Agile Coaches' Corner

Rich Hundhausen, co-creator of Nexus Framework, delves into scaling Scrum. Integration Team's role, event characteristics, and delivering value are key. Nexus Team ensures Scrum adherence, no hands-on work, focuses on coaching. Integration Team addresses dependencies not integration directly. Nexus Sprint Planning emphasizes collaboration, daily scrum for real-time info flow. Challenges of agility adoption and importance of communication discussed. Nexus Sprint Retrospective for inspecting and adapting processes. Collaboration, working increment delivery, and continuous learning highlighted for scaling Scrum.

Rich Hundhausen, co-creator of Nexus Framework, discusses scaling Scrum in a multidisciplinary organization. He emphasizes starting small, the role of product owner, and the importance of clear sprint goals. The episode explores challenges of dependency, introduces the concept of 'exoskeleton,' and emphasizes cross-team refinement in a scaled Scrum setting.

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by Erik Lindgren to discuss scope creep, a term that everyone working in software development knows well. The expression refers to adding further features or functions of a new product, requirements, or work that is not authorized.   In this episode, they dive deep into the challenge of managing timelines and budgets and how frequently a Team can find itself off-track, which is undoubtedly an uncomfortable position. Erik, Dan, and Justin discuss the importance of prioritizing properly, including possible improvements and requirements. Scope creep can be a learning opportunity waiting to be embraced by the Team!   Key Takeaways Scope Creep in an Agile environment: In an Agile setting, new ideas must be added to the backlog for them to be prioritized. Once in the backlog, it is necessary to decide whether it is a high priority or not. The stakeholder and client must know about the additional items so they can contribute to the Team in deciding what needs to be included and what can stay out. The involvement of the stakeholders can often be challenging for Agile Teams. What is the most valuable idea to be implemented now? The fact that some ideas are not prioritized at a particular moment does not mean they won’t ever happen; they can take place at a different time. Keeping open communication with stakeholders can sometimes be a challenge. Often, Teams don’t want to feel “exposed,” which is why they withhold certain information. Teams must share vital information with the customer; they can only tell what is essential for them. The “all or nothing” delivery threatens adequate time and budget management. A Team must focus on delivering new increments of value while balancing the inclusion of innovative features. Wanting to achieve everything on the backlog and additional items might be unrealistic; something must come out. Scope creep can be avoided with collaborative delivery. It can be a learning experience for the Team!   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!  

Agility expert, Dan Neumann joins Justin Thatil to discuss the meaning of Agile and its unique features. They explore creativity in Scrum, the importance of autonomy, inspecting and adapting the plan, and the value of an Agile mindset. The podcast also highlights the significance of simplicity and collaboration in Agile development, the need for speed to market and quality, embracing engineering practices, continuous improvement, and safe communication in Agile environments. The chapter closes with reflections on Agile in name only and celebrating diversity.

This week, Justin Thatil is joined by two of his Agile colleagues, Mike Guiler and Mariano Oliveti, to discuss the tiredness and frustration that can sometimes be caused by following the Agile process. Some organizations can even be convinced that Agile did not work for them; how can this wound be healed?   Key Takeaways Some organizations are sure that Agile didn’t work for them. Sometimes, these organizations tried some Agile ways but never started from the beginning. Was “moving faster” all the organization wanted? If you don’t adapt the values and behaviors, Agile will not be guaranteed to speed up the process. First, the organization needs to change its culture. These organizations might need to consider that Agile is a process, a hard process. Today’s transformations are different from what they were ten years ago. Benefits of Agile: Many organizations need help with accountability, while Agile proposes an excellent method to ensure it. Agile is a way of approaching organizations to figure out what they can do for them based on their current needs. Agile is the approach that assists an organization in transforming its culture into a long-lasting, durable one with self-managing teams that achieve the desired outcomes. Doing Agile vs. Being Agile: Doing Agile is about going through the motions and checking the boxes, but, for being Agile, it is critical to change the culture. There has to be a need for change in the Organization, otherwise, Agile would not work.   Mentioned in this Episode: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni   Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators, by Patrick Lencioni   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!  

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by an external guest called Rich Visotcky, President and Founder of Joint Insights, who is passionate about creating shared understanding. Rich is a Professional Scrum Trainer with Scrum.org.   In this episode, they explore the topic of cultural impact on transformation. We work in and for organizations that include several different cultures; this imposes challenges, resistances, successes, and opportunities to be seized, as well as other strategies to be used for better performance and communication while on the path of transformation.   Key Takeaways It is essential to know what is foundational for each company and how it has contributed to its success. Leadership can be the drive to success, but it is the culture that guides the Team to achieve its goals. The first step for transformation is to find what the organization truly values. Making changes doesn’t mean losing who we are. Sometimes, it is necessary to take risks. The fear of doing something wrong can keep a Team from trying new paths. Self-management cannot be prioritized at the expense of accountability. Self-management does not mean anyone can do whatever they want. A Team needs boundaries (but not too many). A Team’s success can be found in the balance between self-management, accountability, and well-executed boundaries. Changes need to be aligned. Leaders must communicate why the changes are important and back them up; they must often highlight what they are working towards. The company’s values must be used and reminded throughout the entire change path. There can be two or three simultaneous initiatives to avoid confusing people with many variables. Conflict is inherent to the process. Attributes for a company to be truly Agile: Cooperation. Speed of decision making. Engaging in Trials. Empowerment. Technology adoption. Simplicity. Knowledge sharing. Innovation focus.   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!  

