The Agile Daily Standup - AgileDad

Agile is a lot of things. It’s a method for delivering products, but it also has applications in many other industries. And In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment, agile has become a necessity for organizations that want to remain competitive and successful. Agile is an iterative approach to project management and software development that promotes collaboration, communication, and the ability to quickly adjust to changing requirements. It is based on a set of principles that emphasize quick delivery, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement. With its focus on continuous learning and adaptation, agile has quickly become a cornerstone of many organizations’ operations and an essential tool for project managers and developers. As organizations continue to embrace agile, it is becoming increasingly clear that it is indeed a necessity for businesses in the modern world. 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/⁠

It feels like every Friday brings another announcement of layoffs at some of the bigger tech firms in America.It affects me as the owner of a small business that depends on clients in those companies. I have to pay attention, and make moves to respond to changing market conditions in a way that makes sense for my organization.But it likely affects many of you as individuals as well. You have to pay attention to your company’s financial health and be prepared to respond when things change.So it got me wondering, how do we inspect and adapt (on a personal level) to the changing circumstances that surround our jobs?Luckily for me, I work with some amazing agile coaches and trainers. And two of them, Brian Milner and Scott Dunn, tackled this very question on a podcast as part of the larger topic of how organizations respond to tough economic times.I want to share a couple of my takeaways with you.Scott gave this advice: Before you even think about a new role or a new company, start with an honest self-evaluation.  What are you passionate about? What makes you want to get out of bed in the morning? What are you good at? Where do you shine? Where are your weak spots? In which areas do you need to grow? Then, Scott added, in a job interview or when networking, be ready with stories about how you have applied what you are passionate about in your work and on your team. If you think about them beforehand, those stories will come easily to you. And they’ll give people the confidence they need to take a chance on hiring, recommending, or promoting you.Also, find ways to shore up your weaknesses—now, before the next job opportunity comes your way. What can you study, which incremental improvements can you make, who can mentor you so that you proactively address those places where you need to improve?Come to think of it, that’s good advice even when the economy is going well. Always be evaluating how you can lean into your strengths and improve your blind spots. Honest self-inspection will help you succeed in your career 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 Freedom Ring On April 19, 1775, the “shot heard round the world” echoed far and wide from Concord Massachusetts throughout the Colonies and Europe, finally culminating some fourteen and ½ months later in a final - earth-changing resonance - with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. A conclusion and a new beginning, all at the same time. 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/⁠

NOBODY Listens to UX... The results were, let’s say, less than favorable. Now, they were attempting to reboot the product in a direction that, coincidentally, aligned with the original proposal from the UX team. “Nobody listens to UX,” she told me. I thought about that for a long time after our conversation. I thought about how I had experienced similar situations. I’ve even said the same thing myself a number of times in my career. What does it really mean to be heard? 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/⁠

10 Traits To Help You Attract Positive People Authenticity A Positive Attitude A Discipline of Inquiry Kindness And Empathy Boundaries Open-Mindedness Authentic Connections A commitment To Self-Improvement Gratitude Vulnerability 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/⁠

Should The Product Owner Be In The Retrospective? - YES!! Below a list of what is the Product Owner’s role in the retrospective: share his/her thoughts about the sprint performance brings customer perspective brings management overview outside the team feedback and perception shares the vision corrects misunderstandings emphasize on the why behind the what 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 ScrumMaster is a servant-leader for the Scrum Team. The Scrum Master exists to serve the team, puts the needs of the team first. This with the firm belief that you get the best out of people when you empower them. A Project Manager is responsible to meet the project objective. Within Scrum there is no such role for a Project Manager. The role that comes closest is the Product Owner, who should maximize value from the product. One of these exists in Scrum, the other does not... :) 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/

