The Agile Daily Standup - AgileDad

3 Key Lessons From My First Product RoleMy first product role shaped how I lead. I learned about true ownership, deep business impact, and competition that goes beyond features. Working with a visionary CEO in a product-led company taught me lessons that still guide me. PMs, are you embracing these to drive real impact?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/

A few years ago, I was in a business review meeting with my team, looking at charts and reports that showed how our business was doing. The numbers didn’t look good, and as everyone around the table shared their thoughts, it became clear that no one agreed on what to do next. There were a lot of ideas, worries, and quick fixes — but not much clarity.I realized then that my job wasn’t just about making decisions; it was about seeing the bigger picture, noticing patterns others might miss, and guiding the team through the confusion. That’s when I understood what makes a leader truly strategic.Being a strategic leader isn’t just about having a vision or setting goals. It’s about building a set of skills that help you see changes before they happen, connect the dots, and lead your team through uncertain times.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 Firm a Foundation... 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/

Three Ways to Handle Unfinished Work - Mike CohnOver the past three weeks, I’ve been sending you tips about spillover on agile teams. We’ve talked in depth about the problem of habitual spillover—when a team routinely rolls unfinished work forward from sprint to sprint.This week, I want to share 3 ways to handle the unfinished work that will occasionally be left over by even a great agile team. 1. If You Want a Guarantee, Buy a ToasterMy first bit of advice for how to handle unfinished work is to remember that even the best agile teams sometimes miss their goals. That’s OK and even desirable to a certain extent.Sprint goals are not guarantees. (As Clint Eastwood’s character Nick Pulovski says in The Rookie, “If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster!”) Leaders, stakeholders, and even the team themselves might need an occasional reminder about this.A team’s commitment to a sprint goal is a promise to do its best to achieve that goal. If team members are perpetually forced instead to make a guarantee, they will guarantee less in order to be safe.Sometimes a team needs to make a guarantee. There might be times when a client or customer needs a capability by a certain date. The finance group may need to run year-end reports in early January, for example.In general, though, we don’t want to force a team into a guarantee. We ask a team to commit to something reasonable and then we’re understanding if they miss it. Falling short on the occasional commitment is not a failure-–it’s usually a sign of bad luck or a team that’s striving to do too much. 2. Don’t Roll Work Forward AutomaticallyMy second bit of advice is to resist the urge to automatically roll over the unfinished work into the next sprint. Put it in the product backlog instead.The item may be back on the product backlog for a millisecond, but there should be a conscious decision by the product to continue work on it.(Logistically, I don’t care if it’s easier in your tool of choice to move the item to the next sprint rather than to the product backlog first. The key is that there is a decision to continue the work.)If the product owner decides the team should work on the partly finished item immediately in the next sprint, bring in the product backlog item as is. Don’t re-estimate it. Don’t rename it. Don’t take partial velocity credit. Just bring the item into the next sprint and take the full velocity credit when it’s complete.But if the item is deferred for later, go ahead and split the story into what makes sense. Take partial velocity credit for the work you completed last sprint, then write a new story that describes only the missing functionality and estimate that story. 3. Document the CauseMy final bit of advice for dealing with unfinished work is this: Whenever work is unfinished at the end of a sprint, the team should take time in the retrospective to consider whether it was preventable.Sometimes unfinished work is just bad luck or bad timing, such as a team member being ill or a problem being found late in the sprint that could not have been found earlier. Sometimes it’s just the result of aiming too high for one sprint.But you might uncover something that is becoming a bad habit.Whatever the cause, it’s always worth considering whether something can be done to prevent it from affecting future sprints so that your team can 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/

The discussion explores the evolving role of Scrum Masters and Agile coaches as skepticism towards Agile methods rises. It highlights the increasing necessity for these professionals to enhance their skills in technology and change management. As organizations adopt Agile, the promise of flexibility and faster delivery remains enticing, yet the landscape is shifting. It's a compelling examination of whether the days of carefree Agile transformations are coming to an end.

Delve into the often overlooked aspects of Scrum that can make or break its effectiveness. Explore key misunderstandings in implementation, like the importance of product backlogs and sprint goals. Discover how leadership influences a productive learning culture within Scrum. Uncover the challenges developers face and the misconceptions that arise from misapplying the framework. This engaging discussion sheds light on improving teamwork and harnessing the true potential of Agile methodologies.

Discover how dependencies can sabotage agility and predictability within organizations. Uncover the critical financial reasons behind agile adoption, such as increasing delivery speed and project timing. Learn about the role of cross-functional teams and T-shaped members in overcoming challenges. Gain insights on managing dependencies effectively to boost workflow efficiency and team dynamics.

7 Tips To Read Someone’s Personality in 10 SecondsPeople think it takes ages to really figure out what someone’s about, like you need to sit with them through a few heartbreaks, swap childhood trauma stories, maybe even get caught in a road trip disaster together.Nah.Give it ten seconds, maybe even less if they’re the loud, obvious type, and you’ll get everything you need to know.And this isn’t about “vibes” or whatever people say when they don’t actually know what they’re talking about. This is straight-up psychology. Well, mostly. Some of it is just paying attention and comment sense.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/

Discover six daily habits to supercharge your effectiveness as a Scrum Master. Start every day with a quick review to set intentions. Lead engaging daily scrums that inspire team collaboration. Make time for crucial one-on-ones to foster relationships and keep communication flowing with stakeholders. Embrace continual learning for personal and professional growth. Finally, reflect and plan for tomorrow to stay ahead of challenges.

Explore the common misconceptions surrounding the role of the Product Owner in Scrum. Learn why believing they 'own' everything leads to failure. Discover four key behaviors to avoid and the significance of collaboration within Agile teams. Emphasize the shift to a servant leadership mindset that propels team dynamics and success. This insight is essential for anyone looking to enhance their Agile practices!