difference between Agile Transformation and Adoption. It's a great question. I see five key…
If you are planning an agile pilot or even a full blown agile transformation, a critical consideration is your Agile Training Plan. After all, people need to understand Agile and Scrum…
Last year I wrote Project Managers Don’t Get Agile for the ProjectManagement.com website. I also wrote The Myth of the Project Manager in Agile. As I have thought about it…
If you want high performing teams, allow slack time for learning and experimentation. This counterintuitive approach is a long term investment in people. Getting 110% From Our People One question…
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Are you looking for a one-page summary of Agile values and principles and the Scrum framework? Look no further. We've developed this one page summary and hand it out during…
I have a client that has been using Agile and the Scrum Framework for the last 3 years. Let me restate that, this client has been using A.I.N.O. (Agile in…
I recently had a participant tell me that my Agile and Scrum Training for Teams class was 1,000% better than he expected. Which I took as a great compliment, even though…
As an Agile Coach, I find an interesting paradox. While most people want my help to implement Agile, they also don't want to invest in Agile Training. It seems that…
Most everyone says they want high performing teams, but struggle with creating them. The 5th Agile Principle says to hire motivated people and empower and trust them. The opposite of…
Using the correct measurements is the key to success with agile approaches. If we don't know what we are trying to measure, how can we be successful? Don't Measure the…
I always thought that crew looked like a cool sport and I've admired crew teams. In crew, team members in lightweight boats, race to go as fast as possible. It…
Looking for resources to help you succeed with Scrum or another Agile Methodology? You’ve come to the right place. Bookmark this guide and leverage it for all questions you have…
I work with a lot of teams and help them to adopt Agile thinking and methods. While I am pretty passionate about Agile and many of the team members I…
Challenges with Agile and Scrum Do You feel like you are coaching uphill? Do you feel like the challenges with agile adoption are overwhelming you, and that you are alone…
Could Things Get Worse by Adopting an Agile Methodology? Most IT organizations today have adopted the Scrum Framework or another agile methodology. Some use Agile across the board and some…
An Agile Transformation is a program of organizational change that requires strong leadership to succeed. Those that want to resist the change can create agile transformation challenges. They do what…
People don't use the pigs and chicken metaphor in the Scrum Framework for Scrum Teams much anymore. I tend to agree with the reasons for avoiding it - it tends to…
I find that many of my clients today are trying to improve their use of the Scrum Framework. Many of them are missing out on the benefits of Scrum without…
Earlier this year I provided some good agile coach tips in my post, What makes an Agile Coach Effective. I talked about how agile coaches won't succeed if people aren't…
I've been an advocate for co-located teams for quite some time. I wrote about why you should not use Scrum with your distributed team, and how agile transformations can be…
I recently published the article below on the Project Management.com website (see Project Managers Still Don't Get Agile). The point that I was trying to make is that while there…
Blending agile and waterfall/predictive approaches to gain some form of hybrid agile is misguided and may lead to worse results than using either alone.
In my previous post, I talked about some of the ways that Agile leaders foster negative behaviors on agile teams by measuring the wrong things. The recent shenanigans at Wells Fargo serve…
Avoid Measurements that Inhibit High-Performing Teams Most leaders would say that they want to create high performing teams. Unfortunately, many don't see that the way that they measure, track and…
Dynamic Teams or Long-Standing Teams? If your goal was to create a high performing team, how would you go about it? Would you keep changing the team members or would…
Establishing High Performing Agile Teams There are some specific actions that you can take now to establish high performing agile teams. In my previous post on High Performing Teams, I…
Are you interested in creating high performing teams? Would you like to understand why some teams perform better than others, or to objectively evaluate the condition of your current team?…
Do you think that your organization is too large or too old to succeed with Agile and Scrum? Think again. This success story describes how Bank of America successfully transitioned…
Many Scrum Masters act as if their job is to keep all the tasks up to date in the online agile tool. They act like mother hens, constantly chirping about…
I've been exploring what makes an Agile transformation succeed as well as some of the challenges that can get in the way. Company culture is a big agile transformation challenge…
This is first in a series of posts about agile transformation challenges. Most organizations today have tried Agile approaches and the majority are finding them helpful. Unfortunately there are also a significant…
I was excited to read this recent New York Times Article describing research done by Google to determine the characteristics of their high-performing teams. In the Aristotle study, Google investigated the data…
Over the years of working with clients who are exploring agile and Scrum, we find many ask the same questions about developing an agile transformation plan. They want to develop…
Several years ago I had the opportunity to support a growing consulting firm to move from waterfall development to the Scrum Framework. It's been exciting to watch Highland Solutions learn,…
One of the most common conversations I’ve had with clients over the last few years is how to move from waterfall to Scrum. They want to understand the agile transformation…
To be an Agile PMO means that you need to understand agile and Scrum and speak to the language of the teams. Many PMOs insist on getting reports and updates…
I’ve been giving a lot of thought about what makes an Agile coach effective and how to improve my own effectiveness as a coach. Many or most of us probably…
In several previous posts I wrote about the retrospective which is a key event and perhaps the most important in the Scrum Framework. We explored how the retrospective doesn’t need…
Lately, I've been thinking and writing about project reviews and agile retrospectives. I explored why I think traditional lessons learned exercises are a waste, and several posts on how to…
The Agile Retrospective Over the last few months, I have been writing about how to improve team retrospectives. This has been mostly focused on Agile teams. Recently I've been asked…
As you have probably noticed by now, I am a huge fan of Agile approaches and ways of working. This post is about some of the key aspects of Agile…
This is part two in my series of posts about improving your retrospectives. As I mentioned in my previous post, the retrospective is a key part of the Scrum Framework…
The Purpose of the Scrum Retrospective In my last post, I talked about the Scrum Retrospective meeting and how the speed of the retrospective event was not the most important thing.…
Most people are aware of the retrospective meeting that is part of the Scrum Framework. It is a key improvement activity used by Agile and Scrum teams at the end of each…
The daily Scrum Meeting is the most frequent meeting in the Scrum Framework, making it important to be done well. There are some common patterns of problems with the daily…
Earlier this week I was facilitating a discussion on agile estimating at a Meetup. A question came up about whether or not the Product Owner of a team using the Scrum…
What are the top Agile Coach traits that great coaches should have? Today there are more and more individuals hanging out a shingle and calling themselves Agile Coaches. With good…
The second edition of my emotional intelligence book includes a new chapter, Success with Agile Teams. Anyone who has used Agile methods though will attest to the fact that leading Agile…
Most people have no idea how to motivate agile teams or create high performing teams. And even if you tell them, they don't seem to remember or care. I've had…
At a recent Agile Meetup, we talked about exit criteria for Agile coaching. Participants wanted to know how to determine when an Agile Coach is no longer needed. I flippantly…
How does an organization decide it is time to hire an Agile Coach? What are the indications that coaching is needed? This quick guide gives 8 indications that it is time…