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
Product Owner
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
Backlog Grooming: Scrum’s Red Headed Stepchild
Backlog grooming differentiates good scrum teams from ones that are just scraping by. Viewed by some people as optional, there is often a temptation to skip it in favor of remaining focused on the current sprint. Experienced teams understand that backlog grooming can have an impact not just on the next sprint planning meeting but … Continue reading Backlog Grooming: Scrum’s Red Headed Stepchild
Evolving Team Structures Through the Product Development Lifecycle
One of the most fascinating management challenges is determining the best structure for Scrum teams based on the stage of the project. This does not mean the major waterfall phases like Analysis, Design, Construction, etc. When developing software for use by customers (especially niche SAAS products) and there is some level of customization or specific … Continue reading Evolving Team Structures Through the Product Development Lifecycle
Agile Reflections 