The Agile Daily Standup - AgileDad

The podcast discusses the purpose and structure of the daily scrum meeting in Agile, emphasizing the importance of setting goals, adjusting unplanned work, and providing progress updates. It highlights the benefits of daily scrums, such as improved communication and quick decision making. The chapter delves into the definition provided in the Scrum Guide 2020 and explores the dynamics of the daily scrum meeting.

Is There Ever a Good Time For Multiple Product Owners? According to the scrum guide, there should be one product owner who is in charge of the product vision and decides what to do, to create a better product (Not how to do it!) The Scrum Guide states: “The Product Owner is one person, not a committee.” Yet, in some environments companies build products that are so complex and big that they need multiple teams to get the job done. For these situations the Scrum Guide states: “If Scrum Teams become too large, they should consider reorganizing into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams, each focused on the same product. Therefore, they should share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, and Product Owner.” Contradictory to these suggestions, I observe that several companies feel the urgency to have multiple product owners for these situations. (They often argue that they “inspected and adapted” and in their case it is a necessary step to make Scrum work.) Let me share my thoughts on that. 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/⁠

Demystifying The Top Five Forms of Bias: Affinity Bias Affinity bias means we like people who are more like us. So, if I meet a woman in her early sixties from the south of England who works in HR, I’ll be inclined to like her. Affinity bias is triggered by anything which makes the other person seem ‘like us’. You might not think much of Sunil from Marketing until you find out he’s a keen fisherman, just like you. So, background, culture, shared history, hobbies, or other preferences can trigger affinity bias. At work: Watch out for affinity bias clouding your judgment, or anyone else’s, about who should get that raise, promotion, training, or other opportunity. Anchor Bias Anchoring bias gives more credence to the first piece of information we receive, which is why first impressions are so important. A real estate salesperson would use anchor bias to set a high initial price for a home. All other negotiations relate to this first price; the lower the final price, the lower the perceived discount and the greater the perceived bargain. Anchoring bias is used in salary negotiations too. If you’ve got through the interview stage and are starting to talk money, an organization may have the upper hand if they speak about a number first. That first number will anchor all negotiations around the salary. At work: Look at the facts, identify the first anchor, and evaluate whether it makes sense. Actor-observer Bias This bias is a form of attribution bias. It means we judge our behavior differently from the behavior of others. We attribute our behavior to external causes (I hit the other car because the weather was wet, the road slippery, and it couldn’t be helped), but other’s behavior to internal causes (the other car hit me because of bad driving). If you’ve ever challenged someone by saying, “But didn’t you do the exact same thing last week?”, you’ll usually get the answer, “But that was different.” At work: You attribute your lateness to the terrible traffic, whereas others would say you are disorganized or didn’t leave on time. Authority Bias Authority bias places more importance on the opinions of more senior employees or someone of high status, such as a doctor. In the workplace, this could play out in recruitment, where a team member and manager conduct the interviews. The manager’s opinion is considered more accurate if it differs from the team members. I’ve also seen the manager’s opinion of staff members affect how the organization perceives them. A team member favored by their manager could have an excellent reputation despite their poor work ethic and substandard work. At work: If you are the leader, listen to your team’s views. They may defer to your opinion, even if it’s not accurate. Confirmation Bias This bias means if we believe something, we notice information that backs up our opinion and ignore facts that don’t. If you think your friend & colleague is a hard worker, you will notice when she does extra work or stays late. You won’t see that she has to do these extras because she is always talking or doing personal admin at work. You are unlikely to look for information that may change your opinion. You will also interpret information differently. You believe Susan is doing personal admin in work time because she has done all the extra hours rather than the other way around. Confirmation bias will also influence how you remember information. Not surprisingly, you remember facts that back up your opinion and forget the rest. At work: Consider your impressions of situations and people and examine the facts to see if confirmation bias is present. 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 The Top 5 Keys To Being a Better Listener? Being a good listener is an essential skill that fosters understanding, empathy, and connection with others. Here are five inspirational keys to becoming a better listener: Embrace Silence, Hear Wisdom: Practice the art of stillness and give others the space to express themselves. Silence is not an absence but a presence, a moment filled with potential understanding. Embrace the pause, and allow others to fill it with their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. See Through Others' Eyes, Feel Through Their Hearts: When listening, strive to understand not just the words but the emotions and motivations behind them. Listen with empathy, imagining yourself in the speaker's position, and seek to grasp the full essence of their message. This compassionate understanding creates a deeper connection. Be Present, Be Alive in the Moment: Put away distractions and give your complete attention to the speaker. Let them feel that, in this moment, there is nothing more important than understanding their thoughts and feelings. This full presence communicates respect and validates the importance of their message. Listen to Understand, Not to Reply: Many of us prepare our response while others are still talking, but true listening requires a suspension of judgment and a focus on comprehension. Let go of the urge to interject, solve, or advise, and instead, make it your goal to truly understand the speaker's perspective. Your insightful responses will flow naturally from this understanding. Reflect and Validate, the Mirror of Respect: Reflecting what you've heard and validating the speaker's feelings doesn't mean you have to agree with them. It's a way to demonstrate that you've really heard them and that their feelings are valid. This mirroring reinforces trust, respect, and a deeper connection. Incorporating these principles into your daily interactions can transform your relationships and foster a greater sense of empathy, understanding, and connection with those around you. The ability to listen is a gift you can give to others, and it often returns to you in the form of deeper, more meaningful relationships. 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/⁠

