Hi.
[This is a message from the heart / full transparency "on" / and not specific to Scrum --- more of the "State of the Site at www.implementingscrum.com and, "Where do we take it in the future...."]
Last week I asked a specific question that I have received a ton of feedback as of today (thank you to everyone who responded).
For people who have been regular readers of this blog for a while, I hope you can tell that I am constantly “creating” this site using feedback from you — inspecting and adapting — eating my own dog food as it were. For new readers, please expect this trend to continue.
If you have not noticed… I have removed all google advertising from the site; per feedback from you I thought this would be best (even though it was a car payment [plus] a month in revenue!).
And, the site as it stands today (and in the future) the blog entries and comics will continue to be “free” (just your time, which I appreciate) in the future.
Please continue to tell your friends and teams around the universe about this site (thank you). If you have not done so already, now is a great time (smile).
As you may not realize, I own a company (Vizdos Enterprises, LLC) and work around the world helping clients Implement Scrum at all levels in hundreds — at this point probably over a thousand — of locations.
I am also a Certified Scrum Trainer (one of less than 50 in this great Universe) and spend a lot of time on the road doing the CSM Workshops (although it is not my main revenue stream).
I will be in more than 30 cities in the USA between now and the end of the year.
And I have some plans to head overseas too.
Lots of travel. And that is what is just currently booked.
I need to update both the Scrum Alliance site with these new dates, along with my public google calendar.
Be sure if you are in the USA I should be arriving to a city near you!
I DO have a family and one of my personal goals is to start to cut back on travel again.
My five and eight year old boys are growing up. And… for anyone who travels extensively… you know how this works. If you are interested in doing what I do, we can talk about the pros and cons anytime!
This is where I need you (sorry for the long intro… but this is like having a one way conversation!).
The results of the “voting” for more blog entries were positive. Both as they stand today and in more video/audio formats.
And, starting next week you will start to see different flavors of them being produced more often (maybe more than Dominc (my oldest son) and I doing youtube videos.
There will be other avenues and distribution channels over time.
Again… inspect and adapt.
The comic strips and blog entires about those comic strips will continue to be free.
This next part is not a sales pitch — it is to gain serious interest (although you may consider it a pitch).
I am starting a “Premium Content” area of the site.
Ah.
That means dinero/cash/euros/whatever out of your pocket (or your company or organization).
I am looking for a limited number of people who would be interested in becoming “Charter Members” of the Premium Content area of implementingscrum.com.
I will request each of the limited Charter Members pay a fee, and, in return this fee will continue to remain the same forever for you (if the price goes up, you will pay the same subscription amount as long as you are a member).
I am looking for an initial three month commitment from you (and me) to actually “test” some new features as they are developed.
So, in addition to becoming “Charter Members” you will help guide the content and delivery mechanisms for the future subscribers of the site — both “free” and “Premium”.
Are you interested in doing something like this with me?
The journey will be fun.
And — as a Charter Member — you will have a safe place as part of a new community to help yourself — and others — learn even more about Scrum and other Agile Practices.
I only want serious people who have a positive attitude and a true spirit of adventure.
Is that you?
If so, please let me know.
Who knows?
Heck, when I started this site I could not believe the impact that one person (actually two — Tony (the artist) and I) could have on an industry.
Change happens one person at a time.
And good Karma is always a good thing to possess, even if only for a millisecond of time in your life.
If you are interested, stop by www.implementingscrum.com/premium for a bit more information and sign-up to become a Charter Member for the Premium Content.
Risk free.
This is an incredibly limited opportunity and I will cut it off on or before June 30, 2008 for new Charter Members (if there is too great of a response, a waiting list will begin).
Part of this limitation is to take it in small steps and inspect and adapt along the way.
Thank you for reading all of this.
If you are not ready to sign-up as a Charter Member today, please pass this information on to others who may be interested.
I do sincerely appreciate it.
- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
PS: And remember… If you or your friends [or enemies] have not signed up for FREE updates to this blog, please Subscribe to Implementing Scrum via Email!
Hi.
[This is a message from the heart / full transparency "on" / and not specific to Scrum --- more of the "State of the Site at www.implementingscrum.com and, "Where do we take it in the future...."]
Last week I asked a specific question that I have received a ton of feedback as of today (thank you to everyone who responded).
For people who have been regular readers of this blog for a while, I hope you can tell that I am constantly “creating” this site using feedback from you — inspecting and adapting — eating my own dog food as it were. For new readers, please expect this trend to continue.
