Agile
We’re trying to establish sizes of stories, so I wanted to see what SAFe prescribes. Story points are mentioned, but it seems like you could use whatever unit you wanted — hours, points, etc. — so long as it’s numeric. The number matters because in capacity planning, you need to know how big your “bucket” is; keep subtracting by selecting stories until you reach zero. For starters, this description says 1 story point = 1 day of work. It also says that each team’s meaning of 1 story point needs to be the same, otherwise you can’t do the math on cross-team work.
Why I Don’t Use Story Points for Sprint Planning
Hours are the more useful short-term metric and story points are the more useful long-term metric. The team knows how many hours they can commit to for a sprint — capacity-driven sprint planning. In this separate post, the author describes that story points are a sanity check for the team.
Story Points vs Hours: 3 Reasons to Estimate with Story Points
Another article in my devil’s advocate search about hours vs. points. The arguments this post makes are valid, but they break down when you have to articulate how story points are calculated. A story point is an aggregate measure of effort, complexity, and risk. The problem is that effort depends highly on who (or which team) is doing the work.
Defining the Product-Focused Model (via Agile Amped)
- Interviewed 14 different companies and asked how they did the project to product transition. The report is free to download: https://itrevolution.com/book/the-project-to-product-transformation/
- Most companies have a waterfall mindset to deliver technology. Projects are about investment, resources, budgeting, governance. Product is about long-lived teams around a product/service/experience provided to a customer. Product management is centered around the customer.
- DevOps is getting more tied to business initiatives; break down the silo between business and IT.
- Leadership problems… the right C-level support, leadership contradicting cultural aspirations (say one thing and do another), tech strategy not enabling business strategy, the frozen middle (middle management refuses to change and learn new ways to lead).
- Most important: get started and build momentum. Big-bang transformations are rooted in project-based thinking and rarely work. Foster and enable change to grow.
- Project managers and business analysts need to take on new roles like product owners or scrum masters.
- https://dojo.target.com/ — 6-week teams doing real backlog work, Agile coaches teach them how to think iteratively; immersive learning
Career
Four Signs Your Job Might Be in Jeopardy (via Harvard Business Review)
You can do everything right and still lose; strong performance in your role doesn’t equal job security.
- A change at the top
- You’re cut out of the loop
- You lose a sponsor
- Fewer projects come your way
Navigating a New Job with a Very Different Culture (via Harvard Business Review)
“Culture” in this article means geographical culture, like an American leading a Japanese firm.
- Solicit opinions before offering your own
- Recognize that a mandate for change has limits
- Identify a “cultural mentor”
- Control your narrative and understand you may be perceived differently
The Dark Side of Self-Control (via Harvard Business Review)
- People experience less tempting desires, which lead to more neutral emotional experiences
- Long-term regret, for example choosing to work instead of take vacations
- Increased workload, because people ask you to do things because they know you’ll get them done
- Although less likely to engage in activities such as reckless driving, when they do, they are less likely to be caught
- Self-control can make you feel inclined to not be your true self
Culture
Throw Out Your Assumptions About Whistleblowing (via Harvard Business Review)
- More issues reported is correlated with positive effects (more profitable, better governance, greater trust in management, fewer law suits, lower legal spend)
- Second-hand reports shouldn’t be dismissed. First-hand reports are more reliable, yet second-hand reports supplement those reports and can be useful when a first-hand report may not happen.
- Reports with few details can be the starting point for something more; not all people use whistle-blowing systems in the same way.
When Employees Are Open With Each Other, But Not Management (via Harvard Business Review)
To avoid becoming the next Enron or Boeing (737 Max), look out for an emphasis on speed over safety, subject matters not saying much at important meetings, or people automatically agreeing with leaders on crucial issues. Leadership needs to ensure that problems aren’t continually deferred, that silence isn’t acceptable, and that messengers are appreciated.
Leadership
How to Manage an Employee with Depression (via Harvard Business Review)
- Learn about the symptoms of the disorder so you can recognize them proactively
- Allow a flexible schedule, as depression often interferes with sleep patterns
- Simplify work scope; things that are overwhelming and complicated are affected by depression’s impact on cognitive function and diminished reward processing
- Share deadlines as needed, especially short-term ones on manageable tasks
- Focus on positive outcomes and criticize less; frame things in terms of benefits. Don’t penalize employees by giving menial tasks or more difficult tasks to get them to work harder.
- Be a leader. This is not about you; it’s about helping others. Make sure people have the resources to seek help (e.g., EAP programs).
Productivity
How To Create A Productivity Tracker To Reach Your Goals This Year
Although I don’t (yet?) use all the bells and whistles Trello has, it’s neat to see what you can do with them. The idea of hypothesis-driven productivity — are the things I’m trying useful — is compelling.
Our book club finished up the book by discussing meetings, beastly practices, and the conclusion section.
Habits vs. Goals: A Look at the Benefits of a Systematic Approach to Life (via Software Lead Weekly)
Goals have an endpoint, rely on factors we can’t always control, rely on willpower, and can make us complacent. Habits go beyond goals, are easier to complete because they’re smaller in scope, are longer-lived, and can compound.
Transforming IT at Steelcase: An Agile Case Study
I enjoyed seeing how industrial design can be applied to Agile ways of working and communicating in a physical space. Some of the terminology used here lines up with formal Agile processes, such as Communities of Practice. I’d love to work in this building!