This week, your host, Dan Neumann, is talking about a prominent topic: are the times of remote working about to end? Today, he is solo hosting this episode to assist you in navigating this new trend and successfully surviving these changes.   In this episode, Dan discusses hybrid work and the trend of returning to in-person work. He shares some strategies to help Teams thrive in this new work scenario. Things are changing rapidly in this evolving landscape, and several companies require their staff to return to the office; listen to this episode and get some valuable ideas on adapting and succeeding in this ever-changing world.   Key Takeaways The pandemic brought the remote working environment as a solution to many problems. For many companies, remote working was not a choice; it was a matter of business survival. Some benefits of remote working are time and money savings, freedom, and flexibility. Also, companies can attract more talent remotely. The ability of companies to innovate was hindered by remote work. Tips to work better in a hybrid environment: The benefits of a hybrid working environment are the flexible location to perform a job and the possibility of choosing which hours someone would decide to work. These aspects imply both synchronous and asynchronous communication. There can be a communication barrier between the in-work and remote workers; more spontaneity occurs in the office. Lacking non-verbal cues of remote communication can affect its effectiveness (video can help, but it is undoubtedly less accurate than in-person communication). Remote work promotes more isolation, less communication outside of the direct work area, and fewer additions of new members to Teams. Being onsite increases the opportunity to connect more to people in general, including those not strictly in our areas of expertise. There is a need to establish explicit Team norms (Make them visible!). When hybrid communication occurs in a Team, you must explicitly make room for the remote worker. What are your Team’s agreements regarding responding to messages? Good calendar hygiene is a factor that enables good remote communication. Communicating clearly how a decision will be made can be challenging in a hybrid working environment. Decisions are not made arbitrarily; ensure what will be decided and how. Use mirroring for collaborating with the Team.   Mentioned in this Episode: Business Insider: “The remote work era may be coming to an end — if companies can afford to keep their offices open” “How Remote Work Affects Our Communication and Collaboration”   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!  

Quincy Jordan, an Olympic Athlete, and Pamela Dukes, an Agilist, discuss the intersection of professional sports and Agile. They share lessons from their athletic careers, emphasizing consistency and team support. The Scrum framework mirrors the structure of college athletics. They also discuss the negative impact of relying on a single person and the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Finally, they explore the changing roles and evolution in the Agile industry.

This week, Dan Neumann and Justin Thatil are joined by Misi Eyetsemitan. In this episode, they discuss the future of Agile, the advantages and challenges they see, and how far the Agile Methodology has come in the last two decades since its origins when it was created to achieve better and more efficient software development.   Listen to this episode and learn more about where Agile is going.   Key Takeaways The Agile Manifesto was not created rigidly but was open for future updates. Agile evolves powered by the problems that exist today. The execution of Agile will remain applicable in the future. In the future, Agilists will have to revisit the basics of Agile. Future Agilists will have to know why they have chosen Agile and why they are leveraging Agile. Agile is never the solution but brings organizations to the solutions they seek. Agile requires to have a transformative mindset. What are some challenges in the future of Agile? It will depend on the response of the Agilists. Agile is not a one-size-fits-all kind of methodology. The principles of Agile can be applied in various ways to tackle different problems. Measuring the value an Agile Team delivers is still a challenge. The key is to keep the focus on value. There are many ways to quantify value delivery. It is difficult for organizations and Teams to identify the metrics to measure what success looks like. The future of the diversity of Agile Teams: Agile Teams will continue to be more diverse. Diversity will also be needed to solve more complex issues.   Mentioned in this Episode: Learn more about Systemic Coaching Check the courses offered by the International Federation of Coaches   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!  

This week, Dan Neumann and his co-host Justin Thatil are joined by Hal Hogue, who has transitioned from an Agile Coach position to a Managing role and today shares the features of such a shift.   In this episode, Hal discusses his journey from working with managing engineers to becoming one of them. He mentions the particularities of both of these roles, the overlaps between them, and how these positions can work together to advocate for Agility and fast flow.   Key Takeaways What are Agile Coaches? The Agile Coach is a leader (just like the Manager). Agile Coaches are focused on letting others grow (individuals or Teams). Agile Coaches also serve as teachers. Coaches teach the true meaning of being Agile by living the values and principles specified in the Manifesto. Agile Coaches are change agents, helping organizations avoid becoming stagnant. The manager role is not defined in the Scrum Guide, but that does not mean it cannot exit. Manager accountabilities: A Manager’s first responsibility is to know about the people part of the Team. A Manager needs to know what motivates the Team and their aspirations. It requires a lot of active listening and asking questions. A Manager should set clear expectations and roles for the Team. The Team should clearly know the reasons why they do their jobs. There is a critical relationship between the Engineering Manager and the Product Owner. These two roles need constant communication, aligning goals not only for the product but also around quality. A Manager should not decide things for the Team but should take essential matters to the Team and let them be part of designing the solution by giving them options and tools; this requires a lot of trust in both directions. Managers can help with impediment escalation or performance issues. The Engineering Manager and Product Owner is a critical relationship, as well as the Manager and Agile Coach or Scrum Master. A leader must be a coach and a servant leader for the Team but also for the Product Owner. A Coach can help a Manager understand what Agility is, its principles, and its values.   Mentioned in this Episode: Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow, by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais   Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to Podcast@AgileThought.com or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!