If you have not noticed… I have removed all google advertising from the site; per feedback from you I thought this would be best (even though it was a car payment [plus] a month in revenue!).
And, the site as it stands today (and in the future) the blog entries and comics will continue to be “free” (just your time, which I appreciate) in the future.
Please continue to tell your friends and teams around the universe about this site (thank you). If you have not done so already, now is a great time (smile).
As you may not realize, I own a company (Vizdos Enterprises, LLC) and work around the world helping clients Implement Scrum at all levels in hundreds — at this point probably over a thousand — of locations.
I am also a Certified Scrum Trainer (one of less than 50 in this great Universe) and spend a lot of time on the road doing the CSM Workshops (although it is not my main revenue stream).
I will be in more than 30 cities in the USA between now and the end of the year.
And I have some plans to head overseas too.
Lots of travel. And that is what is just currently booked.
I need to update both the Scrum Alliance site with these new dates, along with my public google calendar.
Be sure if you are in the USA I should be arriving to a city near you!
I DO have a family and one of my personal goals is to start to cut back on travel again.
My five and eight year old boys are growing up. And… for anyone who travels extensively… you know how this works. If you are interested in doing what I do, we can talk about the pros and cons anytime!
This is where I need you (sorry for the long intro… but this is like having a one way conversation!).
The results of the “voting” for more blog entries were positive. Both as they stand today and in more video/audio formats.
And, starting next week you will start to see different flavors of them being produced more often (maybe more than Dominc (my oldest son) and I doing youtube videos.
There will be other avenues and distribution channels over time.
Again… inspect and adapt.
The comic strips and blog entires about those comic strips will continue to be free.
This next part is not a sales pitch — it is to gain serious interest (although you may consider it a pitch).
I am starting a “Premium Content” area of the site.
Ah.
That means dinero/cash/euros/whatever out of your pocket (or your company or organization).
I am looking for a limited number of people who would be interested in becoming “Charter Members” of the Premium Content area of implementingscrum.com.
I will request each of the limited Charter Members pay a fee, and, in return this fee will continue to remain the same forever for you (if the price goes up, you will pay the same subscription amount as long as you are a member).
I am looking for an initial three month commitment from you (and me) to actually “test” some new features as they are developed.
So, in addition to becoming “Charter Members” you will help guide the content and delivery mechanisms for the future subscribers of the site — both “free” and “Premium”.
Are you interested in doing something like this with me?
The journey will be fun.
And — as a Charter Member — you will have a safe place as part of a new community to help yourself — and others — learn even more about Scrum and other Agile Practices.
I only want serious people who have a positive attitude and a true spirit of adventure.
Is that you?
If so, please let me know.
Who knows?
Heck, when I started this site I could not believe the impact that one person (actually two — Tony (the artist) and I) could have on an industry.
Change happens one person at a time.
And good Karma is always a good thing to possess, even if only for a millisecond of time in your life.
If you are interested, stop by www.implementingscrum.com/premium for a bit more information and sign-up to become a Charter Member for the Premium Content.
Risk free.
This is an incredibly limited opportunity and I will cut it off on or before June 30, 2008 for new Charter Members (if there is too great of a response, a waiting list will begin).
Part of this limitation is to take it in small steps and inspect and adapt along the way.
Thank you for reading all of this.
If you are not ready to sign-up as a Charter Member today, please pass this information on to others who may be interested.
I do sincerely appreciate it.
- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
PS: And remember… If you or your friends [or enemies] have not signed up for FREE updates to this blog, please Subscribe to Implementing Scrum via Email!
Welcome back to yet another week at www.implementingscrum.com.
[Note: January 11,2012 -- An updated blog posting about this comic strip is located at: http://www.implementingscrum.com/2012/01/11/scrum-planning-its-important-and-misunderstood-you-have-to-plan/]
Thanks as usual for coming back this week and helping me spread the word about this site.
If you have some time today, please tell three or four of your friends about it, and let’s see if even more people can have fun with us.
Ask them to subscribe. Please. There are opportunities all over the site (please let me know if it is confusing in any way!). In fact, you can forward them this note and have them Subscribe to Implementing Scrum via Email!
Now… about “Fun.”
Yeah, I know, I know… we do serious work in the real world Mike….
I know.
I live it, as I hope you can tell.
So last week I wrote a few segments about Fantasy Island, and I really loved that comic strip.
