Hi all,
Yesterday I thought I’d try something different and opened a “Scrum Challenge” with an open ended statement, “Scrum is…”
Wow, did you respond. Many comments came in connected to the blog entry (you can see the originals up to the date of writing this entry; however, I know there will be more! Others came in over Twitter.
I do love the Internet and my followers (all of you!!!). I thank all who participated. I may make this a regular event with different “Random” Scrum Challenge questions!
When starting the *random* open ended statement with, “Scrum is…”, here is a list of the responses:
- Pure Randomness (Twitter)
- Humane (Twitter)
- A project framework designed for efficient human communication
- A magic potion that heals leprosy and cures blindness
- what gets IT Done
- A framework with constraints on behavior that cause a complex adaptive system to self-organize into an intelligent state
- Not a way to solve your problems. It is a way to find what the problems are.
- Moving forward while running in circle
- Just another way of spelling “common sense”
- Not a silver bullet, but I will never run another project without it.
- The only way software should be developed!
- An ugly word (and deliberately so).
This is an awesome list from my readers about what their perception of Scrum is (and is not). I got this by asking a very open ended two word statement… “Scrum is….”
What has this list of peoples perception caused you to think about what Scrum is (and is not)? Do you agree or disagree with them all?
Now… How can you apply this on your Scrum Teams?
Think about the possibilities in your organization if you change around questions to an open ended statement, and then be quiet [shut up] and wait for the responses.
This is an effective technique I use when training new ScrumMasters and coaching existing teams.
My next question… Do you want to see something like this in the future?
I’ll ask a seemingly *random* question related to Scrum and then allow for about 24 hours to tally up the results — then give you (my reader!) a synopsis of the results AND how you can use what you have learned in this posting in your real world today.
This will not be the only posting type (you’ll still get cartoons, interviews, and guest postings too!).
Can this type of entry help you start some of the tough conversations about software development?
Please leave your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations in the comments section below this blog entry.
I appreciate it and am glad to be “back” doing this again…
Thank you!
- mike vizdos
…. umm. Gotta think of the right word.
How about this.
I am working with some other Scrum Trainers right now in preparing something that is so mind-blowing in our community that well, the repricussions may be felt around our little universe.
Really.
It is THAT big.
Our Sprint One on the project we are working on will be completed and ready to roll into Production — immediately following our first iteration — will be unveiled on January 5, 2009.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime.
Just as the journey to get us all here today has been fun — you WILL receive new tools and knowledge that has yet to be released into the wild.
Woot.
There will be a sign-up page for this coming soon.
So this list can continue concentrating on announcements and cartoons, while this new list will allow you to gain greater power, have better sex, and start changing the world.
OK.
So maybe not have better sex… but I always wanted to say that in a blog posting (smile).
More soon.
YOU ROCK!
Thank you,
- mike vizdos
Think about the last time you read a book.
Non-fiction? Fiction? It really does not matter.
And this book you read… what did you DO after you read the book?
Did you put it back on your book shelf?
Did you even finish it (smile — you see, *I* start a LOT of books!)
And there it gathers dust until one day… for some reason… you got the urge to pick it back up again.
Started at the beginning.
Or maybe a few pages back from where you left your bookmark.
And.
What did you learn after re-reading the same book again?
Anything?
Think. Really Think. [challenge ON my reader!]
Now.
What if you read a bunch of books on a topics after using Google to search for “Scrum.” [Note: Page 1 baby!]
And.
What if you read a bunch of cool blogs on the topic of Scrum (like www.implementingscrum.com or my personal site at www.michaelvizdos.com).
And.
Did nothing with that information.
Until.
One day, you took a class from someone experienced who tied together the real-life version with the book version of the topic.
Then.
You went back and read the “books” again.
What happened?
Was it the same experience or were you able to read it from a totally new perspective?
Please share via comments…. I am looking forward to continue learning with you!
Thank you,
- mike vizdos
Hi all.
I need your help.
Actually… my plans for 2009 depend on your input.
Wow.
Imagine a blank sheet of paper in front of you.
I am doing that now. Actually, it has been blank for a little while.
I am in analysis paralysis.
So.
Here is what I need from you….
My goal for 2009 is to show how Scrum works in the real world using a creative manner with real world people.
What would you do?
Zero constraints.
Well. One.
I am going to use Scrum to implement whatever I do.
I have some ideas brewing. Which I will share in this comment thread in a bit.
I’d like to hear your ideas.
Blank sheet of paper.
Go 
.
Please put your ideas in the comment section on this blog entry.
And spread the word about this for me.
My 2009 depends on it (smile).
In advance, let me say a sincere, “Thank you.”
And let’s see where it leads me…. Or us as a community.
- mike vizdos
Hi all,
Today I faciliated a 1/2 day experiential report about Scrum by using Scrum.
It was in Boston with an awesome group of about 36 people in attendance.
Nobody really knew other people in the audience prior to the meeting. Wow, how things changed using Scrum.
As usual, I put the trust in the team and they were mega successful.
Readers both on RSS and my awesome e-mail subscibers can both view the presentation at www.implementingscrum.com/sd.
E-mail readers — look familiar?
RSS Reader? You MAY really want to get subscribed via email so you can see some great content behind that presentation.
No.
The presentation was not just that powerpoint slide.
It was used to show what Scrum looks like at a high level.
Then.
We used Scrum to answer questions from the group about Scrum.
Huh?
If I can get a high speed connection tomorrow, I’ll send the updates to the page and notify you so you can see what happended.
Actually.. I have been taping a lot of exercise outputs.
Amazing patterns — and anti-patterns emerge.
Thought this was more important than a comic strip tonight.
Which, by the way I have on me (smile) and is ready to go.
But.
I thouht this information would help a lot of you out there.
Comments as usual are more than welcome.
Hasta Manana.
- mike vizdos
PS –> Think about the last time you read a book and then went through something like the book in real life. What happened? We’ll examine that tomorrow night with the comic strip. Sorry I know I could not keep you hanging all night. You’re welcome for the awesome foreshadowing (smile).
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