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Hi,
Thanks for continuing to read the series this week about the ImplementingScrum Forum and the entries I’d like to highlight for you. Hopefully also you take the time to register as a member - it is FREE and I do not sell or rent your name or email address to anyone!
Good day.
The topic today is “Done” and what that means on a Scrum Team.
For those of you practicing Scrum today, think about how important this is.
For those of you who are not yet practicing Scrum today, remember when you start that it is a very important topic to discuss with each of your Scrum Teams.
Today we continue examining some of the postings and related comments at www.implementingscrum.com and the forum.
This entry is going to ask you to look at the topic, “Developer Done, or all done?“. Go ahead and take a look at it.
Any new ideas or comments you’d like to add to this topic?
You may also want to check out the following blog postings and comments related to this:
Done. Really?
Who’s Your Product Owner?
Welcome to Oz.
Thanks for continuing to read this — or welcome new people reading and subscribing to this forum!
- mike vizdos
Have a great day and thank you for your time.
- mike vizdos
www.implementingscrum.com
www.michaelvizdos.com
PS –> Want to join the Forum? Click here!
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Hi,
It sounds like people are getting some good value for their time (always a great thing!) while reading the ImplementingScrum Forum
I hope all is going well out there in your world today (or this evening, depending on where in the world you are!).
Today we continue examining some of the postings and related comments at www.implementingscrum.com and the Forum.
This entry is going to ask you to look at the topic, “Scrum vs. PMBoK“. Go ahead and take a look at it.
Thoughts?
You may also want to check out the following blog postings and comments related to this topic:
Wanted: Certified ScrumMaster.
Why are ManHole Covers Round?
More Fun Than Watching Paint Dry. Or Grass Grow.
Learn anything new or change your current perspective?
Please share it with us on the forum!
Thanks for continuing to read this — or welcome new people reading and subscribing to this forum!
- mike vizdos
Have a great day and thank you for your time.
- mike vizdos
www.implementingscrum.com
www.michaelvizdos.com
PS –> Want to join the Forum? Click here!
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Hi,
Thanks for the positive feedback I have received so far on the idea for this week. It is good to hear and see that people are interested and some are learning about the forum for the first time!
One of the most viewed threads on this forum is called, “Understanding Velocity“. It has some great information and questions / answers that help clear up (I think) the usage of story points for measuring velocity within a Sprint and for Product Backlog Planning purposes.
You may also want to check out the following blog postings and comments related to this topic:
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Over.
Scrum = Communication.
Ya Got to Know When to Fold ‘Em.
Burn Baby Burn.
Hope this is helpful and please feel free to add to this or other threads located at the forum.
Get involved!
Have a great day and thank you for your time.
- mike vizdos
www.implementingscrum.com
www.michaelvizdos.com
PS –> Want to join the Forum? Click here!
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Hi,
This week we are not publishing a new comic strip; instead, we are going to focus on some of the “real world” questions over in the forum at implementingscrum.com (http://www.implementingscrum.com/forum/). In addition to referencing some of the questions that have come up in the forum, I will link to some of the cartoons that reference the material in the forum postings to help people make the connection between the real-world questions and our real-life comic strips (smile).
Please also take note that the forum is a place where the community can ask and answer questions in an un-moderated format — and “all” the answers do not just come from “me” (there are other active members that can contribute). Also… I want to introduce you to a place where you can feel free to ask any questions related to Scrum — and use a powerful search component on the forum to look for more specific answers to questions that you may have.
I hope you enjoy the format this week and that we all (including me) learn even more about Scrum in the real world. It’s fun actually practicing this stuff in real life… but it can be a challenge sometimes.
If you are new here… or need a “refresher” on the Chicken and Pig story… go here (http://www.implementingscrum.com/blog/2006/09/11/the-classic-story-of-the-pig-and-chicken/)
Thank you!
- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
PS –> Want to join the Forum? Click here!
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Interested in becoming a Certified Scrum Master?
Come to my next workshop!
So. Last week I wrote about the atrocities I am seeing out there today in trying to fill new spots with the role of a ScrumMaster.
Wow.
It is amazing what people are doing.
As the comic strip above depicts, it is not always an easy thing to do.
So what should you be looking for in a new ScrumMaster — or someone to come in and coach some of your new Certified ScrumMasters?
One word.
Sorry… make that two.
“Fail Fast.”
This is something I have found as a trait that successful ScrumMaster candidates I have worked with show as a great attribute.
“Huh Mike?” you may be asking yourself.
Let me put it to you this way.
If you are interviewing some Super-Duper-ScrumMaster who appears to walk-on-water and always-has-THE-answer, can I give you a solid word of advice?
RUN!
Fast.
Or throw the candidate some stupid, off-the-wall question like they used to do (maybe they still do) over at Uncle Bill’s house of pain?
I consider myself a good ScrumMaster and Certified Scrum Practitioner and Certified Scrum Trainer. I work with many clients around the world on those thorny “Scrum Issues” and, in reality, I do not give them the answers.
Instead, I try to work with them to see if they can come up with their own answers.
Now.
Many of my prospects (or sometimes clients) do not like that way of working with me. They want me to come in like “Captain Obvious” and save the day.
Over time, I have learned this is not the best way for me to be effective.
Or.
Some teams do not like to have to “figure out” their own issues.
Some teams do not like how it feels to, “Fail Fast.”
And.
This concerns me.
If someone comes in spewing some Scrum Religion BS silver bullet theory — be very cautious.
If someone comes in with some war wounds and is humbled to be in your presence…. it may be worth a further look and more conversation.
This is only my opinion.
But I have seen it start to work in the real world.
Gotta run….Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.
You can also enter The Forum to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!
