Agile
Say Goodbye to Risk Using Scrum in Hardware Development
Companies who build hardware often ask if it’s possible to benefit from Scrum. In order to answer this question, I need to first introduce you to my friend Risk. Risk is a terrible friend. Risk likes to keep information about the future from me and show up when I least expect. Risk has a very…
Read More7 vital differences between Agile adoption and agile transformation
In my experience working with organizations that are transforming how they work, many people misunderstood what the goals of the transformation are. This is often the result of not understanding the difference between an Agile adoption and agile transformation. In this post, I’ll explain what an Agile adoption is, what agile transformation is, and seven…
Read MoreTackling the People Side of Technical Debt
Technical Debt There’s a concept in software development called technical debt that reflects the implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing quick and easy solutions over a better solution that could potentially take longer to implement. Technical debt comes with the obligation of interest similar to financial debt, but in the form of extra…
Read More5 Components of agile transformation that can’t be ignored
If your organization is adopting agile delivery, you are going through an agile transformation. An organization often begins agile transformation because it is a small company that grew up without much official process and structure and things are too chaotic or it is a larger company looking to replace Waterfall style delivery. In this post,…
Read MoreLet’s remove “Agile” from agile leadership
What exactly is “agile” or even an Agile leader? This is one of the biggest problems our industry faces. Ask a room full of people to answer and you may get as many answers. Common ones include “it’s a mindset” or “it’s a software methodology” etc… I think of this word “agile” as being synonymous…
Read MoreEntry-level Agile certifications don’t mean as much as you think
Many job openings for Agile coach and Scrum Master positions require entry-level certifications, but what do those certifications mean anyways? In this post I explain why I believe entry-level certifications are a poor tool to use when evaluating someone for a position or when assessing someone’s knowledge about Agile values, principles, and practices. I explain…
Read More50 Shades of an Agile Transformation
Because there are many shades of grey when it comes to agile hybrids, Robb Pieper gave his talk “Fifty Shades of Agile Transformations” to the Western Michigan PMI chapter in October of 2018.
Read MoreDo I Need Domain Knowledge to be an Amazing Scrum Master?
Does a Scrum Master really need technical business knowledge? If you’re trying to break in the world of Scrum, you might be asking yourself: Does a Scrum Master really need technical knowledge? Do they need business knowledge? I’m here to set the record straight. it’s really common for a Scrum Master to come from a…
Read MoreThree Books Scrum Masters Should Add to Your Reading List
As a seasoned Scrum Master, you’ve probably already read every good book there is about Scrum. As you look to broaden your knowledge you may now find yourself craving something different. If you’re anything like me, you may appreciate learning complementary ideas that can help expand your skill set. Here are my top three books…
Read MoreThe Importance of Making Priorities Transparent
This Tuesday our Responsive Advisors team visited Au Cheval, a popular burger restaurant in Chicago. In April of 2016, I visited Au Cheval for the first time with Robb, and I wrote this blog post about it on my personal blog. I thought this post was worth sharing in honor of our first team visit to…
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