10 Tips For Creating Agile Product Roadmaps 1 Focus on Goals and Benefits Whenever you are faced with an agile, dynamic environment — be it that your product is young and is experiencing significant change or that the market is dynamic with new competitors or technologies introducing change, you should work with a goal-oriented product roadmap, sometimes also referred to as theme-based. Goal-oriented roadmaps focus on goals or objectives like acquiring customers, increasing engagement, and removing technical debt. 2 Do the Necessary Prep Work Describe and validate the product strategy — the path to realize your vision — before you create your roadmap and decide how the strategy is best implemented 3 Tell a Coherent Story Your product roadmap should tell a coherent story about the likely growth of your product. Each release should build on the previous one and move you closer towards your vision. Be clear who your audience is: An internal product roadmap talks to development, marketing, sales, service, and the other groups involved in making your product a success; and external roadmap is aimed at existing and prospective customers. 4 Keep it Simple Resist the temptation of adding too many details to your roadmap. Keep your roadmap simple and easy to understand. Capture what really matters and leave out the rest by focusing on the goals. Keep the features on your roadmap coarse-grained and derive them from the goals. The details, including the epics, user stories, scenarios and UI designs, belong in the product backlog and not on your roadmap. 5 Secure Strong Buy-in The best roadmap is worthless if the people required to develop, market, and sell the product don’t buy into it. The best way to create agreement is to collaborate with the key stakeholders to create and update the product roadmap. This allows you to leverage their ideas and knowledge and creates strong buy-in. Running a collaborative roadmapping workshop is a great way to engage everyone and create a shared product roadmap 6 Have the Courage to Say No While you want to get buy-in to from the key stakeholders, you should not say yes to every idea and request. This would turn your product roadmap into a feature soup, a random collection of features. “Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It’s about saying no to all but the most crucial features,” said Steve Jobs. Use your vision and product strategy to make the right decisions. 7 Know When to Show Dates Some people recommend to never show dates on a product roadmap, others always include them. I recommend to use dates or timeframe on an internal roadmap that coordinates the work carried out by the internal stakeholders, such as, the development team, marketing, sales, and support. 8 Make your Roadmap Measurable When using a goal-oriented roadmap, ensure that every goal is measurable. This allows you to tell if you have met the goal or not. If your goal is to acquire customers, for example, then ask yourself how many new customers should be acquired; or if your goal is to reduce technical debt, determine how much of the bad code should be removed or rewritten. 9 Determine Cost Top-Down Whenever your product is new, young, or changing, I recommend that you do not attempt to determine the development cost bottom-up but rather top-down. It’s virtually impossible to derive the right epics and user stories from the roadmap features, get correct estimates from your team, and accurately anticipate the velocity and the rate of change in the product backlog. 10 Regularly Review and Adjust the Roadmap Last but not least: If the environment you’re in is agile, then change is likely to occur. You should therefore regularly review and update your product roadmap — between every four weeks to every three months depending on how young your product and how dynamic the market is. https://romanpichler.medium.com/10-tips-for-creating-an-agile-product-roadmap-515637c8081b

There are many things that we are encouraged NOT to talk about at work. Bruno should NOT be one of them! It is vital that we understand the intent behind hidden agendas in order to best address how we consume work and keep the stakeholders happy! Some conversations are indeed worth having.

Expressing gratitude in kind and genuine ways can strengthen relationships and foster a positive environment. Here are three of the kindest ways to express gratitude: Sincere Verbal Appreciation: Simply expressing your gratitude verbally can have a profound impact. Take the time to personally and sincerely thank the person for their kindness, support, or contribution. Be specific about what you appreciate and how it has positively affected you. Use phrases like "Thank you so much for..." or "I am truly grateful for..." to convey your gratitude. A warm smile and eye contact can further enhance the sincerity of your expression. Handwritten Note or Letter: In this digital age, a handwritten note or letter stands out as a personal and thoughtful gesture. Take the time to write a heartfelt message expressing your gratitude. Be specific about what you are grateful for and how the person's actions have made a difference. Share your genuine feelings and the impact their kindness has had on you. Hand-deliver or send the note via mail to create a delightful surprise for the recipient. Acts of Kindness: One of the kindest ways to express gratitude is by reciprocating the kindness or paying it forward. Show your appreciation by performing an act of kindness for the person. It could be as simple as offering to help them with a task, surprising them with a small gift or treat, or providing support when they need it. These acts of kindness demonstrate your gratitude in action and create a positive cycle of generosity and goodwill. Remember, expressing gratitude should come from a genuine place of appreciation. Tailor your expressions of gratitude to the individual and their preferences, and always ensure that your gratitude is heartfelt, specific, and meaningful. 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/⁠