November 19, 2007
Hi all.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) I am finishing up a class on Agile Requirements in Philadelphia. It has been a great experience for me (today) and expect that the class will be a success when I leave tomorrow.
I will be headed to Arizona late tomorrow night to teach a CSM Workshop on Thursday and Friday; it is sold out and there will be a great mix of people in attendance.
Throughout today, and into tomorrow and the rest of the week — I commit to making sure that I do not “dog” traditional Project Managers but instead try to point out why anyone would have a hard time (sometimes) making the transition from traditional waterfall projects to more agile techniques.
This is something I blogged about yesterday in my current posting for the week.
One day at a time my friends and readers.
I will continue to let you know how it goes this week.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I appreciate all of your feedback and opinions!
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Interested in becoming a Certified Scrum Master?
Come to my next workshop!
One of the topics I see a lot (in fact, after Tony sent me the comic over the weekend, I saw a similar question on one of the yahoo groups) is, “What is the value of a Certified ScrumMaster?” I have written about the topic here (wow this is the most popular comic strip on the site!) and a summary of others here (and talked about it in person all around the world).
This is not just a question I see in the USA. This is worldwide.
Remember this!
And.
The other question I see coming from this is, “Do I need to hire a Certified ScrumMaster help me?”
This week the comic depicts what a lot of Chickens struggle with.
And Pigs.
And even newly Certified ScrumMasters.
Really.
And it is OK.
But. And you knew a “but” would be coming….
I want you to help me get the word out to the various people looking to hire a Certified ScrumMaster that it is not as easy as “just” placing an ad on one of the online job boards and hoping you will come up with the right person.
Huh?
Just to remind myself that I am not totally insane (just a little, as people who know me can attest), I went out looking on some of the more popular job boards and did a search on a few keywords — like “Certified ScrumMaster” and “Scrum” and for kicks I did a combination of “PMP (or PMI) and Scrum” in various combinations.
Ug.
It is scary what is out there today.
As I was reminded last week during a CSM Workshop I was teaching, I should not keep promoting the “divide” between traditional waterfall method Project Managers and Certified ScrumMaster roles.
It got me thinking.
Wow. I do this. And it is not a good thing.
So. I will try — and this will be hard for me (and think about it… possibly anyone in the agile community) to compare “traditional project managers” with “Certified ScrumMaster” roles.
It is easy to do.
Should we keep doing it?
No. As it was pointed out to me, this keeps the two “camps” separate on a lot of occasions.
Wow.
OK.
So.
Read the comic strip above.
Are you — and your HR or purchasing people (for contractors) doing the same thing today?
The sad thing is this instance is not made up (it is a mixture of various ad postings we see today).
Next week, I will dive a little deeper into the process of interviewing people for the ScrumMaster position.
And why this Certification is of value. Really… there is value in having it!
This week, while I am teaching and working with clients, I will make sure I stop making the distinction between “traditional project managers” and “Certified ScrumMaster” roles.
Can I do it?
How about this.
I will try.
And. I will ask for feedback during the workshops (and please send it to me!).
And.
Next week I will report on my progress AND tell you about various interviewing techniques for hiring a Certified ScrumMaster.
It may be a few more comics before we are “done” with this topic.
It has a lot to be examined.
Where are you with doing this today?
Gotta run….Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.
You can also enter The Forum to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!
November 12, 2007
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Interested in becoming a Certified Scrum Master?
Come to my next workshop!
More to the point — useless meetings.
You know the type. Let’s have a meeting to have a meeting to discuss what we talked about at our last meeting and review what we have not completed but might get done before we have the next meeting in a few weeks.
Ug.
Breath.
This idea started with an email my wife got from a friend last week that basically said, “I am in a meeting and want to stick a pencil through my eye.”
I know the feeling.
This familiar to you?
Then… I am reading one of the copies of CIO Magazine (specific link here) from when I was gone last month and….
Let me recap what Scrum and “Meetings” have in common (this is correlating an the “five tips” talked about in the brief article I read by Diann Daniel):
1) Schedule only when necessary.
OK. In Scrum, you have a daily standup meeting. Fifteen minutes max. This is your daily planning.
You also have a Sprint Review meeting — where your outside stakeholders can come and see what is happening — working software is preferred.
You also have a Sprint Retrospective — where you and the team work on things that went well, went not-so-well, and what specific few items you can work on improving in your next iteration.
2) Reduce the frequency.
So it may seem that Scrum has a lot of “meetings” to some people.
Hmmm.
These “meetings” should ideally start turning into how people do work together on a daily basis.
3) Create an agenda.
This one is easy.
Daily — The three questions. What have you done since yesterday, what are you going to do today, and what are your impediments.
Keep it simple.
4) Recap.
If there are impediments (things in your way)… the ScrumMaster is responsible for making sure the impediments get removed. This does not mean the ScrumMaster must remove them; however, it usually takes a ScrumMaster role to make sure that things are getting out of your way. One of the ways this gets accomplished is by working with the team in showing them how to remove their own impediments. Cool when it works.
5) Do the minutes.
So in Scrum (and agile in general) one of the items in the Agile Manifesto is, “Working software over comprehensive documentation.” To me, this means that you should not ignore the fact that risks (possibly impediments) need to be tracked in an organization (see my blog entry on compliance!). Remember though… do not overkill it. Do what is needed and move on.
When people are transitioning from “old waterfall” development techniques to this agile stuff (Scrum in particular), sometimes they have a hard time remembering that the old ways they did meetings were ineffective and gave people a bad taste in their mouths (translation: UGGGGGGG WHY AM I HERE?!@@?).
As a ScrumMaster, part of your daily workings with the team will involve them in talking to one another.
Some people call that “meeting.”
Time to get over it and start working together.
Getting some ideas of how to help get this working in your organization?
Gotta run….Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.
You can also enter The Forum to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!
November 5, 2007