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Hi all,
Well, we have done it again. The boys (Dominic - almost 8 and Kenton almost 5) spent this evening adding some audio comments to an older strip that was created last year.
If you’d like to see the original posting, please go to http://www.implementingscrum.com/blog/2007/09/04/scary-team-retrospectives-part-one/.
Remember, this is from the point of view of my children, who are awesome at talking about what daddy does in English that everyone understands.
To see the video, look below:
As usual, comments and emails are welcome.
Thank you.
- mike (and Dominic and Kenton) Vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
Hi all.
Well, I finally had the idea to try and see if posting any information or videos on YouTube.com would help us spread the word more about Scrum.
So, tonight I had my almost-eight-year-old son (Dominic) and I record a very low-tech version of the cartoon using some audio files and the “original” Chicken an Pig cartoon. Right now, it is mainly a test.
My son and I are willing to post a version of the cartoons with commentary by myself and him on an ongoing basis.
Is this worth our time? My son loves doing this and I think this can add some very new perspectives on Scrum and all we do.
Thoughts?
I’d love to hear your feedback. Please spread the word.
Here is the link to the video:
Thank you!
- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
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Interested in becoming a Certified Scrum Master?
Come to my next workshop!
This week we are covering a topic near and dear to a lot of people in the Scrum Community.
Retrospectives.
[Edited April 5, 2008] I added a youtube video of this cartoon with my two sons — Dominc and Kenton. Check them out here:
I have been wanting to write about this topic since day one of this site; however, it kept sliding down my product backlog.
Why?
Mostly out of respect for this topic and the people in the Scrum Community who add to this valuable technique. Namely Esther Derby, Diana Larsen, and Norm Kerth.
This is going to be at least a two part series — maybe three.
Today’s posting looks back at the “old” way a traditional post-mortem was completed.
Think back. Or look at how you may possible be doing them today.
At the end of a project, management may have declared a project “successful.” This can take many formats, including actually delivering working software; however, many times in my own past I have attended these for one reason and one reason only — to complete a “check mark” on some project manager tick sheet. For compliance reasons.
We quickly talk about “lessons learned.” And of course they get filed away into the project notebook (or whatever you use for compliance and auditing).
NEVER to be looked at again.
Gulp.
And.
The team knows the project was a complete disaster.
Management is flying high because a date was “met”.
In the background, they are slapping high-fives with their peers because their project burned through two marriages and one person left the company because they were totally pissed off.
I have seen this happen.
And.
It makes me sad.
In the meeting, everyone gets around to sing happy camper songs and congratulatory awards are handed out.
“Congratulations. Katie worked 100 hour work weeks until the end and pulled in through for the team. And Joe, well, without him, the project would not have been where it is today.”
And them some $25.00 gift cards are handed out.
“Good job,” says the manager.
And.
The team is totally demoralized.
They know the product they delivered was not up to their own personal standards.
They know the product shipped with many bugs (but, because compliance says a product cannot ship with “severity one” bugs, mysteriously the night before all those pesky things were “downgraded” to a two or three — “Wahoo,” say the managers, “We shipped without any high severity bugs!”
Gulp.
So.
It may not be that bad where you work.
Unfortunately, I have seen this — sometimes many times.
And then people leave that project team to start a new project all over again. And guess what? They do the same thing again.
People become numb to the process.
People stop learning.
And.
It happens with both traditional waterfall teams and Scrum teams.
Today.
Is it happening with your team?
In the next part of this series, I am going to give you some solid techniques for dealing with this part of the process.
And not just “deal” with it.
But.
Make is a positive experience for everyone.
And.
Help improve your team and its interactions.
Sound like a dream?
At least it will not be a scary one.
There are things out there to help you.
Really!
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Welcome to the inaugural cartoon on www.implementingscrum.com. Since the original publication of this cartoon series (starting September 11, 2006) I have made a few updates to the content of this page.Nothing has materially changed since we started the series; if anything, I hope it adds clarification to the overall content! This story is the first in an ongoing series to help explain what Scrum “is.”
And.
What Scrum “is not.”
Will we get it correct all the time?
Probably not. And that is OK. The plan is for all of us to learn.
Your comments are always welcome.
So, why are we using a Chicken and Pig? The story depicted above, as weird as it is, helps me — and others — explain two of the main types of people in Scrum.
I am amazed that the Human Resource Departments of many companies I consult with have not shut down this example; it is probably only a matter of time. This is still the best example I know of to explain the roles, and this is what our cartoon series reflects.
The basic premise of the Chicken and the Pig can be seen from the cartoon example above.
Here is an easy definition of the Chickens versus Pigs.
A Pig is someone who has skin in the game. Mike Cohn aptly refers to the people in that role as, “Having their Bacon on the line.”
Pig roles are considered core team members. Performers. People who “do” work.
Get it?
I would consider the roles of both Product Owner and the ScrumMaster to be pigs on a team.
A Chicken is someone who has something to gain by the Pigs performing, but in the end, really do not contribute day to day to “getting things done.” Their “eggs” are a renewable resource, and many get laid (eggs that is).
I get asked the following question by many people when starting to use Scrum:
“Can I be a Pig and Chicken at the same time?”
No.
You cannot be a Pig and a Chicken at the same time.
This is something I work with middle managers who struggle with this on a daily basis. The concept takes coaching, and constant [gentle] reminders that they cannot be a Pig/Chicken. I call this a Pigkin… and it is something you do not want to see in any organization!
A video commentary of this cartoon can be viewed here (it was posted February 16, 2008):
Meet the rest of our cast in this series!
We will examine this and other issues in this series, as this is fun to see happen (sometimes sad WHILE it is happening, but funny to imagine).
I do hope the simplicity of the cartoon above gets the point across. Remember it. It will serve us well in the journey ahead.
Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here. You can also enter The Forum to discuss this cartoon and other Scrum topics.
Thank you!
Originally Published:
September 11, 2006
Updated:
May 1, 200
October 23, 2007
February 16, 2008 (with Video)
More:
November 29, 2006