One of the things listed was, “You may be on Fantasy Island” if you play Planning Poker without your Product Owner.
For a quick overview on an introduction to Planning Poker, please see this posting.
And come back! I am not going anywhere.
You back?
See. I told you I’d still be here. I am persistent that way (get it geeks of the world?!?! HA??? Ug… nevermind lol).
OK.
Ug.
WARNING: IF you have a very sensitive sense of humor (or none at all)… PLEASE STOP READING THIS POSTING.
My title tonight varied from, “How Planning Poker is like Unprotected Sex” to the one you see you actually displayed.
Guess it is at least a little more politically correct.
SO.
Um.
How can Planning Poker look like a one night stand?
Let me see if that can be answered sufficiently….
1) When you leave a Product Owner out of the process, you are at risk of waking up the next morning wanting to gnaw your left arm off. Clear?
OK.
Next one.
2) A Product Backlog does not have to be something that the Scrum Gods (aka Mr. Schwaber or others) think is perfect. Here is a fair question for you…. “Does it meet the needs of your customer?” If yes, all is good. If no, hire me (smile). Um. Dunno what that has to do with a one night stand (sorry).
3) Scrum Planning Poker without a Product Owner lands you in Fantasy Island. And. You cannot get off. Much like drinking and partying which can lead to the one night stand. You know, cannot get off the Island. And… never get to “Done.”
4) You cannot do any type of real release planning. Just like a one night stand, you may wind up with something you will have to live with for the rest of your life in about 10 months with not a clue it was coming (see my “Making Babies” post). Well, you saw it building and growing, but you have no idea what you are in for.
5) Hmmm…. I think the number one reason was the best (lol). Let me think. Oh…. this thing called “Group Think” may take place where everyone makes ASSumptions about the other. Can lead to going back to #1 in this list (smile).
6) Having a Product Owner there is like wearing a…. hmmm… do I dare say it? Nope. Use your imagination if you can. And. If it is missing it may feel fine but your team can wind up catching something that is hard to get rid of – or even cause your team to die.
7) And I guess my final word of advice… If you find yourself out during that “last call” and someone has that “five beer” look… GO HOME ALONE. This can be paralleled to playing Planning Poker without a Product Owner. If the Product Owner is not there… CANCEL THE MEETING.
Wow.
Was that the most inuendo-filled-posting I have ever posted? I think the most inuendo-filled-COMIC-STRIP was the one on CSM Training. Strange how that is the most downloaded comic strip on the site (smile).
Hehe… It was a little fun.
Now… back to the work thing.
And remember your PRODUCT OWNER!
If you or your friends [or enemies] have not signed up for FREE updates to this blog, please Subscribe to Implementing Scrum via Email!
Gotta run! Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.
You can also enter The Scrum Community to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!
June 3, 2008
Welcome back to yet another week at www.implementingscrum.com.
Wow. I saw something at a client site a few weeks ago that inspired the cartoon for this week.
This is real life.
As it is every week and every posting with me.
And.
Unexpected to say the least.
I’ll let you in on the actual pictures of the inspiration tomorrow… but for now let’s continue with the point for this week.
Sometimes it feels like you are working on the same thing day after day.
At least sometimes it feels that way to me. Maybe it is just me (smile).
Kinda like a treadmill. This is something that you walk on forever and actually get nowhere.
Are you there in your [work] life?
What about your Team?
And your Organization?
What can help you get out of this — or “off the treadmill?”
Umm.
I could sugar coat it with a bunch of inspirational bla bla, and sometimes I do that.
Tonight… zero sugar coating. It is not going to happen, as sometimes you need to hear this and actually take a hard knock of reality (like sometimes people on the team need to be “voted” off the island!).
Here goes.
The only way off the treadmill is for you to make a change.
Take responsibility.
Be accountable.
To who?
You.
The rest of the Team and Organization will follow.
Or will they?
Does it really matter to you?
Worry about you first.
Really.
The rest will follow.
Or not.
Gotta run! Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.
You can also enter The Scrum Community to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!
May 13, 2008
Welcome back to yet another week at www.implementingscrum.com.
[After you read this you may want to check out an updated posting to this cartoon at: http://www.implementingscrum.com/2012/01/04/scrummasters-feel-like-giving-up-sometimes/]
So.
A few weeks ago had someone in a class explain this. He was trained as an Antropologist — not a software developer.
Interesting dude. Really.
Let’s say your current organizational system is like a river flowing down stream.
