Blog

Agile Lean Europe Network

2011-03-28T12:11:02Z

As an Agile enthusiast I'm always prepared to support and promote good Agile initiatives. A few weeks ago I got involved in Agile Lean Europe Network, which is a group on LinkedIn that aims to improve the collaboration between Agile fans in Europe. It was initiated by Jurgen Appelo who is trying to move the countries in Europe a little closer together. You can read more about his great idea on his blog.

First pan-European Agile gathering will be organised at XP2011 conference in Madrid. But, before the gathering each country should self-organize and prepare their statement of what they want from Europe. All agilists from Europe are invited to join local Agile communities in your country to prepare for the ALE gathering in Madrid. You can find more information about emerging local communities here.

In Slovenia we have already started a discussion about this topic on our local LinkedIn group Skram.si.

See you all at XP2011.

How To Use A Constellation To Jell A Team?

2011-01-25T10:46:15Z

When you start new project you assemble a group of people to work on this project...this is the easy part of the job. The really hard part is to transform this group of people into an effective team that run like a well-oiled machine and that will successfully finish the project. And here is where most of the managers fail.

It takes time for a team to jell because it takes time for team members to get to know each other and build trust. And this is a prerequisite for effective communication which is imperative for the project success. That's why you must create many opportunities for team members to get to know each other better. And one such opportunity is a Constellation exercise?

The main purpose of this exercise is that the team members learn more about one another, see what other team members will do and not do, what they do and do not believe, and what they will and will not tolerate. It is especially useful at the beginning of a project when most team members do not know each other.

How to facilitate a constellation exercise?

Choose any object (chair, ball,...) and put it on the floor in the middle of the room. This object represents the center of the constellation and all team members should arrange themselves around this object. Tell them that you are going to read some statements, and as you read the statement they should gravitate toward or away from the center object in relation to how true the statement is for them. The more true the statement is for them, the closer to the center they should move.

After you read the statement everyone should move at the same time and they should not pay attention where other team members are moving. After everyone has moved they should all look around and see where other team members stand and they should feel the shape of the constellation. Once they have looked around, read the next statement.

After you read your statements, let the team members write their own statements. Collect all the statements and read it to the team.

Here are some statements that can be used:

I like to work alone
I am competitive
I like to facilitate meetings
I am a perfectionist
I like to learn new things
I like surprises
I like lots of documentation

To learn more about the exercises that can help the team jell read a great book Coaching agile teams written by Lyssa Adkins.

The 3 A's of awesome

2011-01-14T09:01:32Z

If you are looking for something inspirational you should watch Neil Pasricha's great talk about awesome things in your life. I also recommend you to check his blog which won Webby Awards in 2009 for Best Blog or read his bestseller book.

Agile Principle 2: Changing Requirements

2011-01-03T14:13:00Z

This is the second post in the series of 12 posts about Agile Manifesto Principles. They are the foundation of all agile methodologies and every Scrum team member should be familiar with them.

Here is the second principle, that talks about change:

Welcome changing requirements, even late in

development. Agile processes harness change for

the customer's competitive advantage.

In software development we all strive for a projects where customer would never change their minds. And we all know that will never happen because changes are inevitable in real world. Customers usually do not see a problem of changing requirements as a serious one.

Traditional development process prefers sticking to their well-thought-out plans that are the result of the requirement-gathering phase. Introducing change late in the development process is costly because you need to repeat the whole waterfall process (analyse, design,...) for each change.

Agile methods take a different approach and treat change as an expected and welcome part of every project. After all, it is all about satisfying the customer because it is necessary to preserve customer's competitive advantage.

During the project the customer can continue to make changes, as long as they prioritize these changes in the appropriate iteration. Product owner is responsible for understanding of the customer needs and grooming the product backlog (prioritizing work based on business value) even near the end of the project. It is even better to make decisions later in the process when we have a better understanding of the product that we are building. Because a product backlog is a living thing that evolve constantly it can respond to the actions of customer's competitors. Agility is all about flexibility and being open to change is a big advantage.

You need to remember the following two words about this principle: welcome (changing requirements) and harness (change)!

You can find the explanation of the first principle here.

