The Agile Daily Standup - AgileDad

September 11th - A Day of Remembrance It was VERY difficult to record this episode, just as it is each and every year. Please take the time to listen and focus on the best parts that came to us from this day of grief. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Building Bridges - The Story Behind the AgileDad Logo MANY people have questioned why we selected a bridge for the AgileDad Logo? Here is the story of how it came to be. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Introducing Jordan - SPECIAL Edition! Have you met Jordan? She is the latest addition to the AgileDad team and She is AMAZING!! Jordan was born and raised in Southern California before moving out to Utah where she attended the University of Utah. While there, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She has worked in project management for over 5 year and has worked on a variety of projects including construction and software development. She currently works as a product manager and helps organizations implement best practices for agile and SAFe. She holds a Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC), and is currently working towards her Master’s Degree at Boston College.  How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Retro of Retros - Is This Really a Retrospective Thing? In the whirlwind of fast-paced, agile environments, where sprint-to-sprint cycles often blur into one another, it’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of delivery. The sprint review is done, the retrospective is complete, and the team is off to the next sprint. But, wait — amidst the relentless march forward, have we ever paused to look back? To reflect on how we’re truly doing as a team? This article uncovers the power of “Quarterly Retrospectives,” a concept that offers teams a rare and vital opportunity to step off the sprint treadmill and engage in deep self-discovery. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Definition of Ready Should NOT be a Contract Although there should be no question that the Definition of Ready is a guide to a Scrum team to check if a work item is ready for them to start in the next Sprint, I found in many teams that it has been used as the contract to decide when the work can be handed over to the Scrum team. The team doesn’t understand that the backlog is just a list of ideas that may or may not be implemented. They treat the backlog as a different format of a committed requirements definition and expect all the details to be defined and documented so they just build it... How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

What Are Cascading OKR's and Do They Even Work? Cascading OKRs is a strategic goal-setting framework where high-level objectives are broken down and aligned across different levels of an organization, ensuring alignment, focus, and accountability throughout the hierarchy. The concept of cascading OKRs involves breaking down high-level objectives into smaller, more specific objectives and key results, which are then further cascaded down to individual teams and employees. Company Level OKRs (Top-Level OKRs): The process starts at the highest level of the organization, often with the executive team or senior leadership defining the company’s top-level objectives. These objectives are typically ambitious and strategic, reflecting the organization’s overall mission and vision. Department/Team Level OKRs: Once the company-level OKRs are defined, they are then cascaded down to various departments, teams, and units within the organization. Each of these units creates its own set of objectives that are aligned with and contribute to the achievement of the top-level objectives. These objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Individual Level OKRs: From the department or team level, individual contributors define their own OKRs that align with their team’s objectives. These individual OKRs should directly support the team’s objectives and, in turn, contribute to the achievement of the company’s overarching goals. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

How Do I Choose Between Waterfall or Agile? The first step is to know and understand what Agile Frameworks exist and how they are similar or different from each other. Next you identify and understand what makes a project Agile. Once you know what makes a project Agile, then you can dive deeper into each Agile framework before you choose. After you understand the frameworks, you can compare to the flow of traditional waterfall processes. Make a decision based on organizational culture, the type of work you are doing, and what fits best! It really is simple if you apply common sense thought process! How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/

Beyond The Mountains Shadow - Overcoming Obstacles How do you deal with and overcome personal and professional obstacles? Today we go on an adventure with Clara as she embarks on her life journey to climb Mount Espara. How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠ - [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠ - [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠ - [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/⁠

Debunking Common Myths About Agile Philosophy We’ve all come across a plethora of quotes that don’t accurately capture the true essence of agile. Many of these quotes are, in fact, misconceptions. Let’s debunk some prevalent myths surrounding the agile philosophy by providing clarifications based on agile practices, the Scrum guide, and personal experience. Myth 1: Agile Means No Documentation Myth 2: Agile Has No Planning Myth 3: Agile Means No Fixed Timeline Myth 4: Agile Doesn’t Do Upfront Analysis and Design Myth 5: Agile Targets to Deliver Features Faster Myth 6: Agile Is Chaotic and Unstructured Myth 7: Agile Allows Scope Changes Anytime Myth 8: Agile Removes the Need for Testing Myth 9: Agile Teams Can’t Provide Accurate Estimates Myth 10: Agile Doesn’t Require Frequent Customer Involvement Myth 11: Agile and Scrum are Interchangeable Terms Myth 12: Agile Is the Cure for All Problems Myth 13: Agile Is Better/Worse Than Traditional Methodologies Myth 14: Developers Get To Do What They Like Myth 15: Agile Means Less Discipline Myth 16: Daily Scrum Meeting is Same as the Status Meeting https://medium.com/@ramanbansal/debunking-common-myths-about-agile-philosophy-1d7afda7d820 How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠ - [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠ - [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠ - [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/⁠

Let's Talk About User Stories - Mike Cohn Tip # 1: Start with some definitionsA user story describes something a user wants. The story usually follows this template: “As a [type of user], I [want or need or am required to do this thing] so that [I can accomplish this goal].”An epic is a big user story. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.A theme is a collection of related user stories. Some people have introduced the term feature to mean a user story that is big enough to be released or perhaps big enough that users will notice and be happier.All of these definitions are only useful if they simplify discussion about the product you are developing. Tip #2: Add the Right Detail at the Right TimeLike Goldilocks and the bears, we don’t want items in the product backlog with too little or too much detail—we want detail that is just right.If a product owner writes a user story that includes too little detail, the developers won’t know enough during sprint planning to understand what to build. When excessive detail is included, the time and money spent adding that unnecessary detail is wasted.It’s unlikely a team’s product backlog will be detailed perfectly right off the bat. This means the team will likely have to iterate toward the right amount of detail.I find it much easier for team members to strike the right balance when they start with too little detail. So start by filling in the user story template with the bare minimum amount of product features and detail, and go from there.Tip #3: Learn the SPIDR Method for Splitting StoriesOne of the most common struggles faced by agile teams is the need to split user stories. I’m betting you’ve struggled with this, because I certainly did at first. That’s why I came up with an easy-to-remember acronym to detail the five different factors that might help you split a story. Spike, Path, Interfaces, Data, and Rules.I hope these tips help you and your team succeed with agile How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] ⁠https://www.agiledad.com/⁠ - [instagram] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/⁠ - [facebook] ⁠https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/⁠ - [Linkedin] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/⁠