Avoid À la Carte Agile Approaches
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…
A Checklist for Using the Spotify Model
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…
Top 10 Most Common Mistakes Made When Establishing New Agile Teams
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…
It’s “Almost Done”
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…
My Favorite Agile Illustrations from Henrik Kniberg of Spotify Fame
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…
There Is No Spotify Model for Scaling Agile
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 Impact of PMI’s Acquisition of Disciplined Agile
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,…
Story Points – Love Them or Leave Them?
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…
What is Hybrid Agile?
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.
Fake Agile is a Real Thing
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…
9 Pitfalls of Using Agile Tools
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…
Agile Practice Guide
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…
Downloadable Agile Principles & Scrum Tip Sheet
Are you looking for a one-page summary of Agile principles and the Scrum framework? Look no further. We've developed this one page summary and hand it out during our agile…
How do you Measure the Effectiveness of Agile Approaches?
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…
Your How-To Guide For Success with an Agile Methodology
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…
We Are Using Agile – Why Are Things Getting Worse?
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…
How to Succeed with Hybrid and Blended Agile Approaches
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.
10 Questions an Agile PMO Should Ask Agile Teams
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…
How to Remove Fear and Blame from Your Project Reviews
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…