How rough varies.
Introduce change.
Any change.
Just one.
Scrum for example (funny how that gets worked into this conversation, eh?).
Pretend that change is a boat (or canoe, as drawn!).
Insert a Chicken and Pig for some humor (smile).
Following along with me?
Now.
Paddle.
What happens when you stop paddling?
The river flushes you back down stream.
That’s the gist.
Easy brilliance.
Does this apply in your current situation?
If you are about to just embark on this journey, remember to always keep paddling!
Stop paddling and you have made a choice to give it up — and make room for something else to take its place.
Gotta run! Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.
You can also enter The Scrum Community to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!
Originally Published:
April 21, 2008
[Updated posting to this cartoon at: http://www.implementingscrum.com/2012/01/04/scrummasters-feel-like-giving-up-sometimes/]
Welcome back to yet another week at www.implementingscrum.com.
The Guest Blogger this week is Michele Sliger, a fellow Certified Scrum Trainer and awesome person in general (smile).
A few weeks ago some of the Trainers got together in a super-secret-location-on-Earth for a couple of days.
We had a lot of fun, I learned a ton, and you can be sure I will write more about it in this blog in the future!
Michele posed the question to the Trainers, “What are the Scrum Values?”
And. Gulp. I could not name all of them.
Shame on me.
Or? Are they something I just *do* like a lot of people already?
Either way, I thought this would be a good platform for Michele to discuss the Scrum Values and give some great examples for you to use with your Scrum Teams.
Keep learning… I do daily….
Here is the write-up from Michele:
====================
Like Mike, I am a Certified Scrum Trainer and I make my living teaching Scrum and coaching Scrum teams.
One of the things I teach is the Scrum values. Do you know what they are? Take a second and see if you can name them all.
I will give you a hint: there are five, they are one word in length, and one of them is not Honesty. Now stop reading for a moment and when you think you have got them all, come on back.
Ready?
Okay, how did you do?
I am sure none of you cheated by going to the first Scrum book, “Agile Software Development with Scrum” and flipping to the last chapter.
(I can hear it now: “Heck, she said that Honesty wasn’t a value, so where’s the problem?”)
The five Scrum values are, in no particular order:
- 1. Commitment
2. Focus
3. Openness
4. Respect
5. Courage.
Now what do you suppose these mean?
Ask a roomful of people and you’ll get a roomful of answers.
- Openness means that we will tell the product owner “no” when we can’t do any more work in the Sprint.
- Openness means that we will tell management that we are doing Scrum even though we are afraid they will make us stop.
- Openness means that when my colleague takes a three-hour lunch break instead of finishing her tasks that I will have a difficult conversation with her.
- Openness means telling you that I did in fact cheat. I looked up the values in the back of the black book.
(I once had an argument with a co-worker on what “being truthful” meant.
He said that it wasn’t lying if he went to a topless bar and didn’t tell his wife. I said it was a lie, one of omission. We went back and forth, each sure of our morality. So I’m pleased that Ken was careful in his naming with the value of Openness, instead of something like Honesty or Truthfulness, so I don’t have to have arguments over what truth means!)
Because we each interpret the values differently as individuals and as teams, we really need to take a look at each value and decide as a team what that value means to us.
Here are a couple of ways you can do that:
If your group does regular brown-bag lunches, open spaces, or Scrum cocktail hours, pass out copies of that last chapter and say, “This is what we’ll be talking about at our next get-together.”
Then have that informal conversation and see what the team thinks about the values.
Are there any that surprised them?
Are there any that weren’t in line with their personal values?
Can they say that the team has been adhering to all the values?
Are there any values that they think should be listed that are not?
And are there any values that they would like to make a bigger, more overt, part of their daily activities?
When working on the facilitation of team working agreements, try this exercise.
List the values, and this simple template that can be used to turn each value into an actionable working agreement:
We believe in [value] therefore we will [do something].
For example, your team might come back with:
- We believe in respect, therefore we will show up on time for all meetings.
The point is to get those values on the wall somewhere, where they can serve as reminders to the team of the drivers behind the Scrum practices, and of how the team has chosen to work together.
Remember, Scrum is not only value-driven in how it provides the most important features first to the customer, it is also value-driven in how the people choose to work together to get the job done.
====================
Gotta run!.Please send comments, questions, criticisms, ideas, or whatever here.
You can also enter The Scrum Community to discuss this entry and other Scrum topics. Thank you!
March 25, 2008
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