Scrum & Agile Manifesto Principle 1

2010-12-30T17:09:44Z

Many software development companies are striving to become more agile and the Scrum is the agile buzzword #1 at the moment. The problem is that some companies or teams want to adopt Scrum just because they read about it on the internet and they are sure that if it is a simple agile framework it must be very easy using it. Besides, who wouldn't want to be more agile in these days?

Some people start using Scrum although they know almost nothing about the Scrum. It makes me really sad when I meet people with the following mindset "Scrum == Sprint". Yes, all they know about Scrum is that you have to work in some iterations called "Sprint". And at the end of the project they are so disappointed because the project was not as successful as they expected. That is because the Scrum is dramatically different from traditional sequential development.

Every Scrum team member must be familiar with the basic values of Scrum. That's why I decided to wrote 12 posts about the foundation of all agile methodologies including Scrum: Agile Manifesto Principles. In every post I try to will explain one principle in a very simple way.

Here is the first principle:

Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer

through early and continuous delivery

of valuable software.

At the start of the new project you have to answer one really big question, what exactly are we building? The short answer is, that you must build the software that is going to be of value to the customer and will satisfy their needs. But in the reality it is not so simple to achieve that.

In the sequential development project you would first start with a lengthy up-front requirement-gathering phase. The result of this phase would be hundreds of pages of detailed requirements documentation where all features are equal important. Let's face it, the customer don't care about documents and UML diagrams and it is hard to get the right information from the customer and put it on the paper. They just want to get the software that maximizes the added value to their business and they don't know exactly what that value is on the first day of the project. There is a big chance that there will be some disappointment on the customer side when the software will be presented for the first time at the end of the project, although the software works as at it is described it the documentation.

There is a total different story with Scrum teams which adapt early and continuous delivery of valuable software because the client is involved throughout the lifetime of the project. That is how you can get early customer feedback and valuable emergent requirements. Scrum team documents all the features in a product backlog, which is a master list of all desired functionality not yet in the product. Product backlog is also known as prioritized feature list and priority is assigned based on the items of most value to the business or that offer the earliest ROI and value. Product owner has to groom the product backlog continuously because items are added, removed and reprioritized each sprint as more is learned about the product being developed. The result is that the most important and highest-priority items are implemented first because they are found at the top of the product backlog.

So, remember two words about this principle: satisfy (the customer) and valuable (software)!

You can find a very brief explanation of agility here.

Get Rid Of Unproductive Meetings With Six Thinking Hats

2010-12-20T14:26:43Z

We are all very accustomed on traditional type of thinking which goes like this: "I am right, you are wrong". We usually try to build a logical argument to prove the other side is wrong. Thankfully there are better methods which forces you to move outside of this old habitual thinking style and closer to the fruitful thinking without attacking or judging. One such method is Six Thinking Hats which is a thinking framework that provides an alternative to the argument.

This thinking method was invented by Dr. Edward de Bono who is the leading international authority on creative thinking and lateral thinking guru. He has written more than 60 books, including the great book Six Thinking Hats.

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea. ~Edward de Bono

The Six Thinking Hats helps to accomplish the following:

Separate out thinking so we can do one thing at a time.
Ask people to switch thinking from one mode to another.
Separate ego from performance.
Signal what thinking process we are going to use next.
Allow specific time for creativity.
Explore subjects in parallel.
Expand from one-dimensional to full-colored thinking.

Imagine that you have six different hats. Each hat is a different color and represents a different type of thinking. For instance, if you want to be positive and find some benefits to some idea you just put the yellow hat on.

The hats and colors are designed to make Parallel Thinking a practical process. Parallel Thinking is getting everyone focused on using the same thinking tool at the same time and the goal is to think of many points under each different kind of hat.

Blue Hat - Control: This hat manages the thinking process and sets the focus and agenda. It organizes the thinking and makes adjustments if the process isn't productive. It summarize the major points of the discussion and calls the group to make decisions. The hat is usually worn by the meeting facilitator.

White Hat - Information: This hat focuses on facts, data and information available. It asks the following questions:

What do we know?
What do we need to know?
Where can we get this information?

It also looks at Other People's Views (O.P.V.) by asking the following questions:

What views does this person or group have?
What information do we need from them?
How could we get this missing information?