Top 5 Most Common Mistakes When Using Spikes Many people do not know how to properly use a spike or when to use one. In this episode we will reveal the top 5 mistakes individuals and teams make when trying to use spikes: Executing a spike long before you need it Not defining a clear spike outcome Doing spikes before considering to reduce scope Using spikes for immediate implementation details Performing a spike when many other things are unclear 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/⁠

In this episode we feature Agile Coach and Yoga Master Sarah Bayliff where she takes us on a journey to learn where, when, and how yoga and Agile Intersect! Enjoy! Namaste! 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 Best Days To Start Or End a Sprint Are NOT Monday and Friday! Here are the top reasons why: Friday Meeting Fatigue Mundane Monday Ramp Up Public Holidays Extended Weekends / Personal Holidays Meeting Room Space / Regular Cadence International Time Zones 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/⁠

Once, in an Agile Mentors live Q&A, someone asked me: How important is it for agile teams to define the specific problem that they’re trying to solve?I thought that was an interesting question. My initial response was to say that it is super important.As Yogi Berra said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.”So yes, often, it is important for a team to know which specific problem it wants to solve.Then again, as Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings said, “Not all who wander are lost.” I’m very open to the idea that when we start out a project we might not know the exact problem at first. We might wander around a bit before we discover it.Take game studios, for example. Game studios often divide their work into phases of pre-production and production. So if you’re observing teams working in a game studio, you will notice a change: the team goes from “We’re trying to figure out what we’re building” to “We know what we’re building, we just have to make more of it.” Maybe they need to add more levels or monsters to the game. At that point, they’re in production mode.But during pre-production, you’ll hear them use the phrase, “Find the fun,” meaning—what will be uniquely fun about this particular game that will make it valuable?That same thinking applies in business apps, except that we ask, “Where’s the value?” meaning, what will be unique about this product or feature that will make it worth creating?So I don’t think a team always needs to start off knowing the precise problem it’s trying to solve. Sometimes a team needs to explore the solution space to figure out the unique value. It’s important to do this quickly, though, to 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/⁠

Do you lead with Light and love? On of my very dear friends Michael Sahota asked a couple of REALLY powerful questions at the end of the Agile 2023 Keynote presentation given on July 26, 2023 by Bushra Amiwala. Her light was incredible but the wisdom shared my Michael was even more amazing! He acknowledged that current culture and a lack of education is leading us deeper and deeper into the "isms". He was quick to point out that sometimes the most impactful thing that you can do is stand by what you know to be true and let go of the isms. This is SUCH a profound statement. What can we do when we feel like the world is against us and how can we lead with light and love? 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/

People Pay For The Story.. - How Do We Focus On Outcome - Agile 2023 I love the story of the European tourist who loses everything but her passport and how well it ties into customers and customer relations! 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/