No, the project management office (PMO) isn’t dead, it’s just different since agile came along. In an organization that does not use agile approaches, a traditional PMO might do everything from prioritizing projects, assigning people or resources to projects, managing the execution of projects, and promoting project management practices. In an agile organization, the role … Continue reading The Lean-Agile PMO
Author: Alec Hardy
Getting Real About Story Points
In a recent agile podcast, one of the hosts said that story points existed "just so that some manager can get a report." That opinion might fly in a fantasy world where investments are made without any sense at all regarding what value might be provided, but that's not how the real world of business … Continue reading Getting Real About Story Points
Talking about the Team
One of the hallmarks of being agile versus merely doing agile is that scrum team members contribute in whatever way is needed for the team to meet the sprint goal. Old habits of dividing roles into teams can be a barrier to realizing the benefits of agility. Before agile, many organizations had “development teams”, “QA … Continue reading Talking about the Team
What’s the What?
I recently parted ways with my Scrum teams in order to pursue an opportunity another company. One of the team members asked for general feedback about how the team had been doing. Here is my response: Team, I have always been open with you about things we are doing well and areas where we need to … Continue reading What’s the What?
The Product Owner Trap
My first job as a Product Owner was at a company and industry that were new to me. I enthusiastically embarked upon learning the business, the (very large and complex) products, and getting to know the team and customers. After a few months, things seemed to be going pretty smoothly and my boss asked me … Continue reading The Product Owner Trap
Retrospectives – Back to Basics
For a new Scrum Master, the mechanics of getting started with retrospectives are deceptively easy. Somebody tells them to write three columns on the whiteboard (What Went Well, What Did Not, Ideas) and to facilitate the discussion. The Scrum Master makes sure that management is not invited to the meeting. He/she Identifies the team members … Continue reading Retrospectives – Back to Basics
Shadow Backlog
The team was under pressure to deliver a rewrite of the flagship product after having been handed an agressive delivery date. In spite of the Scrum board and other information radiators in their area, the Scrum Master had to deliver progress reports to the CEO every day. The company president and vice presidents attended sprint … Continue reading Shadow Backlog