Red Hat - Feelings: This hat is concerned with emotions, feelings, hunches and intuition. It does not require us to justify or explain the reasons for our feelings and it should be limited to 30 seconds. The key questions are:

What are my feelings right now?
What does my intuition tell me?
What is my gut reaction?

Yellow Hat - Benefits: This hat is optimistic and represents the positive aspects of the situation. It is the opposite of black hat and it reinforces creative ideas and new directions. The key questions are:

What are the benefits?
What are the positives?
What is the value here?

Black Hat - Judgment: This hat is gloomy and negative and is used to point out the weaknesses of the situation. This hat is usually overused because a lot of people place too much emphasis on critical thinking. The key questions are:

What are the challenges - both existing and potential?
What are some of the difficulties?
What are the points for caution?
What are the risks?

Green Hat - Creativity: This hat is for creative and unconventional thinking. It encourages a search for new ideas and alternatives. The key questions are:

Are there other ways to do this?
What else could we do here?
What are the possibilities?
What will overcome our black hat concerns?

Six Thinking Hats can be used in various sequences (fixed, flexible or evolving) for different desired outcomes (process improvement, idea generation,...). The following sequence for instance can be used for problem solving:

Blue Hat: Focus statement.
White Hat: What could be causing the problem?
Green Hat: Generate ideas to solve the problem.
Red Hat: Choose the best ideas.
Yellow Hat:What are the benefits of each idea?
Black Hat: What are the weaknesses of each idea?
Green Hat: Overcoming the weaknesses.
Blue Hat: What do we need to do, by when?

Why backpacking rocks?

2010-10-22T08:16:30Z

The fact that I'm going to Nepal on Monday already makes me itch and scratching doesn't help. I almost forgot that great feeling because it is more than two years since my last backpacking trip to Peru & Bolivia.

Me and my wife are true backpackers hence we only buy the flight tickets, Lonely Planet guide, pack our backpacks and go with the flow. We will spend the next month trekking in Nepal. We didn't decide yet between the Annapurna Circuit and Everest Base Camp trek, we will make the final decision when we arrive in Kathmandu.

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. ~Lao Tzu

Backpacking is a life altering experience and here are some reasons to buy a flight ticket, pack your stuff and travel to the faraway places.

Have fun. There is no rocket science in this one. Backpacking is fucking awesome and it is the best way to explore the world and enjoy while you are doing it.

Meet a ton of cool people. While backpacking you meet the most genuine travelers. Nobody is hiding behind his social position or job title, nobody has the latest BMW to impress others, nobody stands out with his fancy clothes,... At the evening all the people in the hostel are talking what they have already experienced and where are they going tomorrow.

Broaden your horizons. Visiting new cultures and new places will awaken some specific areas of your inner-self. It is also very educating and positive experience which expands your mind. Backpacking is quite challenging and you to learn to be more creative and flexible. You will definitely come back as a better person with a bunch of new knowledge about life.

Relax and be happier. Life is really crazy these days. That's why it is really advisable to get away from the stress of everyday life. You will sense the real freedom because there are no limits and you can decide where to go and what to do in the last minute.

If you are still not convinced you MUST watch the following video. And if that video doesn't make you itch...then you are hopeless.

Namaste!

What Is Between Stimulus And Response?

2010-10-17T13:28:32Z

Have you ever wondered why in a particular situation you unconsciously react like you do, although you sometimes regret your actions? Imagine that you could stop the time and thing for a few seconds to choose the most appropriate positive response in a given situation. Wouldn't it be great if you had that power. I can tell you that you are capable of doing this...OK, not to physically stop the time but at least to choose the right response.

Let me first tell you a fascinating story about Viktor E. Frankl. He was an Austrian psychiatrist who was a prisoner in a concentration camp during World War II. One day he began to become aware that despite the daily torture he has a freedom his Nazi captors could not take away. Using the unique human endowments (self-awareness, imagination, conscience and independent will) he created his own freedom that was even bigger that the freedom of his Nazi captors. He exercised his freedom to the extend that he could decide how something was going to effect him and choose his own response. He called this freedom "the last of the human freedoms". He became an inspiration to those around him, even to some of the guards. Frankl survived the Holocaust and later wrote a great book called Man's Search for Meaning.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. ~Viktor E. Frankl

There is a space called freedom of choice.

Most people thing there is no space between stimulus and response. They skip this space between not realizing they have a choice because they are sure that things just happens. Between stimulus and response there is a space and in that space lies the freedom to choose. This freedom to choose is ours in every aspect of our lives. Humans are the only creatures on earth that have that tremendous power. Animals, for instance respond only by their instinct. A lot of people gave that power away and they just respond from their unconscious. They believe that every person is the product of genetics, environment and past experiences.

Learn to use this space

The first step toward being more proactive is to become aware of this space. Take a few deep breaths and listen to your subconscious after you receive some negative stimulus and try to sense this space before you response. Notice the script that it runs in the background and drive your response in the usual way. The next step is to become aware of your conscious and the freedom of choice. Try to replace your subconscious voice with the conscious one. Basically that means to change the old script with new "conscious" one. So, the next time you will be exposed to some stimuli stop for a moment, think about it and then respond.

Reacting to a stimulus without any thinking is a characteristic of a reactive person who is often affected by his physical and social environment.

Conclusion

Remember, you are totally responsible for how you react because you have the power to choose your response. Stop blaming your physical or social environment, parents, spouse, school, boss,...

If you want to learn more about this subject I suggest you read a book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, written by Stephen R. Covey.

Social Loafing - Free-riders vs. Suckers

2010-08-29T17:55:07Z

Regarding to the fact that I'm a project manager I work with teams and team members most of my time. I'm also very keen on learning agile methodologies, hence I'm learning about Scrum at the moment. While reading a book about Scrum I came across very interesting topic that drew my attention.

We can probably all agree that large teams with more than 10 people can be very unproductive because they provide a wonderful camouflage to lazy people. If you have ever worked in a large team you probably noticed that some team members were not working as efficient as they could. Why is that so? Some people have tendency to exert less effort when they believe there are others who will pick up the slack. The researchers call that phenomenon the Social Loafing. In short it says that the more people you throw at a problem, the less each contributes. In software development we have a well known Brook's law which says that adding manpower to a late software project makes it even later.

The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity. ~Thomas J. Peters

Social loafing is also known as Ringelmann Effect, because it was first identified by French professor Maximilien Ringelmann in the 1913 when he measured the pressure exerted by individuals and teams pulling on a rope. He found that the sum of the individual pulls did not equal the total of the group pulls but it was less. For instance, group of eight people exhibited less than four times the individual average. The group result was much less then the sum of individual effort because the individual pulls harder alone than as part of a group.

Social loafing manifests in two ways:

free-rider effect - some individuals reduce their effort when they realise that the performance of the group will not suffer because of their lack of effort
sucker effect - some individuals lower their effort in response to the free-riders attitude, to avoid being the "sucker"

There are several ways to prevent the effects of social loafing within a group. Here are a few tips for avoiding social loafing:

Keep it small - a number of studies have shown that individual effort in inversely related to team size. Consequently, the ideal Scrum team size is five to nine individuals. For instance, Amazon refers to their teams as "two-pizza teams" meaning a team should be so small that can be fed with two pizzas.
Emphasize team importance - when the team (project) is important to its members they work harder. Management can boost the team’s morale by emphasizing the importance of the team and the value the team adds to the organization. Free-riding does not occur when team members feel that the project itself is important.
Increase task visibility - make sure everyone in a team knows that they can easily be evaluated by others. Scrum solved this problem with a Scrum daily meeting during which each team member provides answers to the following three questions: What did you do yesterday? What will you do today? Are there any impediments in your way?
Define responsibilities - roles and responsibilities have to very clear be defined upfront.

Social loafing is a behavior that organizations want to eliminate, because it has negative impact on performance of organizations. Social loafing is most abundant in the organizations and teams that lack simple and open communication and where individuals are constantly dealing with undefined project goals, tasks and responsibilities.

An the game between free-riders and suckers can begin...

Enjoy The Moment

2010-08-24T19:13:48Z

Scott Berkun mentioned this incredible video yesterday on his blog. The video if so beautiful that I feel obliged to share it with you.

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. ~Coreta Kent

I'm pretty sure most of us fail to be present in the moment because we are so busy every day finishing tasks written on out to-do lists. We all need to slow down a little and enjoy spontaneous moments on a daily basis. Enough talking...enjoy the video.

Moments from Everynone on Vimeo.